Tell me why you are fat

[nakedfrog]

Realistically you can cook a steak (or other meat items i guess) in that, if you aren't going too extravagant or doing sides and stuff, and assuming it's thawed and you have the ingredients. You'll prolly get bored of that quickly though.

Maybe I just calculate time differently, I include time to get out cookware, meat, seasonings, burner heating up (maybe you people all have gas stoves, or at least more efficient stoves?), putting things away.
Most microwave cooking adds minimal overhead (opening packaging, disposing of package).

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Maybe I just calculate time differently, I include time to get out cookware, meat, seasonings, burner heating up (maybe you people all have gas stoves, or at least more efficient stoves?), putting things away.
Most microwave cooking adds minimal overhead (opening packaging, disposing of package).

I have a gas stove, assuming I planned ahead and actually bought what I/my significant other want to eat for dinner, it's usually limited to prep/cook time, and not extraneous stuff. Anything involving water boiling requires that timeframe to account for (so like 10-15m), but if it's steak on a pan you really can have that ready to serve in 10m. This is again, assuming that the GF actually wants to eat that and no sides are done.

Cooking as a bachelor is much easier than as a couple, from my experience.

 

[NesuD]

Pretty much every dinner I make during the week does.

Season pork/chicken/fish with something from the spice cabinet. Cook it on the skillet in some olive oil for 4-7 minutes, depending what it is. Meanwhile have a pot of water steaming some brocolli or cook some zuchinni or asparagus on the skillet. Total effort time < 10 minutes.

If I'm grilling it takes about 30 minutes total - 5-10 minutes to get the grill hot, then 20 minutes to cook, but I'm not "doing work" that whole time. I will prepare the chicken legs/thighs while it is heating up, then I put them on the grill and play with my son outside and/or prepare veggies, and flip the chicken once.

Sounds very much like what I do although i have a tendency to be microwaving frozen vegetables and whipping up a simple salad at the same time. depending on the meat I can usually whip it all together in 10 - 15 minutes actually be eating my salad and watching network news while the meat finishes off.

 

[ponyo]

Cooking fresh healthy meal for one is more expensive than eating fast food. It's a fact. Sure you can cook a big batch of something and eat that all week but that's not what most people want. That's not eating and enjoying yourself. That's form of torture.

I can understand not wanting to cook if you're single. I hate cooking just for myself. When I'm home alone for weeks or months at a time, I usually don't have the motivation to cook. And I think I'm a decent cook and know how to cook some simple things. I cook often when my wife and daughter are home. I enjoy cooking for them and eating with them. But when it's just me, I rather pick something up or go out to eat than cook at home.

 

[NesuD]

For me it might go like this.
Get frozen veggie package out out of the freezer throw on microwave safe plate set timer for 5 minutes do not start yet.
Start heating olive oil in fry pan.
Season meat put in pan med heat start microwave.
Open salad bag of my current favorite greens mix put in medium bowl dress with yogurt based organic dressing.
Sit down at table with tablet and watch the news while consuming salad.
Microwave timer goes off turn meat leave veggies in microwave set kitchen timer for 5 minutes resume eating salad and watching news.
Kitchen timer goes off turn off heat at the fry pan plate meat and veggies return to table.
Salad is usually finished by now.
Return to table and enjoy the rest of my meal while watching the news.

Usually done in 30 minutes or less from start to finish.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Cooking fresh healthy meal for one is more expensive than eating fast food. It's a fact. Sure you can cook a big batch of something and eat that all week but that's not what most people want. That's not eating and enjoying yourself. That's form of torture.

I can understand not wanting to cook if you're single. I hate cooking just for myself. When I'm home alone for weeks or months at a time, I usually don't have the motivation to cook. And I think I'm a decent cook and know how to cook some simple things. I cook often when my wife and daughter are home. I enjoy cooking for them and eating with them. But when it's just me, I rather pick something up or go out to eat than cook at home.

Eh, one can go back and forth on the 'which is cheaper' but really most people aren't eating ramen or chicken and rice, so most people are already going above the 'cheaper' mark. And no, eating similar meals several days in a row is not 'torture', take that obtuse shit/first world problems elsewhere.

 

[NesuD]

Eh, one can go back and forth on the 'which is cheaper' but really most people aren't eating ramen or chicken and rice, so most people are already going above the 'cheaper' mark. And no, eating similar meals several days in a row is not 'torture', take that obtuse shit/first world problems elsewhere.

