How to Actually Eat Healthy When You're Busy as *#!?

[@KianaDocherty]

Are there any tips that I missed? Let me know in the comments! Check out FlexiSpot and use my code KIANADOCHERTY for extra $30 off on their E7 standing desk series E7 PRO standing desk: bit.ly/KianaDocherty3 Thanks to Flexispot for sponsoring today's video!

[@zankoku666]

No, you're spot on, I'm doing exactly that lost 30 kg already still 20 kilos to go, which seems those are the most difficult ones, they refuse to leave my body

[@QUEERVEEART]

ive had a hand crank flexispot adjustable desk for many years, its amazing. just wanted to say that lol. i use it to do art on :3

[@kurdtcoben]

Hey, I just wanted to tell you that your videos are INCREDIBLY quiet compared to most other videos here on KZbin (regardless of creator/topic). I have to put you to 2x the volume as most other channels just so you're (barely) audible. Makes watching your videos when there's any kind of background noise (even just wind or birdnoises from an open window) pretty much impossible.

[@kathrynbregel3166]

I was shocked that you didnt mention the price factor in convenience foods! Some days Im tempted to order takeout but the sheer price of it motivates me to just suck it up and cook something (especially since I'm cooking for 7). I have never ordered Door Dash etc, and I can't even fathom how anyone could justify the inflated prices that come along with those services!! Cooking and meal planning isnt only healthier, but its MUCH cheaper too!!

[@ErinIrwin]

Yes! I told myself i can only get take out if i drive to get it, and I learned that I am both too lazy and too frugal/cheap to want to do that most of the time 😅

[@jantjenotjanche]

As a student living in Germany that's my number one reason to eat healthy! I save so much money by just buying fruits and veggies that are for sale in that week, lots of them only cost 1-2 Euros then. Not to mention that pasta and rice are really cheap as well. Never understood how pre-made meals (and especially take out) are supposed to be cheaper if they cost 2+ Euros EACH MEAL. For one person veggies/pasta/rice last way longer until nothing is left

[@shelleyjames4446]

It helps for me that I live in the country. I ordered a takeaway curry a few days ago (as part of a celebration) and it arrived nearly 2 hours later! I had nearly given up and gone to bed. We don’t get uber eats or anything like that here. We were cursing and vowing never to order takeaway again.

[@defeqel6537]

The price difference is even larger when you consider how convenience foods often make you eat more, either by their bliss point -composition, or simply by not being nutritious enough

[@arbitrary_raspberry]

Yes! Me and my bf are always amazed by the amount of times his friends order food because its so expensive!? Like are those friends rich? 😂

[@Liliththelizard]

Small pointer: meal prep meals don't need to be kept in the fridge for a whole week. Let them cool down, and toss them into the freezer while they're fresh. Then you'll have homemade microwave/airfryer meals on hand. I recommend soups/stews, rice and pasta dishes. And if you enjoy baking in your free time, you can make bread rolls to go with your soup as well. Just make sure not to freeze veggies that you plan on eating raw, like in salads, as they change textures when they're thawed.

[@saramarques7986]

You're right! I freeze pretty much everything. Even coconut milk, heavy cream, nuts, cheese, etc. I prefer to freeze than let it go to waste!

[@koraliee]

I make a double batch of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt's beef and barley stew recipe from the Food Lab every month, freeze it in individual portions and eat it every day. I never get tired of it and I stg it's even better after it's been frozen 😂 it's hearty, balanced, and SO freaking good it's ridiculous.

[@kaiwryn]

Agree! One of my go-tos is pea soup. I make it in a crockpot, so end up with a HUUGE batch with almost no work. Just dump in the peas, some water, some carrot, garli and diced onion with bouillon and salt. Takes only a few minutes to prep, then cooks slow over the day and freezes great when it's all done.

[@defeqel6537]

I honestly wouldn't recommend eating any vegetables raw

[@Fr0zenPeanut]

@@defeqel6537 Why not? I eat raw vegetables every day (red pepper, carrot, iceberg salad, tomato, cucumber, leek, garlic, arugula); they are one of the healthiest and least calorie-dense foods.

[@vintagemel6358]

One great thing about cooking is that you get faster at it with time and practice. Once you build a good rotation of staple meals, they get faster and easier each time you make them. Plus, you develop more efficient kitchen skills over time.

[@chickenindoubleC]

Yes! Developing skills over time is really a game changer.

[@selm006425]

That's exactly what I was thinking!

[@peter5.056]

As a dietitian, my best advice is to find single ingredient foods that you can cook in bulk. Lentils, rice, potatoes, carrots, leeks, pasta, marinara...you can cook 4 days of food in one effort. Right now, I have 4 pounds of lentils cooked with carrots and onions. I also have about 30 potatoes boiled and in the fridge. Anytime I want to eat, I just pull out a potato and top it with the lentils. Done.

[@elisenieuwe4649]

I always cook for multiple days. Mostly a one pan recipe and then the rice/ pasta/ bread whatever next to it. So easy to eat healthier.

[@darkydoom]

I do this with boiled eggs, rice, cauliflower. Protein, veggie, starch. Not all the time, but sometimes

[@11235Aodh]

That's so awesome, we just got an instapot last week so i'm definitely planning to do this too.

[@summero-my5in]

that does not sound delicious tho ;_;

[@peter5.056]

@@summero-my5in You kidding? Throw in a chili seasoning kit into your favorite beans, use plenty of salt when boiling your potatoes, serve with salsa and avocado.....MAKE IT GREAT!

[@charlottepvlogs]

Sheet pan meals and baked potatoes have been a game changer for me tbh I can just throw it in the oven and go on with my day while it’s cooking

[@Briman242]

I hope you don’t travel far

[@kaerligheden]

​@@Briman242😂😂😂😂

[@amandamacabre]

Discovering sheet pan meals saved my life when I was a new mom!!

[@aishiteruuu]

I feel that this is one of the most overlooked topics. My family is full of busy overworked women who pride themselves on preparing something from scratch for their families on a busy weeknight. They get offended if I refuse to eat fried meatballs with fries and if I say that I try not to make those choices anymore. What is prioritized is taste and convenience and when I decline their offer I come off as rude and I get comments like "Are you on a diet?", "Well some of us are working hard", "The kids love it" etc. I struggle with the same things as them and I don't always make the best choices, but being scolded when I try to better myself is too much sometimes. I feel that I constantly battle myself and adding external pressure to defend my choices makes it even harder. If the subject of how to get better at eating healthy while being busy is discussed more often it can become a common goal for more people and better systems can be implemented. Thank you for opening such discussions!

[@KTplease]

That’s tough. But maybe your actions will begin to influence THEM over time. Stick to your boundaries about what you will put in your body (that’s not their business or their choice to make!) and subtly suggest a healthier substitution here and there. You got this! ❤

[@corkaczarownicy]

Family can be relentless with their snarky comments. As a I get to hear my fair share of those every time we sit down to a meal with the fam, I recommand just staying positive and not engaging. I just pretend I didnt hear them and proceed talking about weather. Dont let them get to you.

