No cook day time meals? Life is a challenge!

[Fishandchipsareyum]

Hello

keep trying to either do slimming world or count calories and failing, reason being I have a very demanding 3 year old (autistic) and I have no time for cooking unless husband home for the dinner time cooking, She is not in nursery so always here and always demanding my attention, she will not be able to be in kitchen as has no attention span and runs circles round me, and doesn't listen to a word I say.

I really need to eat better and lose weight, I am a stress eater, but I feel so unmotivated as I cant leave her alone for any length of time. I'm exhausted.

Need ideas for no cook food that's healthy, I know sandwiches and things, I hate salads. I struggle having enough protein and veg prepped. I just really need some motivation and encouragement. I join slimming world and leave and again and the same, I struggle to stick to it, I seem to always be hungry and crave sugar (could be a hormonal thing sure its the early days of the peri Meno here)

also struggle to make extra at dinner time because I have to cook for me and husband and then 2 sperate plates of things for the kids (both autistic, eldest arfid so even the kids cant eat the same unless it chicken nuggets or pizza )

What eating plan are you trying to follow? Keto? Low cal?

No sandwiches or salads is tough. You could buy some of those flavoured couccous packs. A big batch is no work at all just pour boiling water and cover for a few minutes.

Keep it cold in the fridge and scoop a portion out as needed. Add chopped cucumber, grated carrot, olives, ham hock, cooked chicken, peppers etc etc as needed.

Plate of bits. Babybel, carrot, hummous etc.

Boiled eggs, do half a dozen then store in the fridge and eat with mayo or with tuna and leftover potatoes.

A soup maker is an absolute game changer OP. My Morphy Richards one was £10 from FB Marketplace. I chuck in carrots, (snap a couple, don't bother chopping), some onion and any other fridge veg. Add some red lentils, frozen veg, veg bouillion and water. I do this whilst I'm making a brew.
20 mins to make fresh soup, when you are ready at the press of a button. A full jug makes 4 bowls of soup so almost lasts a week in the fridge. Heat up in the microwave in 3 mins.

For dinner I'm eating some flavoured pork steaks /chicken /salmon, 15-20 min in the air fryer with some frozen veg microwaved in 3 mins or frozen cauli cheese air fryed with the meat. Really easy and high in protein.

How about some simple tray bakes?

You need onions, garlic, red peppers, maybe cauliflower, courgettes, mushrooms. Maybe a jar of chickpeas. And some chicken to start.

Cover a metal baking sheet with baking parchment. Rinse and chop veg roughly but evenly. Keep skins on garlic cloves. Place all veg on baking sheet and add a good dollop of olive oil. Make sure veg evenly coated with oil. Season with s & p and sprinkling of chilli flakes if you like. Shove in oven around 180-200°c for about 30-45 mins.

Keep your eye on it. You’ll soon get used to how it all cooks together. Squeeze the cooked garlic out of the cloves to flavour your dish once it’s done.

If you like you can cook chicken breasts or salmon steaks on the tray of veg too. Or cook those separately in the air fryer.

Serve with cous-cous or rice.

Play around with variations on this dish: you can add new potatoes, or sweet potatoes or butternut squash, asparagus, green beans, or any combination to your taste.

Keep it simple for the dc: sausages on the tray with baby tomatoes and maybe tiny new potatoes.

Or a chicken breast chopped in to eight with fresh sweetcorn and green beans.

Lots of tray bake recipes on line.

Air fryer also useful if you think about it as a very small intense oven, which is all it is really. Very quick and easy.

Can you batch cook soups or stews/curries etc with lots of veg in at a time of day/week that you can cook and freeze in portions or just use over the next 2/3 days?

thanks, bought a soup maker, used it for the 1st time today, made broccoli soup, was brilliant and so fast!

Do you have an airfryer? I've got a baby in the house and husband works away from home so I often find myself short on time to cook/prep.
I will do things like tuna, cheese and jalapeño or chicken, peppers and philly cheese in a wrap then fling in the airier to crisp up/melt the cheese. A baked potato in the airfryer is also good too.

Obviously I weigh out the cheese etc so I know I'm not going over my calorie count and I use light mayo etc. I'm eating about 1600 cals a day for reference

thanks, yes I do, I never cook anything in it for myself, so this is an excellent idea, I will be trying this.

I would throw a can of soup on hob. Easy and not terrible! Also would sometimes do the ready made pasta salads. Or cereal!

Yay, glad it worked for you. Honestly I felt quite guilty buying one, I used to make soup on the hob and blend but the maker is so much easier and saves the bottom of my pans. I now have it every week because its so easy to make.