Anyone else overcome laziness around food preparation?

[rainbowcarousel]

I really don't want to become a junk-food vegan. I don't know why that bothers me, as I was a complete and utter junk-food omni until recently. But, because I have always lived with such a fast food, take-outs, eating-on-the-go attitude, I am finding eating vegan a bit hard and frustrating. Not for the food but the effort.

I guess I'm asking for hints or tips from people who have BTDT. Breakfast is easy and for lunch I pretty much have marmite sandwiches and a bit of hummus + veg. But that means I spend 10 minutes every night preparing it. And I NEVER made my lunch before. Ever. I know that 10 minutes is nothing but it's effort and I am supremely lazy. As for dinner - well I do cook rice & pasta in bulk and freeze portions but even my favourite, stir fry, requires chopping and cooking, compared to a ready meal in the oven.

I do realise this sounds totally selfish, compared to the health benefits for the animals I'm not eating!! But I can't help my attitude, other than to go with it. I do realise I was exactly the same as an onmi hence never eating healthy as an omni - couldn't be bothered.

I also don't like being different. But that's a whole other topic!

[harpy]

I know what you mean - I don't really like cooking at all and I try to minimise the time I spend on it. Fortunately one does get quicker with practice at things like chopping veg. I also often do more than one thing at once if I can, e.g. prepare a stir-fry and make some soup with the broccoli stalks etc., as that cuts down on the time you spend in the kitchen.

It sounds as if you're already finding some shortcuts; you could consider using a food processor for chopping and slicing although I find you tend to end up with boring textures if you rely on them too much, and also it generates extra washing up of course.

I generally listen to the radio or a CD while I'm cooking - do you do something like that to make it more interesting for yourself?

[Cherry]

The thing that works for me is my organic veggie bag. It gets delivered once a week full of all kinds of fruit and veg that is just dying to put into something! I can't bring myself to eat waffles and spaghetti hoops when I have lovely veg to use up

[rainbowcarousel]

I guess part of the issue is I have a husband and two young children who take up a lot of my time; I am still cooking for them at weekends and during the week I cook my own dinner when I get in from work (they have usually eaten before me) but they are wanting to play with mummy etc - I don't feel like I have the right to take time to make dinner, because I never used to. And waiting for them to go to bed is not an option as I wouldn't be eating til 9pm Oh and music while cooking doesn't appeal, I have so much noise in my house and my life that I crave quiet!

I do cut corners a lot, last night I cooked for us all - falafel, new pots, cabbage & carrots (sausages for them) and I grated extra carrot and cabbage for my stir-fry today and cooked extra potatoes. I'm getting better at that

The other thing is having to shop more often because you can't buy 3 weeks' worth of fresh goods without it going off. I don't do the household shopping - my DH is a stay at home dad. But, I feel like I'm imposing on him to do extra shopping for me, even though he probably doesn't mind, I haven't asked.

I guess it comes down to, I don't want my veganism to impact my family life straight away (DH is sceptical etc about my 'fad') and I'm finding that it sort of does impact my home life.

Just whinging really. Thanks for the responses.

[Hemlock]

If he's a stay at home dad can he not do some cooking? It sounds as if you are stretching yourself too far and not laying down enough ground rules!!!
I'm dieting at the moment and calorie counting all my meals and everyone at home knows that means catering for themselves until I'm done because I don't want to be around food too much.
I'd say don't run yourself ragged trying to cook fresh food every single day - alternate fresh and ready meals ot tell yourself you'll cook well three times a week and leave it at that. If you're a busy working mum you need to cut yourself some slack.
Another thing I do is cook double evening meal and put the left overs away for next days lunch - it saves loads of time.

[harpy]

You sound anything but lazy, rainbowcarousel, with all that going on.

Could you get an organic vegetable delivery? Like Cherry, I find that helps make me generate ideas about what to cook, and obviously it eliminates a lot of shopping.

You can look for local "box schemes" here if you're interested:

http://www.whyorganic.org/involved_organicDirectory.asp

[Shells]

Well, there are a *few* ways to cheat that aren't totally junky, so you can reduce the number of times you have to cook.

First of all - fruit is the easiset breakfast in the world. So is cereal. Go for a banana (peeling takes all of 15 seconds) and a bowl of bran or flax in some soy milk and you are ready to eat in a single minute.

Lentils and beans. They might not be super quick to cook, but they take about zero effort. Put in pot. Cook. I mean, you can set it up in a couple minutes and then just hang out nearby and read or watch TV, getting up every so often to check on them.