[@misspeaches1144]

I love my family but they cook based on tradition and flavor which rarely translated to balanced meals. Whenever I visit I always end up gaining weight because I don’t want to cook a whole different meal after they already made food for us. And they get offended if I try because they feel like I’m criticizing their food choices

[@alabama.worley]

​@@misspeaches1144Boundaries, my dear-set healthy boundaries, and use positive reinforcement for desired outcome in others.

[@defeqel6537]

Regardless of the type of diet you have, the people around you tend to make sticking with it more difficult. Personally, I like slow cooking, either with an oven or a slow cooker. The actual food prep usually takes less than 15 minutes per day.

[@reececrump8483]

For me my awnser is oats and beans. Oats in the morning can be peanubutter oats or yogurt and oats or even bacon egg and cheese oats. Beans with corn or rice throughout the day or protine pasta (made of beans) with herbs and olive oil.

[@peter5.056]

For me it's beans and potatoes! Or rice and beans, pasta and sauce, beans and tortillas, sweet potatoes and rice....just add some spices and maybe a jarred condiment or two, always delicious and variable enough to keep me happy. Been eating that way since 2002, and I literally never crave anything else. Basically, I find two starches, and a veg, and that's lunch and dinner!

[@arenkai]

Chili cone Carne is my go-to now That's like a magical food !

[@jannadee77]

Jeepers criminey, carbs carbs carbs.

[@peter5.056]

@@jannadee77 I literally live on carbohydrate from intact starches. About 85% of my calories come from carbohydrate.

[@gayfield420]

@@jannadee77 not all carbs are made equal

[@pandabugdiaries2384]

Finally someone who understands my love of frozen soggy broccoli

[@middleofnowhere1313]

I noticed that frozen broccoli seems to be less farty than cooked from fresh. :X

[@tarotreadingsbysteven8545]

​@@middleofnowhere1313 Yes as it's cooked more breaking down the compounds. That's why if you make collards and don't want to fart up a storm dump the water and rinse them after they've partially cooked

[@nannetteralphs9042]

made myself frozen soggy broccoli wth tofu as like a vegetarian broccoli beef thing and ate it over rice, and i have leftovers for tomorrow! Frozen broccoli is my lifeblood!!

[@lexa3331]

I roast broccoli straight from frozen on the sheet pan. It’s not soggy, the ends still get crisp

[@cedricrust9953]

damn, I hate it. I love broccoli, but it has to be fresh

[@denisruskin348]

Started only eatig cooked foods after years on processed and junk food. It´s a game changer after a few weeks. Not only it starts tasting better, so you don´t even have the craving for junk food, you start feeling so much better. No inflamation or feeling without energy and such. Combined with sports I´ve never been happier with myself.

[@chickenindoubleC]

This is the internet at its best. I don't know you at all but reading your comments really filled me with joy and pride. Love it, I'm so glad you're doing well. Once you get on the cook-for-yourself whole food train, you want the whole world to understand how important it is to your health and happiness!

[@ireniaks]

I've got adhd, so if there's no ready to eat food, I don't eat. So I've become the master of planning and prepping and getting as many meals as possible done in one go. Buy in bulk, check sales, prep, cook, freeze.

[@ten-chan1015]

I also have adhd! I have a similar issue, where i sometimes just forget to eat because I hyperfixate on something else, but my problem is with picking which food to eat. Idk if you have that issue too, but sometimes foods that i would normally enjoy just don't do it for me, so I have to figure out something else, or I just can't tell what I'll be able to eat. It's like hyperfixating on certain foods. Do you have that too? If so, how do you deal with it?

[@hellyeah_ellajane]

My least favorite part of cooking is sautéing onions but almost every meal I make has onions. So to set myself up for success, I buy a bag of yellow onions from Costco, sauté about 15 onions all at once with garlic and butter until caramelized, then separate them into 8oz mason jars. I store these in the freezer and take them out periodically to thaw. These are perfect for big batches of chili, soup, stew, bolognese sauce, curry, as a base for stroganoff, etc. You could also add mushrooms, bell peppers, celery, etc depending on what you already gravitate to as a base for hot meals. Hope this tip helps if you’re searching for ways to get on a better trajectory with home cooking!

[@user-rx7pd1xv4k]

Yo that is a really great idea. I also hate cooking onions, but it is because it stinks up my whole apartment and all the towels for days! Great tip

[@camb-t8p]

Amazing tip, def trying this!

[@joannesimmons3700]

Great tips, thank you!

[@Sososoapy]

Honestly, the video you made regarding fast food and how it was basically “pre digested” definitely is something I rewatch when I’m feeling cravings for unhealthy/fast food. Meal prepping is hard, it took me a solid 6 months to get in a grove of it, but your videos and advice has helped me so much over the years so I thank you 🥹

[@arthas640]

Check out the channels "Jeff Cortis" and "Chef Jack Ovens", both of them were game changers for me since they do almost nothing but healthy, easy to cook meal prep videos and both have recipes for bulking and cutting so you can easily find a meal for weight loss or for building muscle and they break down the macros for each meal. There are a bunch of other good channels like "Joshua Weissman", "pro home cooks", and "Joe Delaney" but the first two i mentioned are the best in my opinion.

[@thecatherd]

Curries and stews have been an absolute savior for me. I pre-prepare my spice mixes so that I don't have to think too hard about the recipe or chase individual spices around the kitchen. Curries freeze REALLY well and can be batch cooked so easily, AND are a great way to pack in vegetables and other high fiber food like lentils. And with so many varities of curry out there it never gets boring. Love that stuff.

[@thecatherd]

Also for those who find curry recipes intimidating, Thai curry is probably the easiest thing you can make from scratch. Throw the following into a food processor (or mix with pestle and mortar): 1 thumb Ginger, 4 cloves Garlic, 1 stalk Lemongrass, 2-3 Thai chillies (to taste), 1 shallot, 2tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp soy sauce, some coconut milk for consistency, spices to taste (cumin, coriander, pepper, maybe cinnamon), and a source of umami like shrimp paste or dried mushroom Congrats, you have Thai curry paste. It can be frozen for up to 6 months. Fry it to release fragrance, add your protein, add some coconut milk, you have curry. :)

[@getaloadofthisguycam]

the pre-flavored tuna packets that have gone on the market the past few years were a life saver for my undergrad lunches, even if my friends made me promise to eat it outside before we studied together😅😂

[@tai2527]

Are you sure it wasn't for cats? 😂

[@thechumbucket8986]

Thai chili flavor 🤤

[@rozchambers]

Love that one and the lemon pepper. I would keep those in my locker at work as snack options on crazy days. ​@@thechumbucket8986

[@arthas640]

i started buying canned tuna and sardines in bulk, just throw them on some toast with a bit of hot sauce, dijon mustard, or other flavorings and you've got an instant high protein, nutrient dense lunch packed with healthy fats.

[@im.empimp]

Be aware that tuna is high in mercury. The advice that I've seen is basically a *maximum* of 10-15 oz a week.

[@bsktballman08]

Staying busy helps me lose weight. I eat when I’m bored.

