Overwhelmed by Prep - Convenience(bad food) wins again!

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healthyhairdresser
healthyhairdresser Posts: 16
in Food and Nutrition
I get super excited to change my lifestyle, to start feeling better. I am pumped, charged to change to a veggie filled, less processed, healthy eating habit. I plan it out, I make menus, I research recipes, get my husband excited, go shopping, get home and....motivation gone. The prep seems daunting and overwhelming, I get halfway through before throwing in the towel and thinking "I can do the rest as I go this week" ...
But then life is busy and that quick meal at the fast food joint seems so much better at the time then chopping up veggies, thawing the chicken, standing in the kitchen for 30 or more minutes...
Sigh. Words of advice?
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Replies

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
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    That's rough.

    Motivation and commitment is important.
  • healthyhairdresser
    healthyhairdresser Posts: 16
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    It's a cycle I go through all of the time.
  • sjp_511
    sjp_511 Posts: 476 Member
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    Frozen veggies. They are already cleaned and chopped and are rather affordable. I buy the frozen stir-fry mix all the time.
  • LeslieB042812
    LeslieB042812 Posts: 1,799 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Pre-prepped healthier foods work best for me. They may cost a bit more, but I justify that by thinking of all of the money I'm saving by not buying the non-prepped foods that spoil and get thrown out! 100 calorie packs of raw almonds, pre-washed greens, pre-cut veggies, etc. As SJP said, too, the frozen veggies also work great (steam in the bag in the microwave) and are also very cost effective. Good luck!

    Edit to add: also eating out isn't always bad, just make better choices and try to plan ahead by looking at menus with nutrition information. Even McDonald's actually has some filling and nutritious salads.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Sounds like you're biting off more than you can chew. Instead of going completely one way or the other, find a good middle ground. Plan to cook most of your meals at home but let one or two nights a week be a processed or take-out meal.

    How about using a food processor to help chop up those veggies?

    Can your husband help with the cooking so it's not all on you?

    Could you use a crock pot for some meals?

    For me, the thought of wasting the food (and money) is a big deterrant. If I went through the trouble of buying all those fresh fruits and meat, I'm sure as hell going to use them before they go to waste.
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    MinnieInMaine wrote: »
    Sounds like you're biting off more than you can chew. Instead of going completely one way or the other, find a good middle ground. Plan to cook most of your meals at home but let one or two nights a week be a processed or take-out meal.

    How about using a food processor to help chop up those veggies?

    Can your husband help with the cooking so it's not all on you?

    Could you use a crock pot for some meals?

    All of this. My favorite thing is to buy a ton of chicken and cook it in the crockpot over the weekend while I'm out doing stuff (I'll cook about 10lbs of chicken breasts at a time). Then I shred, and freeze in individual servings. I can pull that out and add BBQ sauce for a pulled chicken sandwhich, put it on a salad, mix with mayo/mustard for a chicken salad, put in a taco, etc. It's really versatile.

    The crockpot is awesome for lazy cooking. You still need some prep work for cutting up veggies and assembling the required ingredients, but it's not that bad. And embrace frozen veggies for cooking with. If it's just a side, I prefer fresh veggies, but if it's going into a dish, I'll usually choose frozen.
  • kitten_whisky
    kitten_whisky Posts: 3 Member
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    1) buy pre-chopped veggies , ideally the frozen version that can live in your freezer
    2) buy fresh sauces / marinades without preservatives - you get the convenience of ready made food, but better taste from fresh food and keep control over calories by being able to choose larger ingredients (e.g. lean meats)
    3) order foods online and get them delivered to your door , to focus your effort and time on cooking instead of running out of steam from the gathering & shopping phase
    4) use a pre-designed weekly meal plan. same idea as point 3) you want to keep your energy and focus for the actual meal prep
    5) give yourself time to get used to the process. meaning like any new task or habit the first few times will take much longer and be much more uncomfortable until you get used to it - so plan for it and consciously dedicate a lot of time to it initially. After a few weeks / months you should be able to plan and cook your meals much more quickly and efficiently.
    6) do all-in-one recipes (crockpot, stews, oven-bakes, etc), these require little focus and washing-up beyond the food prep stage.
    7) cook big batches that can last you all week so you only need to cook once. Or freeze smaller portions if you don't want to eat the same meal too many times in a row.
  • EmmaFitzwilliam
    EmmaFitzwilliam Posts: 482 Member
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    Pre-prep. And purchased prep. I have an hour-plus commute to work, each way, and a toxic job I hate, so food prep is where I made the cut.

