Meal preparation when you're working

Nursing Students General Students

Published

I'm curious--how do you handle meals (at home) on days that you're working? Does someone else in your family make the meals? Do you eat frozen dinners or takeout? Do you prepare in advance and freeze? Peanut butter and jelly?

Specializes in Going to Peds!.

Retarded non-cook question: how on earth do you shred chicken? I'm not exactly Julia Child when it comes to the kitchen and cooking.

Specializes in Ortho, Neuro, Detox, Tele.

cook, let cool, shred by hand.

Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

Dh works in a restaurant and isn't home for dinner 4-6 nights a week, so he either eats at work or heats up leftovers when he comes home.

Dh never brings food home?

My dh used to own a grocery/takeout store and he rarely brought cooked food home unless I begged him.

I would be sunk if not for Trader Joe's. I stock up on the pre-packaged/frozen dinners. They are low fat and low sodium for the most part. Since it's Trader Joe's own brand, it's fairly reasonable $$-wise. My fav's are:

Low-fat Garlic Chicken Stir Fry

94% fat free bean burritos

Individually packaged frozen boneless-skinless chicken breasts

Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup

Frozen Cioppino (as a soup, or served over pasta)

Chunky Spiced Apples (as a snack -- 30sec in the microwave,and I can fake myself into thinking that it's apple pie)

I always say I'm going to spend a Sunday making things in advance, but the reality is that between school, church, and family obligations, it just doesn't happen.

Specializes in Public Health, DEI.
Dh never brings food home?

My dh used to own a grocery/takeout store and he rarely brought cooked food home unless I begged him.

Once in a while, but not too often... If we call and ask, yes, but since he is a district manager, anything he brings home affects the bottom line, which also affects his bonus, so unless I have a real hankering for something on his menu, I don't usually ask!

Specializes in Freelance Writer, 'the nurse who knows content'.

I love to cook and try to do once-a-month cooking as much as possible. I create 3 weeks' worth of meal plans at a time, then I shop and pre-cook. If I can't cook an entire entree and freeze it (such as meatloaf), then I cook and freeze the individual components (such as ground meat or spaghetti sauce). Also, on Sunday, I cook several portions of pasta and/or brown rice, which I store in the coldest part of my fridge. That makes assembling dinner go faster.

For those interested in once-a-month cooking, try the website Recipezaar and search on the term "OAMC." These are all recipes that have been proven to freeze well.

Personally, my problem is assembling meals for school/clinical days. My commute is so long that I need to take breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack with me. If anyone has ideas or tips for items that are healthful and require little prep before consumption, I would REALLY appreciate it! (I have a microwave available at school, but that's about it.)

I'm living on frozen food. My husband fends for himself. No children.

Specializes in OB.
Retarded non-cook question: how on earth do you shred chicken? I'm not exactly Julia Child when it comes to the kitchen and cooking.

pluck him, gut him and put him in the food processor :lol2:

The recipezaar site is wonderful. I just checked it out and saved a lot of OAMC recipes so I'll be set when school starts in 2 weeks. Thanks!

One of my favorite on-the-go lunches is the "Starkist Lunch-to-go Tuna and Crackers"

Specializes in OB.

we have soup and sandwhich night, taco night, lean meat/salad night, spaghetti night, fish night, and 2 crockpot nights. boring, but it is food. If you look in the freezer section they now have crockpot in a bag, meat and all, just dump it in and it is good. Rachel Ray is also a life saver. You can get all ofher recipes on foodnetwork.com.

I tell my hubby it could be worse, I go to school with a woman who makes a huge pot of soup on Sundays and thats what they all eat till its gone, and then they all have to fend for themselves!

Specializes in PACU, Critical Care, Primary Care, Derm.

Wow y'all are a motivated bunch! I don't get home until 8 or 9 so my guys found all of the restaurants and fast food places that have specials during the week, and go there. For example: Papa John's has cheap pizza on Monday, Sonic has 5 for 5 burgers on Tuesday... When I work they eat out! If it's too nasty to leave the house (they don't even have to get out of the car for fast food)! My husband and 4 yr old love mac & cheese, breakfast for dinner, and tacos.

Specializes in OB.

you know the best thing I have ever made myself do is to sit down and figure 7 days worth of quick dinners, and then make a shopping list. this saves me from the "oh man, NOW what am i going to make for dinner" and also from starting something only to find I am missing an ingredient. we eat healthier too, instead of fast food or a pizza

+ Add a Comment