[@shamstam]

so real. always gotta ask myself "am I hungry, or am i bored?" and then drink some water

[@kaerligheden]

I eat when I'm with anxiety and stressed....while working ....when I get home I eat everything.....

[@HanhNguyen-uk8bc]

Same which is why I stick to two large meals a day and avoid snacking. We all have to find our tips and tricks to counter our own bad behavior.

[@shamstam]

100%. One of my workarounds to candy is that ive bought myself vitamin gummies, and since they're already restricted to 1 a day, I only get to have one. So I'll have a normal multivitamin tablet on the usual days, and then when i feel like having some candy, I'll do a gummy instead

[@cookiesontoast9981]

​@@HanhNguyen-uk8bcI just don't eat until later in the day then have 1 big meal.

[@amaleeb6438]

I’ve found it helpful to add that “semi-prep” step to my evening routine the night before. Once the kids are in bedding as part of cleaning the kitchen I will also choose the meal for the next day and make sure that anything I need for it is thawed, chopped, and seasoned. That way when the dinner rush starts I just have to do the actual cooking part.

[@katiejacs]

Just started the video so may be echoing what you say but I feel like time is the number one issue to eating healthy. People say it’s expensive but in the UK at least, fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes are really not that expensive at all. Preparing those things though, planning the meals to take advantage of bulk buying, it takes so much time! And people that are living off a lower income, if they’re working 2/3 jobs just do not have the hours in the day to make it work.

[@katiejacs]

Also another monetary cost is having the tools to prepare healthy foods in a way that is fun/easier and adds interest to your meals. Nice sharp knife to make prep easier, instant pot to quickly prepare legumes, air fryer to crisp up food without using a lot of oil, mandoline for easy home fries, spiralizer for veg noddles etc etc. I feel like to eat healthy you have to actively be interested and it basically be a hobby.

[@valerieodonnell6764]

I don’t really understand the healthy eating is expensive argument either. Cooking at home is way cheaper than eating out. Maybe people think only the most expensive organic vegetables and meat are healthy. It doesn’t have to be organic. It doesn’t even have to be fresh. Frozen produce is still better than heavily processed food.

[@PrincessOfSpace42]

@@valerieodonnell6764 i never got that either!! I cannot imagine 1kg of idk uncooked beans being more expensive than fast food.

[@orthohawk1026]

@@valerieodonnell6764 It's not. It's just an excuse that lazy/uninformed people use to justify their use of fast food/convenience foods. bulk beans, rice, (even quinoa), potatoes, and frozen fruit and veg make up 90% of my diet and I rarely spend more than 30 dollars a week at the store (well, on food, anyway, lol).

[@thelandofcraziness2753]

I’m glad I don’t have this problem. My nearest fast food is a 20 minute drive, and food delivery services don’t come this far out. It’s faster and easier to cook than to drive to a place, order, and wait for your food. For my family, eating out is more of a planned event.

[@arthas640]

it's crazy but that happens a lot. I saw an interview of a guy who lost a ton of weight after rapidly gaining like 100 pounds; the guy moved to a place close to work or school (forget which) and he walked a short distance to and fro but there was a fast food place so he was always eating there, when he moved to a place farther away after graduating or getting a new job he started to lose weight pretty fast. The convenience and his laziness was making him eat fast food all the time. I knew someone who put on like 50 pounds when their work added a coffee stand that sold donuts and pastries because they'd get a donut and frappechino every morning rather then coffee and a fruit.

[@SandraSine40]

living in Mediterranean, many say we have one of the best diets, I grew up on homemade food, but not only that, the food we eat was the food that was in season. in summer a lot of tomatoes, or in winter a lot of cabbage based meals. and what I find interesting is that when Westerners are trying to make homemade foods it looks like something you would get in restaurant, a lot of different veggies, precisely chopped, garnish, dips, some form of met that is also marinated, etc. a instagram meal, but traditional home cooking is more of a boiled cabbage with potato, stew with meat or just vegetable, fish, cooked cornmeal, green salads with just olive oil and vinegar, etc. a meal that medieval peasant would recognise as his own, things like broccoli through whole year, many spices, dips... are weary rare

[@user-yd4tm3gl8s]

Being from potato-Europe, as a kid 80% of my meals were with potato, sometimes pasta or couscous or rice, but mostly potato, piece of meat, and vegetables with white sauce (butter with flower and milk).

[@jmc8076]

Very true. Great comment.

[@arthas640]

I started eating a lot healthier by looking at how peasants eat. They need lots of nutrients for hard work and usually ate really healthy, like a medieval english farmer would eat whole grain, often multi grain bread, fresh and fermented vegetables, tons of beans/lentils, and they regularly ate oily fish like salmon, herring, and sardines and like you said they ate seasonally with fresh fruit in summer and root vegetables and cabbage in winter. The foods were also often easy to prepare and easy to eat. Fun fact: medieval peasants often had healthier teeth then similarly aged people of the 16th-20th century and only recently have we started to get back to how things were, all the fiberous foods and teeth cleaning sticks cleaned of plaque while the lack of sugar, soda, coffee, and tea meant less damage.

[@hannahcornell9056]

Using baby or salad potatoes instead of more mature ones is a nice low energy hack. Thin skins so no need to peel or chop. Just put them straight in the steamer or pan of water. If you’re not keen on reheated meals because they’ve been cooked once already but are OK with a bit of meal prep then you could always consider making a lasagna or cottage pie. These can be frozen prior to the final oven cook. You can pop them straight in the oven to cook whilst you make veggies. They’re effectively a cheaper, healthier version of the better supermarket ready meals. You can even get small disposable tin foil containers to make them in for reduced washing up.

[@this_is_not_my_real_name]

Having a visible menu is such a huge help for me. I love cooking, but I hate having to make decisions after a long day of work. When there's something there telling me what to make, cooking becomes a way to wind down, and think about how I'm being kind to myself in doing so. It's also great being able to look a couple of days ahead and organise any low effort jobs that take a bit of time, eg. soaking beans. I love going to the market garden in the weekend and buying a fridgefull of produce. Then, when I'm still excited about it, sitting down to plan what I'll make with each item I bought. It's a nice ritual.

[@xsxhx7870]

food prep the sauces, the pickled veg, cook the beans in the pressure cooker and freeze'em, make the granola cereal but healthier with crunchy quinoa, seeds, oats, nuts, etc. etc. oh also that cottage cheese and egg flat bread was actually decent!

[@Uneclipsed]

I create freezer meals. If there's a meal that I'm making I know freezes well (Soups, homemade piroshki, stuffed dumplings, burritos, etc...), I'll double up and freeze half. Now I have stuff I can pull out down the line and have quick meals or sides I can throw on the stove top. And since I'm making them myself, I control what goes in them. I hate eating the same thing for more than a few days in a row, but this way I have some variety each week with multiple options ready to go if I don't feel like cooking.

