I NEED help!

allsmilesokgirl
allsmilesokgirl Posts: 4
in Food and Nutrition
I work 2-10 mon-thur and 8-5 on fri and I am trying to find recipes and ideas of things that I can quickly prepare that are easy and filling. I am usually eating microwave meals for dinner during the week and then making all of my meals over the weekend, but I hate having to spend lots of time in the kitchen. I feel when I am making healthy meals I am taking forever to measure and count that I'm resenting the food by the time I sit down to eat it. I am a herbalifer so I have two shakes a day with just having a full meal at dinner time. I am also still trying to fulfill my husbands needs of food that he is going to enjoy as well. When I started MFP almost 2 months ago, I had lots of motivating friends and it seems that they are dropping like flies, so all support and info/ideas would be great!

Replies

  • MyTime1985
    MyTime1985 Posts: 456 Member
    On Sunday night I put an entire pack of skinless & boneless chicken in the crockpot on high. In the morning it's cooked. I shred it with a fork and season it. I eat it throughout the week on salads. I buy mixed greens from the grocery store and I keep a bag of cranberries or grapes to add to the salad. IT IS SO GOOD!!!!!! It takes me 30 seconds to throw it in the crockpot and 1 minutes to get it out and shred it. I strongly recommend it!
  • JonesJennings
    JonesJennings Posts: 59 Member
    I'm a big fan of risotto. Once you get the method for that down, you can do a wide variety of meals by just making variations on that.
  • ThickNThunda
    ThickNThunda Posts: 71 Member
    I would say make meals on Sunday and freeze them. That way, you aren't standing over the stove and you are getting much better and fulfilling meals throughout the week. And add a salad with it. If you need some friends, you are more than welcome to add me :smile:
  • lururu
    lururu Posts: 123 Member
    I find quorn mince makes a great bolognese and only takes about 12 minutes to cook?

    Stir-fries are also quick and easy.

    Or how about frozen salmon fillets, wrap them in a foil parcel with some soy sauce, a little honey and some ginger,pop them in the over forget about them for 35 minutes then serve with rice and veggies :) nom

    Cous cous with salad or veggies or anything is great and fast.

    Omelettes are great and you can put tonnes of stuff in them :)

    Hope that helped?
  • lururu
    lururu Posts: 123 Member
    I'm a big fan of risotto. Once you get the method for that down, you can do a wide variety of meals by just making variations on that.

    You can also make orzotto which uses pearl barley instead of rice for a change, it tastes lovely too :)
  • MyTime1985
    MyTime1985 Posts: 456 Member
    Oh yeah, friends request sent!
  • Myragc915
    Myragc915 Posts: 2
    Hi, I need to plan my meals better. I used to be on the ball years ago and i would bake mini meatloaves into cupcake tins on the weekend and freeze them for times i didnt have the energy/time to pack up a lunch. also, id make a med bowl of chicken salad and quickly pack some when on the go. Baggies (especially the snack size) are my best friends for portion control. Also, i try to pack up my luch for the next day as i put dinner left overs up. :flowerforyou:
  • ttxqiu
    ttxqiu Posts: 27
    Sandwiches. When it's midterm season and I have three papers due at any given moment, I live on sandwiches. Whole grain bread with tahini or hummus or unsweetened and unsalted all-natural nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew, etc), kale greens, tomatoes, low-fat cheese (I love Sargento's pepperjack slices), and sliced chicken breast (I get mine prepackaged; my favorite brand is Applegate Farms).

    To go with the sandwich, I usually have fresh fruit, carrot or celery sticks, yogurt, nuts, or a kind of dried seaweed not unlike sushi nori that's prepackaged and precut into small squares and seasoned that you can find in any Asian food market.

    Also, hardboiled eggs make a great meal or addition to a salad. I hardboil a dozen at the beginning of the week and eat about two each day. I prefer them plain with lots of pepper.
  • Ashleysh22
    Ashleysh22 Posts: 204 Member
    On Sunday night I put an entire pack of skinless & boneless chicken in the crockpot on high. In the morning it's cooked. I shred it with a fork and season it. I eat it throughout the week on salads. I buy mixed greens from the grocery store and I keep a bag of cranberries or grapes to add to the salad. IT IS SO GOOD!!!!!! It takes me 30 seconds to throw it in the crockpot and 1 minutes to get it out and shred it. I strongly recommend it!


    oooh good plan :)
  • dotlees74
    dotlees74 Posts: 3 Member
    sounds delicious.... intend trying that.
  • talcantara
    talcantara Posts: 4
    quinoa is very filling... it's a grain and high in protien. mix it in with a salad it helps. it only takes 15 minutes to make. I have a tight schedule too and try to make it interesting for the whole family. cut up veggies for yourself and have hummus or low calarie dip as snacks.
  • shbretired
    shbretired Posts: 320 Member
    Frozen meals are full of salt & usually carbs.

    Buy a bag of frozen stir fry veggies, precooked meat (chicken) & sauce (mango salsa).
    Zap in microwave 5 minutes, dinner & healthy at that! ☺
  • JennMarieFitz
    JennMarieFitz Posts: 73 Member
    I've been finding that a lot of my favorite healthy foods are pretty easy and fast to cook. A lot of the time I'll have chicken, some broccoli and maybe some mashed potatoes or a baked potato.

