Take out help

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  • bobbiebearden
    bobbiebearden Posts: 32
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    I agree that supplementing your diet with some home-cooked meals is important, but I am also not a master chef. Here are a few things I have found that are quick and around (or under) 500 calories and 20 grams of fat:

    Jimmy John's: Turkey Tom with cheese, easy mayo
    Jack in the Box: Chicken fajita pita + egg roll
    Chipotle: Chicken bowl with brown rice, salsas, cheese. I sometimes add some guacamole or sour cream if it fits in my calories for the day, but this adds significantly to fat and calories.

    Othere than those, the crock pot has become my best friend! Get on pinterest in your down time at work and look for slow cooker recipes. There are TONS out there and they are EASY!

    Good luck on your journey!
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
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    Sorry that I apparently I suck. I'm posting this at work, on my break. You know, cause I'm working 12 hours today, I'm allowed to take a few breaks. And I've tried. Many times. None have worked. I've wasted hundreds of dollars on food that has been ruined by my hands.

    So defeatist? Probably cause I've been defeated. This post hasn't helped me either.
    #1. No one has said you suck. You've been busy beating up yourself about how you can't cook. You're busy beating yourself up, not any of us.
    #2. Sorry you're taking it that way, but there seems to be an undertone of a defeatist attitude with a lot of your posts.

    That's awesome that you have a steady job and a good work ethic. Awesome. Congrats. Feel better?

    I'm not posting here in an effort to make anyone feel bad. You post, I respond with what I see. I'm sorry it may not sit well with exactly what you're looking for, but I've been in those shoes as well. I've been down that road. I couldn't cook and actually had the fire department called to my apartment once because I tried to do so. That was embarrassing. So I tried to find "healthy" food at fast food places. No dice. I just got back up, dusted myself off, and kept trying. Of course, this is my opinion, but that's the best approach for eating healthy.

    If you want it bad enough, you'll try again. You'll make time for it.

    ..but the first step is to stop making excuses, beating yourself up, and whining on an internet forum when someone gives you the advice you need, but not what you want. Good luck.
  • cfregon
    cfregon Posts: 147
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    Don't feel down because of these responses... I know how it can be to work long hours (I work 60 hours a week and I'm a full time MA student at university). It's important to take time for yourself though, wherever you can find it. I try to get a jog in 3 times a week, even if it's only for 30 minutes. I prep my dinner and food for the next day all in about 45 minutes at night when I get home (while watching something on netflix, because it doubles as my wind-down time). Even working 12 hour shifts (I'm working one right now), with eight hours of sleep, travel time, and time to get ready in the morning, you're still left with 3 hours a day to get that work out or cooking bonanza in.

    I can sympathize with getting bored of raw foods (just because you're bored of raw food, doesn't mean your bored of healthy foods as stated above). Difficulty level is cooking, which is important because your sodium levels (from subway, chipotle, anything convenient) are sapping what little energy you have when at home.

    Maybe you could check out the Green Giant and Steamfresh Steamers. They still aren't perfect, but they're much better and easier- plus they're a meal seasoned and ready to go. They're also warm, not raw! Try cooking once or twice a week en mass- Make a tray of individually wrapped burritos you can heat up- Low sodium/carb whole wheat tortillas, some low fat or vegetarian beans, a little low fat cheese, and maybe some veggies. Don't cook it at all, put it together raw and microwave it later. :) Get some Pita Bread or tortillas, stuff them with low fat cheese, tomato sauce and veggies or ham for homemade pizza pockets. To cut sodium, forego the cheese and look for low sodium sauces. These things don't require cooking until you microwave them to eat and they have more veggies and less sodium. You can even buy pre-cooked chicken strips (for salads usually) to put into these dishes for some meat.

    Don't get discouraged hun. You can add me if you'd like other ideas or just want to skim my diary. I'm in the same boat work wise as you are, but I've cooked professionally.
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
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    Sorry that I apparently I suck. I'm posting this at work, on my break. You know, cause I'm working 12 hours today, I'm allowed to take a few breaks. And I've tried. Many times. None have worked. I've wasted hundreds of dollars on food that has been ruined by my hands.

