What to eat when you hate cooking!?!??

hiltz83
hiltz83 Posts: 1 Member
I resort to processed foods because they are convenient and I hate cooking. It's so easy to pop a lean cuisine in the microwave. Even worse, I go to fast food because it's....fast! But I know it's all terrible for me...suggestions for healthier low calorie froze meals or dinners that can be microwaved?
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Replies

  • SherryTeach
    SherryTeach Posts: 2,836 Member
    What worked for me was to analyze my aversion to cooking and change my attitude. Now I set aside a couple of Sunday afternoons a month, put an audiobook on my bluetooth speaker and make about 4 main dishes. I put a chuck roast in the crock pot, roast a pork tenderloin, barbecue some chicken breasts, make rice or pasta to put with these things and package it all up in single serve containers. I've gotten my BF to join in and together we get all our food prepared and actually have fun.
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    I also cook on weekends, portion and freeze, but if that's too much, I'd buy frozen vegetable mixes, rotisserie chicken, parboiled/frozen rice, canned beans, veggie burgers, premade salad in a bag, canned fish.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
    edited June 2015
    What worked for me was to analyze my aversion to cooking and change my attitude. Now I set aside a couple of Sunday afternoons a month, put an audiobook on my bluetooth speaker and make about 4 main dishes. I put a chuck roast in the crock pot, roast a pork tenderloin, barbecue some chicken breasts, make rice or pasta to put with these things and package it all up in single serve containers. I've gotten my BF to join in and together we get all our food prepared and actually have fun.

    I'm a person who hated cooking as well. I would hate to do it this way. I prefer to make something that takes 10 minutes every night. So, there are a couple different ways to get home cooked meals easily.

    It took me a few months in to this weight loss thing to realize I could eat WAY more if I made my food.

    If you're only going to eat frozen foods...Have you tried Amy's? I just have a hard time recommending anything other than cooking at this point. And this is coming from someone who has used her oven 3 times in 7 years.
  • Equus5374
    Equus5374 Posts: 462 Member
    Buy frozen veggies, cooked frozen meats, tuna in pouches, ready-to-eat lettuce or salad mixes; these types of things takes very little prep are are quite versatile.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
    edited June 2015
    I bought a nice rice cooker. It's super easy to throw in rice, broth, organic canned chicken, veggies and spices. Its like cheating. Tastes good, healthy, and one pan that washes easily.
  • ArwaMuslimah
    ArwaMuslimah Posts: 24 Member
    U always have to keep watermelon and lettuce these fruits and vegies that 's juicy and rich in fibers eat alot of it as u want ;-) then keep tuna and vegetable soup in fridge and when u feel hungry just eat a bowl or a can of tuna with salade :-D

  • lelaomara
    lelaomara Posts: 3 Member
    Hi! Great question! I'm like you, not always wanting to cook! I've had small children to cook for, one grown, two in elementary school. Often I didn't have the energy to cook. We didn't eat many processed foods. I am already used to preparing easy, quick meals and snacks that are "balanced" even if they aren't "hot" traditional meals.

    We did eat a lot of stuff with melted cheese. (I even have a quick pizza dough recipe that makes the perfect amount of thin mini pizza pizza shapes that can be mixed, rolled, cut out, arranged on a pan, sauced, baked and ready to eat in under thirty minutes).

    We're trying to eat healthier. I hate the time it takes to defrost frozen meat so I often cook a few meat items a time just to avoid having to freeze meat in packages. I don't like to buy frozen veggies because they always seem to get freezer burned and taste rubbery. I also hate a lot of food prep (chopping up things).

    For me, it starts at the store. I avoid most pre packaged meals. They have lots of weird unhealthy additives, too much sodium, etc. They often don't cook evenly in my microwave. You can buy parboiled rice. I'm usually too impatient to wait almost an hour for brown rice to cook...it's much healthier and you could get it going and go paint your nails or something, if you don't have a rice cooker.

    Only buy healthy foods you like. Don't buy something because you should like it. This way you'll enjoy eating and preparing whatever you bring home.

    I buy fresh and frozen fruit, veggies we like, Greek yogurt to eat, bake with and use as a base for sauces, substitute for cream cheese and sour cream and for smoothies. Hummus and carrots are a quick snack. Whole wheat sandwich rounds, whole wheat or whole grain versions of crackers, bread etc. I still need to watch how much whole grain carbs I eat. I buy avocados too. Meat that is thinly cut cooks quickly in a pan. Salmon is super easy and quick to bake in the oven. You can buy veggies in stir fry packages or rough chop peppers, onions, etc, yourself. I buy raw spinach already prepared. You can use that fresh in quick omelets, on pizza, in wraps, tacos and on sandwiches. You can cook oatmeal fairly quick on the stove or in the microwave. The easier it is to cook the less fiber it seems to have. Zucchini, sliced thin a and sauteed is quick. You can buy garlic in a jar or quick mince fresh cloves for your dishes. Pasta (choose the heathiest version you like the taste of or limit portions) cooks up as quickly. I like olive oil, garlic, tomatoes tossed in with the pasta and that comes together quickly.

