A new years resolution is to cut my takeout/delivery food consumption. I can literally go weeks without a home cook meal.

I am not ready/ don't have the time for learning to cook more meals from scratch (I've got about 5 things I can cook confidently and that's it), but I am good with the stove and seasoning stuff to my taste.

So what are your favorite pre-packaged easy meals?

I've heard people rave about the Trade Joe's Kung Pao chicken for example.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

i'm the queen of this lol
not really but i try

i steam em in a bamboo steamer and eat it with vegetables i blanche/steam

but your best bet is really to get a freshly roasted chicken and whip up veggies real quick and there you go. at least health/$$ wise

ive been suspended from the coop for at least 2 months now so im suffering. i should be back in the game after this weekend but i was frozen dumpling it up. i usually get the trader joes ones or the ones from chinatown. all the good dumpling spots sell frozen bags of 50 to go for like 10 bucks but theyre only usually pork or veggie

*skatin' the rings of saturn*


..and miles to go before i sleep...

*STU*

you miss a shift without notifcation, you have to do 2 to make up
first time i blew it off and if i had made next month's shift i'd still be in good shape (i would have time to do my makeups and still shop)

but next month i got the flu and didn't let them know in time.

so then i owed FOUR

now i owe them three. lol. it's been a busy time

if i do one more makeup i'll be allowed to shop again and have more leeway to do makeups

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

i actually did jack a nice box from there during my makeup last week lol

The ones from Trader Joe's are great and all but health wise they are terrible for you.

lots of excess sugar and sodium

prepackaged is a last resort for me and i always try and pair it with fresh food to balance

consumption are greatly overraggerated for healthy people with normal blood pressure.

that said, most americans are overweight and that in itself puts them at risk for all kind of problems related to salt consumption like heart attack, stroke, even if they decrease salt consumption.

.

>

*slaps your coffee off the desk*

NO DIFFERENCE

,

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

i get the fleur de sel ones from trader joes (do they still sell those? i only eat one every once in a while so i still have half a box left)

then i sprinkle Maldon salt on it because i am sooo fancy

delicious

I think people don't give enough consideration to the insanely high sodium levels found in those pre-packaged meals.

You really need to get a crockpot. Soups! Curries! Ribs! All lamb everything. You put your ingredients in before you go to sleep and turn it off when you go to work. Or prep before going to work and your meal will be waiting for you when you get home. Crockpot cooking really is one of the greatest culinary delights of my life.

Go get you a crockpot and make it do what it do.

make variations of the 5 things you know how to make

this is coming from someone who hates cooking but i have to or else
i'd have high blood pressure

you have more ppl in your family so it may be harder but cook a big batch of something on the weekend. at least enough to last through wednesday. you have kids though so you might need more variety.

but yeah please cook

Now I got to worry about Sodium?!?

Fine, please suggest a simple good cookbook.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

all of his books are about cooking simply

How to Cook Everything is a start

but Niq96st is right, get a crock pot. google recipes. all you have to do is chop and prep (which you can do the night before) and put it in the crock pot and you come home to a meal

you can cook nearly everything in a crock pot-soups, stews, spaghetti sauce, desserts, even a whole chicken (which I have never tried)

a rice cooker got you on a quick starch
and veggies are quick to make

bam. dinner.

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

i havent tried but im sure people have tried

especially if it has a steamer attachment

my quick and healthy meal is one of these...
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z_pUUCGS6qQ/Ul9qQoJan0I/AAAAAAAAbPY/uqSwHe2y9VA/s1600/product.png

and chicken and fish that i've thrown in oven a lot of times....

i can cook, but i don't like 75% of the time.

nor do i eat a lot of packaged foods, except frozen veg & fruit.

Most of the recipes can be cooked in 30 minutes.
They are mostly a meat and veggies so they are healthier than pre-cooked meals.

Also he gives many riffs so you can change the recipe and suit it to your tastes.

For example one of my faves is chipotle shrimp.
Take a can of diced tomatoes and blend it with a chipotle pepper (or 2 if you like it spicy).
Add it to a pan with olive oil and a chopped garlic clove.
Brown sauce for a few minutes.
Add shrimp to pan, cook for a few minutes each side, add a little cilantro for garnish and you are done.

that's about it.

occasionally i buy a roasted chicken or some hot dogs.

right now i have hot dogs because i'm eating a lot of sauerkraut for probiotics since i just had part 2 of a root canal.

but for the most part i wouldn't rec'd them or eat them or really any packaged food regularly.

