Food Prep

[compstomper]

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Starting MS1 here. I was wondering if most of you guys and gals cook? If so how does that fit into your schedule? Or do you folks just get takeout/dine out?

I ask because my loan includes around 260/month for food, and wanted to know how you all manage your time considering cooking is pretty time consuming.

 

[Elisabeth Kate]

The crockpot is your friend. Do you have one? If not, buy one. They're like 30 bucks at Walmart. Get a membership to Costco. You can buy 10 pounds of chicken breasts for 20 bucks. Put 5-10 thawed breasts in the crockpot (depending on how big it is), drop in some bullion and spices, and some celery, carrots, and potatoes and let it cook for 6 hours while you go to class. When you come home, it will be ready. Dish some out with some brown rice and freeze the rest in individual portions. Ta da, dinner for the week.

For other easy recipes, look online. Many meals can be made within 30 minutes and you can make enough that you can freeze some. I never cook just one portion of any meal. I ALWAYS cook more than I can eat in one or two nights so that I always have something in the freezer for those nights I can't bring myself to cook.

 

[Trod]

I like to meal prep lots of beans. For example, sautee some onions, bell peppers, garlic etc... Brown some italian sausage. Rinse some lentils ( I like the red ones a lot), combine everything in a pot, add water, and let that cook about an hour and a half on the stove. Bam, food for a week.

 

[Ismet]

Crockpot!!! In addition to the tips above, if you like variety in your dinners, you can make a crockpot meal on Saturday and one on Sunday. Divvy it up into portions and freeze what you're not going to eat in the next 3-4 days. I don't like eating the same thing every day, so you can switch it up if you want some variety.

In general, making several servings at once reduces the time you have to spend cooking during the week.

Also, take advantage of free food. I used to carry a clean tupperware container in my bookbag in 1st year to take leftovers after lunch with the interviewees. 😀

 

[Kahreek]

i cook, mainly do some rice, veggies beans and grill.

 

[SBR249]

Crockpot is a great idea. I also really liked my rice cooker. It came with a steam rack and I basically cook two things at the same time and it only takes about 20min so I can prep and cook a whole meal in under an hour, less if I do the prepping beforehand.

 

[Wordead]

If you can't spare 30 mins to an hour a day during preclinical years, you're doing something wrong.

 

[Espadaleader]

Cereal, milk, bagels, cream cheese, oatmeal for breakfast.

Cold cut sandwich for lunch.

Dinner is mostly microwaveable foods, quick dishes (i.e pan seared salmon & rice) or week-long dishes (i.e. Hamburger Helper, Spaghetti).

 

[DermViser]

Starting MS1 here. I was wondering if most of you guys and gals cook? If so how does that fit into your schedule? Or do you folks just get takeout/dine out?

I ask because my loan includes around 260/month for food, and wanted to know how you all manage your time considering cooking is pretty time consuming.

Tulane's med school does: http://tmedweb.tulane.edu/mu/teachingkitchen/about-us/in-the-news/

 

[Ismet]

Cereal, milk, bagels, cream cheese, oatmeal for breakfast.

Cold cut sandwich for lunch.

Dinner is mostly microwaveable foods, quick dishes (i.e pan seared salmon & rice) or week-long dishes (i.e. Hamburger Helper, Spaghetti).

I don't even want to know what your daily sodium intake is.

 

[Ismet]

If you can't spare 30 mins to an hour a day during preclinical years, you're doing something wrong.

Tell that to some of my classmates who would study while on the elevator between the library and the hospital cafeteria. 😵

 

[redpanda]

I cook once per week and cook quantities like I'd cook for a family (i.e. how most of the rest of the world cooks!). Rice cooker for fresh rice almost every day. Costco for staples. Second the Tupperware for emergency collection of free food spotted around the medical school (keep an eye out for the wine and cheese receptions!).

 

[dyspareunia]

Cereal, milk, bagels, cream cheese, oatmeal for breakfast.

Cold cut sandwich for lunch.

Dinner is mostly microwaveable foods, quick dishes (i.e pan seared salmon & rice) or week-long dishes (i.e. Hamburger Helper, Spaghetti).

Really?

 

[Beargryllz]

I'm getting a lot better. Today I made a stew with a potato, canned chicken, baby carrots, eggs (probably the only mistake), and generous amounts of pepper and onion powder (I love the flavor and hate the texture of whole onion). I threw it in a bowl and threw shredded cheddar and a few saltines crackers. It was awesome by the way.

The south has this place called Piggly Wiggly's which is also awesome because I picked up 6 steaks for $4.08. By winter, I will be a master chef and not have to worry about going broke on take-out/dine-out food.

I haven't used my crockpot yet but I'm sure I will. Everyone tells me to get a rice cooker too. We'll see what happens.

