Benefits or allowances?

[DeejayR]

It's a tall order to break away from convenience food with your lifestyle but you can do it. In fact you need to if you're going to get on top of your diabetes. Have a look around the forum at what others are doing in similar situations. I've cooked with just a microwave for a year and they're really versatile. Get a vacuum flask and make soup to take. Or get a wide-necked flask and make stews too. A supermarket hot roast chicken will give you at least 4 protein meals. Bratwurst (low carb) sausages. Cheese, Gromit!

 

[greener]

do I have to cook the Bratwurst
and what's Gromit? it shows an animation in google

 

[Brunneria]

You have a microwave. Do you have a fridge?

I agree that without a proper kitchen to call your own it is easy to fall into the convenience food trap.

I lived 3 yrs as a student in halls of residence and houses with pretty vile shared kitchens. One year I pretty much lived off cold meat and coleslaw (I was avoiding carbs even then).

A slow cooker might well be your best, cheapest investment. £20 should cover it, and it'll be paying for itself within 2-3 weeks. If you get one big enough to take a whole chicken then you can cook it on the bone, eat the legs with veg for dinners, take the breasts cold for packed lunches, and then make a soup with the leftovers - in the slow cooker again.

You can also cook ham joints in the slow cooker. Works out a fraction of the cost go buying ham.

Mince is good too. Chop onion, throw in slow cooker, add mince and tinned tomato, and that is your basic bolognese. You can add all sorts of twiddly bits like mushroom, red wine, garlic, herbs and Worcester sauce. Or curryfy it with curry paste or powder, other veg, garlic...

And all hot, delicious, and waiting for you when you get home from work, with leftovers for reheating the next day...

 

[CarbsRok]

Buy yourself a halogen oven. Very compact and you can cook everything and anything in it.

 

[DeejayR]

do I have to cook the Bratwurst
and what's Gromit? it shows an animation in google

Bratwurst .. heat up in water
Gromit - sorry, Wallace & Gromit, Plasticine characters. Wallace loves cheese.

 

[carty]

If you are coming home in the evening it is worth popping into any supermarkets they often have good bargains at this time especially cheese and vegetables
CAROL

 

[greener]

I want to find a woman to cook for me

 

[donnellysdogs]

I want to find a woman to cook for me

Well thats an even more expensive option

 

[MarkE]

I want to find a woman to cook for me

The best is already married- to me!

(I do cook too, honest )

 

[Brunneria]

Lol

My New Boyfriend Interview Checklist always had
Employed, student, or volunteering (I'm older now, so might be more flexible nowadays)
Capable of feeding himself
Capable of doing own laundry
No dead flies on windowcills
Doesn't rant about politics, religion or money
Non smoker
Capable of wiping own bottom.

Took 20+ yrs! but I found one. Never knew it could be this good!

 

[Barry Holt]

@greener You need protein, you have a microwave, you have limited time:
Try eggs. I believe you can scramble eggs in a microwave, though I have not tried it myself. Grate some cheese (or buy ready grated) over the scrambled egg for extra flavour.
Try tinned sardines. These are cheap and nutritious and are "instant" food. Eat with a handful of cherry tomatoes or sticks of celery.
Start thinking what you can do, not what you can't. There is a whole world of new food out there.
Sally

Who buys ready grated cheese?? What a rip off

 

[Indy51]

Who buys ready grated cheese?? What a rip off

Plus they usually add an anti-caking agent - often starch based - to stop the pre-grated cheese from clumping.

 

[CarbsRok]

Who buys ready grated cheese?? What a rip off

Perhaps someone with a disability!
Someone obviously does or it wouldn't be on the shelves

 

[Robinredbreast]

I bought it ( grated cheese) when I couldn't use my left arm last year, but always look at the 'added' ingredients on the pack.

Edited to add product.

 

[Brunneria]

We buy grated cheese regularly.
The caking agent is potato starch, and the total carbs per 100g is 2.1g while the ungrated cheddar has 0.1g carbs.
An average portion probably pushes my carbs up by 0.3g.

Grated cheese is very convenient, and I have no problems with using it.
I also buy knorr stock pots, umami paste, pickled ginger and pre-made mayo, when I feel the need.

Life is far too full of interesting stuff to stress such small things.

 

[Barry Holt]

Perhaps someone with a disability!
Someone obviously does or it wouldn't be on the shelves

Slice thinly,perhaps it's on shelves cos they make more money out of it?

 

[Robinredbreast]

Slice thinly,perhaps it's on shelves cos they make more money out of it?

I couldn't use my left arm, severe problems, so it was a goodsend, as I am a huge lover of cheese

 

[Robinredbreast]

Slice thinly,perhaps it's on shelves cos they make more money out of it?

I could not slice anything thinly, couldn't even chop vegetables. If people want to buy it then that's fine, there are worse things out there than crated cheese

 

[copepod]

Perhaps someone with a disability!
Someone obviously does or it wouldn't be on the shelves

I buy almost anything if it's reduced in price. A bag of grated cheese can be frozen, and handfuls taken out when needed, which is ideal for a single person.

 

[DeejayR]

@Robinredbreast I don't want to like your armlessness but if there was a sympathise button I'd press that.
I always look in the remainders cabinet near the fish stall at our Tesco as a challenge to see what I can create cheaply.
I'm afraid at the Co-op the remainder produce is a bit manky (manqué, I believe)