    At this point I don't care if the components of a meal come together perfectly. I have a tendency to want to eat as soon as I notice I'm hungry. At this stage of the game I need to pay attn to portion sizes, eat more veggies and not cave into eating fast food.

    May I suggest you make a list of your favorite foods to eat, choose healthiest versions of those foods and practice preparing simple things at home. Have on hand fresh, quick things to eat when hungry. Peanut butter and apple, or celery, wraps. I like the flexibility of not having preplanned meals so I can adjust to what I'm in the mood for. Others enjoy planning meals, and seem to think it's easier that way.

    I have a muffin recipe I've altered that works fine with whole grain flours, using applesauce to reduce sugar content. I make w/w or whole grain pancakes for my children too. I'm relearning how to cook just for myself. You can use smaller baking dishes for oven baked foods, which may reduce cooking times.

    Good luck! Let us know what is working for you!
  • lelaomara
    lelaomara Posts: 3 Member
    Ex: Rotisserie chicken: can be eaten as is, hot fresh. Meat separated from the bones ave used to make tacos, burritos, chicken salad, in salad, recooked/boiled for chicken broth soup, used on sandwiches, etc. I have frozen the meat (cooked chicken in small pieces defrosts ok. Can be used in omelettes, etc.

    Good quality canned chicken breast (same as above)

    Steak? Same thing. Once cooked, can be used in many things. Teriyaki steak, quick stir fry, salads, steak hoagie (not healthy, but delish)

    Canned beans and canned tomatoes are ready handy, too.

    SALMON: super easy. Lay skin down on foil prepared baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil or (gasp!) butter, salt, dill and pepper. Bake (I google appropriate time and temperature based on how many ounces I have and how thick the salmon is).

    The oven is my friend (except on the hottest, most humid days) because most of the time I can toss some meat in a baking dish, add a drizzle of olive oil, spices, preheat the oven, set a timer (google, if need be, check the type of cut, ounces you have or lbs before you unwrap the meat) and out comes your meal. Get a meat thermometer if you want to be fancy and sure. Baking meat isn't too hard. It's the grill that mytifies me. :D
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
    Not inexpensive, but made fresh and delivered weekly:

    http://www.veestro.com

    Most of the entrees are under 300 calories, and I think only 1 is over 400. They are vegan but I have served them to non-vegan guests who really liked them. My favourites are the red curry, three layer scramble, croquettes, and pizza.

    I put 2-3 days' worth in the fridge, and the rest in the freezer. They last about 8 weeks frozen. If you do try it, wait for a 20% off sale (they have them almost every week).
  • anniesong2747
    anniesong2747 Posts: 6 Member
    Hey everyone! I just wanted to share that I do post alot of simple healthy food ideas on my IG. If anyone is interested it is anniejsong. I'm not posting this here for followers. It's just to share ideas that I've discovered because I really do not enjoy cooking but I do like to be healthy and I'm always looking for simple, easy and healthy. So I just thought I would share!
  • folgers86
    folgers86 Posts: 84 Member
    lelaomara wrote: »
    Ex: Rotisserie chicken: can be eaten as is, hot fresh. Meat separated from the bones ave used to make tacos, burritos, chicken salad, in salad, recooked/boiled for chicken broth soup, used on sandwiches, etc. I have frozen the meat (cooked chicken in small pieces defrosts ok. Can be used in omelettes, etc.

    ^^This. You can just cut the meat off as needed and microwave it (it has a tendency to become dry, though, so you may need a sauce of some kind to help). It's a relatively cheap protein option if you're just feeding yourself. One smallish chicken goes a long way.

    I also use a rice cooker/steamer and steam vegetables. Absolutely minimal prep required, add a little salt, pepper, and a touch of olive oil and voila.

    I also occasionally use products from Nutrisystem if I'm wanting something a little different :neutral: I've used them before so I can usually find stuff on Ebay that I know I like and sometimes Big Lots will have stuff.
  • scalebeater
    scalebeater Posts: 65 Member
    I also hate cooking! Try quinoa instead of rice .. it cooks in 17 minutes, is easier than rice, delicious, and has protein.
  • musicandarts
    musicandarts Posts: 187 Member
    Salads for lunch and dinner, low fat yogurt, granola, fruits, Slim Fast etc. My diary is public if you want to check.
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    Steamers veggies (store brand or Birds Eye) are the best if you hate cooking. 5 minutes in the microwave and they're done. I buy the plain ones like broccoli or mixed veggies and season/add sauces. They also sell presauced ones that are pretty good. I don't know why you're avoiding processed foods, though. Nothing wrong with a lean cuisine, other than they aren't always very satisfying.