 

[BobbyB]

MS1 drinking game

whenever someone asks if you have the time to do X activity in med school, take a shot

 

[Ismet]

I haven't used my crockpot yet but I'm sure I will. Everyone tells me to get a rice cooker too. We'll see what happens.

I don't eat much rice so I don't have use for a rice cooker (plus my kitchen is pretty small and I have enough gadgets as it is), but I have a little stockpile of those Birds Eye steam fresh bags of brown rice. Just pop it in the microwave for like 4 minutes and you have freshly steamed rice! They make white rice too. They're usually 10/$10 and I get 4 servings out of a bag.

I currently have some chicken tikka masala stewing in my crockpot

 

[fancymylotus]

I don't eat much rice so I don't have use for a rice cooker (plus my kitchen is pretty small and I have enough gadgets as it is), but I have a little stockpile of those Birds Eye steam fresh bags of brown rice. Just pop it in the microwave for like 4 minutes and you have freshly steamed rice! They make white rice too. They're usually 10/$10 and I get 4 servings out of a bag.

I currently have some chicken tikka masala stewing in my crockpot

how on earth does one make ctm in a crockpot??? won't the sauce get too..saucey?

 

[Ismet]

how on earth does one make ctm in a crockpot??? won't the sauce get too..saucey?

http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/chicken-tikka-masala-crockpot/

I'm not Indian and this is probably a very wrong way to make it. But it's my favorite Indian dish and it's pretty similar in my book! Trick is to thicken up the sauce near the end.

 

[Mr.Zero]

If you have room to store food, buying in bulk from Sam's club or stores like that is the way to go! Throw some meat, veggies, broth, seasoning or whatever else you have into a crock pot, turn it on in the morning and by the afternoon you will a stew that you can portion out and freeze for later. Seriously though, as everyone else is saying, a crockpot is your best friend when it comes to cooking.

 

[fancymylotus]

http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/chicken-tikka-masala-crockpot/

I'm not Indian and this is probably a very wrong way to make it. But it's my favorite Indian dish and it's pretty similar in my book! Trick is to thicken up the sauce near the end.

Well, the spices look pretty accurate. I usually use a full fat Greek yogurt instead of plain and try my hardest to leave the heavy cream out even though its so yummy with that in there...now I am hungry all over again

 

[Ismet]

Well, the spices look pretty accurate. I usually use a full fat Greek yogurt instead of plain and try my hardest to leave the heavy cream out even though its so yummy with that in there...now I am hungry all over again

I used fat free plain Greek yogurt for the yogurt, and fat free half and half for the cream. 🙂 Result isn't quite as thick as it should be, but I'd prefer this over all the cream I know goes into the real thing!

 

[Ismet]

Also to add on to the crockpot, get those slow cooker liners (I think Ziploc makes them). Handwashing a crock-pot is one of the most annoying tasks, but with the liner you just toss it out!

 

[TheShaker]

I spend 2-3 hours on the weekend cooking in mass for the rest of the week. It does get bland eating the same thing every day though. I used to cook a lot more back when I was just working but I have been doing takeout a lot more often, but I guess that's just a part of the adjustment to being school again.

I like crockpots and use them often but it's hard to properly make things other than stews and soups.

Also to add on to the crockpot, get those slow cooker liners (I think Ziploc makes them). Handwashing a crock-pot is one of the most annoying tasks, but with the liner you just toss it out!

These things are a lifesaver. My pot barely fits in my sink . 🙁

 

[DermViser]

Tell that to some of my classmates who would study while on the elevator between the library and the hospital cafeteria. 😵

Unless it's test day, this is just ridiculous to do this. You're not any more "dedicated" by doing this and you're fooling no one.

 

[DermViser]

Cereal, milk, bagels, cream cheese, oatmeal for breakfast.

Cold cut sandwich for lunch.

Dinner is mostly microwaveable foods, quick dishes (i.e pan seared salmon & rice) or week-long dishes (i.e. Hamburger Helper, Spaghetti).

You're kidding right?

 

[Ismet]

Unless it's test day, this is just ridiculous to do this. You're not any more "dedicated" by doing this and you're fooling no one.

Oh I know. One of the many reasons I avoided my school like the plague while board studying, as seeing that would stress me out. I just heard stories from a friend about some classmates nose deep in PharmCards while grabbing dinner.

 

[DermViser]

Oh I know. One of the many reasons I avoided my school like the plague while board studying, as seeing that would stress me out. I just heard stories from a friend about some classmates nose deep in PharmCards while grabbing dinner.

Would be funny if they started choking on food getting caught down their windpipe due to being distracted by reading a PharmCard.

