Too busy to exercise and cook healthy for you and/or your family?

I wrote this for another website, and thought some folks might appreciate it here.  I don't really get a chance to come to this site anymore.  I get too busy.  So if I don't reply my apologies, but I hope you find this information useful:

Exercise:

I work out with my son.  I'm a single mom, full time worker, and student (online school).  I know what it's like to be busy!  I've lost around 200 pounds and am doing my best to make sure my son doesn't follow in my footsteps and gain weight and not know how to be healthy.

Working out with my son:

• We do pushups and situps and he goes on the treadmill at the gym.  He likes to watch TV so I set up his tablet for him, and he's allowed to watch as much TV as he wants as long as it is on the treadmill while doing it. 
  
  
• Sometimes I take him to the pool at the complex.
  
  
• I show him how to lift free weights (he's 10 years old).  I try to make it fun. 
  
  
• We race and do sprints. 
  
  
• We go to the park and kick a ball around. 
  
  
• I take him out for walks and hiking and sports on weekends.
  
  
• I have him with a private martial arts trainer while I work out, and/or do classes at the same time at the same place in another room. 

I find lots of tricks, and just don't give up until I find something that works. I try to make it fun/play, and not go too hard with it.  We both love martial arts type of stuff and kickboxing so that motivates us.  We do different things all the time, and try different things.

On the weekends I batch cook healthy foods and snacks like boiled eggs and my own low-sodium low cal beef jerky.  I pick my son up from daycare as late as 6pm.  I give him a protein snack and we go to my apartment complex gym. After the gym I feed him a full dinner. 

Tips For Cooking

I eat a low carb lifestyle for health reasons, with a focus on minimally processed foods, so my ideas mostly pertain to that diet, but there may be some helpful tips for others types of meals as well.

It is possible to make healthy food fast food!  Broiled fish filets takes 7 minutes in my oven (talapia, salmon).  I buy veggies already cut up to make prep faster.  Throw in a pan with some water and a smidge of salt.  I say I can have a meal ready to go faster than you can drive to McDonalds, wait in line, get your order, and come back home.  Seriously 15 minutes I can have some types of a home-cooked meals ready.

• I get chicken breast cutlets (chicken breasts cut into small strips) and put those in an oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Pour some calorie free Walden ranch dressing on top for flavor.
  
  
•  There are many meals you can cook and only have to stir occasionally, or require minimal babysitting.  You can do a stir fry on medium heat and just stir it once every 5 minutes for around 20 minutes.  I cook on a lower heat covered and go take a shower or do something else for a while too.  You can use different veggies and meat each time to make it easier.
  
  
•  I use my food processor's slicing tool regularly to slice veggies.  I take a big batch of onions and pull off the skin and then run them through the food processor slicer and I do enough for about a week's worth of onions at a time.  I do the same with red bell peppers.  You can also use for slicing cucumbers, or zucchini to steam, carrots, etc.  If you pre-chop your veggies you save time.
  
  
•  I buy big bags of pre-chopped veggies too, like shredded cabbage in a bag (look for coleslaw mix), shredded broccoli stalks, broccoli and cauliflower florets, bagged lettuce, etc.  This saves a lot of time in preparation.  When you are really tired you can just dump a bag of veggies and some precut meat into a pan, slop on a little oil and salt and pepper, turn heat on low, cover and come back 20 mins later.  Seriously like 2 minutes of prep time.
  
  
•  Look for meats that are precut too, like beef, pork or chicken stir fry meat.  You can keep some on hand for the days you are really tired or rushed.  A handful of pre-cut veggies and meat stir-fried for 15 minutes on medium heat makes a quick meal.
  
  
•  George foreman grills are great for a quick grilled steak or chicken.
  
  
•  Use your crockpot, throw something frozen in before bed and wake up to a cooked meal. (You can get these very cheap - I recommend one with a timer) before you go to bed and wake up with food done.  Or do it in the morning and have dinner ready when you come home from work. 
  
  You can do this with a frozen roast if you don't have time to defrost.  I take a frozen roast from the freezer, put it in crockpot, pour a bag of already chopped veggies in a bag in, quickly pour spices on top, and set timer and go to work.  Takes me all of 5 minutes and I come home to a wonderful smelling house with dinner waiting. Yum.
  
  Crockpot soups!
  
  
•  I find I use my veggie steamer quite a bit.  Mine is an Oster and has a timer on it, and I can cook about 10 cups of veggies at a time.  So I'll steam a big batch, divide it into Tupperware containers, throw some salt and pepper and a little butter on top, and I have veggies for several days.
  
  
•  Clean while you cook - it will save you time later.  While the food is sitting on the heat, quickly wipe up the counter, rinse off the dishes and load them into the dishwasher.  If you are exercising regularly you will have enough energy to do this.
  
  
•  Preheat your oven, put some foil down on a cookie sheet and plop down a bunch of chicken pieces. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper on top and rub on garlic paste (in a jar) and a little olive oil on top.  Throw in the oven and come back later.  You will have a bunch of chicken for leftovers too.
  
  
• I BBQ once a week a bunch of steaks… I do a bunch at a time, then use my toaster oven for reheating
  
  
• Boil a dozen eggs for quick on the run snacks
  
  
•  One of my favorite dishes is lemon/rosemary chicken.  Take boneless (but not skinless) chicken breasts and put them in a skillet with a healthy dose of lemon juice, lots of fresh rosemary, olive oil and whole garlic cloves (I buy the already peeled stuff).  Cook each side on medium heat until brown and the lemon juice and olive oil dries up.  Delicious!!
  
  
• See my profile for notes on home made beef jerky.

The kitchen tools I like best for time saving are:

•  My veggie steamer - set the timer and go - sold for $30 bucks at Target - Oster brand
  
  
• My food processor's slicing tool
  
  
• A really big skillet with lid
  
  
• My crockpot - inexpensive
  
  
• Indoor Grill with timer and adjustable heat.
  
  
• Mandolin veggie slicer

This is wonderful information sublimate, thanks so much.

It's a lot of work, but it definitely pays off. Just a note, you can also get pre-diced onions & green peppers in the frozen foods case at the grocers. 

You can get them in the Veggie department too! As well as Pico de GUY-o.... I know... I am spelling it wrong. My brain is turning to mush at this hour of the night. lol!

Where's the "LIKE" button?!?!  lol!

Really helpful! Especially for us busy worker bees! Thanks for sharing!  

Thank you for the great tips! :-)