you are definitely not alone. however there are some of you out there that actually find relaxation and joy in the process of making dinner after a hectic day. for those of you who fall into that camp consider yourselves part of the elite. if you are already out and near the grocery store and are leaning toward getting prepared foods i would recommend picking simple things that you can quickly add flavor to (and not calories) like rotisserie chicken. just squeeze a couple of fresh lemons on the chicken and top with chopped basil or use limes and top with cilantro. pick out veggies at the salad bar — they are already washed chopped and prepped for you. you can take them home and roast them in a 450 degree f oven for 5-7 minutes with just a bit of soy sauce and extra virgin olive oil. this is a great and easy veggie side dish that wouldn’t take much longer than reheating something that would be prepared by the store and laden with butter or fattening oils. sometimes we are too tired to go to the store and deal with anything that would take even just reheating. for instance tonight i got home after 12 hours of traveling and i’m battling over what i could make for dinner — or — to pick up thai food. i think that thai is going to win tonight. but i know that what is important if i make that choice is what to order. i could dive into coconut milk soup deep fried spring rolls and curry laden with more coconut milk. while this will be guaranteed to be delicious the extra 1000 calories that can come from some of the richer choices won’t be worth it. what will be a much better choice will still be delicious. spring rolls that are fresh — not fried — and are filled with vegetables and fresh mint and cilantro are a delicious healthy choice. another great dish is thai basil chicken and vegetables light oil (ask for that when ordering at any asian restaurants). also any soup without the coconut milk will be an excellent choice. i’m reminding myself of this as i am you. when i’m tired and hungry and have cooked for everyone else during the day the first thing i might go for is not always the best choice. another small but important tip is to drink a big glass of water before you order out. many times we are dehydrated as well as hungry so we are even more likely to make impulsive food choices.
any suggestions for healthy eating on nights when i'm too tired to cook after work?