Need food advice for very hectic lives!

[Karate_Chicka]

Hey everyone!

 

I  have been reading up on Steve's stuff for a little while now, and really love it! I also think the added support of an online community could help with  my goals.

 

I have a full time job working at least 44 hours per week (6 days per week), and am also in full time school by correspondence (30 or so hours per week). I recently noticed that I am allergic to gluten (not celiac) and have gone back to my love of martial arts - Karate. I have also purchased a Olympic bench to do some heavy lifting, and have also found an interest in hot yoga.

 

Because of all my lack of extra time, I find that I am constantly stressed and survive off 6 hours of sleep a night. I also eat like crap - not processed food and sugar crap - I don't eat enough. Because of my gluten intolerance, I have a few Paleo books and absolutley love them! 

 

I can never find time to make really good healthy meals, so I end up eating less than I need to. Does anyone have any food advice that I could try to help me out? I usually only have a few minutes each night to make lunches and whatnot, so it ends up just being a dinky salad. I love my sports but because of the lack of nutrition and busy days I'm constantly tired!

 

I am very excited to meet and chat with many new people!

 

Thank you!!

[Teros]

welcome!  well if you are strapped for time there are a couple of things I do (also because of my phenominal laziness).

 

1)crockpot meals are a lifesaver.  Throw everything in before work/school and when you get home there's a big meal waiting for you.

2)making weekly meals all at once.  for example, I don't want to be hungry and resort to buying garbage from where I work; so i sometimes make a big meal and spread it out for a week.

3)portioning out snacks.  I've been trying to get into the habit of the food shopping day also be the 'putting everything into bags' day. 

 

here's some examples for how i combined these:

I used my crockpot on sunday to cook a roast (just a cut up onion and put 1 cup of water inside. low and slow.  Sunday night I used 2 forks and pulled the meat apart and made shredded roast.  every day at noon I heat the meat, throw a bit of bbq sauce on there and have with some vegetables(steam fresh bag takes like 2 min)

I took my banana chips, craisens, almonds, peanuts, ect and measured a half bowl and then put that into a little ziploc bags.  I have a weeks worth of snacks for work laying in a pile by the fridge.  just grab a bag and go.

made a pre-cooked meatloaf by adding my ground meat, egg, diced onions ect into a loaf and put it into a tiny foil pan.  then tinfoil tented the pan.  just throw it in the stove since all the prepwork is done.

also I've cooked up diced onions, mushrooms, and peppers, and put them in a bag so I can add those to other dinners later in the week.

 

I guess the bulk of all this is mindfullness in preperation.  if you use the time you do have to it's maximum effect- you don't really have an excuse not to eat well-rounded since the annoying parts are done.

[gomezkun]

Welcome to the group!

I too have found myself coming on here after reading a few of the articles Steve has wrote along with the stories of the members. People that I can easily relate to with a common goal

 

Sounds like you have quite a busy schedule. But if there is a will, there is a way.

I am currently deployed to Afghanistan, so I don't have to worry about cooking and the basic things in life as if I was back home. However, the options are not as great as if I was back home (go figure.)

Anywho, I work with what I got. I take protein shakes to get my desired amount in the day, eat a lot more fruits, do my best to stray away from the common grease/fried foods. There are days when I feel I haven't ate much at all, or turn to bread just to fill up, but what can one (I won't even get started on the MREs....)

 

I also work long hours at my duty station, but life is easier. My plan of attack is usually making all the food for the duty week. Even making a bit extra depending on your needs.

That way it's all grab and go.

 

Just some pointers

 

Again, welcome =D

[NicoleCanoes]

I second the crock pot and frozen veggies. I have desk draw at work that is full of snacks. Usually some type of nut, dried fruit, and tea bags. I have Luna bars or protein shakes when I need the extra calories before a big workout.

[SSquirrel]

I'm a big fan of doing things ahead of time, when it comes to food.  Whether that means cooking extra and having leftovers for later or just doing all my prep work before I start cooking so it makes the cooking process go more smoothly.

 

Monday afternoon I had decided to cook myself pork chops and kale for lunch.  The pork chops were in a package of 3, so I cooked more after I ate my lunch and packaged it for my lunch for today and tomorrow.  Leftovers from that night's dinner (hawaiian chicken over spaghetti squash w/bell pepeprs and green onion) are also packaged as a lunch.  I hard boiled a dozen eggs last night so I can do 2 every morning for the work week.  I also peeled and sliced up 3 kiwi to cover myself for snacks at work.  Just load my lunch bag at night so I can grab and go in the morning.

[Guest]

Hi!  I'm brand new too.  My partner and I both work full-time and need lots of real good food.  I'm not paleo, but I COOK.  So:  Every week I make a big pot of food (5 cans mixed beans, 28 ox fire-roasted tomatoes, some hot lean sausage, bell pepps, onion, jalapeno, celery, spices) and a big pot of rice.  I divide it up into 4 cup Pyrex dishes 1/2 rice 1/2 magic mix.  Every morning I grab that and an apple and voila: healthy hot lunch at work.  Once you get it down, you can through the magic mix together in maybe 20 minutes.  Let everything except the beans and tomatoes cook for a while before adding the those.  Then simmer for 30-40 minutes.  That recipe plus 3 cups (6 c water) basmati rice makes 9 lunches.

 

Also, I second the recommendation of stews, hearty soups, chilli, etc.  I don't crockpot, but I do most of my cooking on Sunday.  If the 9 lunches run out mid-week (it can get off-kilter) I just find an evening to throw it together.  Let me know if you want recipe ideas. 

[SSquirrel]

That sounds pretty tasty Alex, but between the sausage and jalapeno, I don't think my wife would go for it.  Any chance to PM teh recipe so I could cut it down to a smaller portion to try it out?