Healthy Tips & Food Ideas When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking!

I was staring at my defrosted bone-in chicken breast when I thought of writing this post.  I had just gotten home at the end of a long day and was hungry. I wanted a nice, cooked meal but I also wanted to plop down on my couch and just. chill.  During the day, I was thinking of all of the fancy ways that I could cook up the chicken that I took out of the freezer. I could marinate it in fresh basil, sear it and then cook it in the oven. I could cook it first and then tear it apart and make it into a chicken stirfry. I could cook it, then mix it with greek yogurt, chopped almonds and dried cranberries and make a ‘chicken salad’ or even melt some cheese on it and make a lightened chicken parm. After all of these delicious thoughts, however, I just didn’t have it in me to spend lots of time in the kitchen. 

I LOVE cooking. It is therapeutic. I look forward to it and I love cooking for others. 

I also am human. I get tired. I get stressed. I eat take out. I eat prepared food. Its about what makes most sense and what will satisfy me. I don’t make myself crazy cooking when I just don’t feel like it. 

I want to share some food, recipes and snacks that I choose when I just don’t feel like cooking but still eat food that fits my lifestyle, keeps energy levels high, ensures my satisfaction and will nourish me from within.

The bottom line that I will ALWAYS stay true to is that I eat foods that satisfy me, taste good and will compliment my lifestyle which includes working out 4-5 days a week, running around on my feet all day long and also the need for indulgences because chocolate and wine are two things I will never stop enjoying! 

SNACKS

I will be the first to admit that throughout the day, I get most of my calories through real food. Fruits, veggies, proteins, fats, starches. For me, eating these foods satisfy me, keep me well balanced, enable me to work on my feet all day and fuel my workouts. I also have some food intolerances to fake sugars and prefer to eat real food first. I always encourage my clients and people I work with to start with real food first. 

BUT, with all of that said, there needs to be convenient options for me and for all of us who are on our feet all day and don’t have time to whip up a meal. I will always believe that everything I eat has to taste good. I hate wasting time and energy eating something (healthy or not) that tastes like crap. There are FAST options out there for bars that won’t throw off your goal game.  

Some of my favorites pictured here are 

• EPIC (turkey and lamb are my favorites)
• GO MACRO (peanut butter, peanut butter chocolate chip and cashew butter are my favorite)
• THINK THIN (honey peanut drizzle and salted caramel are my favorites)

I also have Lara Bars (cashew cookie and peanut butter cookie are my favorite) But usually save these post workout due to the higher sugar content. I also really like PowerCrunch Bars (cookies N Cream are my favorite)

Quick Supermarket finds like Greek Yogurt, Grapefruit and snow peas! 

This looks complicated, but as long as you have the ingredients, it takes about 5 minutes. 1T chia seeds, 1T hemp seeds and about 1/4C almond milk. Thats it. Let it sit in the fridge for 5-10 minutes and enjoy! Protein packed, good fats, delicious!

Other snacks:

• Beef/Turkey jerky (I love the ones from Trader Joes!)
• Nuts (almonds, cashews are my favorite) Just watch portions! 
• Avocado. I will just eat a half an avocado at a time with some veggies if I have some for a major satiety factor
• Hard boiled eggs. I usually hardboiled a bunch in the beginning of the week so they’re always on hand. two at a time does the trick! (More info on eggs later in this post!)

TAKE OUT

I always try to be as transparent as possible when clients, colleagues and readers ask me what I eat on a daily basis. I would be lying if I said that I cook every night. As much as I do love whipping up new recipes, I also rely on some local favorites near me to provide me with delicious and nutritious meals!

Sushi

I would say i get some sort of sushi take out once a week. It varies on what I order depending on what I want! I usually get some sort of sashimi–salmon is my favorite then tuna and yellow tail. My ‘go-to’ order is a 6 piece salmon avocado roll with brown or white rice and an order of salmon sashimi. I’ll throw together some veggies at home if I am craving something extra!

 

Another take out item that I get every other week or so is a rotisserie chicken! I love getting the organic chickens from Whole Foods. I take them apart as soon as I get home to discard the bones etc. The rest of the chicken meat goes in a tupperware in the fridge and ready for me to use in meals throughout the week! I use the chicken on salads, in soups with rice or sweet potato for a post workout meal or just out of the container when I’m hungry. Another great way to use the chicken is to mix it with a bit of Greek Yogurt, lemon juice, maple syrup and diced walnuts for a healthified chicken salad. 

