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!
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
Hey, I just wanted to tell you that your videos are INCREDIBLY quiet compared to most other videos here on UA-cam (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.
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.
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!!
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 😅
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
@@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!
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!
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! ❤
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
@@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
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!!
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 🥹
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.
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.
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!
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!
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
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).
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.
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.
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. :)
Lots of experimenting and learning worked for me! I have a pretty tiring work life im on my feet for 8-10 hours I walk alone at work 14,000 steps every day. What helped me was learning foods I really liked and the most low cost energy ways to make them and to do it in bulk for meal prepping! A few sweet potatoes wash and poke holes in oven at 400 for an hour. Wash a cup and half of white rice, season, in the rice cooker with small cuts of carrots in the steamer part of it. And a protein to go along with it! Can easily make 4-5 meals from an “hour” of cooking- i put that in quotations because really its only a solid 15 minutes of prepping and letting the oven and rice cooker do all the work!! Sorry for the long comment, absolutely love your videos! You are truly such incredible work to help so many! You have helped me get into incredible shape from changing my diet last year! First time in my life I have a full set of abs and love my physical appearance!
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😅😂
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.
This video reminded me of an old Canadian cooking show called Fixing Dinner! Sandi Richard would come to a family's home, helped them figure out what they like to eat and then helped them made quicker versions of their meals instead relying on fast food. I remember she created a binder for the families with their favorite meals, talked about flexible meal planning, and would encourage the kids to help in meal prep. Memories 🥰
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@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).
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.
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
Meal planning level 1: Meal prep one meal to eat the entire week Meal planning level 2: Writing out all the things you want to make on a specific day and developing a shopping list from it Meal planning level 3: No need to write out a shopping list because you know what you can make meals out of I was struggling to advance to level 3 but now that I have it's really become second nature. Cooking is so much fun - have a podcast on, watch some youtube or spend time with a loved one. What really upped my game was knife skills: My chopping is so fast and effortless by now. We need to stop considering cooking a chore and be excited about building a skill that we become better at throughout life.
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.
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
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!!!
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.
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.
This is all really great advice. A lot of this is what I ended up doing with a lot of trial and error. Once you start, you'll find your own efficiencies and find that meal prep becomes really easy and much more satisfying than relying on convenient foods, which you'll start to find gross after you've been eating whole foods for a little while.
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*
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!
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.
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!
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. ❤
Kiana Metro and Longos have chopped kale in a bag and it is the ONLY thing I know of that hasn’t gone up in price a single cent since 2020!!! The bag is $3.99. I mix it with romaine or spring mix greens and use avocado and balsamic vinegar as the dressing. No added sugar or oils….although balsamic has grape must which is sweet.
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!!!
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.
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.
My favorite hack is using a dicer to make prep go faster. Everything is uniform in size and it takes a lot less time once you get a feel for how much you can reasonably dice at once. You need to rinse it out and use a fork tool to get food out of the grooves, but you can pop that sucker in the dishwasher once you get the big stuff out
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
@@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 😋
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.
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!
I loved watching this video as someone looking to start a healthy lifestyle. I would love another of these videos on healthy snacks and recommendations for those if you ever wanted to make one. So appreciative of your content :)
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 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.
@@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.
@@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.
@@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.
Also bake a load of potatos/sweet potatos at once. You can freeze them too. They are great to reheat as sides or stuffed with chilli, cheese, tuna, beans or whatever you choose.
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 :)
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. 🤷🏻♀️❤🇮🇹
I'm going to start class again in a couple of weeks on top of my 40 hour a week job, and I'm very nervous about keeping things healthy in the kitchen. I never fail to go for convenience when I'm doing both. I just recently found your videos, and I'm already making plans for how to stay on track.
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.
The pre-chopped hack is such a great idea, I never thoigh about that ! Thank for the advice, I remark that I was already applying some of them but I discovered à bunch of new one which can change the game 😊
I swear you always come up with videos right when I need them! I have been circling the drain on eat fast food and eating healthy food. My cravings have taken over and a lot of times I just don't feel like doing anything. And I just had to throw out some healthy food because I let it go bad because I was too busy eating junk food. Thank you for the tips! Some of these I have used in the past and need to get back to it. Thank you so much for your videos! 💜
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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!!
