cheap/easy weight loss diet?

reala728
reala728 Posts: 31
in Food and Nutrition
i cant cook. like, at all. each time results in disaster weather its burnt/undercooked food, or physical damage to the house.

so whats a cheap and easy plan to get adequate nutrition for weight loss?
(right now im sticking to peanut butter sandwiches on whole grain bread, oatmeal bars, and ensure diet drinks)
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Replies

  • Ginnie_Fizz
    Ginnie_Fizz Posts: 15
    Bump
  • boroko
    boroko Posts: 358 Member
    Unless you want to live on raw food or takeaways - learn to cook. It's the best thing you can do to ensure you have a long and healthy life.

    I'm not talking about ambitious fancy stuff but anyone can cook if they can be bothered to try. If you have family or friends who can help teach you then ask them and make the time to give it a proper try. Otherwise buy a student cookbook as these are aimed at starter cooks with basic equipment and small budgets. My husband used to be a disaster in the kitchen because his mother only thought his sister needed to be taught how to cook (seriously!!) but can now he can and does cook good food, nothing fancy but its healthy and nice to eat. My sons could both cook a proper meal by the age of 10 so I'm sure you can. You may have a few disasters but so what, just learn from them and move on.

    I bet you couldn't drive the first time you got in a car, or swim the first time you got in the water but they're both life skills worth learning and so is cooking.
  • AmandaReimer1
    AmandaReimer1 Posts: 235 Member
    It's almost impossible to overcook/burn stuff in the slow cooker..it's amazing.
  • dad106
    dad106 Posts: 4,868 Member
    Sandwiches(Turkey, Roast Beef, Chicken.. dress up with different sauces)
    Fruit
    Nuts
    Veggies(Cut up and eat raw)
    Eggs
    Cheese
  • Phrick
    Phrick Posts: 2,765 Member
    Unless you want to live on raw food or takeaways - learn to cook. It's the best thing you can do to ensure you have a long and healthy life.

    ...

    I bet you couldn't drive the first time you got in a car, or swim the first time you got in the water but they're both life skills worth learning and so is cooking.

    Amen!!
  • Amy11108
    Amy11108 Posts: 74
    Add in some fruit and veggies for snacks
  • Iron_Feline
    Iron_Feline Posts: 10,750 Member
    Unless you want to live on raw food or takeaways - learn to cook. It's the best thing you can do to ensure you have a long and healthy life.

    ...

    I bet you couldn't drive the first time you got in a car, or swim the first time you got in the water but they're both life skills worth learning and so is cooking.

    Amen!!

    Thirded - and it's cheaper in the long run.
  • Woomytron
    Woomytron Posts: 253 Member
    I also say learn to cook. Really its not that hard, grab some cookbooks and follow the directions.

    Its the best way, and then you know what is in your food.


    I do love my slow cooker when I'm being lazy. :laugh:
  • Unknown
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  • daj150
    daj150 Posts: 815 Member
    Learning to cook is key to you goals. However, this is a blanket statement, and Worse Cooks In America hammers home the reality of how hard it can be to learn to cook. So....

    At least learn your microwave. Let's start easy:

    - Popcorn, baked potatoes, Lean Cuisine meals, microwave steal cut oats, Special K breakfast options, Skinny Cow or 100 Calorie Klondikes for snacks, Quest bars (these are packed with a ton of nutrients, are natural, and taste really good).
    - Special K almost anything to be honest...before I got really into cooking, my diet consisted of Special K, Slim Fast shakes, and Lean Cuisine, and a multi-vitamin. I did not get ALL of the nutrition I needed, but it was pretty close and because I was low on time, had a budget, and was still getting used to cooking, this worked wonders.

    In regards to eating out, some people still can't let go of fast food. The closest you are really going to get to "healthy" is Chick-Fil-A, protein and calorie-wise anyway.
  • jamiek917
    jamiek917 Posts: 610 Member
    agree about the slow cooker- very little margin for error there!

    stirfrying is also easy as can be- a little nonstick spray, put thawed meat (chicken, shrimp beef, whatever) in there until its cooked, add frozen or fresh veggies, add a little stir fry saice of your choosing- and eat like that or serve over rice. its not difficult at all!

    go to the recipes thread- i promise they all arent complicated
  • toomuchbootyindapants
    toomuchbootyindapants Posts: 811 Member
    Cheap and easy? Sounds like a fun night.
    Okay, kidding.