They have an assortment of delicious meals that they made in the kitchen THAT SAME DAY.

For each meal the price ranges from 6-13 bucks.

8 dollars.

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

>8 dollars.
>
>**********
>"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then
>they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson
>
>http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/


Its good eating though, you should try one sometime.

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

low cal, lots of veggies. sometimes i buy a cooked chicken breast for protein. deelish.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-utzRqAe54Iw/TZ79TYUuajI/AAAAAAAACOI/3o4hTnw9Lq8/s1600/fresh%2Brolls-3.jpg

you buy the summer roll paper yourself?

i have, but it's my favourite pre-packaged meal.

for the longest time i didn't know the rice paper comes hard and only softens when wet. so i'd look for it by the doughs and wouldn't find it.

#themoreyouknow

http://www.stouffers.com/products.aspx?c=89

All you have to do is peel and season them with olive oil, etc.

Eggs are easy too. Hell, I make them in the microwave lol.

Rotisserie chicken, avocados, and eggs are my easy-eating trifecta, and all of them are healthy enough to eat every day.

>All you have to do is peel and season them with olive oil,
>etc.
>
>Eggs are easy too. Hell, I make them in the microwave lol.
>
>Rotisserie chicken, avocados, and eggs are my easy-eating
>trifecta, and all of them are healthy enough to eat every
>day.
>
>

Eggs are one of the healthiest foods around, and the idea that one should consume them sparingly has fallen out of vogue. In 2015, it's ok to eat eggs basically to your heart's desire.

The same goes for avocados, which were once feared to be too high in cholesterol, but are now appreciated as something we should eat on a daily basis.

well the numbers that are sposed to be low are hella low
the numbers that are sposed to be high are hella high
my wife will try to fight me if i dont have at least BACON for breakfast
some days i skip eggs and do BACON and cream of wheat
still got that sugary/salty thing going on


hi Goldie :)

I have three eggs a day, and my cholesterol levels are on fleek. Meanwhile, people wonder why they're not losing weight on low-fat yogurt and "healthy" cereal.

the rage in nyc restos late last year was avocado toast

every spot was doing their own variation and selling it upwards of $10

nah b

i make a bootleg version with an english muffin, half an avocado, salt and pepper

toast, smear w/ avocado, season

you can make a creamy and thick dressing w/ it and some lemon juice olive oil

tastes good in sammiches

make a since side at dinner ( i still like to make sure i have leafy greens though)

Microwave it for a minute. It comes out perfectly round then put it on an English muffin with some bacon and make an egg mcmuffin. Or do a mini quiche in a mug. Or flax seed muffin in a mug. The main binder for that is egg.

The avocados I will freeze a lot of times and make smoothies. Vanilla, chocolate or strawberry. They're delicious on veggie burgers too. Really the taste is so mild, you can use them on just about anything.

and salads

plus yogurt/potassium rich stuff to counter salt

it takes no time to expand your repertoire and the cool thing is that a lot of shit is connective, learn one recipe and realize that that one thing connects to about 3 and 5 other recipes.

you can seriously eat good as fuck if you cook at home and your pockets will thank you.


im dropping about 200-300 on groceries a month which is like a week of eating out every meal

>im dropping about 200-300 on groceries a month which is like
>a week of eating out every meal


when i lived in nyc i did not cook for like 9 months straight
every meal was eaten out
i'd average $30 a day on food
$5 breakfast
$5-10 lunch
$10-20 dinner

sometimes i could repurpose the dinner from the night before as lunch the following day

and most days i spend $2 on a large cup of porridge from the dominican spot on 125/Lexington for my metro-north ride

that was nutritious and filling

hit the food trucks in front of 333 Cedar (i see you O_E) for a $5 lunch plate and im golden

>when i lived in nyc i did not cook for like 9 months straight
>every meal was eaten out
>i'd average $30 a day on food
>$5 breakfast
>$5-10 lunch
>$10-20 dinner
>


I can only go so long with eating out before I lose my brain. there something extra nourishing about a home cooked meal.

I like to eat by a lot but I would be mad as fuck if I consistently ate every meal out.