Frozen Veggies are cut and mixed up in fancy mixes. I know frozen is gross and dead, but as someone who lives alone, I keep them on hand for quick fix soups and stir fries. Sometimes I can't always afford to get fresh veggies, because when you cook for one, things go bad before you can finish eating them. So I just keep these puppies on hand in case I mess up my portion control and underbuy on the veg.

There are fresh veggies in bags! They can be a little expensive at times, but you can get some good sales on mixed greens for cooking and salads. There are also baby carrots, grape tomatoes and cut mushrooms that take two seconds to rinse and toss in the pan. Yummy.

And then there's the really fast food - Trader Joes has a number of ready to cook frozen stir fry mixes with all the veggies, noodles, and sauce in the bag. Super easy. They also have a line of "Trader Ming's" microwaveable Thai etc dishes that you can take anywhere. Beware on these though - while they are labeled vegan, they are processed in the same facility that does process eggs and shellfish (and something else I can't remember). So the ingredients are all vegan, but there's the slightest chance that non-vegan traces might be there. I don't think it's likely, since disclaimers like that are typically to prevent legal action in case someone has an allergic reaction, so that kind of thing doesn't bother me, but then again, I'm new. Also, these are chock overthetop with sodium, which is kind of gross, but in general they're very good and filling in two minutes flat.

These are the best time savers I've found. Not all healthy, but then, I don't think that was your main goal.

[rainbowcarousel]

thanks everyone. I checked out that link harpy, in my county it gave me two choices, one looks great and the other was organic meat only Will definitely look into it.

Just been into my local H&B to get 'chicken' pieces and 'fish' fingers for some mealtimes. I'm just taking it one day at a time. Stir-fry tonight and I will make enough for tomorrow's dinner too.

I confess I also checked out the McD website to see what I could have there - apparently the veggie deli sandwich without the sauce is okay. Kinda wish I didn't know that....

Shells - you're right that my health doesn't come into it, I wish it did. Maybe I will get more health conscious in time. I have other issues to deal with first!

[Cherry]

Noooooooooooooooo, not McDonalds. Don't do it RainbowCarousel!!!

For veggie boxes try:
http://eatorganic.co.uk/
or

"Tolhurst Organic Produce
2 West Lodge, Hardwick, Whitchurch on Thames, Pangbourne, Reading, Berkshire RG8 7RA
Tel: 0118 9843428 or 01865 556151 (Oxford area)
Fax: 01189 843428
Email: tolhurstorganic@yahoo.co.uk

Locally-grown organic vegetables from a farm in Chilterns. Deliveries to collection points in Reading, Oxford, Wallingford and others."

[rainbowcarousel]

at the risk of opening a can of worms... whats so bad about McD? is it specific to them or for all big-business corporate greed/lack of ethics etc?

I will definitely check out the delivery options later when kids in bed

[harpy]

We have a few threads that discuss people's objections to McDonalds, rainbowcarousel - e.g.

http://www.veganforum.com/forums/sho...ght=macdonalds

...might be safer to read those than get us all worked up again

[Cherry]

I added a smiley face to my post as I meant that 'Noooooooooo' in the friendliest/most supportive way! Sure you can find nicer things to eat, that's all.

[Marrers]

And waiting for them to go to bed is not an option as I wouldn't be eating til 9pm

Once they are in bed each night maybe you could cook for the following evening and just reheat it.

I hate cooking and try to cook in bulk when I do bother. The idea of cooking properly every day is completely alien to me!

[Hemlock]

http://www.mcspotlight.org/

Lalalala, you didn't see me right.........

[AnneCE]

Hi, I've been there, still am there some days, when the thought of getting a carrot out of the fridge, let alone washing and peeling and grating it and eating, seems like hard labour.

My advice is to take it in baby steps, cut yourself some slack the days when things seem too much, and celebrate what you are doing. You've gone from being a fast food omni to a vegan who prepares your own lunch every day, while holding down a job and raising a family, and your husband being cynical about you being vegan.

But stressing out about not being vegan enough, healthy enough, etc. saps my energies. Veganism is like a process than a state - I thought I just became a vegan and that was that but I keep on learning new stuff and my attitudes change. What was hard work last year, is nothing much now.

The way I make sense of my food choices is that me being unhealthy and overweight benefits no one but the drug companies and junk food companies, but me eating healthier means not only do the nasty companies not get (so much of) my money (or the NHS's money), but I am in a better position to spread the vegan message. Plus I feel better physically and mentally.

[ALexiconofLove]

Shells has a lot of good suggestions. And I agree with Hemlock: why can't your husband share some of the cooking? Is the problem that he won't cook vegan food? I understand to a certain extent (if I ever get too tired to make dinner, my SO just makes pasta, because he can't think of what else to make).

