Any Suggestions for a Teenager who CANNOT cook?

margaretthedevil
margaretthedevil Posts: 215
edited September 19 in Recipes
Hello! I was wondering if anyone had any super easy and quick, non-cooking recipes for lunch time. I've been getting realll bored of those sandwiches I've been making and don't want to go out and eat (so bad calorie wise). :laugh: I like veggies, proteins, etc. If you have the calories and carb, fat, protein facts that would be great too. I would love to get some healthy fats in my diet as I tend eat very little fats. Thanks a bunch! :smile:

P.S. I don't eat cheese or mayo.

Replies

  • VballLeash
    VballLeash Posts: 2,456 Member
    What about a salad. I like to make salads with stuff such as: almonds, sun flower seeds, dried cranberries, apples, black beans, chicken, turkey. You can make a salad with a lot of toppings that makes it really filling. Its easy to make before you leave your house and then put the dressing in a little tupperware. I also like minute rice, they are individual little rice cups and all it needs is a minute in the microwave, no water or anything! Good luck...

    ~Leash :heart:
  • injuneer81
    injuneer81 Posts: 122 Member
    Fruit. A lot of fruit is good this time of year. Plums , Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Cherries, Grapes.

    Find a salsa recipe. Pretty easy to make. Just chop up ingredients. Mix together, Let sit in the fridge a while. the eat some healthy type chips.

    Sushi. Learn to make sushi. making tuna rolls is fairly simple.

    there are all kinds of recipes on the website and others

    Do you not cook at all or just a lunch?

    If it is just a lunch then you can cook a meal the night before and then you can use it to reheat in the microwave for lunch.
  • injuneer81
    injuneer81 Posts: 122 Member
    I hate minute rice. I make a big batch of jasmine rice and keep it in a bowl in my fridge so I have it at hand during the week. eat with some kind of a relish. like bbq pulled chicken or black beans etc.
  • margaretthedevil
    margaretthedevil Posts: 215
    Hmmm I like the idea of a fruit salsa maybe with some tomato sauce too(?). I think I'll attempt that. But I'm rather lazy :blushing:...and in the morning I basically have 15 minutes to make something before work.
    I can make sushi, but white rice really isn't that good for you. The calories add up real fast.

    And I don't know how to cook at all except rice in a rice cooker or boiling water haha -so embarrassing- :blushing:.
  • injuneer81
    injuneer81 Posts: 122 Member
    nobody knows how to cook until they learn.

    The secret to cooking most things on the stove is try not to cook to fast. medium heat is better than high heat.

    Plus boiling water is all you need to know how to do tho cook pasta or rice or steam veggies.
  • MissesOfficer
    MissesOfficer Posts: 368
    i love spinach salad with lite poppyseed dressing and egg! i put green pepper and cheese in too, but you don't eat cheese... you could add whatever veggies you want.. :) i usually dont like salads but i loveeeee this
  • gabrielled
    gabrielled Posts: 247 Member

    I can make sushi, but white rice really isn't that good for you. The calories add up real fast.

    Confession Time: I did not know what "boiling" meant when I began learning how to cook at 16! You will figure it out, and we all get tired of our own cooking and dishes every now and then. That's where you are. Time for innovation!

    Buy the healthy wraps at the store, not flour tortillas (too much fat). Use those to make roll-ups the night before. Wrap them in wax paper and you can heat them in the microwave a bit. I love sprouts in mine.

    Pre-cook enough long grain brown rice to choke a horse. Freeze it. Take out enough to last a week or so and use it for dishes with leftover shredded chicken, tuna, or such. You can use it in the roll-ups too.

    Trust me. You can do this. Lunches where I work went from $1.50 (I KNOW, UNHEARD OF) and full of choices to $2.75 and lame things like sub sandwiches with huge rolls and 3 pieces of salami (GROSS). I get three kids out the door to school and usually make it on time :blushing:

    You can do this. Innovate!
  • nguill6
    nguill6 Posts: 133
    smoothies smoothies smoothies! for the inept 5 minute morning meal, toss fruit, yogurt and ice into a blender. press the blend button until it sounds less like a freight train. pour and drink on the run!

    lunch= chop up fruit and put in plastic baggies ahead of time (fruit salad!) add walnuts/ almonds for protein (get them from a can)

    dinner= grilled cheese (2 slices toast with cheese on one side popped in toaster oven) and amy's organic canned soup (delicious, filling, cheap) pour in bowl, microwave for 1-2 minutes (cover with paper towel to prevent splatters); when soups ready grilled cheese should be too. dip and enjoy

    HORRAY for learning to cook :drinker:
  • omid990
    omid990 Posts: 785 Member
    cooking in a college dorm was a nightmare so i became a little innovative:

    take an english muffin cut in half, add tomato sauce to both halves, add cheese and any veggies you like, and zap it in the microwave for about 45 sec.

    a can of tuna with pickles, mayo or balsamic vinegar ( or both), celery, hardboiled egg, salt and pepper, and put all of that on a sandwich bun.

    omelets for lunch are my personal favorite. saute some tomatos, onions, mushrooms, or any other vegetable you want, and add one egg yolk plus two egg whites, beaten. If i'm really hungry, i'll add some deli turkey.
  • bugmagnt
    bugmagnt Posts: 150
    If you want to do the fruit salsa, here is a recipe I use -- very easy to do, and I have it ready in the fridge or in smaller tupperware snack cups so that it is easy to take with...

