Tips for eating well

I love to cook, and even more than that I love to eat good food. But I am not doing that as often as I would like myself to.

I know this boils down to a few different reasons, the main one being that I work long hours in a job that's both physically and mentally demanding. I'm tired when I get home and a lot of the time, I don't feel like eating let alone cooking.

When I do feel like cooking, I'm usually craving veggies. The problem with veggies is that they just don't have a very long shelf life in my refridgerator.

And finally, it's flippin hard to cook for one! A lot of times I'll cook and package it and take it to work to share with my boss so that her family can get something other than mcfood as well. (her husband has serious medical issues)

I've tried freezing meals, but I don't eat them later.

So I'm looking for tips. I know once I get in the habbit of eating well again I'll feel better and be more active. I also know it takes 30 days to make a habbit, and that I have better results when I feel like I have some one to answer to, so I'm also planning on journaling, but I thought that there might be others here who might have things to share or need that support too.

One thing I do is to make a huge salad at the beginning of the week. I ususally boil brocoli and green beans in salted water for about a minute, and chop up radishes, yellow and red peppers, scallions, mushrooms, red cabbage and whatever else I want to make about 5 servings which I put in individual tupperwares. Then I make a jar of vinagrette and get a stack of canned tuna. Open a tuna, put some dressing on, and you've got a big salad, and you did all the chopping in one shot on Sunday.

Key is making it easy to open the fridge and have vegetables looking at you instead of junk.

Fresh is better of course, but I like frozen vegetables. Cheap because you can buy in bulk and just shake out what you want and put the rest back. I eat a lot of brown rice too. Cook enough for a few days and stick the pot in the fridge. Thaw out what lean meat you want to cook and it's a easy dinner. Or tuna, but I have to have the solid white tuna

I'm a huge fan of the raw vegetable, slightly less of the lightly sauteed. Steamed is popular, I know, but to me, it always seems like raw, but less. Really easy and fast ... a tomato, a red pepper, some green beans and spinach, a little purple onion and a clove of garlic if you're not too worried about kissing anyone, chop it all up and put it over a little pasta with a bit of lemon and olive oil, hot or cold, with or without some tuna, shrimp, chicken or whatever.

rosco rathbone said:

One thing I do is to make a huge salad at the beginning of the week. I ususally boil brocoli and green beans in salted water for about a minute, and chop up radishes, yellow and red peppers, scallions, mushrooms, red cabbage and whatever else I want to make about 5 servings which I put in individual tupperwares. Then I make a jar of vinagrette and get a stack of canned tuna. Open a tuna, put some dressing on, and you've got a big salad, and you did all the chopping in one shot on Sunday.

Key is making it easy to open the fridge and have vegetables looking at you instead of junk.

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This.


Also I'm considering divorcing in order to marry my slow cooker instead. It's not even cooking, you just put in meat and things and out comes food. I'm about to do a fake tagine of some kind today.

I find that cold raw veggies have little appeal to me in winter, so I go with a lot of light sauteeing with tamari garlic and ginger. I sometimes remember to pre-mix the tamari garlic and ginger making it even easier.

My trick, because I work a lot of split shifts, is to make homemade super healthy soups. Easy to reheat and, for some reason, they go down easier when I'm tired. A big bonus is soups are easy to make and a great way to use up those not so great for eating raw but still good veggies.

Netzach said:

This.


Also I'm considering divorcing in order to marry my slow cooker instead. It's not even cooking, you just put in meat and things and out comes food. I'm about to do a fake tagine of some kind today.

I find that cold raw veggies have little appeal to me in winter, so I go with a lot of light sauteeing with tamari garlic and ginger. I sometimes remember to pre-mix the tamari garlic and ginger making it even easier.

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Slow cookers are the best thing in the world. Luckily I do not have to divorce in order to marry mine, but I think my boy would be a bit put out if I did so and while I love my slow cooker, it lacks two important things. One, my boy makes greek food and pizza. Two, it does not have any appendages, much less a penis. So the boy wins out. Barely

What is the difference between tamari garlic and normal garlic?

Yes, yes! Make ahead, and slow cookers ROCK!! I have some great recipes I'll post for you later, Wenchie. I just spent a week eating a delicious and healthy vegetarian curry.

Planning really is the key. And it will be trial and error at first so don't get frustrated if some things flop.

redslady said:

My trick, because I work a lot of split shifts, is to make homemade super healthy soups. Easy to reheat and, for some reason, they go down easier when I'm tired. A big bonus is soups are easy to make and a great way to use up those not so great for eating raw but still good veggies.

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I second the soup notion!

