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Ask HN: Hack a healthy, yet not expensive, meal.

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Re: Ask HN: Hack a healthy, yet not expensive, meal.

#21

Post by iamelgringo »

My wife and I have been working on this for a while. We want to eat at home, but we really don't like the process of cooking every day.

So, we cook once every 4-8 weeks. We purchased a freezer that we put in the garage for $3-400, and we do all of our meal prep at once. We buy all of our ingredients in bulk at Costco or the local Farmer's market, and then we prep 30-40 meals in one day. So, all we have to do for each meal, is thaw the package the day before, throw it in the oven or in a pan the following day, add a salad, and you're done.

It takes a lot of planning, and it takes a while before find a set of recipes that freeze well, but after a year or so of doing this, we pretty much have the list. We're at the point now, that my wife pulls 8 or 10 recipes from the database, she puts the ingredient list together, we go shopping on one day, and asssemble and freeze meals the second day. It's about 8-10 hours work for both of us, and it cuts down 1-1/2 hours of meal prep and planning every day for 4-6 weeks. Along with the recipe in the database is a label with cooking instructions that gets printed out and saran wrapped to the package.

If you Google for this, it's called "Once a month cooking".

Re: Ask HN: Hack a healthy, yet not expensive, meal.

#22

Post by HeyLaughingBoy »

jonmc12 wrote: post #15
ph0rque wrote: post #3

Not exactly on topic, but... one of my future startup ideas is a robotic garden: basically, some kind of a transparent container with a controlled atmosphere and temprature, watering system, and nutrient supply that would produce a supply of fruits/vegetables year-round in any location.

I've seen those 'kitchen gardens' on infomercials.. 'just 3 payments of $49.99'. You can grow your own lettuce. Would be cool if you could actually create something that would sustain a family - it will be difficult to find produce that will yield well for many conditions without expending a ton of energy to control its environment though.

You don't need a year-round supply of fresh fruits/veggies. Just need to be able to preserve the out of season stuff.

I used to have those grand plans of automated gardens until I realized that 90% of the problem is solved by a small greenhouse you can build for $10 in Home Depot materials.

Re: Ask HN: Hack a healthy, yet not expensive, meal.

#23

Post by inklesspen »

Eat food (as opposed to processed food-like substances). Not too much. Mostly plants.

Read Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food": http://www.amazon.com/dp/1594201455/

It's a whole different model from the shifting "red meat is bad" "no, carbs are bad" "avoid fat" "eat omega-3 fat!" madness that has ruled eating for decades.

Re: Ask HN: Hack a healthy, yet not expensive, meal.

#24

Post by Shooter »

jonmc12 wrote: post #15
ph0rque wrote: post #3

Not exactly on topic, but... one of my future startup ideas is a robotic garden: basically, some kind of a transparent container with a controlled atmosphere and temprature, watering system, and nutrient supply that would produce a supply of fruits/vegetables year-round in any location.

I've seen those 'kitchen gardens' on infomercials.. 'just 3 payments of $49.99'. You can grow your own lettuce. Would be cool if you could actually create something that would sustain a family - it will be difficult to find produce that will yield well for many conditions without expending a ton of energy to control its environment though.

There is an Israeli company that has built a 'farm-scale' robotic hydroponic system. They presented at an investment conference I went to a few years ago. The unit kind of looked like a big Dalek. I can't remember their company name, but a few minutes on Google might turn them up...

Re: Ask HN: Hack a healthy, yet not expensive, meal.

#25

Post by breck »

sidsavara wrote: post #13

I recommend finding someone on craig's list to cook for you, so you don't have to worry about it. Time is at such a premium when you are trying to launch your own business, and if they're shopping for a family, they are probably better at bargain hunting and coupon clipping than you are. I did just that, and I discuss it in this post. Wasn't sure if HN would appreciate it, so I haven't submitted it here: http://sidsa…

Great post. Can I ask where you are located?

Re: Ask HN: Hack a healthy, yet not expensive, meal.

#27

Post by jjburka »

staunch wrote: post #16
jonmc12 wrote: post #10

I go to whole foods every 3-4 days. Pick up just enough: - Tuna salad, Turkey, Pre-sliced peppers, Broccoli, Yogurt, walnuts, Green / white tea, prepped salads, walnuts, etc Trick is to make sure its ready to eat - even if its a little more expensive, that keeps me from eating out. Also, going every 3-4 days means that I eat everything, no waste.

Whole Foods is probably the least economical place to shop.

If your whole foods has a bulk section its rather economical to shop there for that.

But on the topic of cheap/good for you eats: Can't go wrong with burritos made with beans,corn and rice.

Re: Ask HN: Hack a healthy, yet not expensive, meal.

#28

Post by lallysingh »

Everyone's got different standards for healthy, and cheap. Mine probably aren't great, but I think it's a good starter position for going down this road. Especially if you're not really a cook.

Here's mine: hit the grocery store and pick up some freezer ziplock bags and some family-size packs of meat (whatever's on sale). Individually bag and freeze them. With some veggies and sauce (A1 goes well with a lot), you've got some good options.

Also, pasta. Mix in some chicken.

Re: Ask HN: Hack a healthy, yet not expensive, meal.

#29

Post by misterbwong »

All you need are a few "all purpose" ingredients

1. boneless, skinless chicken breast

2. mixed frozen veggies

3. rice or bread (rice keeps a lot longer...)

4. Misc seasonings (salt, pepper, chili powder, teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, etc)

You can buy these things in bulk and they will last forever. Combine to make whatever dish you like. One of my favorites when I was working out a lot:

1. Season chicken breast teriyaki sauce

2. Wash rice and put in rice cooker

3. Steam veggies along with the rice

4. Cook chicken on foreman grill

5. Pull out veggies, season with salt and pepper

6. You're done!

You could do a stir fry dish just as easily.

Re: Ask HN: Hack a healthy, yet not expensive, meal.

#30

Post by sidsavara »

breck wrote: post #25
sidsavara wrote: post #13

I recommend finding someone on craig's list to cook for you, so you don't have to worry about it. Time is at such a premium when you are trying to launch your own business, and if they're shopping for a family, they are probably better at bargain hunting and coupon clipping than you are. I did just that, and I discuss it in this post. Wasn't sure if HN would appreciate it, so I haven't submitted it here: http://sidsa…

Great post. Can I ask where you are located?

Thanks

I live in Honolulu, HI =)

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