    In addition to the steamed veggie bags, I keep easy-to-cook protein at home: black bean veggie burgers (2 minutes microwaved), Deli style tofurkey (eaten cold), morningstar fake chicken burgers (1 minute microwaved). I also really like canned and cartoned soups.

    You might not be a vegetarian, but vegetarian burgers/protein are perfect for people who hate cooking because there's no danger in eating them raw. You can also easily mash them into the veggies, slice and put in a wrap, or tear up and eat on soup.
  • GBrady43068
    GBrady43068 Posts: 1,256 Member
    hiltz83 wrote: »
    I resort to processed foods because they are convenient and I hate cooking. It's so easy to pop a lean cuisine in the microwave. Even worse, I go to fast food because it's....fast! But I know it's all terrible for me...suggestions for healthier low calorie froze meals or dinners that can be microwaved?

    Whatever you can con someone else into making? ;)

    Seriously though...the crockpot can be your friend if you dislike food prep. Lots of soups are low calorie, can be frozen in single-serve portions for later nuke-and-eat and you can buy a lot of the ingredients pre-cut to go. Main thing to watch out for if you're using canned items is high levels of sodium/added sugar...get around that by using frozen if possible or scanning labels for low-sodium/reduced-sodium and sugar-free, lower sugar optio
  • Steff46
    Steff46 Posts: 516 Member
    I'm not in love with cooking much either. On Sunday's, I make a huge salad so I can dip it out all week and use it as a base for any thing like canned chicken, tuna pouches, spaghetti noodles w/jar sauce, salsa or Rotel. The one item I can't live without is my Crock Pot! Put in chicken, canned soup or broth, any veggie you like and cook for 3 hours. Put in a roast, broth, any veggie cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours for low.
    I do love Lean Cuisine pizzas for quick lunches :)
  • GBrady43068
    GBrady43068 Posts: 1,256 Member
    And here's a lazy favorite of mine...

    PITA PIZZA

    Pack of pita bread
    Jar of pizza sauce
    bag of mozzarella cheese
    bag of pepperoni (I use turkey pepperoni)
    Any other toppings you like

    Basically, cut each pita into quarters, drop however many you're making into the toaster two at a time, toast them crispy, add the pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni and whatever toppings and then nuke for around 20-25 seconds to melt the cheese. Super easy, easy to customize...(leave off the pepperoni to make it veggie and add whatever veggies instead...no cheese if you're vegan or vegan cheese if you can stomach that..no suggestions there as I've never found a truly GOOD vegan cheese...etc etc.)

    It's also easy to make it "BBQ chicken"...BBQ sauce instead of the pizza sauce..."white pizza" with a lower calorie Alfredo sauce..etc etc etc.
  • klmnumbers
    klmnumbers Posts: 213 Member
    I am 100% about crock pot cooking. I'm not a big fan of cooking and only really find time to do it on the weekends. But buying a nice, big crock pot was the answer for me. It takes a little prep time the night before, but I just throw everything in the night before, put it in the fridge, then turn it on before I run to work.

    There are thousands of great, filling recipes ranging from heart stews/soups to short ribs or roasts.
  • TheRoadDog
    TheRoadDog Posts: 11,793 Member
    I love to cook. I get home 3 hours before my wife, so I do all the cooking. I find it is relaxing. I also love researching new recipes and preparing new things for her.

    That doesn't mean I don't have meals that aren't as healthy as they could be, but if we are eating something unhealthy, it means I went out of my way to research it, prepare it and serve it. We eat out less than once a month and I almost never go to a fast food restaurant.
  • alfiedn
    alfiedn Posts: 425 Member
    I love cooking, but there are a few really easy and fast ways to get food if you don't mind a tiny bit of prep time and very very little to no cooking:
    smoothies
    cut veggies (bell pepper, cucumber, etc)
    guacamole (I just mash avocado and salsa together, so it's super simple)
    salad (get the pre-washed greens and then add what you like...right now I'm loving spinach, strawberry, blue cheese, and a sprinkle of walnuts with a lemon/balsamic vinaigrette)
    egg drop soup (there are some great youtube tutorials...it takes minutes, literally)

    I also love my slow cooker. It's awesome to be able to prep some food and let it go all night or the whole time you're out at work.

    It's hard to want to cook when it's been as hot as it is here right now!