I agree the meal I described cost maybe 7-10 dollars depending on your choice of meat. Maybe a little less if you watch the sales and get extra on sale and freeze it. It is pricing right in the ball park with many typical combo meals at some fast food places and a hell of a lot healthier. It is only more expensive to eat healthy if you want it to be.

 

[Ackmed]

I'm not fat, yet. I think it is easier and cheaper to eat poorly. I have never seen chicken or pork for $2 per person with broccoli unless its bought in bulk and served in some micro size. Cooking yourself can lead to leftovers which can be good.

I would say that a lot of the problem is that cooking is a lost art. It is very easy to microwave or put something into the oven. There are even healthier options that you can do the same thing with. Cooking takes some skill, and you have to be taught how to do it. Men and women are not being raised to cook as much, parents aren't teaching them. Im sure if this was brought up it would be called sexists, wanting women to learn to cook. We cook an entire meal about once a week, by we I mean usually my wife. Goes to the store and cooks that day with fresh ingredients. I do cook fish a lot with vegetables. Doesn't take long to thaw them out and put them in a pan, and not terrible for you. I can do a fair amount, but I have to follow instructions until I memorize it. I can't just start adding a dash or this with that and have it turn out great. It can be fun though and a family event, kids love to mix shit up and make a mess.

All that being said, I do love fast food, pizza, etc. Eat it too much probably, oh well.

 

[ponyo]

I think it's easier to cook today than anytime in history. We have so many appliances and gadgets to make our life easier. It's easier than ever to buy quality ingredients and things you need. There are so many resources available online that teach you recipes and techniques. You can practically learn to cook anything by watching Youtube. The amount of information out there is amazing.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

I think it's easier to cook today than anytime in history. We have so many appliances and gadgets to make our life easier. It's easier than ever to buy quality ingredients and things you need. There are so many resources available online that teach you recipes and techniques. You can practically learn to cook anything by watching Youtube. The amount of information out there is amazing.

This is true, but variety can also bring decision panic, or at minimum pickiness. You try stocking a kitchen to support 7 different cuisine type... thai, indian, americana traditional (burgers, meat and potatos), americana imported (pizza, americanized XYZ) mexican, italian, and chinese/japanese, all deliverable to my house at the whims of my significant other and I within 20 minutes of clicking a few buttons online. And depending on which cuisine I order, it might be cheaper than making it (I can get 6-8 meals out of a $50 order of Indian, and that's still probably overeating).

 

[jman19]

I'm not fat

But yea I could be in better shape. Feeling a bit soft at times

 

[ponyo]

There are people who eat to live. Then there are people who live to eat. I'm in the latter camp. Good food ranks up there with good sex for me. So I eat well and don't mind spending the money. I'm not picky and will eat just about anything but I'm picky when it comes to eating the same thing twice in a row. Which is why I can't make big batches to eat for a week. I have to freeze to eat at later date or give or throw it away.

 

[Ackmed]

I too think it is easier to cook now that before. For the reasons that you stated. Most things that can be done by oneself are easier to do now because of the resources. Such as the building own PC thread. Parts are easier, and more tutorials online.

I just think more and more people don't know how, or are too lazy to cook. Everyone has to go go go! According to the Washington Post, 30 years ago 75% of meals at home were home cooked, now it is at 60%. Not huge, but will only get worse I think. The article has some insight on why people ate out as well, and the changes in that regard.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/03/05/the-slow-death-of-the-home-cooked-meal/

 

[William Gaatjes]

Well, for a while i decided how it would be like to be fat with a belly. And my weight was just over 257pounds (At 6feet 4 inch). I felt comfortable like that for a while. But i got tired of it and now i am already dropping down again. I have to eat a lot to keep that weight. Now it is in the evening instead of cookies and icecream , 1.5 liters of water and peanuts in the shell without any additions. And that works well. Stop all that sugar and modified sugar shit(glucos/fructose and other modified sugars like hcfs) and body weight just drops like that and a healthy appetite returns.

 

[purbeast0]

Cooking fresh healthy meal for one is more expensive than eating fast food. It's a fact.

Actually no, that's not a "fact". It's flat out false. Unless your "meal" consists of 2 double cheeseburgers from mcdonalds every night.

Bag of frozen broccoli flourets = $2 and will last 2 meals.
Can of green beans = $1
3 .5lb pork chops ~= $6
4lbs of chicken drumsticks - $8 (even cheaper when on sale)

1 meal consisting of some protein and veggies will run you about $3 - $4 bucks after you add in a little bit of seasoning and olive oil or butter.

 

[ponyo]

Actually no, that's not a "fact". It's flat out false. Unless your "meal" consists of 2 double cheeseburgers from mcdonalds every night.