    Eat less than you burn - that's easy. And it can be as cheap as you want it to be. More protein is usually necessary for most people starting diets (they don't realize how important it is to get enough in order to retain lean mass while losing fat) so don't skimp out on your foods high in protein.

    Eating healthy *can* be expensive but it's a lot cheaper than buying processed diet foods and drinks or eating out. Sit down and make a grocery list based off your menu for the week. Make a little more of things so you can take leftovers for lunch. Snack on fresh veggies and fruit instead of packaged/processed junk that costs more.
  • Health_Gal
    Health_Gal Posts: 715 Member
    How about frozen low calorie dinners and salad? There are several popular brands of low calorie dinners, including Weight Watchers, Lean Cuisine, etc.
  • ambervaldez79
    ambervaldez79 Posts: 210 Member
    I was in the same boat! I cook more now then I ever have in the past! I cook simple, quick meals. I always have eggs, cheese sticks, almonds, raw fruits and veggies, and chicken on hand. If I'm feeling really lazy, I know I can grab one of those things as a snack.

    Google healthy recipes. You can find some very easy stuff to make.
  • mmuzzatti
    mmuzzatti Posts: 704 Member
    A lot of fast food places post the nutritional values of food but it's too expensive to eat out...by fast food I do not mean McDonalds crap! Salad places and so on. Really easy is a steamer or one person said crockpot hard to screw up crockpot.
  • jdad1
    jdad1 Posts: 1,899 Member
    bagged stir-fry vegtables only have to be microwaved, add canned chicken, soy sauce and chili paste and you have a very easy, very healthy meal. And oh yeah, smoothies. Try to mafe a smoothie with frozen fruit, whey protien and fat free milk or maybe vr fusion. Just a couple of very easy options.
  • AmyMgetsfit
    AmyMgetsfit Posts: 636 Member
    I had a wonderful mom, but her kitchen was her domain and she never taught me or my sister to cook. She would shoo us out of the kitchen. When I got married, I didn't know the first thing about cooking. I had to teach myself. The only cooking shows back then were Julia Child and Grahm Kerr which were not your everyday foods and always with a bottle of wine in hand. Not my thing. The first cake I baked to surprise my new husband when he came home from work, went into the garbage before he ever saw it. My kitchen looked like a crime scene. I cleaned up the evidence before he got home and he was none the wiser. It takes time and trying.
  • liesevanlingen
    liesevanlingen Posts: 508 Member
    Fresh raw veggies and fruit are great for quick snacking , or part of your meal. Carrots, peppers, celery, tomatoes, mushrooms, berries, apples, bananas, oranges, peaches, etc--all good for you, packed with vitamins and minerals, naturally low fat/low calorie, and don't even require any cooking. Not as expensive as protein bars and diet food, either.
  • reala728
    reala728 Posts: 31
    lots of good ideas here. im thinking i'll start with the lean cuisine and fruits and veggies for a bit, then try a slow cooker.
    eventually im sure i'll get adventurous enough to try some easy meals, but i'll wait on that for a little bit just to be safe.
  • Lupercalia
    Lupercalia Posts: 1,857 Member
    I agree with everyone else who is suggesting you learn to cook. Once you learn, you might find it to be relaxing and enjoyable, and I think you'll also find that stuff you've cooked yourself from scratch just tastes a whole lot better than what you get from most restaurants. I know that's the case for me, anyway.

    Learn how to cook a perfect steak. Extremely satisfying, quick, and healthy.
  • Yeller_Sensation
    Yeller_Sensation Posts: 373 Member
    lots of good ideas here. im thinking i'll start with the lean cuisine and fruits and veggies for a bit, then try a slow cooker.
    eventually im sure i'll get adventurous enough to try some easy meals, but i'll wait on that for a little bit just to be safe.