    ***
    20 minutes seafood etoufee - Buy one pound cleaned, cooked shrimp (bay shrimp are fine), a package of diced onions, a jar of diced garlic, a package of diced or sliced bell peppers, 8 to 15 oz diced tomatoes, and 1/2 to 2 cups chicken stock.

    On hand: cajun spice (1t to 1T), worcestershire sauce (2t), olive oil (2T)

    If necessary, cross-cut sliced bell peppers diced peppers.

    2T oil in pan.
    When oil is hot, add 1/2-3/4 cup onions. Saute two minutes.
    Add 1/2-3/4 cup diced bell peppers. Saute two minutes.
    Add 2T minced garlic. Saute one minute.

    Add cajun spice and worcestershire sauce.

    Add tomatoes and chicken stock.

    When hot, add shrimp.

    Continue heating until shrimp is heated through (2-5 minutes?).

    Makes 3-4 servings.

    Variations:

    Use bay scallops in place of cooked shrimp. Add scallops before adding tomatoes and chicken stock.

    Use one jar marinara sauce in place of diced tomatoes and chicken stock.

    Heat liquids (tomatoes and chicken stock, or marinara sauce) in a separate pan, add as soon as scallops are cooked or shrimp is hot.

    Feeling extravagant? Use cooked crab meat in place of 1/4 of the shrimp or scallops.

    Feeling ambitious? Use raw shrimp (especially if it also has to be shelled and deveined).

    ****
    My "go to" dinner?

    Bake chicken breasts (http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-the-best-chicken-breasts-in-the-oven-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-211453) in advance.

    When cool, cube and freeze 12-16 oz portions.

    Thaw, and stir 12-16 oz. cubed chicken into simmer sauce (marinara sauce, tikka masala sauce, dopiaza sauce, rogan josh sauce, satay chicken sauce, etc.)

    ****

    Another one:

    http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/salsa_verde_chicken_bake/

    I leave out the cheese.

    ****
    Another one:

    3/4 pound breast filets
    1/3c lemon juice
    2T olive oil
    Spices to suit

    Put all ingredients in a freezer baggie; shake to coat chicken.
    Freeze.
    Thaw overnight; grill.

    ***

    Breakfast:

    1 cup steel oats
    4 cups water

    Bring water to a boil; stir in steel cut oats. Cook for 5 minutes at a gentle-rolling boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook uncovered 25-30 minutes, stirring every 7-9 minutes.

    Let cool; portion (I get three portions) and refrigerate.

    In a microwave safe bowl, add 1 T water to 1 portion of cooked oats. Heat 2 minutes on high. Serve with 1/2 to 1 cup berries and 2T 1/2&1/2.

    Lunch:
    3 oz snap peas
    1 medium apple
    5 oz cherry tomatoes

    Optional additions: (I usually choose only one)
    1 Wasa cracker with 2T hummus
    2 oz deli meat
    1 oz cheddar cheese

    For vegetables, I usually trade money for time and buy pre-prepped broccoli slaw, cut florets, diced onions, sliced bell peppers, etc.

    I bake several batches of chicken breasts at a time, and freeze batches of cubed, cooked chicken for the week.