Bag of frozen broccoli flourets = $2 and will last 2 meals.
Can of green beans = $1
3 .5lb pork chops ~= $6
4lbs of chicken drumsticks - $8 (even cheaper when on sale)

1 meal consisting of some protein and veggies will run you about $3 - $4 bucks after you add in a little bit of seasoning and olive oil or butter.

If you want to play let's eat crap meal, you can get two whole combo pizza from Costco food court for $20. That's 16 meals or more if you're light eater. That's $1.25 a meal consisting of some protein, veggies, dairy, and carb. Eat that for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and it will last you more than 5 days. You can eat fast food for cheap too. Eat the dollar menu or the full fare meals with buy 1 get 1 coupons.

 

[Kaido]

Actually no, that's not a "fact". It's flat out false. Unless your "meal" consists of 2 double cheeseburgers from mcdonalds every night.

Bag of frozen broccoli flourets = $2 and will last 2 meals.
Can of green beans = $1
3 .5lb pork chops ~= $6
4lbs of chicken drumsticks - $8 (even cheaper when on sale)

1 meal consisting of some protein and veggies will run you about $3 - $4 bucks after you add in a little bit of seasoning and olive oil or butter.

Yeah, I eat pretty cheaply by cooking at home. For example, I buy big bags of frozen salmon filets from Sam's Club. Price per filet works out to $2 each. Local grocery store has 10 for $10 for bagged frozen veggies all the time (or bulk frozen bags from Costco), and I only use half of one of those bags for a lunch meal for myself. A 20-pound bag of rice is $20 from the local ethnic stores (jasmine, basmati, etc.). 2 cups of white rice is about a pound, so 1 cup of rice is 50 cents. RideFree's bread recipe costs under a quarter per loaf. So say $3.25 for meal consisting of a salmon filet, jasmine rice, a cup of steamed broccoli, and a slice of fresh bread (we'll be generous & count the slice for loaf pricing, haha). A Big Mac (sandwich only) is $3.99. Bonus, I can cook the filet, rice, and broccoli in my Instant Pot & the bread in my bread machine, so actual work is minimal.

Cooking fresh, healthy meals is typically only more expensive is you buy pre-packaged food, buy fancy ingredients, or are comparing it to rock-bottom-priced fast food. But for items like the 4 for $4 meal at Wendy's, I'd typically rather have the salmon/rice/broccoli/toast meal (unless it's a Whopper, because I have a weakness for those lol). The convenience is what costs you money: buying buffet food from Whole Foods, frozen healthy dinners, online stuff like Blue Apron, etc. Or buying high-end ingredients like filet mignon or what have you. I mean, Texas Roadhouse charges $17.99 for a 12-ounce NY strip steak. I can get the same thing for half-price at the grocery store & sous vide it up into a better meal than they can do. I'm not knocking going out to eat, but if you're really serious about eating healthy on a budget, you can basically eat like a king without spending a fortune if you're willing to make a menu, go shopping, and cook. Pinterest has a zillion delicious recipes available for free. And if you're willing & able to invest in cooking appliances like electronic pressure cookers, you can cut the actual effort required down quite a bit by automating it.

Digging even further into it, you can save money by buying & cooking in bulk. Lately I've been doing batches of stuff & freezing it for later use, even desserts like chocolate-chip cookie dough, peanut butter cookie dough, cinnamon rolls, brownie batter (in cheap disposable foil containers), etc. I go through a lot of chicken breast & try to only buy it on sale - it goes from $22 every other week for a big pack of fresh BSCB to $12 on sale. Vacuum-seal those puppies up for sous vide or other cooking methods. We have the technology (appliances) & the education (the Internet) to make it happen, so it mostly boils down to whether or not an individual is willing to put in the work to make it happen. It's a lot easier just to do take-out or drive-through meals, and you're guaranteed a tasty, hot meal with zero effort, which is awesome. The Dollar menu & other super-budget menu items will always trump cost for food because they can pump those out in ridiculously large bulk quantities. But if you're willing to cook, you can cook reasonably healthy & delicious meals on a budget, no problem.

 

[Kaido]

If you want to play let's eat crap meal, you can get two whole combo pizza from Costco food court for $20. That's 16 meals or more if you're light eater. That's $1.25 a meal consisting of some protein, veggies, dairy, and carb. Eat that for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and it will last you more than 5 days. You can eat fast food for cheap too. Eat the dollar menu or the full fare meals with buy 1 get 1 coupons.

