Source
r/EatCheapAndHealthy•
macboot

Suggestions for eating well on a weird schedule?

Ask ECAH

So I have been working 8-4 on every weekday, with a martial arts class starting at 6:30 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Problem is, it takes me half an hour to bike anywhere, so to/from work and to/from classes is half an hour. But I get home from work and I want to eat because I'm hungry from having whatever little lunch I could pack in my lunchbox (Leftovers from weekend suppers usually), but I can't eat too much or I'll get all sick during the classes. Then after the classes, I usually still feel kinda hungry.

So I've basically wound up eating something like: Instant oatmeal for breakfast, some leftover pasta or something for lunch, then for first supper a burger(if I eat it on my way home it has enough time to digest before the classes) or some ramen or something, then for second supper I'll make some stir-fry, or ramen or chips or something depending on how hungry I am.

Now, I know that it's really unhealthy to usually eat basically two suppers worth of food, so I am looking for something healthy and filling to give me energy for the classes that I can eat after work, and something I can eat afterward. I don't know if it would be best to go with something really light to something heavier, or if there are two things I can eat before and after for pre- and post-workout that could double as my supper for the day. Any suggestions?

Posted Sep 4, 2016, 4:11 PM UTC

16
MechanicMonkey•
2
orcanami•

It sounds like you're super active, so you need protein and carbs. But be aware that eating too late in the evening can cause sleep issues.

Breakfast: I don't know about you, but instant oatmeal usually makes me crash. I'd suggest replacing it with yogurt and fruit or jam (like apple sauce). This should be easy to digest. You don't even need to chew!

Lunch: You could boil a bunch of eggs at the start of the week, and throw one in your bag for lunch. Also, try buying some meal bars in bulk. You don't need to eat a whole one, but it is convenient.

First dinner: Hamburger sounds good! Meat + bread (+veggies maybe?)

Second dinner: Hold off on the ramen. While it IS tasty, it contains a ton of sodium and has dubious nutritional value. Same goes for chips. If you do eat ramen, try eating half a bag and throwing in some frozen veggies (like peas) or canned fish. If you want something smaller, try canned sardines. They have healthy omega oils and you can add (an appropriate amount of) salt.

1
orcanami•

And btw, what's wrong with second dinner?

2
macbootOP•

Thanks for the reply! I'll probably try to avoid a hamburger usually, since they are relatively expensive if I am constantly buying them from a fast food store, but at least I know it's not crazy. I just eat the oatmeal because a) it's easy and b) yogurt either comes in tiny portions or seems kind of expensive. But maybe I just have to do the math better. Where can you get meal bars in bulk? And will a bar and an egg really satisfy for a lunch? Finally, yeah, I know ramen is super bad for you, but I have lots of it piled up and it's super cheap anyway, so I usually mix it with eggs and veggies. Or stir-fry. Ramen is super versatile, it just takes me an hour to make a good one lol.

1
Astro_nauts_mum•

Check out r/MealPrepSunday Doing that would mean you would come home each day to a good, prepared. meal.

1
lazrbeam•

Didn't really read your post in detail, but I have a weird schedule too. I usually try and make a ton of shit at once and freeze it, so I can just reheat it throughout the week and/or cook shot in the slow cooker

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