[@BlackandDeckerPeckerWrecker]

The space you film in is so beautiful! I love all the different colors and plants you have there

[@KTplease]

A food prep option my mom used growing up was called Once-a-month cooking where you prep and freeze meals for the whole month and just pull out whatever you feel like eating. The meals were all really good (chicken tetrazzini and “chicken pockets” were my faves) and it was DONE for a month! I think the Once-a-month Cookbook is still in print.

[@kaydreamer]

The semi-prep tip of cooking more than you'll eat in one sitting is a game-changer. This is a bit harder if you're feeding a family, but if it's just you, or yourself and a partner, you can cook a recipe for four and freeze the rest. It doesn't take any extra time or effort to do! Then, on days when you're SUPER busy/stressed, you have a variety of healthy frozen meals. This works best with things like soups, curries, and minced-meat recipes. Anything which freezes well.

[@arenkai]

I litterally started doing that a month ago ! Swapped chocolate and chips snacks with nuts and bananas. And my go-to meals are now: stir fries, curry and chilli In all of which I can vary protein sources, and even the carbs I eat them with. For curry and chili I make a bunch on the weekend, and freeze for the week. And for stir fries I use frozen meat and vegetables, which cuts prep time by a lot. Now all I need to do is cut my rice intake... Because I'm kind of addicted to rice... And that's a lot of calories I don't need at the moment. Once I got the hang of it, I was shocked at how easy is actually is to implement.

[@saramarques7986]

If you still want to have your chocolate make it at home, buy yourself chocolate bar silicon molds 120g coconut oil 120g unsweetened cocoa powder 100g erythritol sweetener Pinch of salt and vanilla Let it chill in the fridge, you can freeze the bars or store them in the fridge. It's healthy chocolate and very tasty 😋 o usually put roasted hazelnuts, other bars I put almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds, peanuts. Make sure you roast the nuts and seeds before, it's tastier and safer

[@janisir4529]

The issue is that chocolate is a different snack than like an apple. So no matter how many apples I eat, it won't fix chocolate craving.

[@chickenindoubleC]

Hey, awesome job, that's great. Rice is so good! I'm sure you will figure it out

[@FluffyKuma7_7]

If I get my hands on nuts, Ima eat like 1500 calories worth of it and still be hungry. I'm talking the raw, unsalted ones, yes.

[@samanthabull9470]

I love rice, too! I started mixing white rice with other healthier options (brown rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice) at like a 50/50 ratio. It still tastes (mostly) like rice, but it's definitely fewer calories (and more veg if you use cauliflower rice). You got this!!!

[@lybanrivera213]

1. Breakfast - either eggs or high protein pancakes... easy and convenient 2. lunch - either high protein pasta or rice which were prepped on the weekend in large batch for the whole week to alternate along with chicken or beef 3. dinner - sandwich of either tuna/sardines/chicken/beef. all the stuff are prepped/bought on the weekend. always do your heavy lifting on the weekend so there's no opportunity to fail during the week days

[@11235Aodh]

Would do some research on how excess protein greatly helps grow cancer, you might be overdoing it. Human breast milk only has

[@lybanrivera213]

@@11235Aodh don't pay attention to that nonsense. also it's very hard to eat excess protein. i tried doing 1g per body lb but it's very difficult. I average about 115-120g a day. if excess protein was causing cancer all the bodybuilders would be having cancer.

[@11235Aodh]

@@lybanrivera213 Bodybuilders aren't exactly known for their longevity. I get my information from dr. Peter Rogers for the biochemistry and dr. John mcDougall. Dr. Peter Rogers explains a lot about Warburgs theory of cancer and tbh it makes a lot of sense to me. Methionine, leucine, heme iron and saturated fat are things cancers love and need.

[@lybanrivera213]

@@11235Aodh I'm sure those are fine doctors but ultimately they came to that conclusion for themselves not based on peer reviewed studies. bodybuilders are definitely not known for long-gevity I agree but that's because they're abusing anabolic steroids. how many bodybuilder have you ever heard dying from cancer? it's almost always heart attack or diuretics.

[@11235Aodh]

@@lybanrivera213 dr. mcDougall and dr. Rogers cite and list the science on things they talk about all the time. Besides Otto Warburg has gotten a noble prize for his work understanding cancer.

[@ellisc9170]

Something else that helped me greatly with ordering takeout is perusing my local health department; after combing several reports, I've found only four viable places in my area that aren't frequently infested with bugs, heavily soiled, lacking caulking/functioning dishwashing stations, or staffed by employees that have no idea how to handle or label RTE and raw foods-on INSPECTION DAY no less! That does NOT bode well. I feel that being sincerely connected to and conscious of what you're putting in your mouth is one of THE most motivating factors for cooking in my life.

[@jamie6506]

My freezer is my best friend. It's full on single-portion meals I've made that can be reheated no different than a TV dinner, ice cubes of leftover sauces, single ingredients like fruits, vegetables, proteins, and grains, and I even have a bag that I fill with my vegetable scraps as I prep that I turn into broth whenever the bag fills up. Use that freezer to your advantage!

[@RpunktF]

Diced/sliced👏🏻onion👏🏻in the👏🏻freezer! This has been huge for me. I’m the only one I know who does it and it baffles me that other people don’t. No crying every time you cook, just one big cry once. They taste exactly the same when they come out of the freezer plus you can toss them in the pan as they are no oil required because of the ice. And, the biggest one for me, you can buy a whole bag of onions and they don’t go bad.

[@SoCloseICanTasteIt]

I buy them diced and frozen! It really helps to be able to just dump half a bag in an instant pot with a tablespoon of diced garlic to season whatever you decide to put in the pot after.

[@im.empimp]

The same thing can be done for peppers. One of the things that I do, is put them in a plastic bag with a paper towel. Before they're completely frozen, I'll pull the bag out and sort of "play" with it, to break up any pieces that are freezing together. Once they're fully frozen, then I'll pull out the paper towel. I found this drastically reduces sogginess, and overall increases the ease of using them in recipes. Additionally, because peppers come in a variety of colors and spiciness, I'll keep each type in it's own bag. When I'm cooking, I can mix-n-match for a really easy variety.

[@Dafoodmaster]

For me the freezer is the greatest invention! I cook something absolutely delicious in the crockpot once, portion it out, freeze it, and have it available at any time i need good food *now*

[@shrishtichauhan6534]

You changed my eating habits for forever and made me more aware about what i eat..❤❤❤ what we eat is what we become ❤️❤️

[@theresaanndiaz3179]

Leftovers are my saviors. Also pork chops. I always try to make at least twice as much as we need and put away another meal. I am a big fan of making meatballs in bulk and freezing them. I am also a big fan of frozen vegetables. Costco sells a great stir fry mix. Stir fry is a great fast meal and you can use different proteins. I like salads but rarely think about making one, so I started buying salad kits, they cost more but are cheaper than throwing away produce. If I am really hungry, I eat my salad and then cook dinner.

[@wintersprite]

I’m not a huge pork chop fan but love pork tenderloin.

