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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Healthiest way to avoid cooking?

34 replies

blooddiamond · 11/01/2019 10:07

I really struggle with cooking, I am a vegetarian and am going through a real rough patch health wise so have limited energy and just can't prioritise cooking. I live alone and would like to be able to feed myself simple nourishing things, I'm not entirely devoid of skill, but inspiration and motivation seem to be massively lacking. Does anyone have any tips?
What are the easiest ways people have found to make nutritious meals even when making the bed in the morning is a struggle?

OP posts:
bsc · 11/01/2019 10:11

Ready made salads. Do you eat cheese/eggs?

Porridgeprincess · 11/01/2019 10:11

I know it is cooking still but could you invest in a slow cooker and makes a large one pot meal to last a few days ? You do not need to watch over it and it is very simple and safe to use.

Floralhousecoat · 11/01/2019 10:12

Would you be able to steam veg when you're feeling like this? I like steaming carrots, broccoli and potatoes together as a side. Maybe you could have a portion of that with boiled eggs?

Humus with veg sticks.

Sandwich with shop bought fillings.

Hope you feel better op. Xx

EmeraldShamrock · 11/01/2019 10:13

Tins of vegetable soup with whole meal rolls.
Some are really chunky and filling.

shumway · 11/01/2019 10:14

M&S ready meals.

crosser62 · 11/01/2019 10:14

It’s going to be salads then isn’t it. Couscous, raw foods etc

I’m a totally shite cook but sling stuff in the slow cooker eat a bit and freeze the rest.
I have a rice cooker, do a mound then freeze batches of that.
Sling a shed load of veg in the oven then... you guessed it, freeze it.
Makes life so easy, heat and eat.

GahWhatever · 11/01/2019 10:15

salad, omelettes, baked potatoes.
Tinned chilli in wraps
tinned ratatouille in wraps.
eggs on toast
cheese on toast
tomatoes on toast.

There are healthier ways to eat but as long as you get the required nutrients don't make this something you worry about.
If you do start to worry then on a brighter day make a batch stuff of something that you can freeze in portions: like your own private ready meal collection. They soon build up in the freezer if you don't eat the same thing every day for a week!

EmeraldShamrock · 11/01/2019 10:16

Vegetable stir fry, you can get a meal deal in Tesco with noodles and sauce.
Takes a few minutes on the pan.

HowlsMovingBungalow · 11/01/2019 10:17

M&S or Waitrose microwave meals - the healthy balanced meals are tasty.

Moma Porridge pots.

Pre cut fruit packets.

Salad bowls.

Toast and Scrambled eggs.

Complan drinks when you can't face solid foods.

Gresley · 11/01/2019 10:17

You could be lacking energy because you are not eating nutritious meals - a vicious circle. You say you can cook, so you should know that it's very easy to do a bit of pasta and pasta sauce with a bit of grated chese on top or something like that. Make sure you are eating enough calories - dieting or fasting can make you feel weak. I find cooking my meal makes me value the food more than if I just had a ready meal, though you could just have the ready meal as a basis and cook some green veg to go with it. You should try to find out if you are lacking any particular vitamin or mineral, because that might make you feel lethargic too.

caesio · 11/01/2019 10:17

There's no law that says you have to cook. As long as you're eating its ok.
I'd stick to:
Tinned soup or beans
Toast
Hard boiled eggs (ok thats cooking)
Cheese
Bananas/apples (other fruit that doesn't need preparing)
Maybe stir spinach leaves into soups to add iron

blooddiamond · 11/01/2019 10:18

Thanks all
I do eat eggs and dairy
Slower cooker curry sounds good and I actually prefer a microwaved jacket potato to oven baked so that works out well to
I've had a lot of sandwiches and houmous/bread/salad meals lately and while fairly tasty and okay health wise in winter a hot meal is nice sometimes too

OP posts:
lekkerkroketje · 11/01/2019 10:19

Frozen grilled Mediterranean vegetables on top of couscous, toast or pasta with some feta or grated cheese.

BarbaraofSevillle · 11/01/2019 10:19

Chopping up a load of salad is probably more time consuming/fiddly than things like egg or beans on toast or omelettes.

If budget isn't a problem, there's a huge range of 'healthy' ready meals in most supermarkets with lots of fresh veg in. Aldi currently have a limited range of Soul Food pots which are all vegan for £1.89 or a bigger range from Ocado for £3+ each.

