Clean Eating on the fly

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LeanMeanJeanne
LeanMeanJeanne Posts: 44 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Making some dietary changes and the idea of clean eating really appeals to me- healthy living, minimally processed foods and weight loss to boot! Here's my conundrum- can I work it into my insanely busy schedule? Working, single mom with an incredibly active son- we're constantly on the run with sports, school, etc..... Any suggestions on how I can make this lifestyle work with minimal time slaving away in the kitchen (and keep it kind to my grocery budget)?

Thanks for the help and support!

Replies

  • er1nya
    er1nya Posts: 87
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    I'm in a similar boat as you are!!

    I buy a lot of my groceries at the farmer's market and plan my meals around that. I have been making a lot of homemade soups with the ingredients I buy from there and adding things like dried beans. I know it's summer but my office is cold anyway so it works out, haha. Plus I love soup and can eat it any time of the year. To save time you can make the soups in the crockpot. Just dump some broth (homemade!) water and whatever chopped veggies/ beans you have lying around.

    I am eager to hear other people's suggestions as well! Good luck.
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
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    There is no easy way. You need to take some time maybe on a sunday, to cook healthy things you can freeze and grab. Boil some eggs. Bagged salads and healthy low carb breads. Vegetable low sodium soups and sliced grilled chicken can be cooked ahead of time and frozen in single serving so you have them for quick lunches and dinners. Use ground Chicken or Turkey for Chili, Burgers, Meatloaf or Meatballs. Low fat popcorn is my go to snack anytime of day. It is a whole grain snack and you can make a bag and pick on it all day.
  • russelljclarke
    russelljclarke Posts: 836 Member
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    You could cook at the weekends and freeze it. Works for me, and keeps me out of the cafes!
  • epj78
    epj78 Posts: 643 Member
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    Yes! But it takes some planning. The crockpot will be your friend! I will cook up a bunch of chicken breast with seasoning in the crockpot on Sunday or Monday and use that for lunches, etc the rest of the week. Lean proteins don't take long to cook - I can pull together a whole meal in under 15 minutes normally using frozen veggies (which are just as healthy as fresh if you don't get the sauced kind). Lean meat - broiled, brown rice on the stovetop (sometimes I make a bunch and just heat in the microwave) and frozen veggies in the microwave.

    You can also do pork tenderloin in the crockpot and eat throughout the week. Soups are good to make on Sundays - big pots - and then freeze for later use.

    On the go type of stuff: nuts, fruits, hard boiled eggs, etc.
  • phatsoslim
    phatsoslim Posts: 257 Member
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    Check out Clean Eating Magazine. The "A Week's Worth of Dinners for $50" might be of interest to you. It gives you the recipes and best of all, the shopping list. Lots of great meals can be found. Each meal serves 4, so if it's just you and your son, you will have leftovers to eat the next day or freeze them for another time. If you freeze them, then you will build up your meals so that you will have things ready to go. Just thaw and reheat.

    Enjoy!
  • StartingOver4Me
    StartingOver4Me Posts: 192
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    Fresh fruits and veggies are the easiest take-along-snacks EVER.
  • hsquared87
    hsquared87 Posts: 73
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    Here is what I do. I make extras at dinner for the next days lunch. I do the single serving carrots with ranch as a snack target sells the Crunch pacs. Fresh fruit is always grab and go. Trader joe makes minamaly processed frozen chicken tenderloin that I throw some marinade or spices on and when I get home from work I throw it in the oven for 25 mins. I also stock up on organic frozen veggies cus its so quick to steam them. Pampered cheif has a mircowave steamer that works wonders.

    You got this!
  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
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    Farmer's market for fresh fruit & veggies is key. We are always taking an apple, peach or some other fruit with us in the car going from here to there. I make my own granola and we put that in snack size bags to take on the go. (Let me know if you want the recipe - it's simple and makes a bunch and you can customize as you want). I make my own croutons from bread ends and leftover rolls and add them to salad and also a good snack with crunch.

    I make most of my dinners as a large portion and we divvy them into ziploc containers to take to work to heat up. I grill chicken and veggies in a big batch and then use it during the week and add to salads, quessadillas, omelettes, wraps, etc.

    I think it may seem like a lot if you are used to cooking for two, but I would say spend the same amount of time in the kitchen but cook/bake larger amounts. Also, I know I have to pre-portion things I buy or make so that we can just grab and go - being a mom of a teenager we are always on the run.
  • ashreneeknutson
    ashreneeknutson Posts: 77
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    Just from my personal experience:

    My husband and I are always on the go as well and fast food or eating out has become a regular part of our lives. I recently read a book called Skinny ***** and after reading it, I immediately started changing the way my family eats. We might go out once every couple weeks and we've been not only saving money but feeling a million times better! Personally, I've got more energy, sleep better and although I really haven't lost much weight in the last 2 months (since I've read the book), I feel like I made a good choice in changing things. Make things like casseroles and such once or twice a week and you can heat them up in a matter of minutes to match your busy schedule! That's what we do and it really helps.
  • ashreneeknutson
    ashreneeknutson Posts: 77
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    I'd LOVE the granola recipe please!! And any other healthy recipes that anyone would like to share. :happy:
  • crux
    crux Posts: 454 Member
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    For me it’s meal planning & time management. I have to plan what I’m going to eat and shop for that, otherwise if I don’t have the ingredients to hand and I tend to grab something quick & easy that is often less than great for me. For instance cheese wraps have been my nemesis the past 2 weeks! Other time’s it’s been bowls of pasta!

    Once I have a menu I tend to batch make salads and snacks even some meals on an evening or morning when I can find the time, I keep them in individual containers in the fridge and just grab when I’m due to eat or take them to work with me each morning.

    Tonight at home I have homemade lentil, bean & chickpea falafel waiting for me to snack on instead of cheese wrap :)
  • cedarhurst2006
    cedarhurst2006 Posts: 378 Member
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    I'd LOVE the granola recipe please!! And any other healthy recipes that anyone would like to share. :happy:
    [/quote

    Here is the granola recipe (I am a diabetic so I use the agave and cut the brown sugar). The beauty of this is that you can customize as you wish. Please let me know what you think of the granola, thanks!


    Granola Recipe
    2011

    2 c. rolled oats
    1 t. cinnamon
    ½ t. salt
    2/3 c. walnuts (You can use pecans also)
    3 T. oil (I use olive oil, you can use vegetable or canola oil)
    ¼ c. honey or agave
    ¼ c. firmly packed brown sugar
    1 t. vanilla extract
    OPTIONAL – I add sliced almonds, sesame seeds and raw sunflower seeds. No measuring, just throw them in.

    Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, toss oats with cinnamon, salt, nuts and seeds. In a separate bowl, mix together the oil, honey, brown sugar and vanilla until blended. Pour the wet mixture in with the dry and use your CLEAN hands to combine the two until everything is well coated and your hands are gooey. Lick them if you must (you will want to), but WASH your hands right after.

    Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the mixture over top. Spread it out evenly, but it should be clumpy in spots. Bake for 10 minutes and then use a spatula to gently flip the granola over. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan. ** Very important because it will smell awesome and you are going to want to try it right away but DON’T, walk away and let cool completely so it hardens. Use your hands to break up the granola into clumps. Place in a tightly lidded container or Ziploc bag.
    ENJOY!!!
  • LeanMeanJeanne
    LeanMeanJeanne Posts: 44 Member
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    Thank you everyone for the tips and tricks!! Great ideas, and most importantly things I can ACTUALLY use and incorporate into my whirlwind lifestyle.... And I'm SO finding the time to make that granola tonight!! :o)

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