    So defeatist? Probably cause I've been defeated. This post hasn't helped me either.
    #1. No one has said you suck. You've been busy beating up yourself about how you can't cook. You're busy beating yourself up, not any of us.
    #2. Sorry you're taking it that way, but there seems to be an undertone of a defeatist attitude with a lot of your posts.

    That's awesome that you have a steady job and a good work ethic. Awesome. Congrats. Feel better?

    I'm not posting here in an effort to make anyone feel bad. You post, I respond with what I see. I'm sorry it may not sit well with exactly what you're looking for, but I've been in those shoes as well. I've been down that road. I couldn't cook and actually had the fire department called to my apartment once because I tried to do so. That was embarrassing. So I tried to find "healthy" food at fast food places. No dice. I just got back up, dusted myself off, and kept trying. Of course, this is my opinion, but that's the best approach for eating healthy.

    If you want it bad enough, you'll try again. You'll make time for it.

    ..but the first step is to stop making excuses, beating yourself up, and whining on an internet forum when someone gives you the advice you need, but not what you want. Good luck.

    ^Everything he said....nothing else to really add.
  • weightnomore33
    weightnomore33 Posts: 64 Member
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    If you must do fast food get the kids meal. and don't get the fries ever
  • nejaustin
    nejaustin Posts: 76 Member
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    Do you have a friend that cooks? Maybe you could buy premade meals from her. Especially if they are single. I like to cook, but since there is only me I eat the same meal for a week. I would love to have someone to split the bill with so I could cook several different things a week.
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    There are some really good books you can get to help with basic kitchen skills:

    Now You're Cooking is one of the best for a novice: http://www.amazon.com/Now-Youre-Cooking-Everything-Beginner/dp/1883791006/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1200890881&sr=8-1

    The Joy of Cooking is also fantastic and has a TON of recipes: http://www.amazon.com/Joy-Cooking-75th-Anniversary-2006/dp/0743246268/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1356902002&sr=1-1&keywords=joy+of+cooking

    Crock-potting is by far the easiest and least time-consuming cooking method, and it's almost foolproof as long as you follow the directions.

    Tons of good recipes for slow-cookers out there.
  • BlueObsidian
    BlueObsidian Posts: 297 Member
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    I don't actually think eggs or pasta are the easiest foods for beginners - they are not forgiving of over or under cooking at all. Get a slow cooker/ crock pot and a beginner's or children's recipe book or three, everyone can learn to cook something with the right gadgets and some practice. All you do is throw in raw meat, raw chopped veggies, some stock or wine, dried herbs or spice blend, switch on and leave totally alone for many hours and you have several meals. It's humanly impossible to burn, if you overcook it all just falls to bits but still tastes good. Mine also makes perfect steamed rice: you just add a cup or two of rice, a little salt if you wish, water up to the marked line and switch on, the gadget turns itself to 'keep warm' when the rice has absorbed all the water, no timing or stirring. I've been using a rice cooker since I was an incompetent child it's that easy.

    This. It's amazing how a couple easy (and fairly inexpensive) gadgets can make cooking so simple. I actually used to be a chef, but my slow cooker is still one of my favorite tools. It's just so fast and easy on days I'm busy. I love making beef stew, chicken and dumpling, or even a whole pot roast (want an easy recipe - just put a beef roast and a jar of tomato sauce in the crock pot and cook on low for 8+ hours. Easy!).

    If you go to the baking and spice aisle at your grocery store, you should see a bunch of seasoning packets. McCormick actually makes blends just for slow cookers, with easy directions on the back. I love the beef stew one. It's high in sodium, but an easy way for a novice cook to get the hang of using a slow cooker. I like to portion up the extras into individual tupperware containers so they are ready to grab and go (you can even freeze them if you get bored eating the same thing multiple meals in a row).