Eating well is hard on my college budget, but it really just takes a little extra effort. Frozen veggies are a godsend, to be honest. I'm also a big fan of asian-style soups, so I've almost always got noodles and baby bok-choy or cabbage on hand. I'm also a big fan of salads, so I buy bagged greens and some cucumbers or tomatoes and make a bowl in 5 minutes.

One thing I've done to help myself eat better is to not keep meat in the fridge. I'll only go out and buy meat if I have a super special recipe I want to try, because it's tempting to prepare meat with lots of oil, dairy, or bread. Being on a "flexitarian" (god, using that term makes me feel like a douchebag) kind of diet helps a lot. Just not making junk food and foods high in animal-based fat, salt, or sugar available is most of the job done right there, though. You can't eat what you don't have, amirite?

Also, it's good to know that some veggies keep much longer than others. Bagged salad greens keep for about 4-5 days, and lettuce, chard, tomatoes, and larger-leafy greens are usually good for about a week. Things like carrots and zucchini I've been able to keep for longer, too. And don't forget about sweet potatoes and yams: they're tubers, so they'll stay for about as long as you can keep them away from light and moisture.

I highly recommend starting up a poly relationship with a slow cooker and a George Foreman grill. The great thing about the grill is that it cooks from both sides so your cooking time is cut nearly in half. Plus, because the grill segments are non-stick, the clean-up is quite easy.

See if there is a Market Day or Sara Lee outlet store in your area. There you can buy packages of high quality frozen chicken breasts and fish that are often portioned just right for healthy eating. Another good option is Trader Joes, as TJ has a great selection of frozen fish. I also really like the buffalo burgers from TJ, which would make a great meal on a GF grill.

I think the essential thing about healthy eating - particularly when making dinner seems like a lot of work at the end of a tough day - is to set yourself up for easy-to-make meals that you know you'll enjoy.

Also, there's research out there (linky) that shows an interesting result: when we take some time to make our food, it tastes better to us and, consequently, we don't have to eat as much to feel satisfied.

midwestyankee said:

Also, there's research out there (linky) that shows an interesting result: when we take some time to make our food, it tastes better to us and, consequently, we don't have to eat as much to feel satisfied.

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This makes total sense.

I think also that meals don't need to be complicated to be tasty and satisfying. Quite often, dinner for us will be nothing more than a small piece of grilled salmon, some rice and a simple veg, like sliced tomatoes or carrots (raw). Takes no time to cook. Super easy to prepare.

the captians wench said:

<snip>
I've tried freezing meals, but I don't eat them later.

So I'm looking for tips. I know once I get in the habbit of eating well again I'll feel better and be more active. I also know it takes 30 days to make a habbit, and that I have better results when I feel like I have some one to answer to, so I'm also planning on journaling, but I thought that there might be others here who might have things to share or need that support too.

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I used to freeze and forget; now I keep a magnetic whiteboard on the fridge with a list of frozen meals I've made.

That way, going to the fridge for something to eat, I see I have lentil soup, beef stew and coq au vin in the freezer. Defrost in the microwave and I have dinner in 15 minutes.

midwestyankee said:

Also, there's research out there (linky) that shows an interesting result: when we take some time to make our food, it tastes better to us and, consequently, we don't have to eat as much to feel satisfied.

Click to expand...

Keroin said:

This makes total sense.

I think also that meals don't need to be complicated to be tasty and satisfying. Quite often, dinner for us will be nothing more than a small piece of grilled salmon, some rice and a simple veg, like sliced tomatoes or carrots (raw). Takes no time to cook. Super easy to prepare.

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It makes sense. In my case, I haven't found it to be true. I eat less when I sit down to eat, but I'm pretty sure I make up for it by noshing as I prepare.

On the plus side, what I nosh cooking on is usually much healthier than what I nosh on not cooking. Maybe if I just stopped sitting down and eating meals and just noshed.

Dianthus said:

I used to freeze and forget; now I keep a magnetic whiteboard on the fridge with a list of frozen meals I've made.

That way, going to the fridge for something to eat, I see I have lentil soup, beef stew and coq au vin in the freezer. Defrost in the microwave and I have dinner in 15 minutes.

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My problem isn't that I forget, it's that I look at any frozen meal the same, whether I made the meal in the first place or it's pre-packaged. Kind of a "meh, that doesn't sound good" no matter how long it's in the freezer. I have some soup from the begining of the year that I think I'm going to donate to my mom and grandparents.

midwestyankee said:

I highly recommend starting up a poly relationship with a slow cooker and a George Foreman grill. The great thing about the grill is that it cooks from both sides so your cooking time is cut nearly in half. Plus, because the grill segments are non-stick, the clean-up is quite easy.

See if there is a Market Day or Sara Lee outlet store in your area. There you can buy packages of high quality frozen chicken breasts and fish that are often portioned just right for healthy eating. Another good option is Trader Joes, as TJ has a great selection of frozen fish. I also really like the buffalo burgers from TJ, which would make a great meal on a GF grill.