[@camb-t8p]

Love this! I’m too frugal and health conscious to not cook at home everyday, so I adore these tips. I’ve got a few I can share, too! 1. Whenever I boil a big batch of pasta, I throw spinach or kale (or another leafy green) in for the last minute or so of boiling. Adds a little extra green to your meals. 2. My super lazy hack is blending black beans, salsa, and some seasonings. Spread the mixture in a corn tortilla, shred some cheese, fold/roll it up, and lightly fry it in a pan. Makes for a very quick and filling meatless Monday taco night. 3. If you have a bunch of random vegetables in your fridge or pantry, make a soup. Cook the aromatics (e.g. onion, celery, garlic) and seasonings, then add a can of tomatoes/chop a tomato/add a little tomato paste (whichever option you’ve got handy). Add broth and whatever vegetables you have, saving leafy greens for the last five minutes of cooking. Boil then simmer until vegetables are tender. Add some pasta in to make it more filling, top with some shredded cheese, add some crumbled sausage or shredded chicken, etc. 4. Always ALWAYS have tuna, egg, or pasta salad in the fridge.

[@mariabumbar3512]

I had always hated cooking while living with my parents, because my mom used to be a bit "health crazed" and wanted to prepare everything at home from bio ingredients. I did not like "healthy" eating at all either. When moving out I have started to prepare food for myself succeasfully, by just saying to myself "this is not cooking, this is just combining a couple of ingredients and throwing some seasoning on top" - I basically discovered the "tasty, easy, fast" method by myself 😂😂 and I can say confidently, it works!! 😊 oftentimes I enjoy home cooked meals more than fast food.

[@rachelpowers3975]

Love this! I also don't like cooking so pretending it's something else is brilliant. Throwing things in a bowl.

[@SoCloseICanTasteIt]

Same ❤

[@arthas640]

it's shocking how many people think healthy food has to taste like crap. My dad did similar with me when i was a kid so i grew up thinking healthy=tastes like cardboard but then i realized you could just season food or cook it differently, or make minor concessions while still staying healthy. I've known people who will choke down boiled or steamed skinless chicken breasts rather then just frying it and adding 50 calories tops in cooking oil.

[@_deletefeelings_6284]

A helpful tip I have found is whatever ingredients you're having for you weekly meals, figure out if you can lump them together in the event you have leftovers. Perfect example: Shepard's Pie. Leftover steak or chicken from your lunches? Sautéed vegetables and mashed potatoes from your dinners? Whip up a pathetically easy gravy and drop it all into a pan and you've got something with all the important whole food groups and it will cement I your stomach. Also, I've weekly meal prepped for so long that I know when a non-planned meal is going to mess me up gastronomically.

[@nekramaniac]

My favorite easy weekday meal is seasoned airfryer salmon with riced cauliflower sprinkled with feta and chili oil on top.

[@arthas640]

that's close to a common weekday dinner for me. Canned tuna or sardines on toast or rice with chili oil, usually Lao Ga Ma, or Tabasco on top.

[@oliviastratton2169]

A recent favorite of mine is mixing canned stir-fry vegetables with riced cauliflower heated up in the microwave and a little butter. Takes less than 15 minutes to put together, delicious and filling.

[@arthas640]

i do the same but use a bit of chili oil (lao ga ma, aka lao gan ma is my favorite) on microwaved frozen vegetables are my go-to side dish for a quick easy meal. Just pair that with a protein and you've got an instant healthy meal. Not everyone likes fish but i like to eat either sardines or tuna packed in oil on toast with a bit of dijon or hot sauce, paired with some frozen microwaved broccoli, boiled potato, or canned beans topped with chili oil. Takes a few minutes and i get around 30g of protein and plenty of omega fatty acids and it's only like 400-500 calories.

[@oliviastratton2169]

@@arthas640 Yum!

[@ishouldbesleeping123]

Thank you, Kiana. One thing I really enjoy about your videos is they always come from an honest/authentic place. In this case, I like that you also gave advice for fast food eating, acknowledging that it’s unrealistic to think people won’t ever eat out. I really struggle with making good meal decisions mostly because I work an extremely busy corporate desk job that I would describe as “frequently impossible on a daily basis” lol, so I found these strategies really helpful. I appreciate you. ❤

[@mywristhurts]

Love this. As an 11 year flight attendant who was fear mongered about vegetables the first 19 years of my life, wish I’d had this when I was 21. It’s only been a couple years since I found my nutrition and meal prep footing.

[@deannav1807]

I like to prep freezable burritos that I can throw into the microwave! They’re delicious, nutritious, and ( after the initial cooking) super convenient as an easy meal!

[@user-rx7pd1xv4k]

I forgot those exist. Thanks for the inspiration!

[@SoCloseICanTasteIt]

How does that work in terms of lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole etc?

[@deannav1807]

@@SoCloseICanTasteIt fresh lettuce/tomatoes/guac isn’t exactly freezable so I like to cook up any veggies used like bell pepper/onion/tomatoes etc. in with the protein or rice. It’s not gonna be a typical burrito but it’ll be yummy either way 😋

[@realmynameshiro]

The way I cook for me and my gf after work, there are websites where you look what meal you want to cook, and they send you the fresh ingredients with recipes. We love it!!!

[@angienicolehernandez104]

Mealprep was the biggest game changer for me. My thought literally go as you described: I get hungry, I think about my options, and my delicious premade meals that are conveniently waiting for me in my freezer/fridge and just a microwaving away from being ready always win against literally anything else. And, (again) as you said, liking them is very important: I really look forward to eating the stuff I prepped, it's like a reward from me to me.

[@mindfighter1]

I like adding chopped carrot and cabbage to stuff. Chopping things all at once is great advice!

[@flufflepuffle]

Mango cut into hreek yoghurt. Piece of toast. Top tier breakfast.

[@janisir4529]

I can't eat junk for breakfast, if I skip breakfast.

[@paigek828]

Love the part about frozen veggies, I always keep a bag of mixed frozen vegetables in my freezer for when I'm too lazy to make a side. It's been my savior for the past two years!

[@NachoAE360]

Soup is my go to. So easy to add whatever you want and so many different flavor options, and usually reheats well so I’ll make a big batch and have it throughout the week!

[@potterpotter8953]

I find just snacking and skipping meals helps me stay trim. The key is the snacks have to be fruit, nuts and jerky. They all satiate and are really easy on the go.

[@atherisprimerid7978]

Interesting. I would do your approach, but jerky is off the table for me because it’s high in sodium and I have HBP

[@ddodoib3620]

same same i only eat one small meal but i eat raw veggies and fruits as snacks

[@gayfield420]

@@ddodoib3620 me for 4 years when i had an eating disorder

[@kenshinhanb]

@@atherisprimerid7978 Up your water and potassium intake to RDA's and you don't have to fear sodium. Eliminate snacking and eat discrete meals with some form of intermittent fasting (that is, 2-3 meals a day with no snacks, that are within a 12 hour eating window). Blood pressure will go down the less you're spiking insulin in general, as insulin spiking is what helps retain electrolytes (Sodium). This is why people on keto don't have to fear sodium, and, in fact, don't get enough sodium because they're usually urinating out their electrolytes by prolongedly NOT spiking insulin. Spiking insulin once a day is not a bad thing and in fact is a healthy thing. However, spiking insulin chronically is what leads to poor glucose management and insulin resistance. Arterial plaquing occurs more frequently from high blood glucose and/or high insulin, as these tear down the endothelial cells of the arterial wall. It's not the LDL-C, or else plaquing would occur in your veins as well, and people with low LDL-C wouldn't still get heart attacks, which, they do if they're arterial walls are plaquing from the aforementioned insulin/blood pressure/high glucose trifecta.