    As far as the overcooked chicken breasts, there are a couple ways to solve this. One is to add a cup of chicken stock (or even water) to the bottom of the pan and cover it with foil. However, even easier is to get a good thermometer. I love my probe thermometer - it is a thermometer on a cord that attaches to a display panel. This means I can leave the thermometer in the meat while it cooks and check on it whenever I want. It even has a little timer that will beep when the meat gets to the temperature you set it at. No more dry chicken, turkey, etc.
  • Alex_is_Hawks
    Alex_is_Hawks Posts: 3,499 Member
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    your attitude is a tad defeatist....

    if you are going to eat out, you will have high sodium..its the nature of processed food....

    you can learn....everyone can learn...you may never be good at it...but it sounds like you've decided you can't so that you won't have to try.

    the crock pot is a simple place to start, the trick is that you have to watch your time....that is all....can you watch your time with your job? so that you can manage your breaks? then you can watch your time with a crock pot....and if things in it got too dry, then you forgot about it and left it too long and didn't watch the time.

    same thing with bread...being in a rush and hacking at it will leave it with holes....you have to be patient....are you not patient in your day to day work?

    its applying the SAME theories to it....that's all....

    but i think you've decided that cooking will not work for you so it hasn't.

    we will our truths sometimes....we will them to happen more than they happen to us and I think that's the case here.
  • drusilla126
    drusilla126 Posts: 478 Member
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    I don't cook either. No time. I'm up at 5am and going until 7pm. By then I throw together some scrambled eggs when I'm feeling ambitious but that's all I can make. Eating out costs a lot but lots of restaurants are posting nutritional information now. Boston Pizza even! Pizza Pizza has nutritionals up and their new personal 10" Fresco pizzas are delicious and not complete diet busters. Subway obviously (although holy sodium.) Pita Pit is good but again pricey. McDonald's has nutritionals and some okay options for what they are. Domino's pizza also has stats up but you have to do the math.
  • mwbulechek
    mwbulechek Posts: 162 Member
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    I like the grilled chicken snack wraps at McDonalds ask for it with no dressing and its about 200 calories, also the Chicken Fresco soft tacos at Taco Bell 150 calories each!
    You say you can not cook eggs, have you tried egg beaters? They work great in the microwave! Just put a quick spray of non stick spray in a microwave safe bowl pour in 1/8 cup egg beaters and microwave for 1 min! They are perfect on a toasted light English muffin.
  • january2015
    january2015 Posts: 15
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    I just got a slow cooker for Christmas. Thanks for the idea of Pintrest. I will look for some recipices. I have three kids and can't ever make anything that they all like. And I can cook decent. I just don't like to cook. Also I just tried the Apple pecan salad for Wendy's last night at work. I ate half at one bread and half at another. It was great.
  • KristenF101
    KristenF101 Posts: 100
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    Ok - so you're not a culinary genius. I wasn't when I started cooking either. Also, even if you don't cook, you shouldn't avoid preparing food.

    - Get the perdue short cuts chicken and make salads for lunch instead of eating out (your wallet will thank you)
    - Look up recipes for "egg muffins". They're like little omlettes in muffin tins, and completely impossible to make inedible if you know how to set an oven tot he right temperature and use a timer
    - Start small - 1 new recipe a week, and get a recipe book for 5 ingredients and under

    Good luck!
  • acogg
    acogg Posts: 1,870 Member
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    No one is born with the cooking skill. It takes a lot of burned, over spiced, under cooked, bland meals to make a good cook. What it takes is a willingness to learn, a willingness to please other peole and a willingness to adjust.
  • mdyorston
    mdyorston Posts: 158
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    Do you have a friend that cooks? Maybe you could buy premade meals from her. Especially if they are single. I like to cook, but since there is only me I eat the same meal for a week. I would love to have someone to split the bill with so I could cook several different things a week.

    That's a great idea
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    i'll be honest i used to be take out QUEEN. i didnt start losing weight until i stopped relying on take out. you will never now exactly how many calories you are eating unless you put it together yourself

    i'm a crappy cook. i burn 75% of what i cook, but you have to start somewhere.

    i agree with getting a slow cooker. that's how i started. it's so hard to burn anything in a slow cooker.

    easy things to make in slow cooker are chili, soups, pulled chicken, pulled pork, beans, veggies, and meatballs.

    the egg muffins are so easy a meshashesha could do it. i have yet to burn those or screw those up.


    another thing i do is go with a little fattier cut of meat like chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. there isnt much difference calorie wise and even when you overcook the fattier cuts, they still end up being moist :laugh:

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