How can I eat healthy with hardly any time?!

I work two jobs during the week and each morning I wake up in time to get ready and put together lunch for myself but on Monday and Tuesday I don't get home until after 8pm (I go to work every morning at 8:30).  How can I eat healthy (and get enough calories in) on a schedule like this? 

Is there a way to freeze something over night so I could prepare it the day before?  What about good healthy simple Crockpot recipes?   

Today for example breakfast was a quick bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee and a cup of cranberry juice (no sugar added) while I walked my dog and got dressed (i'm a huge multitasker).  I cut up strawberries and packed an orange, a banana, and a peanut butter sandwich to get me through the day.  What else can I do!?  I'll be starving when I get home but I don't like eating a lot so late at night.

help! 

Try lean cuisine frozen entrees, if you have a microwave where you work. or you can make sandwiches or a wrap the day before, put it in the fridge and take it with you to eat.

I definately feel your pain here. There just don't seem to be enough hours in the day. I manage a little easier if I cook 3 or 4 chicken breasts at a time. You can refrigerate some and freeze some.. take it out of the freezer the night before and leave it in the fridge to defrost and reheat  the next day.  I find fish fillets cook so quickly in the microwave that I don't have to cook them ahead of time. I just throw on some spices and they only take 2-4 minutes. I like to cook 2 cups of rice at a time as well but you could cook more and freeze it. It takes so little time to reheat with the meat and I can add peppers or onions or soy sauce when i reheat for flavour. To save time I put the rice in small sandwhich bags and freeze in individual servings.

Ideally, it would be great if you could managed to pack your dinner and eat it before you leave work everyday...you work very long hours and you must be starving by the time you get home...that always lead to overeating for me. You might also try to get in a yogurt for a snack through the day. Hope this helped.

I have pretty much the same schedule only I am gone longer (leave at 5:00 am return some days at 5:30 pm, other days at 9:00-9:30 pm).  The key is preparation.  I usually designate 1 or 2 days as cooking days and then I put leftovers in small containers that I can just grab and go and take to work with me.  Or if I go out to eat, I will do the same thing with the food I bring home.  If you get tired of eating the same things for several days in a row (fortunately I don't) you can always freeze them and then you will always have an assortment to choose from.  Then for snacks I always have an assortment of fresh fruits and veggies that are easy to grab and go.  If all else fails a PB sandwich is quick and easy to make and take with you.

I would steer clear of Lean Cuisines and other processed foods as they are very high in sodium and not generally good for you.  Maybe have a few on hand for emergencies, but I wouldn't rely on them very often.

Crock pot dinners are nice and easy but if you aren't getting home till after 8 pm, that would probably be too long.  Most things are done in 8 hrs or so... 12 hours might be a bit too long to leave it in there.  But, you could try it.  Google crockpot recipes, or there are tons of crockpot/slow cooker cookbooks out there.

Original Post by fuzzys:

Crock pot dinners are nice and easy but if you aren't getting home till after 8 pm, that would probably be too long.  Most things are done in 8 hrs or so... 12 hours might be a bit too long to leave it in there. 

In this case, I've discovered an electrical outlet timer (typically used for lights when people are on vacation) works nicely.  All they do is shut off the current to the plugged in appliance at a pre-set time (whether it's a lamp or a crockpot).  http://www.smarthome.com/2046.html?src=WG1010 247&gclid=CJXfmNGvg5ICFQMKPAodwGUw9Q

And you can find great crock pot recipes here on CC+ if you just go to the search bar, make sure "recipes" are highlighted, and search on "slow cooker" or "crock pot".

You guys are really giving me some great ideas!  Thank you so much for the input.  I'm trying to eat as much natural food as I can, like.. whole fruits and veggies etc.  but my husband and I have a very limited budget (we can only spend $60 for one week on the both of us).  Granted this won't last forever, but it is hard to find enough food for that much (esp. healthy ones.)  I'm thinking about getting a good lunch box or at least some sort of microwaveable container to take to work with me. 

fuzzys - I have lots of frozen veggies in my fridge.  The chicken idea sounds really great.  I need to remember that!

santonacci - I think my crock pot has an automatic turn off thing where it goes straight from cooking the allotted time to 'warm' when that time has ended.

