Trying to eat healthier...

[Leah]

I cook at a hotel and wait tables at another restaurant, so you'd think I'd eat reasonably well, but I was finding myself stopping by McD's on the way home after my shifts. My fridge at home was basically empty. It didn't make sense to me, until I realized that cooking at work was fun and easy, but off the clock cooking seemed like so much, well, work, especially for a full-time student. I can whip at an omelet for a customer in 5 mins flat, because I have everything ready before the shift--chopped veggies, shredded cheeses, and so on. At home, with no mise en place...I'd rather pop a Hot Pocket in the microwave.

So, once or twice a week I've been setting aside 20-30 mins whenever I'm feeling motivated to chop veggies and prep a little turkey bacon or sausage, make a big salad, whatever. Now it is easier to cook; I can just reach into the fridge and grab whatever I need. A few bags of apples and oranges to snack on between meals, some frozen veggies, containers of egg whites, smoothie fixin's. I'm not following any particular diet, or even counting calories. I'm just stocking up on the healthy things that I know I will eat and fixing balanced meals. I found a huge water bottle for $2 at Wal-mart.

I feel so much better not eating processed food. My winter weight is peeling off and my skin looks better, too. Just a suggestion for anyone who doesn't feel like they have enough time or energy to cook: prep as much as possible and cooking won't seem like such as chore.

[Lara]

Such wise words, Leah!!! This is one piece of advice I give to people regarding their food--make sure you have everything you need and set time aside twice a week to prepare your food! I can easily fall into bad eating habits too when I don't have food prepared and ready for when I am hungry. It's much easier to eat a Hot Pocket versus grilling up a piece of chicken! My husband and I eat a lot of chicken so I cook a few pounds at a time and keep it refrigerated and ready. It's so much easier to stick with our clean eating habits when the food is already prepared. :)

[summer]

Thanks for the great idea!! I'm mostly living on microwave meals, mainly causee I don't have the time and partly because I can't cook! Maybe I should buy a cook book and toss some stuff together. I love hot meals, and not really a salad person, so it takes a little bit more time. But..gonna try!!!