    Cinnamon Chips and Fruit Salsa

    Cinnamon Chips
    Ingredients:

    5 flour tortillas
    ½ cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon, mixed together
    Butter flavor cooking spray

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
    2. Lay tortillas on wax paper and cover with cooking spray
    3. Use a pizza cutter to cut them into wedges
    4. Sprinkle the wedges with cinnamon-sugar mixture
    5. Lay out the wedges on a cookie sheet
    6. Spray the wedges one more time with cooking spray
    7. Bake in oven for 11 minutes or until golden brown
    8. Let cool and set aside for your salsa!

    (Or can also cut and lay out on cookie sheet before spraying first time….works just as well…)


    Fruit Salsa
    Ingredients:

    1 kiwi
    1 apple
    4-5 strawberries
    ¼ pkg. of raspberries
    1 ½ Tbsp. apple jelly
    ½ Tbsp. brown sugar
    ½ Tbsp. white sugar
    (You can add any other fruit to this, or just use in season fruits….just as good!)


    1. Cut up fruit into small pieces and put in small/medium bowl
    2. Add apple jelly, brown sugar, and white sugar
    3. Stir together and enjoy with your cinnamon chips!
  • maurierose
    maurierose Posts: 574 Member
    You can also use frozen banana chunks and frozen strawberry chunks in your smoothies instead of ice cubes, tastes wonderful! I freeze mine in quart ziplock freezer bags and use as needed.
  • havingitall
    havingitall Posts: 3,728 Member
    cut up veggies ( carrots, celery broccoli ...whatever you like) and have it with hummus and some low fat cheese. Add some melba toast in there too and that is an awsome lunch
  • Johnnyswife
    Johnnyswife Posts: 1,447 Member
    Hmmm I like the idea of a fruit salsa maybe with some tomato sauce too(?). I think I'll attempt that. But I'm rather lazy :blushing:...and in the morning I basically have 15 minutes to make something before work.
    I can make sushi, but white rice really isn't that good for you. The calories add up real fast.

    And I don't know how to cook at all except rice in a rice cooker or boiling water haha -so embarrassing- :blushing:.
    Learn how! Its easy and actually fun. Start simple. learn how to bake chicken, and potatoes. I LOVE rice too! Its healthier than eating out, (cheaper too.), less sodium, ect.
    If you ever get the urge to learn, I can find a few simple recipies for you. You can send me a message me if you have any questions.
  • margaretthedevil
    margaretthedevil Posts: 215
    Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I think I'm going to start off slow with learning to at least chop veggies and fruits (well) and cook simple things like chicken breast and veggies. Gonna ask my dad to help me learn. :embarassed:
  • gabrielled
    gabrielled Posts: 247 Member
    Keep trying. It may be a good bonding time for you and dear old dad. You can throw those chicken breasts and veggies into wraps! Portable and yummy.
  • beckythebunny122
    beckythebunny122 Posts: 55 Member
    My go-to for nights when I don't feel like cooking is a PBJ made with whole-wheat bread, Better N' Peanut Butter (so good...tastes sweeter than regular and less fat and calories) and a bit of all-natural jam.

    Also check out the Hungry Girl website - they have lots of ideas for non-cooks/beginners. They are also a little odd sometimes, but it's good inspiration.
  • pinkyjane48
    pinkyjane48 Posts: 81
    I like veggies, proteins, etc. If you have the calories and carb, fat, protein facts that would be great too. I would love to get some healthy fats in my diet as I tend eat very little fats.

    P.S. I don't eat cheese or mayo.

    My sister is in high school and HATES mayo but hates sandwiches after like 3 days of the same one too. lol. She adds AVOCADO to spice it up AND get in her healthy fat! I like to add bell peppers and cucumber to my turkey or ham sandwiches with a little vinager to help mix it up.

    I personally am a non-cooker. I totally bite monkies when it comes to cooking so I HAVE to make no-cook stuff haha. :laugh: I love fruit salad. I mean, yah fruits are great to have anyway, but mix a salad together and add your almonds or a little granola (not too much!) and its a good switch. Tyson makes really good fully cooked grilled chicken breast strips ready to heat up or just toss on a salad too :)
  • jolinemariem
    jolinemariem Posts: 462 Member
    the main tip i can give you is shop around the outside of a store dont buy canned veggies or the littlecups fresh is always way better for you because there is nothing else to worry about in the food and they are all right cooking is fun and you dont learn until you try
  • tori_anne
    tori_anne Posts: 28
    Vegetarian meat is a lot easier to cook (i think?) and a lot healthier than actual meat. A boca burger just takes 1:15 in the microwave to cook and it's 80 calories, with a light bun and ketchup it's like 200 calories and very filling with little fat and a lot of protein. There's many different varieties too- hamburgers, riblets, chikn patties or nuggets, fake bacon, even fake lunch meat.

    If you haven't tried any fake meat, at least you could try it (:
    I've never eaten meat before so I can't compare it to actual meat but I like it!
  • hollychristine
    hollychristine Posts: 124 Member
    I like to steam a buch of seasonal veggies, toss in some beans and sauteed onions, maybe some tomaoes then sprinkle on some Zip sauce (the kind you don't add butter to) or balsamic vinegar and enjoy with brown rice...(the kind that takes an hour to cook, no minute rice)
    I make alot at once, you can take it with you in the morning and it even tates good cold. Add it to other recipes, over salads, or even in a wrap. It multi-enjoyable.:bigsmile:
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