meal ideas?

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hellothere1212
hellothere1212 Posts: 248
in Food and Nutrition
im a single gal and dont like to cook. i usually just grab subway for myself. is that fine or do you have any easy meal ideas i can prepare quickly?
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  • CidCecilia
    CidCecilia Posts: 9
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    Invest some time in reading about how to cook and prepare meals. A salad takes me about 10 min. to make.

    Subway is better than McD, but not by much. And besides, it's probably about 20 times more expensive than making your own sandwiches.
  • beckymlong
    beckymlong Posts: 111 Member
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    If I go to subway I have to get a footlong and if I have sauce its just one kind the calories are huge from it....anyway there are tons of great foods to do yourself, I prepare food for myself and sometimes my mother, get some packets of quinoa, bulgar wheat and lentils, they take about 15 mins read label to boil after rinsing and you can mix with all sorts salad, veg chicken breast etc, personally prefer bulgar wheat to quinoa but it's a super food so mixed with things it isn't so bad. I love making food now knowing it's something beneficial, also with salads and things you can eat the rest the next day particularly helpful to ensure good eating at work etc. check out my diary try things like tabbouleh salad, soups, roast veg and mozzarella wraps, hummus with roast peppers on some nice granary rolls. I have also been eating fish a lot lately I look through things like low gi or diet recipes as they have the better options,
  • boroko
    boroko Posts: 358 Member
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    Basically, no - it's not fine. You need to learn to cook and feed yourself properly. There are loads of great recipe sites or books so take some time to learn to look after yourself. Cooking doesn't have to be hard or adventurous but it's an essential life skill unless you are wealthy enough to have staff to do it all for you! Start with something simple and build up your skills and confidence. Pretty much anything you make yourself will be healthier and cheaper than stuff you buy.
  • tkillion810
    tkillion810 Posts: 591 Member
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    I think for long term success you'll find it will be helpful to learn to shop for/prepare/cook your own meals. If you break it down, it can be really simple. Do you have a grill or a foreman? They make it super quick and easy to cook protein. While your protein is cooking, start tossing together a salad (do the chopping on the weekend), and then microwave a steamer bag of frozen veggies. You can then experiment with different spices and seasonings to change up the flavors. Another option is to look for recipes of foods you enjoy, say enchiladas, soups, etc. Make the bigger batch, but freeze half of it when it's done cooking. After a few weeks of doing this, you'll have plenty of variety in the freezer that you can pull out each day and reheat.
  • lauriehighton
    lauriehighton Posts: 2
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    I Love Ice caps and i have one a day .....i know it's really bad for me and i am trying to cut way down but i was wondering if anyone knows of any food or meal ideas that contain less sugar to off set in the mean time....I had my Gallbladder removed one month ago it was then that i decided to change my lifestyle and everything in my daily routine.I started eating only healthy NO fast foods including subway etc and started exercising 6 days a week 45 min workouts but this one indulgence remains... :-) .....would love to have some other ideas on decreasing my sugar in my everyday meals so it's not so bad when i have indulged..Thanks :-)
  • Scoochie1
    Scoochie1 Posts: 121 Member
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    If you have a freezer, you can cook any meal for One.
    Soups freeze really well too
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    Eat Subway. No reason to go out of your way to cook.
  • Junebugsc
    Junebugsc Posts: 34 Member
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    I hate to cook!! So my suggestion is invest in a steamer!!! I love mine! On the weekends I cook for the whole week for my husband and I. I steam eggs (like hard boiled), I steam chicken breast , pork and frozen veggies. I make turkey meatballs and Italian turkey patties. This way when I come home tired there is no excuse for bad eating. All I have to do is heat it up. I prepare my snacks and lunch the night before so all I have to do is toss it in my lunch bag in the morning.
    Hope this helps!!!
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,020 Member
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    Eat Subway. No reason to go out of your way to cook.
    It's the American way.
  • snoopytwins
    snoopytwins Posts: 1,759 Member
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    Eat Subway. No reason to go out of your way to cook.
    It's the American way.
    Eat fresh!

    Learn to cook some food. A salad doesn't even really count as cooking. Grocery shopping is the sucky part.
  • tlou5
    tlou5 Posts: 497 Member
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    I think Subway is better than a lot of the other options, but personally I would get sick of eating the same thing every day and THAT would push me off the wagon. Cooking doesn't have to be hard. Invest in a cookbook or google simple healthy meals. Maybe having a girlfriend or sibling/ etc cook with you might make it more enjoyable for her. Good luck! And kudos for starting to make a life change. It's not easy!
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
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    Eat Subway. No reason to go out of your way to cook.
    It's the American way.
    Eat fresh!