I think the essential thing about healthy eating - particularly when making dinner seems like a lot of work at the end of a tough day - is to set yourself up for easy-to-make meals that you know you'll enjoy.

Also, there's research out there (linky) that shows an interesting result: when we take some time to make our food, it tastes better to us and, consequently, we don't have to eat as much to feel satisfied.

Click to expand...

I actually have a forman grill around here some where. It's left over from when my step dad died actually. My ex and I used it all of the time, I haven't been using it gosh in years.

Dispite my fat ass I don't have an issue with portion control. I've been on the hypoglycemic diet most of my life so I eat small portions 6-8 times a day. If anything, lately I'm not eating enough. I come home, and sleep rather than eat. I know this is also related to my sugar issues. I probably should try a spoon of peanut butter when I first get home to give me a boost. That might be enough to give me the energy to fix something more.

I am craving veggies, but being hypoglycemic, I do have to have meat, and low carbs. I've switched from potatoes to sweet potatoes both for the lower carbs and the high vitamin b.

Thanks for the tips so far. And K I'm looking forward to your recipies.

You need to get over your aversion to freezing stuff wenchie

Last night I made thai curry, pasta bake and a casserole in the slow cooker. I portion them up and freeze them and I have a buttload of good food ready to go.

I do the same with veggies. I buy fresh, dice them, portion and then freeze them, so I grab a meal and a pack of veg and 15 minutes later I have a healthy dinner on the plate.

The freezer really is your friend when you're cooking for one. I hate wasting food, and I'm always wary of things that have sat in the fridge too long. And it's HARD to buy small portions of stuff. You can't just buy one cheek of capsicum and half a carrot to go with your single steak.

I used to avoid the pre-cut fruits and veggies in the produce department because they are so expensive. Once I allowed myself that splurge I realized I really wasn't spending more because the convenience meant it I actually ate the produce rather then let it go bad.

I have to jump on the slow cooker bandwagon with the rest of the posters above. I'd die without it. As I type I am making red beans and rice in it. I make it healthier by using turkey sausage as opposed to my beloved andouille and brown rice in place of the white rice.

Lizzie_Borden said:

You need to get over your aversion to freezing stuff wenchie

Last night I made thai curry, pasta bake and a casserole in the slow cooker. I portion them up and freeze them and I have a buttload of good food ready to go.

I do the same with veggies. I buy fresh, dice them, portion and then freeze them, so I grab a meal and a pack of veg and 15 minutes later I have a healthy dinner on the plate.

The freezer really is your friend when you're cooking for one. I hate wasting food, and I'm always wary of things that have sat in the fridge too long. And it's HARD to buy small portions of stuff. You can't just buy one cheek of capsicum and half a carrot to go with your single steak.

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I know! But I don't know how to train my brain to accept that it's okay to eat the frozen stuff.

Like right now I have "greek burgers" in there. They were so yummy. one pound ground turkey, one pound ground chuck beef, cucumber, carrot, red onion, black olive, and fetta cheese made into patties. Well I made a meat loaf with half and then pattied the rest. I mix a bit of mayo and a bit of greek dressing, then made sandwhiches adding a leaf of butter lettus and a slice of tomato. I remember how good they were, and how much I enjoyed them, but when i see them in the freezer I just think "bleh, I don't want that".

bhndblueyes88 said:

Slow cookers are the best thing in the world. Luckily I do not have to divorce in order to marry mine, but I think my boy would be a bit put out if I did so and while I love my slow cooker, it lacks two important things. One, my boy makes greek food and pizza. Two, it does not have any appendages, much less a penis. So the boy wins out. Barely

What is the difference between tamari garlic and normal garlic?

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A comma I forgot. Tamari is a yummier soy sauce than the usual, garlic is another ingredient.

midwestyankee said:

I highly recommend starting up a poly relationship with a slow cooker and a George Foreman grill. The great thing about the grill is that it cooks from both sides so your cooking time is cut nearly in half. Plus, because the grill segments are non-stick, the clean-up is quite easy.

See if there is a Market Day or Sara Lee outlet store in your area. There you can buy packages of high quality frozen chicken breasts and fish that are often portioned just right for healthy eating. Another good option is Trader Joes, as TJ has a great selection of frozen fish. I also really like the buffalo burgers from TJ, which would make a great meal on a GF grill.

I think the essential thing about healthy eating - particularly when making dinner seems like a lot of work at the end of a tough day - is to set yourself up for easy-to-make meals that you know you'll enjoy.

Also, there's research out there (linky) that shows an interesting result: when we take some time to make our food, it tastes better to us and, consequently, we don't have to eat as much to feel satisfied.