>I can only go so long with eating out before I lose my brain.
>there something extra nourishing about a home cooked meal.
>
>I like to eat by a lot but I would be mad as fuck if I
>consistently ate every meal out.


let's say i want a good burger and fries
first i have to spend all that time going to the grocery store to get the ingredients
then i gotta spend the time at home cooking it
then cleaning up after myself

that's time

then on the cost aspect,
you can get a good burger and fries for $10 - $15 all over
but store bought fries will be $3-4
the meat will be $6 a pound (you not buying no half pound of ground beef from no store)
cheese will be $3
lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, etc that shit adds up

basically it's not much cheaper to eat at home for a SINGLE person than it is to eat out
i can go to one of them japanese places on UWS and get a $10 bento box and be on my way
go to a spanish joint for the $8 meals


nyc its always something to do so i dont have time to be in the house manageing a dutch oven for 4-6 hrs making a pernil when i could slide by some abuelita's shop on my way home from SOBs

dont forget rachelle ferrell will be at blue note valentines day wknd

NYC keeps you so busy and it's so hard to pass up the omnipresent ethnic restaurants and dinner invitations from friends. Oh, and my coworkers ALWAYS want to go out to eat. Bringing my food every day puts me at risk of looking antisocial.

I need to come up with a strategy for my budget and social life this year.

or party crash like these guys...lol
http://nypost.com/2014/03/16/meet-new-york-citys-notorious-party-crashers/

>or party crash like these guys...lol
>http://nypost.com/2014/03/16/meet-new-york-citys-notorious-party-crashers/

^^^ Yo, this guy is an inspiration!! I am seriously in awe, LOL. I am cracking up at the conclusion: “What people will do for a pig in a blanket is crazy,” he said.

if i spend money on lunch I am having a fucked up day, and I do alright!

I'm nice with the quicken money.

And that really doesn't count all the dining out with drinks and stuff.

I've got to do much better in 2015. Need twin tuition money.


**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

>I'm nice with the quicken money.
>
>And that really doesn't count all the dining out with drinks
>and stuff.
>
>I've got to do much better in 2015. Need twin tuition money.


or $500 a month line item for household food budget
that does not include dining out (of course)
it is basically $125 per week in groceries
if i spent that much it would be all organic and gourmet type stuff (beef short ribs and oxtails and lamp chops)

i can get it down to $80 skimpinng here and there

if i went to $50 a week we'd be eating very unhealthy EBT style (rice a roni, boxed mac n cheese, minute maid OJ instead of Tropicana etc)

i think i avg $100 a week in groceries


but ol boy was spending $9,000 to $14,000 a year on food for one person if he spent that much weekly/monthly in a year's time

>if i spent that much it would be all organic and gourmet type
>stuff (beef short ribs and oxtails and lamp chops)



**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

>>if i spent that much it would be all organic and gourmet
>type
>>stuff (beef short ribs and oxtails and lamp chops)


i guess i could do one 1hr trip each week but i like to go 3-4 times per week right after work to pick up stuff
spending 20-30 mins each time

once you know how to cook stuff it becomes simple

i had all plans to make chicken fried rice lasat night but wifey came thru the door hollerin bout she was sick and i'm on my own with the baby tonight so i switched it up and used the leftover roast chicken to make her a soup

i was thinking to take pics to show okp but just got to it and did it
wasn't nothing more than:

1. put a pot of water on stove to boil
2. add a chicken bouillon cube
3. chopped a onion throw it in
4. had two carrots been sittin in the fridge for weeks. rough chop then throw in
5. peel a few cloves of garlic then throw in
6. every spice i got in my cabinent damn near (salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, smoked paprika, one bay leaf and some crumbs from the star anise packet i had)

7. let boil for 20 mins then throw in roast chicken

8. let boild for another 30 mins


when down spoon soup over leftover rice you was going to use in the fried rice

9. use scissors to cut green onions on top

10. wifey is very happy and thinks you're superman when all you did was boil some water for an hour and play with your kid while it was boiling

with that hot ass soup on top it was "cooked" in less than two mins

but right here i can think of 16 meals you can cook at home
that are simple
that will get you through four 4-day weeks (fri-sun are cheat days and you can order take out)

i hate eating the same thing more than once a month (unless it is STEAK or tacos or something else really good that i like which are a lot of foods)
so i always make two-week menus in my head and try to not repeat nothing from the second menu on the first