 

[mvenus929]

Look up freezer meals. I make twice baked potatos and gnocchi and stash it in my freezer for when I need a super quick meal. I keep pasta and a variety of sauces on hand (mostly pesto and materials for a quick marinara), mix it up occasionally by adding some meat. Fajitas are insanely easy to make and if you buy the frozen onion/pepper blend, you have virtually no prep work. Chilis and other soups are also great.

 

[911 Turbo]

T-bell all day every day (not a med student tho)

edit: I mix some Pizza Hut in there as well... GOAT thin crust

 

[KnuxNole]

Cereal, milk, bagels, cream cheese, oatmeal for breakfast.

Cold cut sandwich for lunch.

Dinner is mostly microwaveable foods, quick dishes (i.e pan seared salmon & rice) or week-long dishes (i.e. Hamburger Helper, Spaghetti).

Microwaveable foods FTW. They were a lifesaver in college, and in med school when I didn't feel like getting fast food or takeout. Also ramen! I don't have a stove in my place now, so even if I wanted to cook, I can't do much. I do have a george foreman grill and recently a crockpot. Now I eat fast food/pizza/takeout/sandwiches/ramen/canned food/frozen dinners + the occasional crockpot dish or grilled stuff. My ability to cook is quite embarrassing....which is hard to admit when everyone around me seems to be able to cook 5 star meals without trying.

 

[NCBI]

I eat cereal with milk or greek yogurt for breakfast. Cafeteria at lunch (rice, beans, chicken, or the special of the day if it is not fried). Microwave fish at dinner and top it off with a salad. If I plan on having a late night, I add in some more yogurt and granola snacks to keep my carbs up and my brain functioning right. I also drink coffee in the morning.

 

[StephanieZ]

Cereal, milk, bagels, cream cheese, oatmeal for breakfast.

Cold cut sandwich for lunch.

Dinner is mostly microwaveable foods, quick dishes (i.e pan seared salmon & rice) or week-long dishes (i.e. Hamburger Helper, Spaghetti).

This is me. I hate cooking. I've never properly learned how to do it and right now is not the time to start.

What is with the snark at this post? It's not like he said Pop Tarts and Pizza Hut every day.

 

[PL198]

Another easy thing to do in bulk is grill chicken. I can do that for a whole week's worth, make giant portion of veggies and take them to school mixed if you're going to be studying there for a long time. You don't even have to heat it up if you think it tastes ok cold, which is what I did 95 % of the time.

 

[BobbyB]

Another easy thing to do in bulk is grill chicken. I can do that for a whole week's worth, make giant portion of veggies and take them to school mixed if you're going to be studying there for a long time. You don't even have to heat it up if you think it tastes ok cold, which is what I did 95 % of the time.

exactly

if you are vegetarian or vegan you can use scrambled egg or scrambled tofu instead

all you have to do is vary the sauces. make an alfredo sauce, teriyaki sauce, chili/lemon/garlic sauce, tomato cream sauce, curry sauce etc etc. at the beginning of the week and refrigerate it. then just pour it over the food and reheat.

 

[Winged Scapula]

This is me. I hate cooking. I've never properly learned how to do it and right now is not the time to start.

What is with the snark at this post? It's not like he said Pop Tarts and Pizza Hut every day.

Hmmm....Pop Tarts.

 

[fancymylotus]

Hmmm....Pop Tarts.

I <3 pop tarts. although my current diet of coffee all day + ice cream for dinner seems to be working great. the starving fancy look is super cute.

 

[Danbo1957]

Thread gives me pause to think about it all (looooong divorced 56 year-old internist here), on any given work day in recent years:

05.00: wake up, 20-ish ounces of cold water from fridge, banana
05.25: ~20 minute run on treadmill (addictive when you really get used to doing it), shower up
05.50: every day: 3 breakfast tacos (scrambled eggs, salsa, cheese, flour tortillas, guacamole) or bowl of hot cinnamon oatmeal, orange or apple
06.30: at hospital for pre-rounds
06.55: 20 ounces bottled water, orange or apple
10.00: 20 ounces bottle of berry juice, 2-4 ounces salted peanuts and cashews (if possible due to schedule)
13.00: 20 ounces bottled water or the berry juice; big sandwich (eaten at my desk, ingredients from my well stocked office refrigerator and small pantry: Whole Foods deli ham, chicken, or turkey, cheese, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and pickles) or a big bowl of gumbo/soup that I got at Whole Foods and some crackers (mmm... gumbo)
16.00: 16 ounces bottled iced tea, 2-4 ounces peanut butter crackers, another banana (if possible due to schedule)
18:00 back at hospital for evening rounds, hand-offs
19.45: never eat dinner at home; bowl of chili con carne or BBQ at nearby joint, or enchilada plate #5 at local Mexican food eatery, or at the nearby Whole Foods buffet/food counter: roasted chicken, salmon, or beef, some green vegetables, a starch, and bottled iced tea or bottled sparkling water

(I rarely eat any type of desert or candies. And without any exception, I never drink alcohol unless I KNOW that I will not have any official medical duties for at least 24 hours.)