[@Asharra12]

Ditto, I'm a huge snacker. Doesn't matter if I eat meals or not, I will snack. So imstead I eat 1-2 meals a day and have healtht snacks the rest of the day. They key is to have fruit, veg, nut, dried fruit and other healthy snacks that works for you. I also tend to do sliced meat and cheese as a snack sometimes too

[@Varikas]

I just have to say that I love that your advice comes from the reality of recognizing how our lives and minds are instead of constantly guilting people for not automatically knowing the “right” way to do things and just shaming people

[@firelunamoon]

One extra tip I learned from a dietitian: focus on what healthy foods you can add to your diet, not just on removing 'bad' foods from your diet. When you eat more healthy foods, you will naturally reduce the amount of unhealthy stuff you eat. One way to apply this: when you do get an unhealthy food, supplement it with a healthy one. For example, if you're having pizza, just eat one slice but add a big homemade salad. Likewise, if you're getting a burger, replace the fries with the salad. If you're getting Chinese takeout, prep your own steamed veggies. There are easy, simple ways to add veggies to just about any meal and that will immediately make the meal healthier and ensure you don't fall back into the habit of only eating junk.

[@MandalaBunnyhome]

Rice bowls are such a staple for me, also eggs bc they are so versitile. It's so easy to look up simple healthy recipes, it's not hard you just have to plan ahead.

[@TJ-bu9zk]

I push back on the "we are so busy narrative". We fill our days with entertainment and distractions and call that being busy. Also, our parents and grandparents had much more to do in a day, including making food. The reason we choose convenience food is because we have that option. Suddenly "being so busy" evaporates when you have no other choice but to cook or starve

[@chickenindoubleC]

Absolutely. The tricky thing is that once a given "advance" is adopted at a system or cultural level, expectations change--so it undoubtedly makes choosing an alternative path harder. For example, word processors made it so that you didn't have to write books out long hand and then type them up. But the expectations increased along with the technology; now suddenly you couldn't write a book by hand on a deadline if you wanted to. Or work days in a week with so-called "labor-saving devices". Or how having a non-smartphone is actively difficult, beyond just being less convenient at this point. So, the pushback is warranted, but you must admit it's a mix. Our grandparents would have fallen for the same traps--in fact, they did. You might be interested in "Why I am Not Going to Buy a Computer" by Wendell Berry and "Amusing Ourselves to Death" by Neil Postman.

[@ant713m]

I had very little time at lunch time despite wfh. I'd often have 30 mins so I got in bad habit of frozen pizza or flavoured Noodles that you add hot water to. Starting keto I found really quick alternatives; steam some Brocoli in microwave for 3 mins, at same time make some scrambled eggs. Whole meal done in less than 10 mins, including washing and preparing.

[@ericaceous1652]

My easy shop/cook process is like this: 1) Choose meat (usually chicken thighs, diced beef, diced lamb) 2) Choose at least 5 vegetables and rougly chop them (personal faves onions, carrots, celery, babycorn, courgette, cabbage, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms) 3) Cook the above in flavourful liquid (stock, chopped tomatoes, sometimes a little beer/wine for flavour) 4) Season appropriately 5) Add a can of beans/legumes for the last 5-10 mins of cooking (kidney or black beans, borlotti, lentils, chickpeas) 5) Serve with a carb (bread, rice, pasta, potatoes) More liquid makes soup, thicker liquid makes stew, curry, bolognese, chilli

[@davidalonso3897]

In my experience once you look at money as time you start to value it more. This has helped me avoid eating out unnecessarily A lot!

[@deec6535]

I’m a weekend meal prepped. For years I’ve made large amounts of two or three recipes. But I found that by Thursday evening we were looking for something cheap and quick in the freezer. Processed crap. So now I make five recipes in smaller amounts. But I nearly never repeat a recipe. We just try new things all the time and it works for us.

[@karaleighloya75]

Something that has made cooking at home WAY more convenient is not meal prepping whole portions, but prepping the ingredients. Cooking is so time consuming when I have to chop up every single veg and put the sauce together or marinate the tofu etc. etc. So if I just cut up a shit ton of bell peppers and store them correclty, it's so much easier to just throw those on the skillet and scoop up some beans (that have also been prepped). Preparing the ingredients this way means I'm never fighting "but I don't feel like iiiiit"

[@sarahblaquiere3121]

"aspirational vegies" - what a great term! I have definitely been guilty of this, buying veg without a specific plan and then not getting to them before they turn to mush :/

[@CyclingRochelle]

I love my instant pot. I throw in rice and veggies, wait a few minutes and eat. Rice and lentils have the same cooking time, so easy meal there.

[@Mina_Meow]

I find having a steam cooker pretty helpful, you can just slap in raw fish, meat, vegetables, rice, pasta (not my favourite to steam but works-ish), potatos, dumpling, sauces, put some seasoning/ marinade on top and let it steam while you do something else, plus it doubles as a good way to reheat any food that won't get too soggy and it's a gentle way to cook stuff that keeps many vitamins and such intact, if I am informed correctly

[@lindaheredia347]

Your videos are so well made, I often go back and watch them again

[@ishathakor]

for easy recipes i genuinely highly recommend learning to make daal. especially if you have an instant pot or pressure cooker or something. they require very little labour, you can make them with only lentils and spices if you're out of vegetables and they will still taste good (i do this a lot because i hate grocery shopping). it does take a while to make especially if you cant pressure cook but most of the time is just waiting time so you can do other things. if you have a slow cooker you can just leave it overnight and eat it in the morning. some lentils you can cook with rice in the same pot so you have less stuff to wash and a one pot full meal

[@Jess38044]

I found stir-frys a great way to not only make something quickly but experiment with and nail down different flavour/texture/(meat and) veggie combos. You can make it with rice, quinoa, noodles, and yes i've done similar with pasta and made "whatever pasta". Or you can steam/boil potato and put it with potato instead. Super flexible

[@scofah]

Snacks: Apple Banana Frozen Grapes are amazing Carrot Sticks (make homemade dip like hummus) Celery Sticks Bowl of Spinach no dressing - eat like chips Cerry tomato Cucumber Bell pepper sticks Flavored Protein powder - soak in small amount of water - add chia seeds - like a pudding Good luck on all your goals! 🫶🏼🫶🏽🫶🏿🫶🫶🏻🫶🏾

[@positronundervolt4799]

We cook a batch. Portions go into the freezer. Soups. Stews. Freezitos (Black Bean & Quinoa Freezer Burritos) have become our #1 MUST have in the freezer at all times. We make 16 at a time, eat one each fresh the first night, & then we have 7 more meals each between the 2 of us in the freezer, ready to heat up in the microwave. They're tasty, homemade, healthy & balanced. 10/10

[@Delirium24]

a tip for something that really, really helped me: look at the pre-seasoned meats at the butcher's section of the store and have a simple salad you can pair with everything. all you have to do is fry the meat up for five minutes and add the salad to the side. dinner is hot and ready in under 10 minutes!

