busy full time student. needs help with food =[

I always feel guilty for exercising when I "should" be studying (finals are in two weeks!), but at the same time, I try to remind myself that my degree isn't going to be any useful if I die from a heart attack at the age of 30.

I've heard it said that people who exercise do better on tests and retain information better. So now you have a reason to workout before you study.

I feel your pain! I, too, am a student working 2 jobs and volunteering all the time.

Make a BIG batch of brown rice or quinoa when you have time, and store in the fridge. Cut up veggies into bite size and store in ziplock baggies either in the fridge or freezer. Stir fry the veggies ( takes only a few minutes ) and throw into some rice with soy sauce- easy stir fry!

Make a dozen hardboiled eggs and eat them all week.
I posted a topic with my banana latte smoothie recipe- keeps you full for a while & great for breakfast:
2 bananas, 6 ice cubes, 1 cup skim milk, 3/4 cup strong brewed chilled coffee, a dash of cinnamon, and (optional) 1 tsp sugar or splenda, blend and top with cool whip and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Makes about 2 glasses for only 191 calories each.

Make pasta sauce ahead of time and freeze in ice cube trays- just pop out and thaw for easy pastas topping.

Invest in a slow cooker- seriously. Fill it with ingredients the night before, place it in the fridge, then set it and forget it in the morning!

Marinate and cook a bunch of chicken breasts on your day off. They go on sale all of the time, just check the grocery ads and freeze whatever you don't cook that week. Then you can chop the meat into salads and stirfries all week. I ate a lot of stirfry meals while in college, just be careful of the sodium in the soy and teriyaki sauces.

Use a light marinade like Italian dressing or Mojo Criollo (Mexican/Hispanic section - usually cheap!) so you can add other spices and sauces. When in doubt I always have soy sauce, teriyaki, honey mustard, Frank's hot sauce, salsa, Tobasco, Worcheshire sauce, and Parmesan cheese on hand to flavor it up in different ways.

I also buy tilapia fillets when they're on sale. They cook up fast (15 minutes) and you can flavor them up all kinds of ways. I do it cajun spiced, garlic/lime/honey, and italian with a shake of bread crumbs and parmesan.

Instant brown rice and frozen veggies make cooking faster as well. Make sure you buy the 5 or 10 minute rice.

I used to think I didn't have time to cook either. If you plan ahead and make the time, you can make lots of great easy meals in under 15 minutes just by adding different spices and veggies as well as using different dipping sauces. The more you cook, the easier it gets and the more creative you'll get with your meals.

One final note. Buy a crock pot/slow cooker. You can get a small one pretty cheap at Walmart or Target. Put a chicken breast in, cover with condensed french onion soup, add some small potatoes and baby carrots. Add just enough water to cover the meat and veggies. Set to low and cook all day while you're at work and/or in class. There are tons of slow cooker recipes for busy people like us.

P.S. Ask him to help out. I know it's like pulling teeth (mine hates it too) but figure out a couple of things he's good at and get him in there with you. It's great bonding time and I feel like we're so in sync when we create a meal together. Plus, he's really proud of himself when something he does turns out really good. Even if it's only chopping and sauteeing the veggies for the side dish.

theres alot of great advice on there i work 40+ hrs and im in the military so i totally feel your pain. so i buy alreay 100cal sancks , boost drinks and make fruit smoothies with ice strawberrys half bannana and either rasberrys or oranges . and 1/4 cup grape juice . its a full meal for my morning or lunch. salads or even baby carrots with dip help. i hope this is a lil bit of help.