 

[KnuxNole]

I never understood why they wanted you to microwave Pop Tarts for THREE. WHOLE. SECONDS.

When I used to live at home, toasting them tasted good. Wild Blueberry was tasty 😀

 

[TheShaker]

I never understood why they wanted you to microwave Pop Tarts for THREE. WHOLE. SECONDS.

When I used to live at home, toasting them tasted good. Wild Blueberry was tasty 😀

The smores one is best and I will fight anyone who disagrees.

 

[Ismet]

The smores one is best and I will fight anyone who disagrees.

That one was my fave! But the wildberry one was good too.

 

[lunalight]

I think I've used my stove less than 5x in the last year. Got sick of microwave food pretty quickly after starting MS1. I use my toaster oven quite a bit, pretty sure I would starve if that thing broke.

 

[Fluffy Pomeranian]

Cooking is really not as hard or time consuming as people make it out to be. Make salmon a couple times a week, it literally takes about 3 minutes prep time and 30 minutes bake time and it's good for you. Combine with a quick and healthy side like steamed veggies, beans, or my favorite, quinoa. Grilling up some chicken on the stove takes less than 10 minutes total with prep. Make a bunch and then throw it into salads, mix with pasta and broccoli with alfredo sauce, roll up in a tortilla with mexican cheese/cream cheese for an enchilada.

 

[KnuxNole]

The tough part is making sure the salmon/chicken doesn't explode....or it gets so burnt it isn't worth eating....that has happened almost everytime I try to cook, I end up ordering takeout 🙁 If it takes less than 10 minutes, that is something I can try with a George Grill(don't have stove). I'd skip the veggies part(I hate vegetables).

 

[Fluffy Pomeranian]

The tough part is making sure the salmon/chicken doesn't explode....or it gets so burnt it isn't worth eating....that has happened almost everytime I try to cook, I end up ordering takeout 🙁 If it takes less than 10 minutes, that is something I can try with a George Grill(don't have stove). I'd skip the veggies part(I hate vegetables).

Yeah with grilling chicken you'll have to watch it because it'll cook pretty fast. But with the fish just make sure you put it on the top rack and set a timer for like 20 minutes because some ovens will only take this much time. Broil for the last couple minutes but make sure you watch closely during that so it doesn't burn. You should try quinoa!! The Far East brand has lots of delicious flavored quinoa, couscous, rice pilafs etc and they have a lot of protein.

Trust me I'm a sweets addict too and am always eating candy, donuts, cupcakes, ice cream, but I feel okay about having some sweets everyday when I eat healthy meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner too.

**Edit: Near East, not Far East haha

 

[alpinism]

Why would anyone eat anything besides breakfast food??

Bacon.

That is all.

 

[Trod]

Yeah with grilling chicken you'll have to watch it because it'll cook pretty fast. But with the fish just make sure you put it on the top rack and set a timer for like 20 minutes because some ovens will only take this much time. Broil for the last couple minutes but make sure you watch closely during that so it doesn't burn. You should try quinoa!! The Far East brand has lots of delicious flavored quinoa, couscous, rice pilafs etc and they have a lot of protein.

Trust me I'm a sweets addict too and am always eating candy, donuts, cupcakes, ice cream, but I feel okay about having some sweets everyday when I eat healthy meals for breakfast, lunch, dinner too.

**Edit: Near East, not Far East haha

Quinoa is amazing, i like to cook a whole rice pot full and keep it in the fridge for when i feel my blood sugar going down. After its already cooked i like to brown it in coconut oil then cook my eggs over it. Delicious and fills me up for quite a while.

 

[mvenus929]

I'd skip the veggies part(I hate vegetables).

You might want to try cooking them differently. Roasted veggies taste way different than steamed/boiled veggies, and you can top them with some olive oil, parm cheese, even some breadcrumbs for a little crunch.

 

[fancymylotus]

You might want to try cooking them differently. Roasted veggies taste way different than steamed/boiled veggies, and you can top them with some olive oil, parm cheese, even some breadcrumbs for a little crunch.

Roasted carrots with cumin. Hello delicious 🙂

 

[fancymylotus]

Why would anyone eat anything besides breakfast food??

Bacon.

That is all.

Coz a bunch of people don't eat pigs?

 

[PL198]

You might want to try cooking them differently. Roasted veggies taste way different than steamed/boiled veggies, and you can top them with some olive oil, parm cheese, even some breadcrumbs for a little crunch.

Doing this with zucchini is amazing.