    I buy 1/2 pound to 1 pound bags of snap peas and pint boxes of cherry tomatoes, and portion them into snack size baggies on Sunday evening.
  • kitten_whisky
    kitten_whisky Posts: 3 Member
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    8) start small. Just pre-plan 1 or 2 meals for that week and continue with take-out on the other days. You need to get used to the new process, it won't happen overnight. If you go from one extreme to the other you'll just get overwhelmed and throw in the towel very quickly
  • AlabasterVerve
    AlabasterVerve Posts: 3,171 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Have a couple of go to meals that are just as quick and easy as fast food. In a pinch or if I don't feel like cooking eggs & sauteed cabbage are it for me or a plate full of a bunch of snack foods like some pistachios, hard boiled eggs, berries, green peppers and dip, and cheese and pepperoni -- dinner takes like 10 minutes and I like those things so it's no hardship. I just tell my husband what I'm having and he can join me or fend for himself.

    But other than that, you need to honestly love the food you're eating so maybe it's time to reevaluate what you consider healthy food? Healthy eating isn't limited to vegetables and boneless, skinless chicken breasts. If you don't you'll always psych yourself out of cooking and buy take out instead. You'll tell yourself you're tired, you don't have the time and a whole host of other excuses but 9 times out of 10 the real reason you opt for the convenience foods is because they taste better to you.

    Best wishes. :)
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    Prepare simpler meals. I can't recommend roasting food strongly enough for those days when you just don't have time to cook. Yeah, some veggies need cut into smaller pieces, but some don't. Green beans, asparagus, red radishes, small carrots or parsnips, these can all be roasted without cutting. It's pretty easy to find pre-chopped vegetables at the store as well.

    Toss them on a baking sheet, drizzle with a little oil and spices and put in a hot ove until they carmelize. Total prep time will likely be less than the time spent at the drive-thru.

    Frozen smaller fish like tilapia, orange roughy, etc. can be put in the oven still frozen and cooked the same way.

    Frozen chicken breasts or pork chops can be added still frozen to a slow cooker in the morning and be ready to serve for dinner along side the roasted veggies and instant rice.

    You can also make tastier and cheaper meals at home from packaged ingredients. Canned black beans and a jar of salsa makes a tasty black bean soup. Instant rice and a bag of frozen vegetables makes a nice side dish that takes basically no prep and 10 min to cook.

    Soup is super easy using frozen or pre-chopped vegetables and canned beans or lentils.

    Cooking delicious nutritious meals doesn't have to take long.
  • CM9178
    CM9178 Posts: 1,265 Member
    edited February 2015
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    Thawing chicken doesn't take any time out of your life. Pull it out of the freezer the night before you want to use it and stick it in the fridge. As far as cutting veggies, I'm not sure what veggies you are using that you need to cut so many of, aside from maybe peppers or onions? I cook a lot of roasted string beans & broccoli, neither of which require any cutting. You can take 20 minutes out of a saturday afternoon to cut all the veggies you need for the week and put them in a container in your fridge if you're using that many. As for cooking anything else, I'd suggest preparing things on the weekend and then freezing them for future meals if you really don't like cooking during the week. Cooking anything is going to take some time in the kitchen, If you don't have the motivation to spend 20 minutes in the kitchen to prepare a healthy meal for yourself, its going to be very difficult to succeed at weight loss. Sorry if that's blunt, but its the truth. You need to dedicate some of your time to eating healthy. There are PLENTY of meals you can make that take less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
  • healthyhairdresser
    healthyhairdresser Posts: 16
    edited February 2015
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    They do taste better -.-; I grew up on hamburger helper and lots of processed foods, refined sugars, take out, cheap not very nutritious foods. My palate loves those things.


    How does one get around the cost of pre-prepped stuff? Frozen veggies aside (we already use them a lot) our budget for 2 for a mouth is $200 to $250 and prepped stuff just seems out of the realm of possibility mostly.