1. steak, baked potatoes, broccoli
2. chicken breast, boiled potatoes, peas
3. lamb chops, baked potatoes, salad
4. pork chops, boiled potatoes, green beans

you cant really mess none of that stuff up man.
a simple equal part salt pepper garlic powder mix will be enough for all them proteins

this gives me an idea.....

that's the good/bad thing about NYC
lots of places to shop but rarely is there one spot for everything as far as meeting price and quality standards.

i love the coop but it aint for everyone. especially if you have multiple adults because they make you ALL work (but you can always just lie and act single).

but you have the farmer's markets
court street has some great butchers
sahadi's got a good, reasonably priced selection for spices and cheese and other gourmet items

and i am all about chinatown for seafood and some produce. i make a little trip out of it. i try to go late morning/early afternoon on a saturday and i get dumplings or a banh mi and then hit up the big market on hester and elizabeth (if i need special asian sauces-they have good produce too).

then i head down grand. there are a lot of produce spots and fish places. the one on the south west corner of grand and chrystie is my favorite. they don't have fish on the ground swimming around like the other ones lol. i get a ton of salmon and shrimp there and freeze it after i portion them out.

if you bypass the eating along the way, you can do it in an hour

*sigh*.

I guess it's a long time coming.

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

http://blackpeopleonlocalnews.tumblr.com/

or even every month

also you can always make a trip out of it. if you're doing brunch, go to court street and hit up the butcher after. stuff like that.

you can eat so gotdamn good once you take control of your dietary habits

china town for seafood

farmers market for goodies


since its been cold ive been going to whole foods a lot.


also if you are in brooklyn and you want to treat yourself to some good meat (no veggo) I recommend checking out http://www.lospaisanosmeatmarket.com

los paisanos is the place for meat

i rarely make steak but that's where i go

i bought a ribeye that i cooked so perfectly i wanted to marry myself

it's not cheap but the quality is amazing. i keep meaning to go to get some stew beef and lamb so i can start making crockpot stews and possibly some homemade broth.

i bought 2 lbs of chinese spinach im trying to get through this week.not organic but it's fresh and $4. i do not fuck with any trader joes produce that i don't plan on using within 24 hours because it goes bad so fast. i'm surpringly almost done and i only cooked twice this week. i like to get that or bok choy and do different variations of asian food during the week (stir fry, add it to dumplings, etc). The chinatown produce lasts too. im lazy i just keep it in the same plastic shopping bag it comes in and it lasts for a week. it'd probably last longer if i put it in a proper ziploc

i dunno man i lost a lot of weight 4 years ago and i just want to maintain where i am at. that and im poor so i need to make sure i dont waste what i buy to cook/eat. my system isnt perfect but it's much better

all i need is some music and booze and Ill cook all nigh

i enjoy it if it's fast. lol.

i actually like cooking more when i'm repurposing leftovers.

because im banished from the coop im less enthused about cooking because all the fancy stuff i want/need is cheapest there. once im back in the game i'll enjoy cooking again. i'm already making my list for when i return

i dont have colors
my mmsic:
www.soundclick.com/sylana
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brb8g8f18xE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NgNuVHrEKI

at the deli and fresh seafood counters

they prepare it in-house so no preservatives and less sodium than pre-packaged food

it's more expensive of course but if time and laziness are factors you can just put that in the oven too and not give your children hypertension :D

them seasonings preserve the meat a few more days than unseasoned meat

of course, at the whole foods type stores it dont be old but it be $18.99 a pound for everything

I cook all my meals save for here and there. I usually cook a bigger dinner and have leftovers for the next day at lunch, and I love living this way. I'm saving a lot of money and feel good about what I'm eating.

manna's soul food
don't know if they got'em in BK
but had a couple in harlem near my house

- Butter Chicken
- Lamb Vindaloo

That'll have you feeling right for two dollars fam.

cats in here routinely spending that a WEEK on take out?
http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lshj0c2Rgf1qzor9oo1_250.gif
i'm trying become more mustachian and fall back on eating out
holla @ ethnic stores. hmart or whatever african/asian store is in your area
cheaper meats and better variety of fruits and vegetables