I would argue that nobody wants to eat pizza for three meals a day, but then I remembered that I would absolutely eat pizza for three meals a day given the opportunity, so nevermind

 

[x26]

I think for a lot of overweight people, food is something happy. Work sucks, life sucks, whatever, but food is delicious and provides a burst of happiness every single time.

True--Instant Gratification. And Unlike Drugs, it's Legal.

 

[purbeast0]

If you want to play let's eat crap meal, you can get two whole combo pizza from Costco food court for $20. That's 16 meals or more if you're light eater. That's $1.25 a meal consisting of some protein, veggies, dairy, and carb. Eat that for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and it will last you more than 5 days. You can eat fast food for cheap too. Eat the dollar menu or the full fare meals with buy 1 get 1 coupons.

What are you talking about "lets eat crap meal" you are the one talking about eating crap (ie. fast food) than eating healthy.

 

[Jeeebus]

I would argue that nobody wants to eat pizza for three meals a day, but then I remembered that I would absolutely eat pizza for three meals a day given the opportunity, so nevermind

OMG I could eat a whole pizza right now. Hence the fatness.

 

[ponyo]

What are you talking about "lets eat crap meal" you are the one talking about eating crap (ie. fast food) than eating healthy.

So buy fresh broccoli and green beans. Not that frozen and can crap. Fresh veggies are expensive. Oil, spices, ingredients are not free. It all adds up. Fresh veggies and fruits are more expensive than meat. And fresh wild seafood is really expensive. And if you don't have herb garden, fresh herbs are expensive as well. One bundle of fresh basil can cost more than a Big Mac meal.

 

[purbeast0]

So buy fresh broccoli and green beans. Not that frozen and can crap. Fresh veggies are expensive. Oil, spices, ingredients are not free. It all adds up. Fresh veggies and fruits are more expensive than meat. And fresh wild seafood is really expensive. And if you don't have herb garden, fresh herbs are expensive as well. One bundle of fresh basil can cost more than a Big Mac meal.

Are you trying to say that frozen veggies are on the same level as a double cheeseburger from mcdonalds, healthy wise?

Add fresh broccoli instead and add like 50 cents to the price of the meal if that makes you feel better.

And sure, add the cost of salt and pepper, you know, since it will cost you about $2 over a 2 month period for them. Add in the 5 cents per meal if you want.

You said eating a healthy meal is more expensive than fast food is a "fact". I just proved your fact wrong, and now you change the rules up and it has to be fresh fish, with basil? It's okay if you don't want to eat chicken + broccoli, but to say it's more expensive than a value meal at a fast food joint is just false, by a long shot. Of course a Tuna Steak + truffels is going cost you more than a fast food meal at McDonalds, no one is arguing that.

 

[ponyo]

Are you trying to say that frozen veggies are on the same level as a double cheeseburger from mcdonalds, healthy wise?

Add fresh broccoli instead and add like 50 cents to the price of the meal if that makes you feel better.

And sure, add the cost of salt and pepper, you know, since it will cost you about $2 over a 2 month period for them. Add in the 5 cents per meal if you want.

You said eating a healthy meal is more expensive than fast food is a "fact". I just proved your fact wrong, and now you change the rules up and it has to be fresh fish, with basil? It's okay if you don't want to eat chicken + broccoli, but to say it's more expensive than a value meal at a fast food joint is just false, by a long shot. Of course a Tuna Steak + truffels is going cost you more than a fast food meal at McDonalds, no one is arguing that.

How did you prove my fact wrong? Like I said before, 18" whole combo pizza at Costco food court is $9.99. Buy two and it's $20. That's week worth of food or $1.25 per meal. Compared to your $3-4 chicken and broccoli meal, fast food pizza is cheaper.

 

[purbeast0]

How did you prove my fact wrong? Like I said before, 18" whole combo pizza at Costco food court is $9.99. Buy two and it's $20. That's week worth of food or $1.25 per meal. Compared to your $3-4 chicken and broccoli meal, fast food pizza is cheaper.

Or you could buy a $10 bag of rice and make that last a week. Or you could buy a bulk pack of Ramen noodles for like $8 and make that last a week. But we both know that's even close to being a realistic life style and no one does that, just like the scenario you are talking about.

Stop being dense. When people talk about "fast food" they are generally talking about going out to eat for lunch and/or dinner like during the work day, getting a meal that costs anywhere from like $7 - $15 depending where you go. They aren't talking about getting 2 pizzas and eating a slice per meal to try and prove a point. Most fatties who get pizzas don't make 2 pizzas last a week. They eat the full pizza in a day.