I think I'm lazy, can we discuss?

[Courtney]

So, another thread here really made me think about this.  I think my struggle with eating right, in part, stems from being lazy.  I don't like the idea that I'm lazy.  But I think it's true.  I feel like I'm lazy about cooking, shopping, planning, preparing food.  I want it to be easy, convenient, etc.  And tasty.  I like to eat out, for those reasons, too. 

How do you change this?  I resent having to spend time cooking.  I resent having to do it EVERY DAY.  I don't plan well for the week, and I end up eating out due to a combo of not having any easy to make meals readiy and not wanting to mess with it.  I think this is DEFINITELY a problem, and I am not sure how to change my mindset. 

I think I'm lazy in my running as well, but that's a whole different issue. 

[Magic Microbe]

I am lazy too. Which is why canned soups, microwaved potatoes with broccoli, and grilled cheese with tomato soup are staples in our house.

[crazypants]

I'd say planning out new recipes that would be fun for you to tackle. New and different recipes, new and different pairings.
Also- how do you usually cook? When I want to have some fun in the kitchen, I turn off the news in the background and start playing blues while I'm cooking. It gets me into a groove, gets me enjoying it more.

[redkitty]

Make easy to prepare stuff.  I found that recipes that take 30 min from start to finish are much more likely to be done than longer ones.  I hate cooking.  I am not sure if it is because i am lazy or what, but I hate it.  Sometiems dinner is a bowl of cereal.  Sometimes a sandwich.  I eat a lot of pasta.  I started eating in more because I have a 1 year old who goes to bed at 7.  So unless I went to dinner at 5 pm, it doesn't work.  Seriously, that is the only reason I eat in more. So i really cannot help you there.

[Courtney]

I am lazy too. Which is why canned soups, microwaved potatoes with broccoli, and grilled cheese with tomato soup are staples in our house.

I hear ya, but sandwiches are out for me (gluten, and I don't really like the GF bread), and soups are iffy for the same reason. 

Plus, right now we don't have a microwave.    Soon, tho.   I love baked potatoes, but right now it's a full hour (or more) before one can be done. 

I think part of my laziness right now stems from a shitty kitchen set up, which will change in a month or so, but I worry that I'm making these really bad habits right now.  It's "easier" for us to go out and grab something to eat, but it's not good for us (we are getting fatter and it's expensive). 

HP, cooking like that isn't fun for me.  It's messy, and that makes it worse.  I loathe kitchen clean up duty.  My DH is not as adventurous as I am, food wise, so it's not realistic to try a bunch of really different stuff.  He will try to be a good sport, but I feel like an asshole if I purposefully make food he doesn't like with the intent of it being for both of us.  Of course, he's a grown up, and won't starve if he doesn't like it, but it's nice to be considerate, ya know? 

The hatred of cleanup is definitely contributing to the lazy factor here.  I don't want to clean up the kitchen, so I find reasons not to cook.  The main one being that I don't wanna. 

I'm such a baby about this.  See what I mean?  I'm being lazy, and I hate it. 

[all-smiles]

So what do you like to eat and how much do you hate routine/ monotony? I'm lazy also but my incentive is saving money and realizing that once I had a routine, it wasn't that bad.  And it all depends on your goals; right now I'm doing grain free with no processed food so that's what I work my meals around.  Bulk cooking also helps; if I'm baking sweet potatoes, I bake enough for the week because they stay good, same with hard boiling eggs

[Courtney]

So what do you like to eat and how much do you hate routine/ monotony? I'm lazy also but my incentive is saving money and realizing that once I had a routine, it wasn't that bad.  And it all depends on your goals; right now I'm doing grain free with no processed food so that's what I work my meals around.  Bulk cooking also helps; if I'm baking sweet potatoes, I bake enough for the week because they stay good, same with hard boiling eggs

I don't actually mind monotony for breakfast and lunch at all.  Tell me about baked sweet potatoes.  I have never had one.  Do you peel them?  Do you eat the peel?  What do you put on them?  Do you then reheat in the microwave?  This may be a good lunch option for me. 

Dinner is a tough one right now with no microwave.  I don't really have the right set up to reheat stuff in the oven, so when I do cook, I try to cook enough for just one meal, because DH won't take leftovers to work (germy microwave, weird food issues, etc) and most of my storage stuff is packed still. 

I don't particularly need fancy food, just some simple things that are both healthy and tasty.  I like being able to toss stuff in the oven when I get home and have it be ready in half an hour or so. 

I'm not sure how much of this is driven by my 1 square foot of food prep space, which is shared with the coffee maker, and how much of it's pure laziness. 

I'm gluten free, which mostly results in being grain free unless I do a GF frozen pizza crust or GF wraps now and then. 

When I lost weight a number of years ago, I cooked a lot.  It's obviously way easier to eat healthy that way, and both of us need that.  I don't know why I did it then, but not now. 

I am trying for less processed foods, but I'm not eliminating anything entirely.  I haven't given up cheese, dairy, etc and I doubt that I will. 

I'm thinking aloud here, because it really became apparent to me just how lazy I've gotten with this (and some other areas of my life, so it's something I need to address). 

[merigayle]

I don't use a microwave, it is not that time consuming to use the stove once you get in the habit. While i am reheating my food or cooking my main meal on the stove, i can easily steam up some veggies. I like to eat baked sweet potatoes too. I cut off the ends, then slice it in about 1/2 inch slices and wrap the whole thing in tin foil and bake in the oven for 45-60 minutes. I just put it in a container and take it to work and eat room temp. Stir fries are really easy, you can make rice in the rice cooker and then stir fry up some veggies and protein in a matter of minutes. Crockpot and then make a meal for the whole week. You can look into once a month cooking where you spend a full day on the weekend cooking and prepping and freezing all your meals for the week so everything is ready at your fingertips each day for each meal.

