work 80 hr/wk, need meal ideas

sher80bear
sher80bear Posts: 22 Member
I work 80 hours a week between my 2 jobs. On the weekends (Friday-Sunday) I only have 7 hours between jobs so all I do is sleep and go back to work. I usually end up ordering takeout but I would prefer something healthier. I am single and get tired of crockpot meals that will last me an entire week. I don't mind leftovers, but I can't eat the same thing everyday for a week. I am considering a protein shake as a meal replacement. I know I need to get more protein in my diet. Anyone have suggestions for either a good meal replacement or a quick and easy meal I can make for my weekends?
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Replies

  • SouthPawSings
    SouthPawSings Posts: 54 Member
    If you do crockpot meals you could freeze a portion of it and reduce how much you're eating of the same meal, but still have it for a couple weeks from then. So you'd make a couple crock pot meals a week and freeze some and eat on the rest. It can really stretch the dollar and is low work. I don't personally have any experience with protein shakes other than knowing they're pricey.
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
    Make some sandwiches with plenty of (lean if calories are an issue) meat.

    Boiled eggs if you can handle the fat calories.

    I'll often take salads to work that take about 5 minutes to prepare. Could easily prepare several days worth at once - well, with what I eat, it'd typically be several portions for most people anyway :P...
    Lettice, Tomato, chicken, ham, onion, sprinkling of cheese today and an egg. Lower calorie caeser dressing.
    Meant to stick some apple in, but left them in the van and meant to stick some potatoes from yesterday in but forgot... and the calories were going up as it was.
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    peanut-butter-jelly-sandwich-school-books-apple-glass-milk-34563786.jpg

    Dont even say ....


    h2C09F419
  • Kaitlyn811
    Kaitlyn811 Posts: 49 Member
    Not sure what type of diet you follow, but I do know a lot of meal replacement shakes have a bunch of garbage ingredients. You could try making your own with egg white protein (whole egg protein is still way too expensive, IMO), cocoa (or cacao) powder, coconut oil (help keeps you full), milk of your choice - and boom protein shake.

    Or, play around with it and add fruits and veggies (sans cocoa powder in this one lol).

    Quick meals - do you have a day off, or a shift off? You could use that time to prep stuff, or if you can afford it - buy pre cooked meats and throw meat and veggies together in a skillet and experiment with different sauces. Throw a side of fruit on there as well.

    Eggs, beef jerky, and pre cooked bacon are my staples for quick nutrition.
  • parisallez
    parisallez Posts: 30
    quick, easy.
    cook up ground turkey or ground beef. add in tomato sauce of your choice. put 1 cup trader joe's brown rice with it. separate into 2 tupperwares and go. 90 seconds in microwave and you're in business.

    or
    cook up ground turkey. add low sodium taco mix. put in tupperwares and bring 2 wheat tortillas. voila, 2 ground turkey tacos and very yummy.

    or toss two packs of low sugar oatmeal into tuppeware. Bring two scoops protein. Drink protein and have oats, oh my god so good. and I also bring my peanut butter jar from home and eat 2 teaspoons with each meal.
  • sher80bear
    sher80bear Posts: 22 Member
    Forgot to mention, I do work 7 days a week. Just the weekends are the worst because that is when I work both jobs each day. A PB&J sandwich is definately not going to get me through working 16 hours days. One job is sitting down most of the time but the other job is physically demanding. A sandwich and salad would work for the sitting down job but not both. I really need to carry my whole days worth of food to work with me because I don't have time to go home between jobs. We have a small fridge at both jobs so I can't take up a lot of room just for me.
  • sher80bear
    sher80bear Posts: 22 Member
    Not sure what type of diet you follow, but I do know a lot of meal replacement shakes have a bunch of garbage ingredients. You could try making your own with egg white protein (whole egg protein is still way too expensive, IMO), cocoa (or cacao) powder, coconut oil (help keeps you full), milk of your choice - and boom protein shake.

