This is the fifth week of a six-week Q & A series. Holly (aka Spleeness) asked:
How do you manage meals?
There are three types of grad students when it comes to meal management
I am one of the many graduate students in the world who gained weight in grad school. I had no idea that I would gain 20 pounds in my first two years of graduate school. It can be frustrating at times (especially like the time last year when I had to buy a new wardrobe to attend an academic conference). Most people who know how I eat know that I eat relatively healthy. They swear I am just gaining weight from stress. But I don’t exercise enough, I eat too many carbs and I have long days. I eat too much during the day. The silver lining is that I love my body more now than I ever did when I was a size 4 and I am not living in a dream land where I expect to ever fit in my jeans from college.
Then there are the protein shake grad students. They eat on the weekends, but live on protein shakes, juice and smoothies during the week. Most of these students contend that liquid diets are more efficient. They are right. Really, the best way to eat is not to eat, but to drink. It is better for our digestive systems. The few people I know who live on shakes are relatively healthy. I lived on shakes when I had braces in college and I hated it. I love food too much. And I love to cook. If you want to know more about how to live a chewing-free lifestyle, I highly recommend reading one of my favorite books: The Tao of Detox.
Then there are the grad students who do not eat. When they are stressed and busy, they forget to eat or lose their appetites. They go all day without really eating. When they do eat, they eat out. Usually fast food because it is… well… fast. Some wait all day and then eat a ton of food at night. So some people lose weight in grad school.
How I adjusted to eat healthier since the summer
My first year of grad school, I ate meals out quite a bit. There were days when I would spend 12 hours in Panera with fellow students. We might eat two meals there in one day. Free WiFi + large tables for notes and books + coffee + “everyone can find something to eat” = grad student hide out. Once I became acclimated to 12-24 hour academic days, I started cooking more and bringing food with me to work and campus. I work from home on the weekends and at least twice during the week. I am only on campus two full days and a half day one day each week. I am in my office or working off site at least once per week. It may seem like this would be frustrating and make meal planning difficult, but I have found a way to make it work for me. I do have access to coffee pots, microwaves and mini-fridges on campus in my labs and at my office. Also, keep in mind I am a little neurotic, I love food, I love to cook and I do not eat any four-legged animals (and fish is the only meat I cook in my house). I also probably spend more on groceries for myself in a week than some couples spend. I justify it in my head and in my budget by not eating out at restaurants like I used to.
How to plan meals when you have a hectic schedule without any semblance of routine
Make menus for the week.
I have a calendar on my fridge that I use just for menu planning. I shop for groceries weekly or bi-weekly depending on how busy I am. I base my menu off of what I anticipate my week will look like. I do not plan meals for breakfast and lunch on weekends because I am home and usually eat the same kinds of things those days. I am rarely able to stick to my menu exactly, but it helps me budget my time and money wisely.
Menus come in most handy at dinner. I know that I have something at home ready to make and I am rarely tempted to pick up food on my way home in the evenings. I do eat out most Thursday nights after class. I meet up some fellow students around 5pm so we can hang out and avoid driving in rush hour traffic. Unless I am going to meet up with some friends on a Friday night, I cook dinner for myself every other night of the week. I started making weekly menus that I stick by fairly well.
I have to eat the same thing for two or three meals sometimes, but I change it up a little so I don’t get tired of it. I might make enough homemade Mac and Cheese for three days, but I might eat it with a tuna steak and peas for dinner, with a small salad the next day for lunch, and with a sautéed Portobello mushrooms and spinach that night for dinner. I might make a small homemade pizza one night for dinner with leftover veggies in my fridge. I might cook brown rice one night as a side and make enough to use the leftovers for fried rice with veggies and tofu the next. You just have to be creative. Here are some pictures of some of my favorite things to make for dinner.
Keep a bag/box of non-perishable snacks and food items at your office.
Hide it so people don’t steal your food. Rely on it. Keep it stocked. If you have access to a microwave and fridge/freezer, keep a few frozen or perishable staples available, too. I have a bag of food hidden at my desk and some lean cuisines in the freezer at my office in case I forget my lunch. If I know I will be on campus or at work a lot, I usually keep baby carrots and hummus in the fridge, too. There is really no excuse for me to eat out for breakfast or lunch any day of the week. There is no excuse for me to spend money at the vending machine on junk food. I do eat out for lunch sometimes because my boss and I prefer to work in coffee shops and restaurants.
Purchase an insulated lunch bag to carry snacks and food in little containers or bags.
This is related to the last suggestion, of course. If you have a fridge/microwave access when you away from home, you can just use the bag to transport your food to the fridge. If do not have access to kitchen-like appliances all day, the insulated lunch bags can keep food cold with an ice pack. Etsy has some lovely ones.
{via Diane’s Corner on Etsy}
Staying hydrated improves your mood, boosts your energy level, helps your skin stay fabulous, and keeps your body healthy. If you normally drink a lot of soda and coffee during the day, try one serving of water at some point during the day when you would normally grab a soda or cup of Joe. People make fun of me because I drink so much water. They can keep making fun. I will continue to drink my many daily liters of Reverse Osmosis water, thanks.
{KOR}
Make giant portions of soups, curries and sauces and freeze individual servings in freezer bags.
I try to do this once every few months. I will make a giant pot of veggie minestrone or pasta e fagoili, chana masala, pasta sauce, and Indian sweet potato curry. I divide servings into freezer bags and pile them into my freezer. I also make veggie lasagna and cut it into individual pieces without baking it first. I store it in freezer paper and bags so I can take a piece out of the freezer in the morning and have it thawed that night.
{Giant pot of pasta sauce with spinach, chickpeas and artichoke hearts – I froze the leftovers}
You are what you eat
There are some foods that I like to have in my pantry/freezer/fridge at all times: romaine lettuce, frozen spinach, frozen fruit, bananas, brown rice pasta, brown rice, tuna, whey protein (does that count?), marinara sauce, frozen avocado halves, green tea, carrots, black beans, hummus, pistachios, raisins, cheese, popcorn, honey, coffee, chocolate chocolate chocolate, wine, ginger ale
{some of my staples for breakfast}
My friends on Twitter mentioned some great meal time staples: peanut butter, pasta, Mac & Cheese, applesauce, apples, popcorn, fresh fruit, beefaroni, ground turkey, marinara sauce, dried fruit, nuts, cheddar bunnies, blue corn chips, pretzels, cheese, wine, cereal, coffee
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When you had a major lifestyle adjustment, did you gain or lose weight or was food not an issue?
What are your favorite snack foods to pack on a long day away from home? Do you eat out every day at lunch or do you prefer to cook meals at home and eat leftovers? Do you live on protein shakes?
How do you manage your meals when you don’t have a second of free time to spare?