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 🤗
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.
I'm so thankful I found your channel. I changed my diet and cut out a lot of ultra processed foods at the start of May, and I've not only lost weight but have felt an improvement in my body.
When I was working 12-14 hour days and wasn’t in a camp I would buy frozen broccoli, cheese, Italian spice, a lower sugar tomato sauce, and precooked sausage. Slap those together and it makes a pretty good dinner and lunch. Took me about 10 minutes maximum cook it.
"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 :/
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.
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
My crockpot is my best friend for extra busy days, I throw in a roast with small potatoes and baby carrots with herbs, salt and pepper; or I make a stew if I have an extra 5 minutes in the morning. This is one of my favorite meals, I also make chicken and dumplings, teriyaki chicken, or pork tenderloin. My mom kept a family of five eating healthy for years using this magical electric cauldron.
I like to call this mindful strategy, mindless routines! Be really thoughtful in your planning but make it as simple as possible to execute so you're more likely to stick with it. I've implemented this to a degree but this video takes it to a whole different level. Thanks for the tips!!
Yes to having and eating whole foods you like. I personally love meal prepping certain ingredients because I sometimes cook beans from scratch, so I cook them once, freeze the excess and make a dish with the rest.
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
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.
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
Another banger! I like to plan meals at the farmers market. I am a vendor so I have time to ponder what the produce farmer has available and decide if I will get spices, sauces, etc from other vendors to add to the meals.
Kiana, these tips are amazing! I'm desperate to lay off ultra-processed foods and eat better but it's just so hard. I want to cry when I think back to the pandemic & how much time I had on my hands (& I was living at my mum's where there's no take-out available at all!) - I used to cook all three meals from scratch and I loved it! It also let me lose the weight I wanted to. As soon as I was back to working full-time that all went out the window and I haven't been able to recover since T__T I'll definitely try working out a menu the way you suggested. Thank you for this video!
10:11 subtitles say “rotten ingredients” when the voiceover is “raw ingredients” 😅 figured I should mention since it’s a p significant typo (Thank you for the informative content!)
To be honest, I'm not in the US and here in Germany we have a whole culture of cooking meals and baking. I'm not skinny by any means, but I never got why people eat those convinient foods. When I first moved out I loved frozen and canned meals. But after a while it all tastes the same (maybe it tastes better in the US). I don't cook for the health benefits but because it simply tastes waaaaaay better.
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!
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.
I love having been raised in India when i watch videos like this. I recommend watching Baking Hermann's content for plant-based food ideas from around the world (especially India but I might just be biased). Trust me there's so much delicious healthy food out there.
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
I don’t like some meal prepped foods once reheated again but I really love meal prepping chilli. So easy to make and any extra can be frozen. It reheats so well, keeps the same good flavors and moisture content. Finding some foods that you can meal prep like that is so helpful, but not all recipes are meant to be frozen and still taste good
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
I'm bulk chopping garlic, ginger, shallots and herbs and freeze them in ice cube trays. Especially garlic is so annoying to chop and makes everything sticky. Also I use soy sauce or bullion powder in place of regular salt; since it gives a lot of flavor, I don't have to wait around till the ingredients slowly develop their flavors.
I don’t know how you do it Kiana, right when I need this type of information ! I got a 2nd job, for the first time on top of my already full time, I’m dreading on how to keep my meals healthy.
I also do soft-mealprepping. When I cook I usually cook so I have 2-3 meals overall. Also start making stews. You usually toss everything into a pot and then let it simmer for a while and you never have to watch it. Theres no need to precook your potatos or whatever. My lazy meal is Spaghetti Bologna with Lentils instead of ground beef (I don't have ground beef ready to go at all times but dried lentils last forever and I don't have to worry about them going bad). Also Spinach + Noodles + some greek cheese is also super easy and quick and tasty. Last but not least: What keeps me personally from buying or having takeout deliviered is the price. I calculate in my head how many meals I could make on my own if I instead bought some whole foods and started cooking instead. Maybe thinking of all the money you could save helps some of you too!
Are there any tips that I missed? Let me know in the comments!
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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
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
Hey, I just wanted to tell you that your videos are INCREDIBLY quiet compared to most other videos here on UA-cam (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.
