Barbara Durel Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Hi everyone! I am a 55 year old woman who has never cooked at home! My husband and I have been eating every single meal in restaurants for at least the last 20 years. Insane, I know. Before we got together I used to eat at home more but it was always cereal for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch & dinner. I have had growing health conditions over the years, have 50 pounds to lose & no energy. I REALLY want to change the way I eat, and live, but have no support system at all in my life. So I am starting the Whole30 & hoping to find some support here. I've been putting off my starting date repeatedly while I look for a very simple meal plan. I'd rather eat the same thing daily than become overwhelmed with ingredient lists and challenging cooking requirements. Any super simple ideas from anyone? I tend to make things more complicated than they need to be and become paralyzed. Please help me get started. Thank you so much..Barbara Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formercupcakejunkie Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Hi Barbara, first off congrats to you! Honestly, the easiest thing I did was get a big George Foreman grill. I have been cooking for a long time but I like that it's quick and makes chicken in like 9 minutes! I also buy pre-cut/washed veggies from the store - I do that because it's easy but mainly because after I work all day and then work out, I come home and want to eat quick so I don't get tempted! I am very repetitive. I like to keep it simple too! I eat the same things pretty much all week and get creative on the weekends if I have more time. Good Luck and remember KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid! I think that's kinda funny! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emily Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I really like super simple too—I'm a "one-pot" meal person so that there are less dishes! Here are some of my easiest and quickest meals (for foodees these are going to be boring and even tacky!) In my mind if you cook some protein ahead of time it is easy to make a meal around it. This time of year grilling protein is awesome. ** Cook ground beef, add compliant spaghetti sauce, put over sliced lettuce instead of noodles ** Whatever protein (ground beef, cut up steak, chicken, sausage if it can be compliant, shrimp are easy) in a basic salad of lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, and whatever veg is in the fridge. I often use just olive oil with a little salt and pepper as a dressing ** Cook a sweet potato in the microwave. Have a protein (steak, burger patty, chicken, etc) and salad with it. ** Eggs over easy (crack in a hot pan, they are done when you can get them out easily) over salad ** Egg and veggies omelet ** Hard boiled eggs with salt and/or homemade mayo (it's worth trying to make homemade mayo; if you don't get it right you can still use it as salad dressing). Also eat a salad and maybe a sweet potato. I do cook more complicated meals than these too... but there's some quick and easy ideas! Try, be willing to fail, and try again. You will get it! Joel Salatin thinks one of the most important things we can do for our culture and food ethics is to get back in the kitchen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SummerGirl Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Try, be willing to fail, and try again. You will get it! Good advice. Reminds me of Samuel Beckett's 'Try again. Fail again. Fail better' You will get into the swing of it soon enough, don't worry! Start simple and take it from there. Best of luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Durel Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 Thank you for the warm welcome and the great ideas to get me started. I have read every Paleo cookbook that is out and with my personality that was definitely a mistake. While the recipes sound amazing they overwhelmed me and caused paralysis. I will be going shopping today for the simplest of meal plans. Thanks so much for taking the time to share. It really has made a difference and will allow me to get started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SummerGirl Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 You are totally right to keep it simple. Don't get bogged down with anything elaborate just yet. You will probably find you are amazed at how easy it is to prep lots of tasty simple dishes once you've tried a few different things.. I know that feeling of paralysis in the face of a new venture-but don't let perfection be the enemy of excellent-just go for it, you can do it! Happy cooking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renee Kosowan Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I think the easiest thing for me was to batch cook. Take chicken breasts (sprinkle some compliant Mrs Dash) and put them in the oven (You can make a bunch at a time). Cut up some sweet potatoes into equal size chunks, put them in the oven. cut up a bunch of bell peppers and cucumbers into small chunks and put them in a big tupperware - put a cup of this over some lettuce and you have a nice salad. Now with those few ingredients you have lunch & dinner all set out for you. For breakfast you can make some eggs and use some of the sweet potatoes. Add Avocado to any or all of the meal and you have your fats You can mix up your proteins and BBQ some steaks, pork chops, chicken breasts pretty easily too. I am with you, now is not the time to get creative! If you feel like venturing out try a new crockpot recipe on the weekends. They usually just involve dumping the ingredients into the crockpot and coming back 4-8 hours later. Simple and very yummy. Freeze portions and you have lots of meals ready for you. Good luck. You can do this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ann Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Whole Foods sells rotisserie chicken with no added ingredients (just salt & pepper), and they also have deli roast beef with just salt and pepper and herbs. Steak on the grill, or pork tenderloin (rubbed with olive oil & garam marsala spice) -- very very easy! A bag of pre-chopped veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini) tossed in a bowl with a little water, cover with a plate and nuke it for a couple of minutes, instant steamed/fresh veggies! I have the same thing almost every day for breakfast - heat a little coconut oil in a non-stick pan, throw in a handful of diced red onion, a giant handful of spinach, let it wilt down, slide onto plate. Fry two eggs in the same pan, slide those on top of the spinach. Slice an avocado on top. Takes about 3 minutes, and cleanup is quick and easy. Yum. Or hard boiled eggs mixed up with leftover veggies from last night's dinner and a bit of mayo is also good. I just got a copy of Well Fed, and it has a really great section about doing a "weekly cookup" to prepare meat and veggies so you can put together a "hot plate" in ten minutes on weeknights. Wish I had bought this sooner, it's really helpful! Good luck Barbara! Have some fun in your neglected kitchen!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara Durel Posted August 10, 2012 Author Share Posted August 10, 2012 Even more great ideas! Thank you so much. I live in Redding CA and we just recently were fortunate enough to get a Trader Joes. No Whole Foods though. I've done some shopping and will start in the morning. Couple questions. Renee, do I put the chicken breasts in a baking dish and put in the oven? What temp? About how long? Do I need to put any water in the dish? Do I peel the sweet potatoes? Ann, thank you for the simple meal ideas. I CAN DO THIS! Do you all keep in touch on any particular forum section or thread? I am so impressed with all the generous support and would like to stay connected to the wonderful people on here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emily Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 You can start your own log (there a Whole30 logs section) and we will come visit you! And visit us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adagio Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 I highly recommend you invest a little over 10 bucks in a DVD: "The Way To Cook," with Julia Child. It will make you feel comfortable with cooking. The video is such a refreshing change from what is shown on Food Network today. Julia entertains and teaches. Wonderful little DVD! Julia cooks with an old pan, no fancy tools, and whips up glorious food. It has made me really appreciate her. and her generation of folks like my mom, who didn't have a gourmet kitchen with all the bells and whistles and owned a couple of restaurants back in the day. My mother was an incredible cook. http://www.amazon.co...way+to+cook+dvd Also, if you have an ipad, download the cookbook app: Nom Nom Paleo. If you don't have an ipad, read the blog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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