[@lil_blaspheme]

Finally someone talking about the real issues in the real way they show up, without all these moral judgements

[@meaganwilson9633]

Love all the beautiful flowers in the background! You have such a lovely and well decorated space 🥰

[@Off_the_clock_astrophysicist]

I like that this video provides practical tips. Most tell you what to do, but not how to do it. I am of the 20% who prepare most of their meals at home (for me it's close to 100%). Both my husband and I grew up this way so it always seemed natural to live like that. I would add one more weapon to the arsenal: find a set of ingredients and recipes that freeze and thaw well, or keep for a long time in the refrigerator. Experiment with soups. Many will thaw well. How you reheat items matters as well. Try in a pan instead of in the microwave, it allows you to control the water content by allowing any extra to evaporate. One of my favorites to favorites is to freeze chickpeas. We buy them in bulk, dried. It takes some prep to re-hydrate and cook them. I make a big batch, put them in ziplock bags and throw them in the freezer. I use them instead of ground beef in many recipes. In terms of what keeps well in the fridge, I have an arsenal of Korean side dishes that are preserved in red pepper, vinegar and/or salt. These keep up to a month in the fridge. Kimchi is pickled and keeps for months. I replenish them on week-ends. Most week-day meals and box lunches for work consist of pulling tubs out of the fridge with a variety of side dishes in them and selecting some. Then I have rice to go with that, which my rice cooker prepares on its own in 30 minutes. I also make a batch of rice whenever I run out. It keeps in the fridge for up to a week. Rice can also be frozen. It's not as fluffy when reheated, but it actually has less readily absorbed sugars that way (you can't have it all).

[@PuddilyOops]

I have a little dry erase board on my fridge that I use to write the menu for the week. Just having a plan in place makes my life less so much less stressful. You don’t even have to write the type of dish, you can just put “chicken, green beans, brown rice” then decide later how you want to cook them.

[@TheMinlou]

there's a lot of great under 20 minutes whole food recipes out there. i keep them on hand for days that i'm too busy to take too much time to cook. i also batch cook things like soups and stews etc and freeze them. as a result i order out once at week at the very most

[@kerriday6780]

I'm a mom of a competing dancer, so I spend many days running. I've found that doing half convenient and half whole foods help with being able to in a healthier way and save money. For example, I will take the bagged salad mix put in bowls and cook ground turkey with taco seasoning to pack in a thermos so we can have taco salad with salsa as dressing. If you don't want salad, you can pack soft shells. I've also boiled eggs ahead of time to pack as a snack.

[@Mikklez]

Yogurt bowls that I can add granola to in the mornings and those chopped salad kits at Walmart have been my recent go to for partial meal prep. For the salads, I just slow or pressure cook protein for the week and pick out a few options that compliment that week's flavor profile so I have new toppings, dressings, and veg texture throughout. They do have sugar but generally all recognizable ingredients and I'm eating salads again, so I count it as a win

[@sodab4805]

My mom used to make premade breakfast before we went to bed. It consisted of oatmeal, milk, granola and a few fruits. Mix all of those together in a jar, put it in the fridge, and eat it on the way to work!

[@chaerimna9979]

My roommate sometimes buys this mashed potatoe powder that you have to cook with water, because apparently it's cheaper and faster than doing it from scratch. From what I've seen though I could make at least double the amount for the same price of fresh potatoes. She just doesn't want to buy potatoes because then she would have to use them before they go bad and think of what to do with them.

[@elisabethjade3837]

what's worked for my family is that my mom, my brother, and myself cook 1-2 nights a week, and my dad does the dishes. We do a grocery pickup once a week, and everyone adds what they need for the meals they are cooking as well as their work lunches to the online cart. When I pick it up, I cut up/wash/prep most of the produce. It's not perfect, there's a few things i'd like to change when it comes to how this system is actually carried out, but overall works out super well.

[@mewmewkissycutie1028]

Ngl I'm too broke to buy fast food or freezer food even if I wanted to, I might as well cook 1kg of chicken thigh split it up over 5 days (freezing some of it) cut some vegetables, cook some rice and portion it while the chicken is cooking. The day of cooking takes about an hour, max 2 hours but the next 4 days I can have a quick meal in about 15 minutes or less (Sometimes I microwave it, sometimes I add something on top like an egg) Honestly unless you don't have freezer/ fridge space, don't have enough time, don't have a freezer then I think it's pretty doable. It's a lot easier if you live near a supermarket. In the long run it saves money and if something goes wrong all I can do is blame myself

[@janisir4529]

How do you survive on 1kg chicken for so long. I sometimes managed to eat 1kg in a day. Depending on the sides, it might last 2.

[@Gaibreel]

Imma be honest... it's not hard... I cook chopped up veggies in 6 min... quinoa takes 15 min, and it's waiting, not cooking.. chicken on the pan doesn't take long. Salad is fast... smoothie is fast. Scrambled eggs take like 3 min. It's a mindset. People don't have to cook complex meals unless you love to cook or have time. Many days I don't wanna cook but the reward of cooking something healthy reminds me why I do it. I take pictures and enjoy the process and learning. I love shopping at local farms with different veggies not found in the store

[@im.empimp]

While these tips clearly won't work for everyone, they've allowed me to eat more of the unhealthy restaurant food that I crave with less of a negative health cost: - no/small chain restaurants only - *walk* to and from (i.e. *take the "fast" out of "fast food"* ;this may seem counter to the thesis of this video, but it actually aligns really well) Small mom and pop restaurants _tend_ to use recipes that are much _closer_ to what you and your family might use instead of highly processed or ultra highly processed foods. Walking (or better yet "rucking") to and from the restaurant helps in more than the obvious ways. To be clear, it absolutely helps burn _a few_ of the extra calories (but never as much as I'd like, not even close), however it also does things like _requiring_ a time commitment and limiting when I'm willing to go because of things like the weather (e.g. too hot, too cold, too wet). Ultimately, this means I have to explicitly plan and make an event out of "going out to eat". For example, I had recently been craving a restaurant burger and ice cream for a several days. I knew that yesterday was supposed to be much cooler (we've been dealing with oppressive heat all summer), so yesterday I finally rucked out to a really good burger joint, then went and watched a movie (with no snacks), and then stopped and got an ice cream cone for the hike /s back. (Because I really wanted a waffle cone, I also did an extra 3 mile lap around my neighborhood.) Needless to say, this isn't something that can be done for most meals, *but that's the whole point,* _these meals happen much less frequently then when I allow myself to just stop on the way home, hop in the car for a quick trip, or order delivery._ Put another way, it's _easier_ to eat at home when you have to put in a significant effort and time commitment to eat out. (This is also a great time to listen to podcasts.) For context, I'm in a pretty typical suburban city and my house is smack dab in the middle of a housing development, so the absolute shortest round-trip walk to a restaurant is about 2 miles, but most restaurants that I actually want to eat at are about a 3.5 to 5.0 mile round trip walk.