Original Post by simignonne:

but my husband and I have a very limited budget (we can only spend $60 for one week on the both of us).  Granted this won't last forever, but it is hard to find enough food for that much (esp. healthy ones.) 

Here's a great website for healthy shopping on a budget:

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/

 

If you invest in a stack of freezer tubs you could make a lot of great meals to freeze and enjoy later.   Bolognese sauce, for example.  Then, when you come home you only need cook a little pasta (10 mins) and serve it with some salad leaves or some vegetables that you've steamed over the pasta.

Don't touch TV dinners with a bargepole.  They're OK in a dire emergency but not healthy as a regular meal.

For the mornings, try waking up just 10 minutes earlier and having a bigger breakfast... Some toast with the cereal.  A smoothie, perhaps?  If you want to be slimmer and healthier you need to give food priority rather than making it an also-ran

I love my crockpot!  Here's a really good/quick/easy recipe for chili...

1-2lbs ground beef

2c celery

2c onions

2c V8 juice

4cans diced tomatoes (we usually get the flavored ones like green pepper/onion or oregano/basil) 

1can tomato paste

cumin, chili powder, garlic, dash of salt/pepper (I'm not sure on the amounts as we just experiment everytime...lol) 

Thanks for the recipe misty1993!  I will have to try it out.  I love chili.  How long do you leave it in the pot?  4 hours?

I tried several ideas today such as, making my lunch before I went to bed the night before.  I even set my coffee maker timer so that it would start automatically.   I also tried to wake up eariler to have a better breakfast but I was so tired, this time change!  I will do better tomorrow though, I'll have eggs, I always have a good day when I eat eggs in the morning :)

As others have said, I also have certain things that I cook when I have time and that will keep in the fridge/freezer.

Chicken breasts are one - you can cook two or three at a time, cut them into strips or whatever serving style you prefer, and in a sealed container, they will keep in the fridge for 5 or 6 days.  Then you can reheat them for stir fry, or throw a few strips and some veggies and low-fat cheese into a tortilla for a lunchtime wrap.

Speaking of stir fry, brown rice will also keep in the fridge for a week or so in a sealed container.  To make it even easier, cook it, let it cool, and then portion it out into ziploc bags.  Then you can just grab a bag and heat it in the microwave.  You can also freeze it this way and it will keep for several months.

Frozen veggies are inexpensive.  I stock up on those "Steam Fresh" ones when they're on sale, these are the ones that you steam right in the bag in the microwave.  Heat up some broccoli that way, then heat up your rice and chicken, add some spices and a little soy or teriyaki sauce, and you have a nice hot meal. :)  Or you can buy traditional frozen stir fry veggies and do an actual stir fry if you're home, they usually only take 10 minutes or so.

I also eat a lot of salad.  I buy the bagged lettuce for the sake of convenience.  Then I chop up carrots, green peppers, broccoli, and cucumber ahead of time and keep them in sealed containers in the fridge.  Add a serving of canned tuna fish, and that's a nice light meal.

And definitely check out some crockpot recipes.  Things like soups, stews, spaghetti sauce, and chili can be made in large quantities and frozen/refrigerated in single-serve containers.

And finally, packets of instant oatmeal are my best friend!  I eat one every day for breakfast, sweetened with a little honey or molasses, and with a serving of walnuts and flaxseed.  Very filling, very fast, very inexpensive.  And you can carry the packets anywhere; as long as you have access to a microwave, water, and something to heat it up in, you can eat oatmeal anytime. :)

It's not easy to eat healthy when you're short on time, but it can be done.  You just have to do a little trial and error until you find your "groove." :)

Simi

I know exactly what you mean, I too am very busy with little time and (luckily) little money for junk food.  Here are a couple suggestions that work for me:

Cook ahead and freeze, then take out one or two portions to take with your for the day.  I freeze into portions to make it easier. 