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.
Yes! Developing skills over time is really a game changer.
That's exactly what I was thinking!
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!!
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 😅
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
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.
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
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? 😂
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.
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!
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.
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.
I honestly wouldn't recommend eating any vegetables raw
@@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.
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.
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.
I do this with boiled eggs, rice, cauliflower. Protein, veggie, starch. Not all the time, but sometimes
That's so awesome, we just got an instapot last week so i'm definitely planning to do this too.
that does not sound delicious tho ;_;
@@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!
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
I hope you don’t travel far
@@Briman242😂😂😂😂
Discovering sheet pan meals saved my life when I was a new mom!!
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!
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! ❤
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.
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
@@misspeaches1144Boundaries, my dear-set healthy boundaries, and use positive reinforcement for desired outcome in others.
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.
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.
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!
Finally someone who understands my love of frozen soggy broccoli
I noticed that frozen broccoli seems to be less farty than cooked from fresh. :X
@@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
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!!
I roast broccoli straight from frozen on the sheet pan. It’s not soggy, the ends still get crisp
damn, I hate it. I love broccoli, but it has to be fresh
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 🥹
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.
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.
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!
Chili cone Carne is my go-to now
That's like a magical food !
Jeepers criminey, carbs carbs carbs.
@@jannadee77 I literally live on carbohydrate from intact starches. About 85% of my calories come from carbohydrate.
@@jannadee77 not all carbs are made equal
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!
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
Amazing tip, def trying this!
Great tips, thank you!
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
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).
Very true. Great comment.
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.
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.
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. :)
Lots of experimenting and learning worked for me!
I have a pretty tiring work life im on my feet for 8-10 hours I walk alone at work 14,000 steps every day.
What helped me was learning foods I really liked and the most low cost energy ways to make them and to do it in bulk for meal prepping!
A few sweet potatoes wash and poke holes in oven at 400 for an hour.
Wash a cup and half of white rice, season, in the rice cooker with small cuts of carrots in the steamer part of it.
And a protein to go along with it!
Can easily make 4-5 meals from an “hour” of cooking- i put that in quotations because really its only a solid 15 minutes of prepping and letting the oven and rice cooker do all the work!!
Sorry for the long comment, absolutely love your videos! You are truly such incredible work to help so many! You have helped me get into incredible shape from changing my diet last year! First time in my life I have a full set of abs and love my physical appearance!
Awesome comment! Totally agree about the experimenting thing too
(Also thank you very much! And congratulations on all your success💪💪💪)
What do you do for work?
@@funnymonkie411 Sounds like a security guard to me, my husband is one and it's like he's describing his workday.
@@funnymonkie411stock associates also walk a lot so perhaps they’re a stock person?
My bf is an assistant manager for an airport catering industry and he also walks 15000 steps each day
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😅😂
Are you sure it wasn't for cats? 😂
Thai chili flavor 🤤
Love that one and the lemon pepper. I would keep those in my locker at work as snack options on crazy days. @@thechumbucket8986
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.
Be aware that tuna is high in mercury. The advice that I've seen is basically a *maximum* of 10-15 oz a week.
This video reminded me of an old Canadian cooking show called Fixing Dinner! Sandi Richard would come to a family's home, helped them figure out what they like to eat and then helped them made quicker versions of their meals instead relying on fast food. I remember she created a binder for the families with their favorite meals, talked about flexible meal planning, and would encourage the kids to help in meal prep. Memories 🥰
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
@@valerieodonnell6764 i never got that either!! I cannot imagine 1kg of idk uncooked beans being more expensive than fast food.
@@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).
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.
Staying busy helps me lose weight. I eat when I’m bored.
so real. always gotta ask myself "am I hungry, or am i bored?" and then drink some water
I eat when I'm with anxiety and stressed....while working ....when I get home I eat everything.....
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.
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
@@HanhNguyen-uk8bcI just don't eat until later in the day then have 1 big meal.