    I have a bag of frozen chicken, so I'll cook it on my stove in a frying pan. I add no oils, just some water occasionally if the chicken starts to stick. I'll season it and it'll be done in 10 ish minutes. While I'm cooking that up, I will chop up the broccoli and put it in a microwavable bowl with water, and put it in for 10 mins. Drain it afterwards and you've got some yummy broccoli =) Sometimes I will add potatoes, which can take a little bit, but they're just extra =)
  • sherichele
    sherichele Posts: 17 Member
    how do you cook the chicken, in a broth in the crock pot? what keeps it moist? I love this idea thanks
  • mamaparks87
    mamaparks87 Posts: 54 Member
    how do you cook the chicken, in a broth in the crock pot? what keeps it moist? I love this idea thanks

    When I do mine I use a 1 lb pack and put a little broth on the bottom (or bbq sauce or whatever) but not much at all... then I set my crockpot to keep warm and my chicken is done in about 3-4 hours. I have found it stays moist that way but if I cook on high or low for a long period my chicken is super dry. All crockpots cook differently so get to know yours personally.
  • JennMarieFitz
    JennMarieFitz Posts: 73 Member
    I'm going to try the crockpot idea!
  • allsmilesokgirl
    allsmilesokgirl Posts: 4
    Thanks everyone for your ideas! I usually eat lots of veggies and it's really meat that I was having a hard time with,. I will definitely be trying the crockpot idea. What kinds of seasoning have you tried that is low-cal that changes up the chicken? I feel that once I start adding sauces that it starts adding sodium and calories. Also for the salads, what dressings do you suggest?
  • Kamikazeflutterby
    Kamikazeflutterby Posts: 770 Member
    I like to set up chicken marinading in the fridge during the day, then broil it or cook it in the oven at night and have with some rice. You can get a lot of good flavor with low calories.
  • vvanm
    vvanm Posts: 157
    I consider myself the laziest cook on the planet. One thing about Fast Food is that you can also cook it fast at home and leave out the science project fillers, fat, and high salt. I buy pre-cooked chicken, and Kirkland Turkey patties at Costco. Cheap and delicious. I cut up the chicken and freeze it for daily BBQ chicken open faced sandwiches, chicken with refried bean burritos, tacos, and to put on pre-mix salad. The turkey patties are on a low calorie bun, heaped with grilled onions, half slice cheese, tomato, lettuce. Pop chips still stay under my calorie goal. Instead of soda I use sparkling flavored water mixed with juice; low cal and healthful. Oh, and Lean Cuisine pizzas are surprisingly good. Those are my tips if you are missing fast food. Over time I must add that my tastebuds have changed and I am really disappointed in real fast food. It must have an addictive component.
  • JoHo57
    JoHo57 Posts: 31
    Crockpots have always been my friends! I was a single mom with 5 kids. Working two jobs, going to school and still making football/baseball/twirling practice meant no time to cook. There was no fast food money in the budget, so I learned to cook in crockpots. My kids and I would come home to stews, roasts, chicken and even desserts! Most fresh vegetables like green beans or squash cooked while I was at work. We spent Sunday afternoons prepping food, and it never took more than an hour or so. The bags went into the freezer, then as I got the kids ready for school, I chose dinner, threw it into a crock and set the timer. Sometimes, I used two or even three crocks, depending on the meal.
    Now, on my own, and back in school, I depend on my crock to save money and time better suited for ME!
  • 29bubbles
    29bubbles Posts: 126 Member
    Do you have a rice cooker? They're pretty nice. Brown rice with some ckicken breast .... grilled mushrooms/veggies. I make grilled veggies one day of the week, then stick them in everywhere I can.

    YOU CAN DO THIS!!
    Together we can get through the hard parts.
  • rinnismom
    rinnismom Posts: 190
    you can measure and prepare meals to portion and free/refrigerate for the week. keep the tv dinners for back-up but it will give you more variety and you won't feel like a slave to the food.

    i have made meals and added the recipes on mfp. if i know i will get 3 meals out of the dish, then i can just quick add from my recipe tab and then the time spent putting it all together in my dairy is non-existant. not only do i abhorr having to portion and weigh every stinking thing, but i also do not want to worry if i have more today than yesterday or if i got the right item added.

    i know the portioning and weighing sucks, but i honestly feel like i'm in control of what's going into my body now. i used to just eyeball a portion and say, "yeah, that looks about right". now, i KNOW it is. it's a lovely feeling.

    one of my quickest and most favorite dishes is about 30 minutes in prep time. i will take boneless, skinless chicken breasts right from the freezer and add two tablespoons of butter to a skillet. i will put a lid over them and let them cook. then i will take a package of instant rice or noodles (like rice sides or pasta sides by lipton), put them into a mixing bowl and pop them into the microwave for 15 minutes. while the chicken is simmering and the pasta is cooking, i will throw together a quick salad with our favorite toppings. when the chicken gets done, i will use the last of the butter and the juices from the chicken to sautee some onion and bell pepper as a topping to put on the chicken.

    like i say, it only takes me 30 minutes (including setting the table), my family loves it, and it's a quick clean-up. 1 skillet, 1 bowl, and i will have their plates already served with the salad (so there's an extra bowl gone). i throw the breast onto the food scale, scoop the noodles/rice out of the bowl with a measuring scoop, and plop it on the plate.

    i have other things i use, this is just my handiest, most filling, recipe off of the top of my head. i hope it helps.

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