[@ctq4915]

My family has had great luck with Cook Once Eat All Week; it's a cook book that really utilizes the 'semi prep' idea well.

[@Arek.Arkadiusz]

After watching this video I'm 100% sure I've been bullied out of good cooking habits. :P I actually had most of this figured out just by being lazy and not wanting to spend a lot of time for cooking, but people around (including my therapist) were telling me that using frozen veggies sucks and is immature.

[@AbadaAnon]

I'm so happy my mother forces me and all of my siblings to eat what is truly healthy. Im so happy we get that by default, because so many children dont. My father always has ultraprocessed foods and she *hates* it, but I genuinely can understand why hearing all these things. Because my mother always pulls through when the FDA fails lolol Due to her working more now, she hasnt been able to cook or go shopping as much, though This is why I look forward to carrying my mothers dietary styles into my adulthood

[@annabelle6090]

this came at the perfect time lol. i have been so good about my eating this year but it is tough during my busy move and i want to keep my progress going while I am busy though!!

[@thedancingwolfs]

The semi-prep method is what I've done for a long time with success. I've always processed my food all at once so when it comes time to make something to eat, it's just the actual cooking that needs to be done instead of the preparation and fraction of the clean up. i trim, brine, and store/freeze meat. vegetables are the same, clean/prep as i see fit and store them in containers for later use. vegetables will store best if you wet a paper towel and place it on top of the veg in the storage container, this keeps the veg from wilting and they will store longer. most vegetables will store for at least two weeks prepped this way, in my experience. this works really well for me, as i eat mostly the same things and waste is reduced. i'd like to mention having pickled/fermented vegetables around has really helped me lose weight. these foods are low calorie, healthy, and very snack-suitable as they're readily accessible when i'm getting cravings.

[@miaomiaou_]

Such good advice, I wish I knew it years ago but over time I’ve implemented all of these tips! I’m very basic, I eat the same meal every day. I mean prep a few meals at a time (for me it’s pan-seared chicken thigh, sautéed kale/collards with garlic and a baked potato with butter). I love buying the same things every week, makes it so easy to stay on track 🤍 My go-to takeout is Vietnamese- always a healthy choice 🤗

[@SoCloseICanTasteIt]

Zap a potato or sweet potato and wrap in foil for a filling, warm on-the-road snack.

[@JauntyCrepe]

I freeze extra portions of rice, quinoa, etc when i make them so i only need to thaw and stir fry with veggies and protein when i need a quick meal.

[@martinamasotto1589]

I have recently lost 45 pounds in 6 months and these tips are so good! I did most of these things while losing weight. I did some meal prepping for lunches at work but now my schedule has changed so I eat at home basically all my meals. What really helped my through this process is 1. Portioning out all my protein sources (chicken, fish, beef etc) and keeping them in the freezer. In the morning I take out what I want and leave in the fridge to thaw so that I always have it on hand to cook. 2. Sheet pan meals, especially fish or chicken with vegetables. It takes 0 effort and tastes amazing. 3. When I really feel lazy I'll just eat salad with croutons for carbs, tuna/salmon/eggs/chicken. I just put everything in a bowl and eat it on the couch lol 4. My snacks are always fruits + nuts. I don't buy chips, crackers or premade stuff anymore and just stick with apples and bananas for when I'm on the go.

[@RikkiestAndTikkiest]

I make egg burritos in bulk to freeze every week, they microwave in 7 minutes at 50%, and taste delicious. Now I have healthy hot breakfast at work every day. I'm testing out beef burritos for lunch emergencies at work. That can get me to dinner, which I cook fresh at night. It's working well so far.

[@lynnboartsdye1943]

I recommend if fresh ingredients are expensive, see if there’s a local farm or farmers market with cheaper prices. They’ve been a lifesaver for the summer and prepping meals to freeze for the winter. I know these can be more circumstantial but take advantage if you can. I feel many of the issues around food and business are interconnected with eachother and having access to this kind of literacy is so valuable

[@jacksondarby746]

I like to cook in bulk. I’ll cook five chicken breasts, and a cup of uncooked rice. Now I got frozen broccoli in the freezer I can pop in the microwave and warm up as I want. Simple, easy and I got at least 3-4 meals. If I’m already dirty in the pan once with raw chicken, I might as well cook all the other raw chicken I got. And then when I’m hungry during the week, I throw it in the microwave. When it comes to flavor, fatigue, I got a row of different spices and sauces. Same food, different taste. (I also worked in a restaurant and am used to measuring in cups, not oz.)

[@brennathompson1855]

I like to cook through cookbooks from cover to cover. I have already done it with 2 and am currently working through 2 others. I often forget to eat and stress starve, so when I tried eating the same food every week I completely lost my appetite and lost weight in an unhealthy way. I found out that I need variety in my diet so as to not lose my appetite, and the excitement of trying a new recipe gets me into the kitchen

[@wintersprite]

I’m not big on meal prepping either so most of my meals are between single and three servings. Sometimes I freeze extras and other times I don’t. I often work on the weekends so my days off when I have more time will vary each week.

[@beyondthefilmfatale145]

I mean prep everything on Saturday including snacks which is a bit of a misnomer, it is four meals with breakfast split, a protein smoothie after I lift weights and steel cut oatmeal with an apple or sweet potato to eat at work. I work two jobs. I never eat out after work because it is easier and faster to heat up what I have already cooked. If I have to cook after work, there is a good chance that I won't. I understand that they may not work for everyone but if you have limited time during the week, it really helps just to get it down and then just pack it up every morning to take to work. 💯 On making your healthy food delicious. I like cooking and I am a bit of a foodie.

[@___strawberry_____]

i feel lucky to live in Italy, we have a great tradition around fresh food. In my family we eat fresh meals everyday and we don't have a specific plan when we cook. For lunch we cook pasta and it's really easy and quick, it takes around 15 minutes, and you have a delicious dish of pasta. For dinner we cook some meat (like chicken, put in the pan with a bit of olive oil and salt, maybe some spices like curry or paprica. it tastes good and it's very quick) and some veggies (maybe it takes more time but is always rewarding.). When we don't have time to cook we eat cheese bread and fresh tomatoes chopped with salt oil and origano. That's it :)

[@simona_ab]

Let's face it, we have a far more "humane" daily schedule, we work 40 hours/week, we have universal healthcare, 21 days of payd holidays/year, if we are sick we call the doctor and stay home payed, we have far better quality of life. 🤷🏻‍♀️❤🇮🇹

[@RedRabbit1983]

I'm bookmarking this and rewatching this.

[@GrubbsandWyrm]

I keep carrots in the fridge and make a batch of carrot juice for meal replacements when I don't feel like cooking. Tastes sweet as candy but doesn't spike my blood sugar too much. Very filling

[@mnogobukv]

Ily so much, I'm Canadian that bit where you're showing your staples is literally my fridge. Down the the brands/types