Anyway, here's my advice:

-Prewashed and prechopped veggies are my friends (fresh or frozen, not canned).

-Frozen microwave dinners that are not junk do exist (depending on what's available where you are and what you consider junk). E.g., where I live we have a brand of frozen food called "Amy's" that uses mostly organic, whole foods.

-Find take out and delivery places that have vegan options. Thai and Indian are good bets (if the kids will eat it). Cheeseless pizza works too... that's a bit junky, but if you load it with veggies and eat it with a nice salad, it's not so bad.

-Get creative with pasta. Pasta is easy, and you can buy many different kinds (spelt, etc.) to add some variety to your diet. You can add all kinds of veggies, nuts, and fruits to pasta.

-Bean Burritos. Use different kinds of canned beans (refried beans, black beans, pinto beans etc.) with different toppings (vegan sour cream, guacamole, roasted red peppers, etc.) for variety.

-Make trail mix from raw nuts, dried fruits, and vegan chocolate. The kids will probably eat this right up.

-Get some easy cookbooks. Nava Atlas has a book called "Vegetarian 5-ingredient gourmet," and while I wouldn't really consider it gourmet food, it's pretty good. Even though it says "Vegetarian" almost all the recipes are vegan or have vegan variations.

[ellaminnowpea]

I'm so bad at actually preparing food, I have no time (maybe an hour or two between sleeping, working, taking classes, and studying hours on end...). The main meals I eat are:

B: quinoa flakes + ground flaxseed + banana + soymilk
S: green tea + almonds
L: usually no time, at work or in classes
D: varies between stirfry w/ tofu or raw kale salad w/ canned kidney or black beans
S: grapefruit or some berries

Not very interesting, but healthy... I don't use spices, either. It's pretty bland. Eventually I'd love to cook something good, but really... time is an issue. I'd say it would also be great to get a high quality food processor. You can chop all the veggies for salads, mix them with couscous, pastas, beans, lettuce. Puree into soups. Eat by themselves. Edamame and nut/dried fruit mix is great for snacks or meals on the run. Good luck!!

[herbwormwood]

Frozen Veggies are cut and mixed up in fancy mixes. I know frozen is gross and dead, but as someone who lives alone, I keep them on hand for quick fix soups and stir fries.

I have never thought of frozen veg in this way and I disagree that frozen veg are either gross or dead, in fact they are probably fresher than a lot of produce on the supermarket shelf which has been picked before its ready, irradiated and then stored far too long! May we politely agree to disagree on this point?
I always keep at least a few of the following in the freezer:
Sweetcorn;
peas;
cut green beans;
mixed peppers;
spinach;
stir fry mix.

I do use a lot of fresh veggies too, particularly root veggies and brassicas which store well outside the fridge, and salad veg which are easy to prepare.

Using the frozen veg I can easily create pasta dishes, rice dishes and so on with no mess and little effort., as I can make a fairy decent sauce or dressing.
I also soak and then freeze dried beans in advance of cooking a curry, chilli or stew so I can use the beans whenever I want without having to remember to soak them.
Another thing I have started keeping in the freezer are potato waffles, which are delicious with frozen spinach and baked beans!
I also use a microwave fairly often, to cook the frozen veggies and the baked beans!

For convenience I tend to cook a big meal like a curry, a chilli or a stew with some fresh vegetables and some frozen ones, and dried ingredients such as lentils, then I freeze leftovers to have during the week with rice.
Breakfast is easy, cereals, toast, fruit, nuts, smoothies.

[Shells]

I have never thought of frozen veg in this way and I disagree that frozen veg are either gross or dead, in fact they are probably fresher than a lot of produce on the supermarket shelf which has been picked before its ready, irradiated and then stored far too long! May we politely agree to disagree on this point?

Totally. Then again, I don't buy grocery produce - I'm strictly a farmers market/local farm wholesale kind of gal. so my comparison might be different. Unfortunately it's less that I'm environmentally conscious and more than I'm a total glutton for tasty foods.

But I still eat my fair share of frozen veggies! Frozen zuccini is on the menu tonight. It's going in a soup.

That's another REALLY easy meal - put veggie stock in a pot. Add frozen veggies and some spices, maybe some mushrooms and noodles, and voila! Meal.

[rainbowcarousel]

I ordered that 5 items in a meal cookbook, that really sounds like my kind of thing

Thanks for all the advice, lots of good ideas, I will post an update in a few weeks!

[KrissStress]

I ended up getting into cooking so much after going vegan that I'm enrolled in culinary school to become a vegan chef in the next few years...

yes for cooking!

[!!]