    The garbage in the meal replacements is my concern. I was thinking more along the lines of a protein powder, milk, peanut butter (probably PB2), some caramel extract, and some bananas tossed in to make a meal replacement. That should cut out lots of the garbage and still make a satisfying meal.
  • Kaitlyn811
    Kaitlyn811 Posts: 49 Member
    That sounds great! I think it'll be cheaper in the long run too, making it yourself instead of buying into those products. Way back in a previous life, I worked 16 hours days 5 days a week - I lived on coffee. It was brutal. I have higher standards now than I did when I was 18 (in terms of food), but I remember surviving on pre packaged meals, bologna sandwiches, and mountain dew. I hope you don't have to go that route! Prep as much as you can when you aren't at work (even if it's just an hour). Buy a cooler and keep it in your car or by your desk, that way you don't take up too much room.

    If you're going for fullness - pack in the fat and protein, you'll stay full longer and have the energy to get through the day.
  • KseRz
    KseRz Posts: 980 Member
    Not sure what type of diet you follow, but I do know a lot of meal replacement shakes have a bunch of garbage ingredients. You could try making your own with egg white protein (whole egg protein is still way too expensive, IMO), cocoa (or cacao) powder, coconut oil (help keeps you full), milk of your choice - and boom protein shake.

    The garbage in the meal replacements is my concern. I was thinking more along the lines of a protein powder, milk, peanut butter (probably PB2), some caramel extract, and some bananas tossed in to make a meal replacement. That should cut out lots of the garbage and still make a satisfying meal.

    Peanut Butter, (something sweet to go with it) Milk, and a piece of fruit. What a great idea!

    Why didnt I think of that?
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    Perhaps not something you want discussed in this thread, but perhaps you may want to consider making a drastic life change? What sort of life is one where you spend 75% of your waking life working..?
  • marx4
    marx4 Posts: 236 Member
    The crock pot is ideal for long hours and being tired when you get home, there are so many sites out there with low calorie recipes for the crock pot. Stick it in the night before and turn it on low (be careful with meats and the long hours/low temps) or get it ready the night before and in the crock and put in frig and then set it to low in the am and when you get home, you either have to just make a side or do nothing. Sit down and enjoy! Best wishes, it's not easy to be a busy person and maintain a healthy diet.
  • steadk
    steadk Posts: 334 Member
    if you add chia seeds and/or greek yogurt you can get full quick on shakes. I do the overnight oatmeal many times and that keeps me full until lunch.

    1/4 c old fashioned oats
    1/4 c greek yogurt (plain)
    1/3 c milk
    1 T chia seeds

    that's your base... you can add fruits/nuts/jams as you wish to make your flavors. just make sure it gets at least 4 hours in the fridge :)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,908 Member
    Perhaps not something you want discussed in this thread, but perhaps you may want to consider making a drastic life change? What sort of life is one where you spend 75% of your waking life working..?
    THIS. And the STRESS of working so much is partially why people put on weight in the first place.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • TwirleySlims
    TwirleySlims Posts: 112
    Perhaps not something you want discussed in this thread, but perhaps you may want to consider making a drastic life change? What sort of life is one where you spend 75% of your waking life working..?

    I have to agree, you seem to spend all your life working, eating & sleeping!
  • martyqueen52
    martyqueen52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    1. Get big crock-pot

    2. Get 3+ lbs. of chicken breast (boneless & skinless)

    3. Dump chicken in crockpot, use 2 or more bottles of barbecue sauce (or salad dressings / salsa)..... make sure the sauce covers most of the chicken. Let it cook on low for 7 hours.

    4. Take out chicken....... you can shred the chicken for sandwiches or eat whole breasts. You should have enough left over for the whole week if you make on Sunday.
  • lrmall01
    lrmall01 Posts: 377 Member
    Maybe consider some canned / bagged foods. Something like cans of chicken, black beans, and a box of minute rice can be stored without refrigeration and made in a microwave on your work breaks. Those little pouches of flavored tuna. Frozen vegetables in the steamable bags. Potatoes can be stored without refrigeration and then microwaved when you need them.

