Quick easy healthy meals

bigbeff
bigbeff Posts: 83 Member
Hi,

I hate cooking!! And I work about 12 hrs a day - I get fed lunch at work, but need some nice light meals for dinner in the evening. I detest cooking, especially when I am tired after a days work. Any suggestions on light meals, that are healthy and quick and easy? I don't want to keep resorting to takeaways!

Thank you in advance :)

Replies

  • funchords
    funchords Posts: 413 Member
    edited October 2014
    OP is in: Withdean Ward, EN
    (To help us help you find products available where you are, please advise what country)

    Several companies make a cooked then frozen chicken breast -- just microwave and eat. Add to a pre-made salad or on the side of some frozen or canned vegetables.

    You can also prepare three large favorite meals on your weekend and split them into covered plates that you'll reheat in the microwave during the work week.
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    For fast and light, it's hard to beat a piece of meat---grilled, and a salad or other vegetable, plus a piece of fruit. Good luck. :)
  • bigbeff
    bigbeff Posts: 83 Member
    I'm in England. Thanks for the suggestions, some sound very yummy. Keep them coming!
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
    you can also do crock pot meals. It's even nicer when you get home and everything is done. For super easy, put boneless skinless chicken thighs in a crockpot and cover with a jar of salsa. It can cook on low forever without drying out.

    You can eat this on tacos, put on top of rice, or even make a soup out of it by adding in a can of rinsed black beans and some frozen corn with about a cup or two of store bought chicken stock. I'd add this stuff when you got home and let everything heat through for an hour or so in the crockpot.
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
    I hate cooking too! I'm a big fan of recipies that just let me dump ingredients into a crock pot in the morning so they're done when I get home from work.

    Here's a couple of my favorites:

    Hawaiian Chicken (4-5 servings)
    2-3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
    ½ cup splenda (or your preferred sweetner)
    ½ cup vinegar
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    2 Tablespoons soy sauce
    ½ cup of pineapple juice (use what’s in the can)
    ½ can of large pineapple chunks
    Add all the ingredients to the crock pot Cook 4-5 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. Serve it over rice and enjoy. While I am cooking the rice I like to shred the chicken and put it back in the juice before I serve it.

    Teriyaki Pork Chops (4 servings)
    4 pork chops, about 1-inch thick
    Salt and pepper to taste
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    2 tablespoons brown sugar
    ¼ cup soy sauce (I use the reduced sodium kind)
    ⅓ cup chicken broth (low sodium)
    Add to crock pot. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

    Chicken Taco Soup (8-12 servings)
    2 tbsp(s) (or packets) of taco seasoning
    1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
    1 cup, Corn - canned, whole kernel
    1 can Black Beans
    2 cans Diced Tomatoes (No Salt Added)
    1 can Red Beans In Chili Sauce Mild
    1 con Dark Red Kidney Beans

    Add to crock pot. Cook on high for 4-5 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
    I usually sprinkle a little cheese and add a tablespoon or two of sour cream on top. I usually portion this out into servings and then freeze half of them for meals later in the month.
  • krontar1
    krontar1 Posts: 13 Member
    I, too, hate cooking and I'm very bad at it, so everything I make has to be easy and quick. Brown rice stir-fry is a decent meal for me. I usually keep a big bowl of cooked brown rice in the fridge. I chop a bunch of veggies (celery, carrots, broccoli, green beans, onions, etc), and stir fry them in olive oil with seasonings, then add some cold brown rice, then a scrambled egg. It's a quick filling meal with less than 300 calories.
  • AnnofB
    AnnofB Posts: 3,588 Member
    bump
  • Soup and Salad are always a good fast dinner. The soups can be made and frozen ahead of time and the salads you can just buy.

    One of my favorite soups is easy and wonderful. You take about 2 1//4 lbs of fresh tomatoes clean and core them and slice once down the middle. place on a baking sheet, slice one large red onion and place on sheet with tomatoes, quarter 2 large red peppers, add 4 cloves of garlic, drizzle with vegetable oil and place sheet in a preheated oven (450) to bake till brown and tender - 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

    Transfer vegetables and any juice to a food processor add 2 Tbs chopped fresh basil, 1 tsp thyme leaves, salt and pepper to taste. Puree soup in the food processor, gradually add store bought Vegetable stock (approx 2 Cups) to desired consistency. Return soup to pan, and heat thoroughly stirring occasionally. Serve hot.

    I found this one online and love it.
  • Following
  • MistyRose0424
    MistyRose0424 Posts: 114 Member
    Great ideas :)
  • psmd
    psmd Posts: 764 Member
    Love the tomato soup idea! Can you add other veggies to it?
  • Sunitagt
    Sunitagt Posts: 486 Member
    I cook on my weekends, then I can take my time, but otherwise, most meat you can just throw in the over and it doesn't take much effort. Frozen/canned veggies can heated in a microwave. I like eggs, they are nice and simple and quick to cook as well.
  • hamoncan
    hamoncan Posts: 148 Member
    You can't eat good food unless you make a point of having it around. I like to buy a load of chicken breasts when ever I see them on sale and then BBQ or roast a dozen at a time and then put them in individual ziploc bags in the freezer. I then alway keep one thawed in the fridge and replace it with a frozen one whenever I use it. There's endless little meals you can make with chicken - on top of a salad - with a nice hunk of bread - a microwave baked potato and some fresh veggies - mixed with microwave rice and a veggie