I'm quite a lazy cook, so i buy things like frozen pre chopped veg, or things I can just sling in my wok! For breakfast I often have a nakd bar- no prep involved

For tea I often have wholewheat noodles (egg free ) and they take about 3 minutes to cook, bang in some sauce and beans... yum!

I make my lunch in the morning and it doesn't take too long- although I often open up my lunchbox and wonder what the hell i was doing with the knife that morning as my pepper bits are all wonkey and vary greatly in size

[rainbowcarousel]

I just thought of an easy meal..

fry off some tofu chunks out of the freezer, add ready-made tomato-based sauce and tons of frozen veg, serve over reheated (from the freezer) pasta.

I know its lazy but I'm feeling overwhelmed by veganism right now.

[Korn]

But that means I spend 10 minutes every night preparing it. And I NEVER made my lunch before. Ever. I know that 10 minutes is nothing but it's effort and I am supremely lazy.

OK - so this obviously isn't about vegan/non-vegan, it's about actually eating non-ready-made food or not. It could be that you in a few months from now will say that overcoming laziness was an even more important personal benefit from going vegan than the health benefits from avoiding animal products.

I also don't like being different. But that's a whole other topic!

But... did you enjoy being 'not different'? Did you enjoy enjoy supporting animal cruelty, contributing to all the slaughtering of innocent animals, eating unhealthy food (and so on) MORE than you today enjoy not doing all that?

[kriz]

I enjoy cooking If I'm in the mood and don't have zillions of other things to do, but I have to admit I cook out of necessity most of the time.

Here's a few tips from me:

- Listen to the radio while you cook

- Keep frozen berries and veggies (also chopped parsley and basil) for smoothies and soups.

- Make a menu each week (so you don't have think about what to make each day... which is half of the hassle of cooking, I think) and once you have six weekly menus, start with the first one again.

- Buy truckloads of fruits - it's the best way to snack and ensure you get the raw food portion of your vegan diet covered.

- You can put flavor to almost anything with onion, garlic, lemon juice and vegetable broth. A regular indian curry spice (pre-mixed) also come in handy - almost anything can be "curried".

- I make at least one BIG batch of soup each week... usually with as many types of vegetables I can think of. Lentil and pea soups are super easy to make.

- Always keep soy milk, frozen fruit and berries at home so you can make a smoothie in a whim when you don't feel like cooking.

- Steamed veggies, brown rice and beans (I use canned) is simple, but a healthy and balanced vegan meal.

[rainbowcarousel]

OK - so this obviously isn't about vegan/non-vegan, it's about actually eating non-ready-made food or not. It could be that you in a few months from now will say that overcoming laziness was an even more important personal benefit from going vegan than the health benefits from avoiding animal products. ?

very true, it isn't actually about being vegan or not, but in not being vegan its not something I have to address. However, knowingly causing animal suffering isn't an option for me now either. I'm getting better at preparing ahead of time.

But... did you enjoy being 'not different'? Did you enjoy enjoy supporting animal cruelty, contributing to all the slaughtering of innocent animals, eating unhealthy food (and so on) MORE than you today enjoy not doing all that?

When you put it like that... but of course as an omni I ignored it rather than consciously chose it. At least, I used to think it was too hard to be vegan because of the change in attitude to food preparation/ready meals.

[rainbowcarousel]

I- Make a menu each week (so you don't have think about what to make each day... which is half of the hassle of cooking, I think) and once you have six weekly menus, start with the first one again.

- Steamed veggies, brown rice and beans (I use canned) is simple, but a healthy and balanced vegan meal.

I LIKE these ideas, thanks

[kriz]

Oh, good, I'm happy to help... I know TOO well the frustration of cooking.

[Roxy]

I like your ideas too Kriz If I change jobs within the next couple of months, I'm not going to have as much time for food preparation in the evenings either, so these ideas are coming in handy for me too.

[kriz]

Great.

[herbwormwood]

Lentil soup is really easy to make, and you can turn it into so many things, add spices and veg or tofu and turn it into curry, add vegetables and turn it in to soup of your choice, freeze what you don't need every time.
Pasta dishes and rice based dishes work well cold for lunch if you have leftovers.
Another easy and healthy one is instant soup made by putting vegetable bouillion powder and miso paste in a mug and adding boiling water.

[Haniska]

I actually made sausage gravy out of lentil soup the other week that was very good I just used broth, flour, and that spicy Mexican pumpkin seed sauce, heated it to thicken and poured it over pancakes. It was a big deal for me because sausage and gravy is a big deal for my family.
I always have frozen veg on hand, named "mixed vegetables" stir fry vegetables and kale. I also keep mangoes and cherries too :-D

[xrodolfox]

I've yet to overcome laziness when cooking... and many many other categories of life.