    To be clear, my comment below is not out of judgment but curiosity:

    What are you trying to be safe from? Making a mess? Wasting money on groceries?

    Don't be afraid to learn to cook. Embrace the challenge. As others have already mentioned, you WILL save money. You will also feel great pride in making something good and yummy for yourself. And don't be afraid to ask those who know how to cook for help.

    :flowerforyou:
  • jonnyman41
    jonnyman41 Posts: 1,032 Member
    omletes, quick, easy, cheap, healthy and you can add most things left over in your fridge for taste. cheese, tomatoes, lots of veg, sliced ham/chicken/beef etc . no effort needed
  • brboydjr
    brboydjr Posts: 43 Member
    Unless you want to live on raw food or takeaways - learn to cook. It's the best thing you can do to ensure you have a long and healthy life.

    I'm not talking about ambitious fancy stuff but anyone can cook if they can be bothered to try. If you have family or friends who can help teach you then ask them and make the time to give it a proper try. Otherwise buy a student cookbook as these are aimed at starter cooks with basic equipment and small budgets. My husband used to be a disaster in the kitchen because his mother only thought his sister needed to be taught how to cook (seriously!!) but can now he can and does cook good food, nothing fancy but its healthy and nice to eat. My sons could both cook a proper meal by the age of 10 so I'm sure you can. You may have a few disasters but so what, just learn from them and move on.

    I bet you couldn't drive the first time you got in a car, or swim the first time you got in the water but they're both life skills worth learning and so is cooking.

    Thumbs up!!
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    I just discovered you can microwave eggs if you like 'em scrambled. Mix in a microwave safe bowl, add cheese or veggies or whatever you like, and microwave it. Roughly a minute per egg. Stop in between the microwave every 30 seconds or so to stir and then wham! Tasty eggs. And all you have to clean up is the bowl. (I eat it straight from the bowl or else slap it onto a tortilla.)

    Baking is also easy for me. Assemble something (quesadillas are my current favorite), put the oven to 350, and cook for 10-12 minutes. I do the same for fish.

    I hate to cook. So I get where you're coming from.
  • StheK
    StheK Posts: 443 Member
    In regards to eating out, some people still can't let go of fast food. The closest you are really going to get to "healthy" is Chick-Fil-A, protein and calorie-wise anyway.

    There's no excuse for recommending this terrible company to anyone, for any reason.
  • avondaleklr
    avondaleklr Posts: 24 Member
    Unless you want to live on raw food or takeaways - learn to cook. It's the best thing you can do to ensure you have a long and healthy life.

    I'm not talking about ambitious fancy stuff but anyone can cook if they can be bothered to try. If you have family or friends who can help teach you then ask them and make the time to give it a proper try. Otherwise buy a student cookbook as these are aimed at starter cooks with basic equipment and small budgets. My husband used to be a disaster in the kitchen because his mother only thought his sister needed to be taught how to cook (seriously!!) but can now he can and does cook good food, nothing fancy but its healthy and nice to eat. My sons could both cook a proper meal by the age of 10 so I'm sure you can. You may have a few disasters but so what, just learn from them and move on.

    I bet you couldn't drive the first time you got in a car, or swim the first time you got in the water but they're both life skills worth learning and so is cooking.

    This. Right here.
  • sunsnstatheart
    sunsnstatheart Posts: 2,544 Member
    In regards to eating out, some people still can't let go of fast food. The closest you are really going to get to "healthy" is Chick-Fil-A, protein and calorie-wise anyway.

    There's no excuse for recommending this terrible company to anyone, for any reason.

    Meh, the food is pretty good for fast food.

    OP - eat less of whatever you're already eating. Calories in vs. calories out. It's all pretty simple really.
  • indygal76
    indygal76 Posts: 283 Member
    Learn to cook! Because if you don't, you will just be filling your body with processed foods. The key to weight loss is eat less and move!! Get outside and walk (it's free). And Fitnessblender.com has a wide variety of exercise videos online that are free!
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    haha cheap weight loss diet?.. since u cant afford food ul eat less of it LOL
  • ApexLeader
    ApexLeader Posts: 580 Member
    cheapest way is to eat fewer calories than you use

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