    Learn to cook some food. A salad doesn't even really count as cooking. Grocery shopping is the sucky part.

    But that's so hard!
  • sz8soon
    sz8soon Posts: 816 Member
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    Depending on what you are ordering, Subway is not much better than a Whopper and fries at Burger King. Do yourself a favor and go to the grocery store and buy some food. Most of my meals only take about 15 minutes to prepare and it's food for a family of four, I'm sure you can figure something out.
  • meganshort11
    meganshort11 Posts: 48 Member
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    have you considered the frozen dinners (lean cuisines, healthy choice, etc.) or progresso light soups? im a busy single mom with two kids, and i do cook pretty often, but some days i just don't feel like it. and those are my go-to options. also, sandwiches made at home are way cheaper than subway all the time. i like lean turkey breast, mustard, and tons of spinach on a multigrain sandwich thin.

    however, cooking for yourself is a nice habit to get into. grocery stores seem like they are carrying a lot more single serving options for things....you could get the minute brown rice cups, the steam-in-bag veggies, and stuff like that. if you look around at the grocery store, there is a ton of healthy, low calorie options that are convenient. good luck to you!
  • baileybiddles
    baileybiddles Posts: 457 Member
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    I would DEFINITELY suggest not ordering from Subway unless you really need to. I'm a young woman living on my own as well, just myself. I have a ton of awesome recipes that take little to no effort if you want them. Send me a friend request or a message if you're interested and I can send you lots of quick and easy things to whip up. It took me a while when I left home to get into the swing of cooking my own meals but now I can't imagine eating out every day. :)
  • lraien
    lraien Posts: 29 Member
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    Take one or two days a week and cook ahead. Grill a few chicken breasts or throw them in the oven and then divvy up a little you can pair with some teriyaki sauce and brown rice on Monday - a Caesar salad Tuesday or Wednesday - Make a healthy quiche or something and split that up over Sunday and Tuesday -- something to that effect. Grill some salmon and think of two ways you can eat it within the next 3 days. Get a rotisserie chicken from like Costco and some whole wheat bread and make your own sandwiches (cheaper and better than Subway).
    Then you aren't cooking every night and you don't have a bunch of the same stuff leftover. Just cook the protein part ahead and then add the side/vegs that night.
    Even if you only did that on Sundays and only made enough for 3 meals, you'd at least have 3 less trips to Subway.
  • jakidb
    jakidb Posts: 1,010 Member
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    I would say plan your meals in advance and then "pre" prepare your meats/poultry/fish (like the beginning of the week). You can purchase most veggies in the steamable bags which only takes minutes to prepare and invest in fresh fruit. Subway is good sometimes but even with Subway, you have to watch out for hidden calories--i learned the hard way
  • CarolinaBeachGirl2
    CarolinaBeachGirl2 Posts: 31 Member
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    I was in the same place as you in January...Cooking Light has 5 ingredient 15 minute meals that are so easy and yummy. Being single can be difficult on the buget at the store so I recommend meal planning. Many of the indgredients are presented in a different way in the recipes.

    Good Luck!
  • khayashi80
    khayashi80 Posts: 45 Member
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    I actually buy a pack of chicken breasts, pound them between 2 sheets of syran wrap until they are thin and then cook them with some pam in a skillet. I use a lot of different salt-free seasonings. It is wonderful because I normally get 4-5 6oz breasts out of it and then can use them as I need them. Ground turkey measured out in 5oz portions or made into 5 oz patties (or whatever you prefer) is great too! Then I just add assorted veggies that I like: cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, celery, green pepper, snow peas, etc... and some of my favorite fruits and voila, instant meal. Frozen Talapia from Market Pantry is decent and easy to cook as well. I also sometimes add a starch like bread, flat wrap, bun, etc... It's very useful, easy and quick. Subway works but it gets old after awhile.
  • jourdanerin
    jourdanerin Posts: 69
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    I'm not super great at cooking but it is SO MUCH CHEAPER to eat at home!!! AND most meals made at home have about half the calories you would get at a restaurant.

    I also hated cooking for one:

    Try buying Tyson Grilled and Ready Chicken Breasts (in the freezer section) they have about 110 Calories per breast and you can cook as many or as few at a time as you would like. All this takes is a microwave (if you wish), I like to cook them in the oven. 18 minutes and they are done.

    I use them in salads, pasta, on whole wheat bread, or just by themselves with a side of steam-in-a-bag veggies. (Birds Eye brand has single serve bags so you aren't wasting a ton of food).

    Also, I've started eating the chopped salads at Subway - less carbs and less calories. Double meat for extra protein only adds 50 calories.

    GOOD LUCK. hope this helps!

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