Frozen steam fresh veg packs are probably a good idea. Ditto fresh soups with wholemeal rolls.

If you can manage a slow cooker meal, batch cooked bean chilli or something like a chick pea curry - use ready chopped onions and canned chick peas.

SaucyJack · 11/01/2019 10:19

Jacket potato? They take a long time, but require very little actual cooking.

Can top with beans or hummus and salad.

You could also look in big supermarkets at their ranges of ready chopped frozen veg and herbs for better days. Having stuff like onions, garlic, peppers, and butternut squash ready peeled for you can make cooking a lot easier.

HowlsMovingBungalow · 11/01/2019 10:20

Pasta with pesto and grated cheese.
Marmite on toast.
Chiller soups.
Jacket potatoes

FairyLightFiend · 11/01/2019 10:22

I can completely sympathise with this. I have a heath condition that means that just getting out of bed is struggle sometimes!

Have a think about what foods are good to eat together. If you eat a healthy fat along with something with fibre and some protein - you’ll stay full for longer. Oatcakes, eggs and avocado with some salad with olive oil would be an easy dish to put together and should be really satisfying and healthy.

Boiled eggs, oatcakes, sliced mature cheddar and sliced apples are my go to when I’m too tired to cook.

I’m so sorry you’re struggling. I hope you get a break soon.

UbbesPonytail · 11/01/2019 10:27

If you have the finances, it might be worth looking at hello fresh etc. I find their portion sizes good and a 3 meal 2 person box lasts me a week. I get them when I feel like you as I enjoy cooking but find it stressful having to think of twice the ideas each week as rest of house eats meat. But getting a box for a couple of weeks ‘resets’ me as I have a break from the stress of having to think of what to eat and can step back and just enjoy what I’m eating.

WhoAmIToTellYou · 11/01/2019 10:27

Lentils, buckwheat, split peas- can all be boiled, add some butter & salt. Nutritious and healthy, i make bigger batches so i don’t have to cook after work.

UbbesPonytail · 11/01/2019 10:29

Also, they tend to send the most annoying things to prepare (sweet potato, butternut squash etc) ready prepared and as I have arthritis it really helps!

RandomObject · 11/01/2019 10:30

Used to have to cook veggie meals with very limited space, equipment and time, this was my arsenal:

Healthy range microwave ready meals
Linda McCartney stuff to pop in oven
Salad bags and bowls
Pre cut/prepped veg that you can bung in oven or microwave - Sainsburys has loads of these
Birds eye/own brand microwave veg bags
Yoghurt and banana breakfast
Baked potato with beans
Hummus with pre chopped carrot batons and a toasted pitta
Chunky soup and a roll
Microwave scrambled eggs - beat eggs, stick in microwave, done
Bags of microwaveable rice/pulses with veggie additions
Fruit snacks - tangerines, apples, bananas
Peanut butter spread on ricecake
One pot curry - pre chopped onion, tin of tomatoes, tin of chickpeas, frozen peas, curry powder

CheerfulMuddler · 11/01/2019 10:31

Filled pasta
Pasta and pesto (add frozen peas and sweetcorn)
Those posh vegetable soup pots with fresh soup
The odd pizza now and then won't kill you, so long as it's not all the time

TimeIhadaNameChange · 11/01/2019 10:31

Simple pasta dishes:

  • with olive oil, chopped tomatoes, chopped garlic and grated cheese (stirred through once pasta is cooked and drained - though leave out the garlic if you don't like it raw!)
  • just cheese and olive oil
  • carbonara - once drained, beat a raw egg through and grate cheese on top
  • spinach and tomato, and the ubiquitous cheese!
CheerfulMuddler · 11/01/2019 10:32

Cous cous - put in bowl, add frozen peas and sweetcorn, cover in boiling water, leave. Grate cheese on top.

Charles11 · 11/01/2019 10:32

Too much bread and carbs can slow you down. If you want to get some decent nutrition it’s best to have as much unprocessed food as possible.

How about the chilled ready made tomato soup and chuck some canned chickpeas and spinach into it.

Lentil soup where you just put lentils, onion, carrot, garlic, seasoning in a pot and just let it simmer away.

Find some one pot veggie recipes. Bbcgoodfood is usually good for simple recipes. Buy frozen chopped onion to make it easier.

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