Another famous way to whip up a delicious chicken salad is 

Avocado Chicken Salad

• 1 cups shredded chicken
• 1/2 avocado
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup plain Greek Yogurt 

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and store in the fridge!

Thai/Chinese: Any chicken or steak dish with brown rice and sauce on the side to add at my own pace. I have a garlic and onion allergy and most sauces are laden in those two ingredients which is why I always get it on the side!

Salads/Sandwiches/Bowls: Some favorites nearby include Bgood (I love the kale salad with a turkey burger or regular burger on top or the Kale Quinoa Bowls) And Sweetgreen ( usually make my own salad with lots of goodies!) 

SEMI HOMEMADE MEALS

Have you guys ever seen that show on Food Network “Semi Homemade” with Sandra Lee? Well I have to say that her recipes were not that appealing (to me!) but the concept behind her show is phenomenal. Half home cooked meals with the idea of saving money and still feeding the whole family or group of people. I guess my focus with my own semi homemade meals wasn’t to save money BUT you certainly could! These are dishes that I can throw together in under 8 minutes because all it takes are a few ingredients that I always generally have around.

Chicken or fish+ Marinades=quick dinners (and leftovers!)

 

I always have some sort of pre bottled marinades or dressings in my fridge. I can’t eat many of them because I have an intolerance to garlic and onions BUT if I just use it as a marinade on fish or chicken and not a dip, then I don’t have a reaction! When I don’t feel like making my own marinade and have fish or chicken or turkey all ready to go, I simply throw some of it on the protein, maybe add some mustard and throw it in the oven for about 10 minutes. This to me isn’t really cooking and its super easy. I usually make some food for the next day, or get some work done or sit on the couch and just chill while this cooks away! 

Some of my favorite marinades:

• Soy Vey (regular or island teriyaki)
• Stonewall Kitchen Sesame Ginger Teriyaki sauce
• Maille Dijon mustard
• Newman Own Sesame Ginger
• Annie’s Natural Balsamic (or really anything Annies!)
• Drews All Natural Sesame And Lime Marinade
• Tessemae’s Sesame Ginger
• Stubbs BBQ Sauce
• Cindys Kitchen Deeply Roasted Sesame (or anything Cindys!)

Eggs

Another Quick meal option that is semi homemade and only uses 1 skillet is EGGS! Eggs are one of my ‘go-tos’ when I really don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I get my fat, protein and of course so many ways to make them that I haven’t once gotten sick of eggs yet! One of my favorite ways is over medium cooked in a bit of coconut oil with salt and pepper. Take that same pan and stir up whatever veggies are hanging around the fridge and BOOM. Dinner. Sometimes I top it with parm or goat cheese depending on how I’m feeling. 

Another egg recipe that is one of my FAVORITES and super easy involves smoked salmon

Smoked Salmon And Eggies

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• 3 whole eggs
• 1/2 T olive oil or coconut oil (I love coconut oil for the flavor)
• 1/3 C chopped frozen spinach (can use fresh, just double the amount)
• 1/3 C chopped fresh green pepper (can use any color you like)
• 2 oz smoked salmon
• 3 button mushrooms, sliced lengthwise
• salt and pepper to taste
• Optional add ins: Basil, oregano, dill or thyme

Directions

• Crack 3 eggs in a bowl and whisk well with a fork. Set aside
• Place a skillet over medium heat and toss in the spinach and peppers. Cook for about 7 minutes, tossing throughout or until golden brown. In the last minute, throw in the mushrooms
  In that same pan, add a bit more oil of choice and pour the egg mixture over the vegetables.
• Cook on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes or until ready to flip
• Flip over, let cook for 1 more minute and serve hot

Another method I love is eggs over Medium

Over Easy: This method of cooking eggs comes in handy when I don’t have a whole lot of time in the morning but still want to make a delicious and nutritious breakfast. Over easy eggs do not take a lot of time and are pretty easy to get the hang of after practicing a few times. I take 3 eggs and slowly crack them into a greased skillet (with olive oil or coconut oil). Once the white starts bubbling a bit, I flip over the eggs and let them cook for a mere 20 seconds. Done!