For quick, things like eggs are quick, cheap, nutritious, and versatile, oh yeah, low in calories and high in protein. I do not eat eggs, but do scrambled tofu You can also make breakfast burritos and gluten free wraps are easy to come by.

What about cooking a whole chicken and eating that throughout the week? chicken salad, soup, etc. Just reheat a piece and steam up some veggies.

I am not sure lazy is the right word, but maybe just not in the habit? since i have been vegetarian for so long, i am really used to cooking all my meals for myself, so it is hard to imagine not doing that. If i did not do that in high school i either would have starved or had to eat meat

Even a quick pasta dish with gluten free pasta is easy.

Look for 30 minutes or less cookbooks. I have the Happy Herbivore one which is GREAT, i think it is Everyday Happy Herbivore? So easy some of the recipes.

[hally]

Rachael Ray has/had a 30 minutes or less show and probably a cookbook.
I prefer to cook most of the time, I feel like I get ripped off most of the time when I eat out, or take out if it's supposed to be hot because generally by the time I eat it, it isn't hot anymore and unless it's a cuisine that I wouldn't attempt (sushi, real Thai or Vietnamese) I can make it better, healthier and for WAY less money. Are you trying to save money at all? Because this can be a huge factor if you stop eating out.

During the week I definitely do not take very long to cook a scrumptious meal that is definitely healthier and less full of fat and salt then almost anywhere I can take out or eat out.
Are all grains bad? Because you can cook a big pot of most anything and eat all week. I love barley and brown rice mixed half and half. A stove top is basically all I use during the week.
Get a steamer basket and you can reheat anything in a bowl over hot water.

[Magic Microbe]

I honestly cannot live without a microwave.

[Courtney]

I'm not really much of a grain eater, truth be told.  I don't really like most of them, and the same (sadly) goes for beans.   

I'm not trying to save money right now, but I should be.    When we move, we'll need to stop eating out so much, because it's so expensive. 

I'm also not really interested in GF pastas, mostly because I was consuming too much pasta when I was eating it, and I don't really need to bring that back. 

Thanks for all the ideas, you guys.  I *have* time, I just don't want to spend it cooking all the time, I guess.  Not that I'm really doing anything super awesome otherwise.  THis is why I think I'm being lazy...

[Magic Microbe]

I think you kind of also just have to overcome the laziness a bit. It takes effort to build new habits.


I totally get it because I am lazy too and I don't always feel like making something but I have managed in the past so I know it is actually possible. 

[merigayle]

Get on Pinterest and find some recipes that excite you. or just suck it up and do the one day a month cooking plans

Yeah, i understand with the pasta. I could not tell you the last time i ate pasta. I love it, but it is really not worth the calories imo. No beans?  Is it a texture thing? no hummus? hummus wraps with sprouts, tomato, cuke, avocado, etc, would be great! And easy.

[witchypoo]

Thanks for all the ideas, you guys.  I *have* time, I just don't want to spend it cooking all the time, I guess.  Not that I'm really doing anything super awesome otherwise.  THis is why I think I'm being lazy...

peel and cube 2 or 3 sweet potatoes (1/2 to 1 inch dice).  spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  toss the cubed potatoes with a bit of salt and pepper (i have been using chipotle powder lately).  spread out on the tray.  spray with more cooking spray.  bake in a 425° oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until fork tender (make sure you stir them every 10 minutes or so). 

i do this a LOT.  and we eat them with everything - rice or wild rice, beans, lentils, roasted peppers, sweet corn, salads, some grated cheese and onion.

[Ice Cream]

Getting a rice cooker has been good for me.  All that is left to do is a quick stir fry.

[merigayle]

And you can cook beans in the rice cooker with your rice too!

[rocketgirl]

I am lazy and don't enjoy cooking either.

 I will say that marinating chicken or something in a ziplock and fixing it on a grill (I have one of those George Foreman plug in things) is easy and cooks really fast.  And wilting spinach in oil or butter with salt and pepper is really fast.  Yeah, I know it gets boring for every day, but maybe just guarantee yourself two r three times a week.

And your DH should take his turn.  I'm sorry, but if neither of you like it, you should share duty.

[LilyLily]

Get a vitamix.

[all-smiles]

For my baked sweet potatoes I put the oven at 425 and line my baking sheet with foil for easy clean up.  I leave them in the jackets and bake until soft.  They slip right out and I usually season with a tiny bit of butter, cinnamon, and salt although savory spices especially chiles go well.  They heat up perfectly at work.  What about the chicken sausages ? The aidells band sold at Costco is quite tasty and low cal, quick and easy; also reheats well so is good for work lunches.  Meatballs are also easy to make a large batch and either freeze some or portion them out for lunch.  I also do a taco filling that is 1 lb grass fed beef, 1 package of mushrooms, 1 onion, and a few tri color peppers; the veggies make the meat go much further and it's so filling.  I serve in lettuce wraps and get four portions out of the pound of meat.  If I remember correctly each serving is around 300 calories.

What veggies do you like to eat? How do you feel about the steam fresh bags of frozen veggies?

[radial]

The easiest way to cook sweet potatoes is to cut them in half and stick them on the grill.  Don't be afraid to cook the cut side until it's black/caramelized.  Then eat the whole thing skin and all.  Simple, gluten-free, low glycemic index, and delicious.  The thing I like best about sweet potatoes is that you don't have to load them up with a bunch of extras to make them edible like white potatoes.  Just eat them right off the grill.