    Maybe some canned items combined with a few crock pot meals will give you enough variety.
  • karenoneill94
    karenoneill94 Posts: 12 Member
    I also have a busy work schedule, 3 kids (1 disabled) and a lot of food allergies. I hit up the Whole Foods frozen meal section to stock up on products like Amy's and Artisan Bistro meals. Both are low in "junk" and I find Artisan Bistro (Gluten Free!) to be a tasty, fast, low-effort and generally low calorie choice. I usually grab them running out the door to pop in the work microwave, but they are good to have around for dinner. I don't think I would really bother trying to get salmon into my diet otherwise - there are 3 different salmon meals available.
  • jtyler83
    jtyler83 Posts: 28 Member
    do what i do:

    step 1 : buy big *kitten* package of fresh chicken , boneless skinless. 5-6 lbs is perfect. you're also gonna need those plastic containers that are listed as freezer and microwave safe. they're like 3 or 4 bucks for 5.
    step 2: take chicken out of package. if desired, trim fat. weigh out portions according to how much chicken you like. I started at 10oz, then 8oz, and now i use 6oz.
    step 3: season and cook the chicken. store in the plastic containers. one serving per container. I don't use oils or butter or anything, just seasoning and throw them on the grill. easy.
    step 4: put enough containers for the next 2 days in the refrigerator, the rest in the freezer.
    step 5: bring enough containers plus enough bags of steamer veggies for your day. each meal is 1 container and 1 bag of veggie. here's a pic:
    http://greengiant.com/pages/ProductImageHandler.aspx?Category=nutrition&ProductID=3&SubproductID=94

    You can get these or their generic equivalent for around 1.00 - 1.50 each.

    And that's it. high protein super low cal meals that are budget and time friendly. I eat this crap all the time, flip through my diary and you'll see it frequently 2 times a day. Add sauce to taste. Hot sauce or a1 works really well
  • sher80bear
    sher80bear Posts: 22 Member
    Perhaps not something you want discussed in this thread, but perhaps you may want to consider making a drastic life change? What sort of life is one where you spend 75% of your waking life working..?
    THIS. And the STRESS of working so much is partially why people put on weight in the first place.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Since some of you demand an answer. I would not work 80 hours a week if I didn't have to. I had a good paying job, got laid off, savings acoount is empty and I am still looking for a replacement job that pays good. Sending out my resume to everyone I can think of but still no job offers. I would prefer to only work 1 job but that isn't an option when I can only get something that pays below the poverty level. I am not going to default on my loans. If I don't pay the mortage I have no place to live and rent is more than my mortgage payment. Working 2 jobs is my only option at the moment. You can judge all you want but until you walk in someone's shoes you don't know what it is like. Try getting laid off and still paying all your bills when you only get paid $9/hr! I bet you will work 2 full time jobs then too.

    Now back to suggestions for quick and easy meals.
  • bebeisfit
    bebeisfit Posts: 951 Member
    Can you leave food at the fridge for multiple days? Or will someone toss or eat it? Is there a microwave?

    How about a grain type salad? Bulger, barley, quiona? Add in substantial roasted vegetables (eggplant, onions peppers), lean proteins (roasted chicken, grilled tofu, or beans). Add in a nice vinaigrette I like lemon juice, dijon and olive oil, it gets better the longer it sits. It can be eaten cold or room temp.

    Sandwiches are certainly easy, but the bread can eat up a lot of calories. Try substituting a large lettuce leaf or eat only half a sandwich at a time with something else.

    Small containers containing small amount of raw, roasted nuts, cottage cheese, hummus, grape tomatoes and any other cut up vegetable like jicama, carrots, cucumber, celery, can be great snacks to supplement smaller meals. I assume you get some sort of break.

    I have made an egg scramble or oatmeal in bulk and carried it to work for later.

    I used to roast vegetables and sometimes a whole chicken for future meals and have them on hand to add to a salad, grain or sandwich.

    I don't envy your schedule. But don't succumb to fast or take out food. It certainly takes some planning and a little prep time, but learn to cook once and use for multiple meals.

    As others have said cook in bulk and put 2 servings in the freezer. And one day, when you haven't planned, you grab something from the freezer.

    I've also taken a few hours cooking with a friend. We knock out 4 or 5 meals in a few hours. You've got someone to share a few meals with along with the work. Win/win!!