Forums: September 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: Hard time
Created on: 09/10/10 10:43 PM Views: 2196 Replies: 10
Madcat Joined: 09/07/10 Location: MICHIGAN!!!! Posts: 61	Hard time Posted Friday, September 10, 2010 at 10:43 PM Right now I have been doing the Vegan by convenience foods (Amy's organics, Gardein, etc) due to working 7 days and not a lot of time. Sodium seems to be so high going this route though. I was almost ready to throw in the towel. I want to cook more from scratch but it seems so time consuming. Does anyone know any cookbooks that are for a time challenged vegan? I really want to do this and I will, just having a moment I guess.
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
BeckyinAustin Joined: 09/06/10 Posts: 20	RE: Hard time Posted Friday, September 10, 2010 at 11:00 PM A fast lunch I found is those boxed salads - the triple pre-washed ones. One of them, with tomato, avacado & tofu added, is 2 day's worth of lunch. Of course, buying 2 boxes only gives you 4 lunches not 5, but it's some help, I hope. We have done the impossible & that makes us mighty - Firefly
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
mollyhorn Joined: 03/03/10 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 582	RE: Hard time Posted Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 12:12 AM I have never used these, but they come well-reviewed on Amazon. Just watch out for added fat: http://www.amazon.com/Short-Cut-Vegan-Great-Taste-Time/dp/0061741116/ref=pd_sim_b_3 http://www.amazon.com/30-Minute-Vegan-Delicious-Healthy-Everyday/dp/0738213276/ref=pd_sim_b_1 Also, I don't know if you've had time to look through them, but most of the Kickstart and NutritionMD recipes are pretty simple and fast. They generally use few ingredients and require minimal prep time. You could also sign up for the weekly emails from The Cancer Project (also PCRM) – those are great recipes, too. Molly Horn
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
Youngaedm Joined: 09/07/10 Posts: 5	RE: Hard time Posted Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 1:11 PM Maybe think about "cooking" less. What works for me is getting lots of prep work done for the week early (like on Sunday). This has been super helpful in keeping me on track and eating right...low in sodium too. So, on Sunday, I chop up three heads of lettuce (romaine, red leaf and one other). I thoroughly dry them and then put them in plastic containers with a paper towel on the bottom. Then I chop up toppings that will keep well (carrots, celery, zucchini, etc.). I also found some easy and tasty dressings online (lemon juice, garlic, etc.). I also pick out my favorite beans (garbanzo or kidney or whatever), rinse them and put then in a container to throw on my salad. So, I know I'll at least have a salad every day for the week-either lunch or dinner. Then I organize my snacks. I eat nuts, so I make little baggies of nuts and pair them with a piece of whole fruit. This makes it easy to grab one for my lunch to eat after work or mid-morning. Sometimes I make a pot of soup on Sunday and portion it out for the week or freeze the portions so I have easy ready-to-heat-and-eat meals for the following weeks. This is really helpful. You may also want to search vegan blogs for super easy food ideas. I use Fat Free Vegan. Check some of these ideas out: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2005/12/ridiculously-easy.html Best of Luck! And stick with it ( you can do it)! Amy
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
Madcat Joined: 09/07/10 Location: MICHIGAN!!!! Posts: 61	RE: Hard time Posted Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 7:13 PM Thanks! Great ideas and suggestions. I guess I shouldn't expect it to all come so easy. Just taking a deep breath and plugging away.
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
mollyhorn Joined: 03/03/10 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 582	RE: Hard time Posted Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 7:15 PM The things worth having are never easy. Molly Horn
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
cch22 Joined: 09/08/10 Location: New York State Posts: 1000	RE: Hard time Posted Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 8:24 PM oh my .. i have a fast one. I take a can of black beans, rinse them & mash them up with my potato masher . Add some chopped up green pepper & onion & minced garlic. Add already cooked brown rice. (which i have learned to have on hand.. just make a big batch all at once.) To get the moisture away so I can form a burger.. Add whole wheat flour. Then when you want to eat, form a patty and either microwave or cook in a fry pan. You can actually throw anything in there instead of the or along with the green pepper. You could shred carrots.. cut up corn.. whatever you have.. Also i have added cayanne pepper for some zest. if you like them.. one day you could actually make the brown rice and also prepare a bag of dry black beans. my honey is not vegan.. but he comes back for 2nds with these.
	Edited 09/11/10 8:24 PM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
Pammo Joined: 09/04/10 Posts: 10	RE: Hard time Posted Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 11:11 PM I also prepare on Sunday, in small containers, for the week. I make 5 fruit cups (layers of grapes, watermelon, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, and melon) and take one out of the fridge each morning on the way to work. I also buy the large boxes of spinach and then cut up bite sized veggies in place them in ziploc bags (radish, diff colored peppers, carrots, zuch, yellow squash, cuke, prpl cabbage). The night before I layer chopped veggies, beans, spinach (almost a pound) and place a small (2tbsp) container of dressing in the corner of the salad). I grab it along with my fruit cup and I am good for the work day! Because eating fresh DOES require extra washing and chopping time, there is no way I'd be successful unless I did all the work PRIOR to the workday.
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
Madcat Joined: 09/07/10 Location: MICHIGAN!!!! Posts: 61	RE: Hard time Posted Sunday, September 12, 2010 at 10:16 PM Thanks for all of the ideas! I just bought the book "Skinny Bastard" the male version of Skinny Bitch and I am loving it.
	Edited 09/12/10 11:40 PM Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
Bugsmom Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072	RE: Hard time Posted Monday, September 13, 2010 at 12:21 PM we usually make extra of whatever it is - soup, chili (my hubby makes an awesome veg chili), pasta (homemade whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce), black bean patties, or whatever and I pack that to bring to work for quick lunches (I have access to a fridge and microwave). It's also possible, in a pinch, to make a double batch of oatmeal and just microwave for about a minute to reheat the next day. We do most of our cooking from scratch because most of the prepared foods are high in sodium and/or soy (hubby has to watch his sodium intake, I don't coexist happily with most soy based products). My son (he's 12) loves to mix cold brown rice with a spoonful of cream cheese (not vegan, I know, that's his choice) for breakfast. And, he asked for some of the rice pudding like breakfast the other day. Little did I know that it was one of the menu items! Cold cooked rice, vanilla almond milk, raisins, and cinnamon, microwaved for about 90 seconds and he was a happy boy! --Deb
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom
Bugsmom Joined: 09/13/10 Posts: 2072	RE: Hard time Posted Monday, September 13, 2010 at 12:23 PM oh, also, things like bell peppers and onions freeze really well for cooking purposes. So, we'll buy a bunch when they go on special at the market, slice/dice them up and freeze them. Take them out to saute and add some cooked beans and seasonings and you've got the makings of excellent burritos, fajitas, etc. --Deb
	Quote | Send PM | Link | Top | Bottom

New Topic Reply Subscription Options

Page: 1

There are 67 active user sessions right now.