    Dinners are so so, I cook mostly he does one to two nights a week. I always do one crockpot meal a week.
    Breakfast and lunches are always a mess. My husband takes leftovers but I normally do not have the time or desire to heat up a casserole or some such and eat it. I need eating on the fly foods that don't require effort (microwaving, prepping) -.-; I also have to eat gluten free (medical) and so my former go-to sandwhiches and wraps are out the door.
  • JPW1990
    JPW1990 Posts: 2,424 Member
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    One little thing that makes the whole process easier. Did you ever watch Rachel Ray's 30 Minute show, and the joke at the start was that she'd have to gather up all her ingredients in one armful without dropping them at the start of the show? It's a legit step to take whenever you cook anything, though you don't need to carry it all in one trip like she would. Read your recipe, and if you're not using one, just jot down a short list of all the stuff you need, even things like salt and pepper, and gather it all on the counter. Have your garbage can or disposal within arm's length. Clean and cut anything that wasn't already clean and cut in advance in one go, make sure you have all your measuring things ready, then turn on the oven or stove and get started.

    Do that instead of prepping everything as you go, and you'll get done in half the time, plus you won't have the issue of things either burning or turning them off half way cooked, because you haven't finished chopping something you're supposed to add.
  • healthyhairdresser
    healthyhairdresser Posts: 16
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    Thawing chicken in the fridge is great, if our tired brains remember to pull it from the freezer - if not its babysiting it under running water to thaw. We like to use onions, peppers, carrots, squashes, leafy greens, potatoes, and such...and it can take me 10 minutes to cut a pepper, any faster and I loose a finger >.< (I can wield scissors but not knifes! lol)
  • healthyhairdresser
    healthyhairdresser Posts: 16
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    Thank you everyone for the suggestions so far
  • MrCoolGrim
    MrCoolGrim Posts: 351 Member
    edited February 2015
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    OP, there are alot of good choices nowadays with all fast food joints or restauraunts. You just have to be mindfull that you stay with in your caloric mandate. Do the best you can for the days you are able to prepare and just educate yourself on what your eating outside of the home.
  • healthyhairdresser
    healthyhairdresser Posts: 16
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    Eating out is really not the best choice for me or our wallet. I want to feel better and not just get by as I have been.
  • CObluegrass
    CObluegrass Posts: 61 Member
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    I take one weekend day, either Saturday or Sunday, and make that a food prep day. This weekend, I made a dozen stuffed peppers and an enchilada casserole that will last for lunches and dinners all week. however, if you think it's too much trouble to grab a tupperware container of leftovers and microwave it, I'm not sure how any of us can help. How hard can that be really? Open door, close door, hit reheat, wait. And how hard are you willing to work for your goals?
  • KylaDenay
    KylaDenay Posts: 1,585 Member
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    auddii wrote: »
    MinnieInMaine wrote: »
    Sounds like you're biting off more than you can chew. Instead of going completely one way or the other, find a good middle ground. Plan to cook most of your meals at home but let one or two nights a week be a processed or take-out meal.

    How about using a food processor to help chop up those veggies?

    Can your husband help with the cooking so it's not all on you?

    Could you use a crock pot for some meals?

    All of this. My favorite thing is to buy a ton of chicken and cook it in the crockpot over the weekend while I'm out doing stuff (I'll cook about 10lbs of chicken breasts at a time). Then I shred, and freeze in individual servings. I can pull that out and add BBQ sauce for a pulled chicken sandwhich, put it on a salad, mix with mayo/mustard for a chicken salad, put in a taco, etc. It's really versatile.

    The crockpot is awesome for lazy cooking. You still need some prep work for cutting up veggies and assembling the required ingredients, but it's not that bad. And embrace frozen veggies for cooking with. If it's just a side, I prefer fresh veggies, but if it's going into a dish, I'll usually choose frozen.
    This might be a silly question, but I have just recently become weirded out by leftover chicken. I cook chicken and have to eat it that day. If there are leftovers they go to waste for the most part. I think when I heat it up there is a funny taste to it. Do you get that when freezing cooked chicken and heating it up?

    I hope I'm not the only one that thinks this :\

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