| Cooking/Food Prep Routine? |
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shadowcat410
New Member
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Posted: 2 Jan 2007 03:25 am |
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I work full time and go to school part time. I do not find working out a problem, (yay Turbo jam!) but preparing a well balanced meal for myself ( i live alone ) after work/school/exercising is such a chore! On the weekends I love cooking and preparing a good meal for myself, b/c I don't feel rushed and drained.
If I could ONLY afford a nutrionist/chef to cook my meals for me everyday, I'd loose the weight and keep it off. (wouldn't we all, right?)
So my question to you all is... do you have a cooking or food prep routine that works for your busy lives? I hate grocery shopping and usually I buy too much for just me and my veggies go bad before I have a chance to eat them. I really really need to sit down and create a meal plan with a shopping list on a week to week basis.
Is there any previous posts I have missed that has addressed this question?
any advice or thoughts/suggestions would be appreciated! TIA!
-Angela
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jillybean720
Senior Member
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Posted: 2 Jan 2007 02:13 pm |
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shadowcat410 wrote: So my question to you all is... do you have a cooking or food prep routine that works for your busy lives?
YES! I'm not as busy right now as I used to be, but last year, I was living alone (like you) and was working my full-time 40-hour-a-week job plus working 4 weeknights (Monday through Thursday) at a restaurant and not getting home until about 11pm or midnight (did I mention my full-time job was from 6am-2pm? Talk about a LONG day!).
So yeah...on weekdays, I would get up at 5am, go to job #1 until 2pm, go to the gym for an hour till 3pm (close to my jobs--not enough time to go all the way home and then back out to job #2), go to job #2 for 4pm, and then go home, shower, and collapse in bed around midnight 
And yet, I lost weight because of one all-important thing: PLANNING. I would cook and make meals on the weekends and just separate them into Gladware containers or baggies and keep in the fridge. I would make just about anything ahead of time--soups/stews/chowders, pasta, stiry fry, sandwiches (but keep veggies in a separate baggy until ready to eat), chicken breast...you name it!
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shadowcat410
New Member
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Posted: 2 Jan 2007 03:33 pm |
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I definitely need to go thru my tupperware containers, so cluttered and unorganized. I'm usually not one for eating left overs, but I guess I need to get used it to. Suck it up and cook and plan like a crazy fool on the weekends, so I won't have excuses for going to Taco bell for lunch. heh.
Thanks!
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Scribbler
Distinguished Member
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Posted: 2 Jan 2007 11:42 pm |
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I feel for you! I keep working on the planning thing, though have yet to perfect the art. I'll just mention though that slow cookers/crock pots are handy. When I remember and/or have the time, I get it started before I rush the kids to school and me to work in the morning so at least most of dinner is ready by the time I get home.
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trisharee
New Member
| Joined: | 22 Jan 2007 |
| Location: | |
| Posts: | 3 |
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Posted: 22 Jan 2007 08:20 pm |
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I think the best way of doing this is to portion things out like jillybean said. But I also think it's not impossible to cook quickly on the weeknights. Try meals with very few ingredients, like shrimp with dijon mustard and garlic over rice. Convenience foods like grilled tofu, frozen cooked shrimp, and frozen vegetables are little pricier, but they're easy.
Also, remember you don't have to cook a whole meal to save in a tupperware, just the basics of the meal. For example, cooked rice, pasta, and baked potatoes keep all week and there's all your starches right there. Grill some fish or chicken and seal that up too, and slice up your veggies in another container. Now all you have to do is add seasonings and dressings, which is really the fun part of cooking anyway.
I work 9-5, then I'm at the gym till 6:30. When I get home at 7:00, I throw a sweet or russet potato in the oven (just let it heat up with the potato, you don't have to preheat it), and then I take my shower and heat the rest of my meal. It's a time saver.
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