Click to expand...

TJ is either a Godsend or the devil. Temptation screams louder there than anywhere else, but you can get GREAT meat and bulk nuts and things like that. Avoid the tentacles of the desserts and premade stuff. I usually can't and shop the perimeter of less awesome stores.

Eat more fruit, use it in your cooking. It's not only ok to cook and eat fruit warm, but it's supper delicious.

YourCaptor said:

Eat more fruit, use it in your cooking. It's not only ok to cook and eat fruit warm, but it's supper delicious.

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I think so too but sadly I don't get consensus on this, so the prunes don't get into my fake tagine thing. This time. Sometimes it's just more for me, yay.

wenchie, i highly recommend grilling if you have one available. nearly every week i grill (ours is charcoal), and i cook up several meals for the week all at once. like i may grill a beautiful hunka salmon and asparagus for that night's dinner...the salmon, usually with a simple asian marinade, and the asparagus just with kosher salt, cracked pepper and olive oil. but i'll also grill some bbq chicken breasts and legs (both skinless), some red potatoes with herbs and olive oil in foil, and a whole boneless pork loin. i really dig those as i don't have to deal with any fat, any bones, and they taste frickin delicious on the grill. and the marinade/seasoning can be whatever you want...sometimes i herb and garlic it up, sometimes i do it cuban style.

now i am cooking for 3 people, and sometimes 5...so 3 grilled meals will get us through the work week no problem. you may want to just stick to 2 meals for yourself, as you aren't into the freezing thing. but grilled leftovers are the best too...that salmon and asparagus can be tossed into a salad the next day, the leftover pork loin can be rolled into tortillas with some bell peppers and a touch of cheese for some delicious fajitas. that is typically how the lunches i pack for Daddy are made...and he always comes home bragging about how everyone in the office is so envious of his healthy and yummy home-cooked meals.

The Pleasures of Cooking for One by Judith Jones

She actually really understands how to cook single (or single plus a bit to recreate into something else) sorts of things. If you have time there are meals that take a while to make; if you don't there are meals that are ready in 10-15 minutes.

The little pre-done packages of raw veggies from the produce department are worth the extra expense, as is buying organic lettuce in the clam shell container. I have no idea why, but lettuce keeps twice as long (for me) in the clam shell thingie.

Soups are good, also, but instead of freezing extras (since you don't like eating leftovers), I'd work on cutting down recipes to give yourself 2-3 servings, max. Make that lunch/dinner twice in a week and you won't have to deal with a freezer full of soup.

If you don't have a slow cooker, get one with multiple inserts. Mine can adjust cooking temps for 2qt, 4qt, and 6qt meals; when it's just me I use the 2qt insert and a slow cooker cookbook aimed at "cooking for two".

Plan your leftovers. One of my favorite meals from the cookbook above is Salmon in Parchment w/ julienne veggies and new potatoes. Fabulously yummy meal, ready from start to cleanup in 15 minutes, and the leftover fish ends up as either a fishcake w/ cornbread & salad, salmon (instead of tuna) salad sandwich w/ chips & a dill pickle, or seafood/corn chowder. And while it isn't the highest quality salmon on the planet, I can get a package of 5-6 individually frozen/sealed salmon fillets at the store. Super easy.

My struggle is that every time I feel like cooking, either the kitchen is already occupied by the roommate making dinner for her crew, or I end up spending more time cleaning things to make my own dinner than it takes to cook it.

Do you guys have something like this?

http://www.lakeland.co.uk/F/product/10776_10777?src=gfeed

Makes cooking single-portion fish, chicken etc and veggies (frozen ones if you prefer) really quick and easy, plus makes no washing up...

Wenchie, this isn't the curry recipe (haven't copied it yet) but it is one of my very favourite slow cooker recipes. It makes a LOT, so I'd cut it in half. It's so, so, so flavourful. There are a lot of spices in it, so try to buy them in bulk, if you don't have them on hand, to save $.

Marakesh Bowl (Serves 8-10)

Ingredients

¼ Cup vegetable oil
3lbs cubed beef or lamb
½ cup flour
2 large onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 Cup dry sherry
½ Cup raisins
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp hot chili flakes
1 tsp salt
½ tsp tarragon
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp allspice
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp nutmeg
1lb carrots diced
2 large red peppers diced
2 large tomatoes diced

Method

Heat the oil in a large pot
Dredge the meat in flour and sauté in two batches until browned on all sides, set aside.
Add onions and garlic to the pot and sauté until translucent. Return meat to pot.
Add tomatoes, sherry, raisins and all spices and let simmer for 45 min. stirring occasionally.
Add diced carrots, red peppers and fresh tomatoes.
Cook for the shit out of it for hours in your crock-pot.
Eat…yum!