Meal planning level 1: Meal prep one meal to eat the entire week
Meal planning level 2: Writing out all the things you want to make on a specific day and developing a shopping list from it
Meal planning level 3: No need to write out a shopping list because you know what you can make meals out of
I was struggling to advance to level 3 but now that I have it's really become second nature. Cooking is so much fun - have a podcast on, watch some youtube or spend time with a loved one. What really upped my game was knife skills: My chopping is so fast and effortless by now. We need to stop considering cooking a chore and be excited about building a skill that we become better at throughout life.
The space you film in is so beautiful! I love all the different colors and plants you have there
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.
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
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.
Hey, awesome job, that's great. Rice is so good! I'm sure you will figure it out
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.
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!!!
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.
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.
This is all really great advice. A lot of this is what I ended up doing with a lot of trial and error. Once you start, you'll find your own efficiencies and find that meal prep becomes really easy and much more satisfying than relying on convenient foods, which you'll start to find gross after you've been eating whole foods for a little while.
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*
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!
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.
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!
You changed my eating habits for forever and made me more aware about what i eat..❤❤❤ what we eat is what we become ❤️❤️
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. ❤
Kiana Metro and Longos have chopped kale in a bag and it is the ONLY thing I know of that hasn’t gone up in price a single cent since 2020!!! The bag is $3.99. I mix it with romaine or spring mix greens and use avocado and balsamic vinegar as the dressing. No added sugar or oils….although balsamic has grape must which is sweet.
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!!!
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.
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.
My favorite hack is using a dicer to make prep go faster. Everything is uniform in size and it takes a lot less time once you get a feel for how much you can reasonably dice at once. You need to rinse it out and use a fork tool to get food out of the grooves, but you can pop that sucker in the dishwasher once you get the big stuff out
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.
I’m not a huge pork chop fan but love pork tenderloin.
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
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.
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.
@@arthas640 Yum!
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.
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.
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.
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.
My favorite easy weekday meal is seasoned airfryer salmon with riced cauliflower sprinkled with feta and chili oil on top.
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.
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!
I forgot those exist. Thanks for the inspiration!
How does that work in terms of lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole etc?
@@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 😋
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.
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!
I loved watching this video as someone looking to start a healthy lifestyle. I would love another of these videos on healthy snacks and recommendations for those if you ever wanted to make one. So appreciative of your content :)
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
Would do some research on how excess protein greatly helps grow cancer, you might be overdoing it. Human breast milk only has
@@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.
@@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.
@@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.
@@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.
Great advice. I already knew most of it, but I'm needing to actually follow it
Also bake a load of potatos/sweet potatos at once. You can freeze them too. They are great to reheat as sides or stuffed with chilli, cheese, tuna, beans or whatever you choose.
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 :)
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. 🤷🏻♀️❤🇮🇹
I'm going to start class again in a couple of weeks on top of my 40 hour a week job, and I'm very nervous about keeping things healthy in the kitchen. I never fail to go for convenience when I'm doing both. I just recently found your videos, and I'm already making plans for how to stay on track.
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.
I like adding chopped carrot and cabbage to stuff. Chopping things all at once is great advice!
The pre-chopped hack is such a great idea, I never thoigh about that ! Thank for the advice, I remark that I was already applying some of them but I discovered à bunch of new one which can change the game 😊
I swear you always come up with videos right when I need them! I have been circling the drain on eat fast food and eating healthy food. My cravings have taken over and a lot of times I just don't feel like doing anything. And I just had to throw out some healthy food because I let it go bad because I was too busy eating junk food. Thank you for the tips! Some of these I have used in the past and need to get back to it. Thank you so much for your videos! 💜
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.
Love this! I also don't like cooking so pretending it's something else is brilliant. Throwing things in a bowl.
Same ❤
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.
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
Zap a potato or sweet potato and wrap in foil for a filling, warm on-the-road snack.
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.
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.
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!!
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 🤗
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.
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!
I'm so thankful I found your channel. I changed my diet and cut out a lot of ultra processed foods at the start of May, and I've not only lost weight but have felt an improvement in my body.
When I was working 12-14 hour days and wasn’t in a camp I would buy frozen broccoli, cheese, Italian spice, a lower sugar tomato sauce, and precooked sausage. Slap those together and it makes a pretty good dinner and lunch. Took me about 10 minutes maximum cook it.