Invest in a good "lunch pail" or something for taking food, keeping it in the car (cool, hot, whatever you need).  I also have a wide-mouth thermous for the many soups/stews I make.

But here is my #1 thing: Discipline.  I must plan ahead, prepare, invest the time (which means schedule the time) to get my food together.  It isn't about sensual pleasure of food always, but it is always about keeping the machine running to do all the things I need to do, while staying healthy.  I've lost 20 pounds this past 6 months without dieting, starving or suffering one bit!  But boy, is it painful to shop, cook, clean dishes, pack food and plan ahead.

There's my story.  Good luck to you and to all of us.  Remember: be intentional!

Try cooking in big batches (this works great if you have time to cook on Sundays) and freezing or refrigerating in portions. You can cook big batches of beans in your crockpot (dried beans are much cheaper than canned) and then freeze 1 cup portions to toss into other meals. You can do the same thing with brown rice (very cheap if you buy in bulk).

Sometimes I'll roast a chicken on Sunday afternoon (whole chickens are much cheaper than buying cut up parts) and then freeze or refrigerate portions of the meat for later on. You can also make your own broth with the leftover bones and freeze it for later use.

It's hard when your time and budget are both limited. I find that it's pretty easy to eat healthy as long as you have either a) time and patience or b) money for convenient foods. I prefer to spend my time, so I avoid pre-cut bagged veggies and I opt for less convenient cuts of meat that I will de-skin and de-bone myself. If you can set aside some time on the weekend to do bulk prep, I think you will find it manageable.

Dried beans are your best friend when you are trying to eat healthy on a budget. Also, check out our crock pot thread in the recipes section.  

http://caloriecount.about.com/forums/post/800 94.html ;

There are lots of good crockpot ideas in there, and it helps that you have a crockpot with a timer.  

You should have different settings on your crockpot.  Mine has 4,6,8 and 10 hours so you can set it on whatever works out for your schedule.  I've done all of them I think (I've forgotten to turn it on in the mornings more times than I can count...lol) and they all taste yummy :)

Thank you all for your input.  I'm going to work on crock pot stuff, and esp. the chicken idea.  I've heard of that from several people and hearing it here on this thread really makes me believe it.  I've just got to find the time to do it.  Sunday's would work the best for me, thanks for the input rachelcc!

hogue1 - you are absolutely right, disipline is huge!  I unfortuantely don't have as much as some.  (which is how I gained the weight in the first place)

misty1993 - I'll try the chili this weekend :) thanks for the times, I'm sure it will be yummie!

justlaura - your advice is amazing, thank you so much!  I've never really thought of eating brown rice, I've always loved the yellow rice most... prob. not as good though.

:) thanks you guys!

Wow, I thought I had a hectic schedule!  One thing I do is get up a little earlier than I need to just to not feel "rushed" in the morning and to have enough time to pack a tupperware with lunch/lean leftovers, etc. I usually have a few choices in the fridge of vegetables that I have already steamed or roasted to throw in along with leftover grilled chicken breast or pork tenderloin.  Today is salmon.  One other thing I do for those really long days is to  have healthy snacks handy.  I have a stash of protein bars and even packets of oatmeal in my purse, car, and office, and also in the little fridge at work I have cheese sticks, and lowfat pudding cups.  I eat a large breakfast to help sustain me through the morning, then the rest of the day is a breeze after lunch and afternoon snack.  Sometimes I don't get home til 7 pm and by then I am hungry, so in your case, I would pack two lunches and eat the second one in the late afternoon, then just have a small meal at dinnertime.

I know I didn't post the question, but I wanted to thank everyone for their responses as well.  I am constantly moving from the minute I get up to the minute I go to bed.  Either working, taking care of two little boys, or doing school work.  It has been a trial to figure out how to make healthy meals that are quick and easy with two young'uns under foot!  Thank you!

 

Stacy 

Stacy is right, thank you guys so much for all your input.  Right now I am going to try to make some chili thanks to misty1993!