Eating healthy when you're not up to much effort

I'm male, 51, 5'9", 218 pounds, and my BMI is 32.2. I would love to get my BMI under 30, but I've been struggling for months and all I've done is to stop gaining weight.

I want to have a healthy, balanced diet, but I have very little energy for things like food preparation. I can't cook all the time, though I cook well when I do.

I also have difficulty getting out to a large grocery store, and too much of my shopping is in convenience stores where I"m more comfortable. I'm seeing my psychiatrist soon and I think he can help me with my anxiety issues.

Does anyone know any shortcuts to eating well?

at least initially, keep it basic. A source of protein, fat and carbohydrate in your main meals. portion size is important...so a simple dinner could be a skinless chicken breast grilled with a small portion of pasta and some steamed vegies. another idea is stirfry, takes no time, some meat, vegies and noodles, flavour with herbs and sauces....nice balanced meal......do some web searches there is a bucket load of resources out there that take the time and thought out of the process if that is what you so wish

all the best

Hey! First of all, congrats, stopping the weight gain is nothing to sneeze at IMHO. Many people go directly from large amounts of food to considerably small ones, practically shocking their bodies, so they start to feel that they are starving, deprived and miserable, and give up before seeing any results. I think that as tempting as shortcuts may seem, baby steps are always better when you want a change to last.

My piece of advice to you would be to have maybe one day or two each week when you cook larger portions of food, to last you for the following days. You can store the excess in the fridge or freezer. Stick to simple foods such as salads, sandwiches, wraps, oatmeal, omelettes, stir fries - these are quick to put together, satisfying and switching the ingredients around is easy, so you can get plenty of variation and not be bored.

I agree, starting with small steps is a great way to go, and helps avoid the all or nothing thinking that plagues many of us.

I don't know what resources for healthy foods are in Calgary, but have you considered shopping for groceries on-line?  Here in the US, Safeway has on-line grocery shopping.  It is more expensive, but I know some people have actually saved money because it reduces the risk of "impulse" buying.

Also, are CSA produce deliveries an option?  There might be some local farms that are deliver fresh, local produce that could be a springboard to healthier eating.  Or, you might be comfortable shopping at a Farmer's Market, the people are really friendly.  Anything you can do to get out of convenience stores would be a help towards a healthier diet.

Some healthy foods can also be ordered on-line like nuts, herbs, spices, dried beans, etc.

Also, the more you can "stock up" on healthy options the better.  My pantry always has natural peanut butter, whole grains, oatmeal, canned tuna, canned chicken, canned tomatoes, dried beans, canned dried beans (for emergencies), olive oil, good vinegar, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, onions, dried red peppers, and lots of herbs.  The freezer always has some boneless, skinless chicken breasts, blueberries, peas, corn, green beans, homemade chicken stock.  I can throw a healthy meal together pretty quickly if I have these things on hand.  Best of luck!

I would buy healthy foods in bulk, frozen (if necessary).  You can buy lots of frozen chicken breasts, frozen fruit, dried fruit, big bags of nuts, big container of quaker oats, lots of veggies (fresh & frozen), whole wheat bread or other whole wheat products (again, most can be frozen ie bread, etc).  

Flamel, I just did a google search for "grocery delivery, Calgary, AB, CA" and came up with several stores that will deliver groceries to you until you can get a handle on your anxiety issues. 

Hope that helps! :)

I like canned soups as they're often as little as 140 cals per can, have lots of vegetable varieties, and they fill you up excellently. Another bonus is that you can stock up on lots and just keep them in your cupboard and not have to worry about them going off, so you wouldn't need too many repeat trips to the store. They also involve minimal preparation!

No Effort To Cook Healthy Food = WHOLE FOODS or SASHIMI TAKE OUT --- Those are my Go-To QUICK AND EASY tips! Speaking of... I went to Whole Foods today for my dinner and picked up: SASHIMI! ha ha ha! 2 birds with one stone, no?