"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 :/
I really appreciate you Kiana - you’ve taught and reinforced so much, cheers from Aotearoa 🤜🤛
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.
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
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.
I was thinking I was too busy to cook nutritious meals but whole foods this video arrived at the right time Kiana ! ❤️
My crockpot is my best friend for extra busy days, I throw in a roast with small potatoes and baby carrots with herbs, salt and pepper; or I make a stew if I have an extra 5 minutes in the morning. This is one of my favorite meals, I also make chicken and dumplings, teriyaki chicken, or pork tenderloin. My mom kept a family of five eating healthy for years using this magical electric cauldron.
I like to call this mindful strategy, mindless routines! Be really thoughtful in your planning but make it as simple as possible to execute so you're more likely to stick with it. I've implemented this to a degree but this video takes it to a whole different level. Thanks for the tips!!
mindful strategy mindless routines =👌👌
Yes to having and eating whole foods you like.
I personally love meal prepping certain ingredients because I sometimes cook beans from scratch, so I cook them once, freeze the excess and make a dish with the rest.
Very good education, advice, and tips!! Thanks bunches
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
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.
Love all the beautiful flowers in the background! You have such a lovely and well decorated space 🥰
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
Another banger!
I like to plan meals at the farmers market. I am a vendor so I have time to ponder what the produce farmer has available and decide if I will get spices, sauces, etc from other vendors to add to the meals.
Kiana, these tips are amazing! I'm desperate to lay off ultra-processed foods and eat better but it's just so hard. I want to cry when I think back to the pandemic & how much time I had on my hands (& I was living at my mum's where there's no take-out available at all!) - I used to cook all three meals from scratch and I loved it! It also let me lose the weight I wanted to. As soon as I was back to working full-time that all went out the window and I haven't been able to recover since T__T I'll definitely try working out a menu the way you suggested. Thank you for this video!
10:11 subtitles say “rotten ingredients” when the voiceover is “raw ingredients” 😅 figured I should mention since it’s a p significant typo
(Thank you for the informative content!)
Your videos are so well made, I often go back and watch them again
To be honest, I'm not in the US and here in Germany we have a whole culture of cooking meals and baking. I'm not skinny by any means, but I never got why people eat those convinient foods. When I first moved out I loved frozen and canned meals. But after a while it all tastes the same (maybe it tastes better in the US). I don't cook for the health benefits but because it simply tastes waaaaaay better.
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!
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.
I'm bookmarking this and rewatching this.
Mango cut into hreek yoghurt. Piece of toast. Top tier breakfast.
I can't eat junk for breakfast, if I skip breakfast.
I love having been raised in India when i watch videos like this. I recommend watching Baking Hermann's content for plant-based food ideas from around the world (especially India but I might just be biased). Trust me there's so much delicious healthy food out there.
thanks for recommendation!
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
I don’t like some meal prepped foods once reheated again but I really love meal prepping chilli. So easy to make and any extra can be frozen. It reheats so well, keeps the same good flavors and moisture content. Finding some foods that you can meal prep like that is so helpful, but not all recipes are meant to be frozen and still taste good
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
I'm bulk chopping garlic, ginger, shallots and herbs and freeze them in ice cube trays. Especially garlic is so annoying to chop and makes everything sticky.
Also I use soy sauce or bullion powder in place of regular salt; since it gives a lot of flavor, I don't have to wait around till the ingredients slowly develop their flavors.
I don’t know how you do it Kiana, right when I need this type of information ! I got a 2nd job, for the first time on top of my already full time, I’m dreading on how to keep my meals healthy.
I also do soft-mealprepping. When I cook I usually cook so I have 2-3 meals overall.
Also start making stews. You usually toss everything into a pot and then let it simmer for a while and you never have to watch it. Theres no need to precook your potatos or whatever.
My lazy meal is Spaghetti Bologna with Lentils instead of ground beef (I don't have ground beef ready to go at all times but dried lentils last forever and I don't have to worry about them going bad). Also Spinach + Noodles + some greek cheese is also super easy and quick and tasty.
Last but not least:
What keeps me personally from buying or having takeout deliviered is the price. I calculate in my head how many meals I could make on my own if I instead bought some whole foods and started cooking instead. Maybe thinking of all the money you could save helps some of you too!