Healthy eating as a SM

[SMfairy]

Ok, so here's a question to all you busy people! What sort of foods do you eat when there just isn't time to cook something? Do you succumb to the 'easy' quick-cook stuff that isn't all that good for you, or do you have and tips and tricks for eating properly, even when you're rushed off your feet? I find that when I'm busy with a show at uni, the last thing I want to do when I get in from a long day, or pop home between sessions, is cook a meal. I often make up something at the weekend which can be reheated and used throughout the week in a variety of ways, such as a nice versatile bolognese sauce. I would be grateful to receive any tips on maintaing a healthy, balanced diet on a time shoestring.
Thanks,
Claire.

[Rebbe]

I’m a big fan of crock pots/slow cookers, because you can make healthy food without doing the cooking while you're already tired and hungry.  I prep a meal the night before, or in the morning before work, and set a timer to have the crock pot start and stop cooking at the right time so dinner is ready whenever I get home.  I make a lot of chilis, stews, hearty soups, and even pasta dishes this way.  Vegetarian dishes are especially easy since you don’t have to worry about meat sitting at room temperature for too long before or after cooking.  I usually eat whatever I’ve made for a couple of days, then freeze a couple potions for another week, and I can defrost something from a previous week. 

[missliz]

I second using the crock pot! I got one a month ago and it's been a lifesaver.

Some things I've picked up while trying to stay healthy on the run:

+Buy a water bottle. I have one of those crazy indestructable Siggs. Keep hydrated.
+I cook for 4 for myself, then Tupperware the rest for rehearsals. Things like hamburger patties, chili or or chicken salad are cheap and quick to make, and can keep for a while.
+If you can, keep a few things at the theater. I've left things like veggies and hummus or lite popcorn there for when I just want a snack.

[Thespi620]

My mom makes an incredible pasta sauce that she makes in huge batches, so I tend to either nab a batch whenever I'm home or recreate the recipe when I have time and freeze an entire pot in ziplocs, then I can just pull a ziploc out of the freezer, pop it in the microwave while the water is boiling and throw some cheese on top.  Same deal with chicken noodle soup. 

I also found Purdue pre-cooked chicken strips--not my favorite as an every night thing, but once in a while when I only have 30 minutes, those are set to eat in 3 minutes in the microwave or less in a pan with a little oil and seasoning. 

I'm a huge snacker, though--especially carrots and apples and peanut butter.  I find that a few healthy snacks throughout the day hold me over between smaller-than-ideal meals when I don't have the time to really cook.   

[MatthewShiner]

Seriously, I live and die by Starbucks . . .

Coffee and the egg wrap in the morning
Fruit and cheese plate in the evening or the small protein plate.

Since I have turned vegetarian as part of the whole lifestyle change I have undergone, I find it a BIT easier to eat healthy, but we have some amazing restaurants downtown - otherwise, in rehearsal, I usually just grab 2 boiled eggs for lunch.

[Tempest]

In addition to long rehearsal hours/second job, I also have an hour long drive to get to work and another to get home, every night, so I find myself eating in the car, a lot.  You can acutally make sandwiches, like ham or turkey, and cheese and freeze them.  After sitting in my lunch bag for about three hours, they're thawed, but still cool, and ready to eat.
I also try to locate as many "healthier" fast food places along my driving routes as possible.  I've become a big fan of Moe's tacos (smaller than the burritos, without all the extra rice, and you can buy a cup of guacamole with the money you save!)  I also keep a stack of menus for local restaurants that will take to-go orders and give them a call about 30 minutes before meal break/end of night.  Shrimp pad thai is way tastier than a cheeseburger, and probably healthier, too.
I will admit to also living off Starbucks, when nothing else is a possibility.

[Candy0081]

What a great topic!  This is something I struggle with daily.  I am out on my third tour and eating healthy has never been my strong suit.  I recently cut out all soda (unless it's with some whiskey) and cut out caffeine this week. (Insane I know, but I wasn't sleeping well, and I am a grump without my sleep.)   I have been drinking tons of water and it has been helping tremendously.  I also swear by fruit strips.  I get them at Trader Joe's or Target.  It's like a fruit roll up, but without all the junk.  Other than that, it's hard to do. 

[KMC]

I recently cut out all soda (unless it's with some whiskey)

I did this about six months ago.  One thing I found that helped me was drinking flavored sparkling water in place of soda.  It's actually quite refreshing and the flavored stuff gives you a bit of sweetness.  Best of all it's zero calories. 

Not sure how this would go with whiskey, I take mine straight with one ice cube   

[On_Headset]

The biggest problem I had as a student was a tendency to wait too long between meals. It's the nature of the work: sometimes you really do need to be in place for six or eight hours without a proper meal break, and 15 minutes isn't enough time to even run to McDonalds, let alone assemble a full meal, so by the end of it I'd get in the door and stuff my face with whatever was convenient.

What worked for me was snacking throughout the day. These days I'll pack a sandwich of some description, a can of microwaveable instant soup, a ziploc bag of dry cereal, a banana, a pre-cooked salmon fillet, etc. and I'll just eat as I get opportunities to do so. This means sneaking off to the lunchroom (No food in the house or on deck! EVER!), but I only need two minutes to snarf down a BLT and it gets me through the day much better: when I get home, I'm not absolutely starving, so I can take the time to prepare something worth eating.

I think it's likely I'm eating more food than I ever have before, but I've lost weight and I'm spending less. (I can get everything in my lunchbox--which will last me through a full day and replace my lunch--for less than a fast food combo meal.) Funny how that works.

If I was on tour I don't know what I'd do, heh.

I'm trying to replace soda with seltzer, but most of the soda I drink is in restaurants anyway, and it's not like Burger King will bring out a spritzer bottle for you.

[Allinblack]

On the soda front, most restaurants or venues (movie theaters, etc) that have a soda fountain are able to provide soda water, aka seltzer.  Usually on of the soda flavors has a small trigger like button next to it that reads soda.  Voila.

Places like movie theaters will probably make you pay the regular price for a drink even if it is Soda Water.  Restaurants or Bars, i have found, tend not to charge for them

[KMC]

On the soda front, most restaurants or venues (movie theaters, etc) that have a soda fountain are able to provide soda water, aka seltzer.  Usually on of the soda flavors has a small trigger like button next to it that reads soda.  Voila.

Places like movie theaters will probably make you pay the regular price for a drink even if it is Soda Water.  Restaurants or Bars, i have found, tend not to charge for them

And with a wedge of lime or lemon it's quite refreshing!