Frittata: I have been making frittata’s because they are great to make in a BIG batch, cut in portions and keep in the fridge to grab and go. I have been taking 6 eggs and mixing them with any and all veggies and extra protein I have on hand. The other day I made a frittata with 6 whole eggs, chopped frozen spinach, red bell pepper and diced asparagus. I beat the eggs, added the veggies and poured the mixture into a greased (with coconut oil) loaf pan. I baked it at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes. Once it was done, I cut it in half and there is breakfast for two days! (served with some fruit and avocado slices)

And of course there is always SMOOTHIES! Quick and easy and again, the variations on how you can make these are endless. Here is a recipe:

MY MORNING COCOA PROTEIN SHAKE

Another favorite of mine is my sweet potato protein smoothie!

Sweet Potato Protein Smoothie

• 6oz or 1 small container of plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 Small sweet potato (cooked)
• 1/2tsp cinnamon
• 1/4-1/2 tsp nutmeg (or you could use pumpkin pie spice!)
• Spinach (not pictured but recommended if you want to get your greens in!)
• 1C almond milk
• 4-5 ice cubes

Blend and enjoy! This is one of the simplest, easiest, ‘cooking free’ recipes!

Avocado Toast:

Its simple really. Toast some bread. Top with avocado. Sea salt, sesame seeds, pepper. Whatever you like! Done. I eat this a few times a week on the go!

 A Giant salad

At least two nights a week, I make myself a BIG salad for dinner using ingredients I always have on hand in the fridge. 

I start by choosing a base of about 3 cups of greens:  

• spinach
• Mesclun
• Arugula 

Then I add in about 3-4different veggies such as 

• Peppers
• cucumbers
• Eggplant (roasted and chilled in the fridge)
• Shredded carrots
• Zucchini (roasted and chilled in the fridge)  
• Roasted fennel (occasionally have in the fridge)
• Beets 

Then the ‘Fun’ stuff

• Avocado
• Dried cranberries
• Goat or parmesan cheese
• Slivered almonds or walnuts
• Add a simple whole-grain or serve it on the side
• condiments like mustard or hot sauce, hummus, tzaziki, dipping sauce of choice

Then the Protein

• Chicken 
• Ground turkey meatballs
• Grilled steak
• Ground lean beef
• Roasted salmon
• Shrimp
• Tuna (from a can or packet) Great on the go!

Then the starch (if you choose!)

• Butternut squash
• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• Farro
• Roasted sweet potato

A Loaded Potato

Spuds are one of the easiest and healthiest ways to eat a semi home cooked meal with lots of delicious topping ideas. Throw a potato in the microwave and top with ingredients like diced chicken and peppers and drizzle of pesto or almond butter, cinnamon and 1 whole egg. The combos sound weird but it is so easy to throw together when you don’t feel like cooking!

Overnight Oats

A classic recipe that requires you to open a jar and throw in ingredients. 

• 1T chia seeds
• 2T almond milk
• 6oz plain Greek Yogurt or 3oz yogurt and more almond milk
• 1/2 chopped banana
• 1/4C oats
• 1T unsweetened coconut
• Top with  nuts or fruit or coconut oil!

Cinnamon Chia Overnight Oats

 

• 1/2C raw oats
•  1C almond or coconut milk
• 1T chia seeds
• 1/2C chopped banana or berries or mixture of both
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 1T chia seeds.

In conclusion

 

you can see that there are SO many options to eat even when you don’t want to cook. Too often I hear clients  saying they can’t cook or don’t have time or simply don’t want to so that forces them to resort to more fast food options that may not be the best choice for their goals and their health. Just because dinner is called dinner doesn’t mean it has to be ‘traditional’ who says you can’t make a protein shake at dinner or eat overnight oats (prepared the day before?) On that same note, who says breakfast has to be eggs and/or oats? Why not have chicken and vegetables in the morning if thats what is convenient and what your body is asking for. The one takeaway here is that there is no gold standard. We are all different, built different, move different, have different needs and have to embrace that.  

Eating well doesn’t have to be brain surgery, in fact is is SO simple to do and you can start by adapting some of these ideas in your next meal plan. Stock your fridge and cupbords with options. 

 

XOXOXOX ENJOY!

NAOMI