Need Dinner Help Desperately

[WDWorBUST]

Okay....I am 9 weeks pregnant and absolutely exhausted and nauseaus ALL the time. We are eating out way too much....and we can't afford it. We are also trying to pay down some debt before the baby gets here which the eating out is not helping at all. DH had been helping quite a bit, but baseball season has now kicked off so he is very busy. For example....Friday he went straight from work to the ballfield and got home at 10:00pm. Then he had to be back at the ballfield at 8:30am and got home again around 10:00pm. Sunday he got a little bit of a reprieve since he didn't have to be there until around 10:00am and then got done around 7:00pm. Tonight he went straight from work again to the ballfield and will get home around 10:00pm again. Tomorrow we have bootcamp at 5:30am so we have to get up about 4:15am and he'll go straight to the ballfield again tomorrow night until around 10:00pm. He is umpiring for extra money to help towards the debt and makes really good money for a part-time gig....but you see how much he is available to help. So my question is - can you give me some suggestions on easy simple dinners that at least have a little nutritional value that don't take a ton of dishes to cook or time to prepare. I seriously am barely making it through. I have gotten one load of laundry in tonight....DD had chicken broth for dinner (at her request....her tummy is upset) and I'm eating ravioli. I still need to get at least one more load of laundry done before I can collapse (I also work full-time so I don't get home until about 5:45pm and really can't make it much past 8pm right now. I know that it will get better going in to the second trimester....but I have to figure out somehow to make it that long. Any advice and dinner ideas are deeply appreciated.

 

[dzneelvr]

Hang in thereI had "morning sickness" 24 hours a day 7 days a week with both DS and DD until my second trimester. I swear it was like a switch turned off day 1 of my 4th monthUntil it did, I existed on Kraft macaroni and cheese for solid food, milk and cereals, and not much else. Because I never actually threw up, I could talk myself through making simple meals for DH such as burgers, tacos, chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, and a simple vegetable, etc. Just remember to eat healthy food and drink when you can...think of a meal as "medicine" because you can't really enjoy it. God Bless You

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

well your eating ravoli that was my suggestion hahahaha, ravoli and a little pasta sauce.
Broccolli with some pasta sauteed in a little garlic and olive oil.
I make meatloaf usually once a month and we get about a weeks worth of food out of it hahaha, you could freeze it too, but we never do.
chicken cutlets/chicken parm.
steam in bag veggies.
I also get sweet potatoes and apples, cut them up, add a little butter or some kind of alt. butter spray and some cinnamon and brown sugar, put it in a ziplock steam bag and steam in the micro for whatever the bag calls for, its pretty yum! I think my mom does it w/o the bag too, just puts it in a pyrex.
GL, hope you feel better soon.

 

[MSSANDRA]

If the smells do not make you feel sick, a crock pot is your best friend. Thow something in the morning and let it cook all day and dinner is ready when you get home! Add a bag of steamed veggies or salad and some fruit!

 

[RooRach0906]

I made a lot of the Bertolli meals my first trimester... i know they arent super cheap but if you stock up when they are on sale they are not bad and then I did steam veggies (again the bags) or salad to go with them.
Hot Dogs (I like the chicken guantley ones) they are cheaper too with again salad or potato salad.
Speghetti
Tacos
I also agree with the crock pot meals....
Breakfast for dinner with fruit
I hope some of these help and Im sorry you are sick, I was as well it ended for me right at 17 weeks, I know that isnt really happy news.

 

[3girlsfun]

Crock Pot!!!
That is your best friend. Go to allrecipes.com look at the crockpot meals, there you go.

Also, we are paying off debt also, so I understand. I have been making a lot of soups lately. For the last two weeks I made veggie soup. The first week I put stew meat in it, the 2nd week no meat. So, week one cost around $10 and week two around $7.

This week I made Chicken Noodle soup with a ton of noodles in it! (Makes it last longer.) I think it cost around $9.

I use these for lunches bc I can't stand the thought of packing my lunch everyday, but, you could do this for dinner. Maybe have the soup two nights, that leaves three more working days. Have a crock pot meal for two of those, and then eat out one night.

That should save you some money. Ohh, and when you eat out, always use a coupon!

Hugs to you, and Here is to a happy 9 months!

 

[HunnyJar]

I've been there.. With my daughter I had morning sickness throughout the whole pregnancy. Zofran was my best friend. It did make it hard for me to want to cook or have anything to do with food.

If you have a day where you are feeling relatively good maybe you could make enough meals to freeze and use them during the week. One thing I like to make in bulk is pasta sauce. It's easy to make and keeps well. I'm a vegetarian, so I don't know how many of the things I made/make would work our for you. But generally pasta is a good one for most families.

I also liked stocking up on favorite frozen foods on those days where I just could not stand the smell of food. That way my husband could warm things up for himself. And I had quick way of feeding my family. Soup is also another thing that is easy to make and keeps well. Oh and I would definitely keep lunch meat around for my husband and son.

I hope you start to feel better soon!

 

[littlbugmom]

My family loves a turkey sandwich for dinner. Once a week, we make sandwiches using a new kind of bread, a new kind of cheese, turkey, fresh spinach, tomatoes, etc... I make it a "meal" by adding cut up fruit or an easy vegetable.



Crockpots rock.



Fajitas are VERY easy and can be tweaked for a younger child.



Breakfast for dinner.


Make-your-own-pizza. We use the small packaged crusts you find in the same aisle as the tomato sauce. The kind we buy has 3 personal size crusts and a package of sauce. When I plan for this meal, I grab a few things each person likes and we each make our own. Add a fruit. Dinner in less than 15 minutes.


Grilled cheese sandwiches with turkey or ham or bacon. We have these with small cups of soup.


I make a one pan pasta and chicken meal that I found online. There are so many websites. I like Foodtv.com and allrecipes.com.

 

[CuteAndFluffy]

I'll also suggest the crock pot (though I couldn't use it at all during my pregnancy).

There is a great blog "A Year of Slow Cooking" that has a ton of great recipes. She made dinner (and some desserts/sides/breakfasts) for a year...and is working on lots of new recipes too. I've enjoyed what I've tried from the site.

My other suggestion is to make friends with your 9x13 casserole dish. Whenever you have the most energy (first thing in the AM?), throw together something that takes a few minutes to put together and then about an hour to bake. Lasagna, meatloaf, enchilasagna, chicken and rice....Have a salad in the fridge ready to go and that could easily be dinner for a couple of days.

My final suggestion is to find the cheap, not so bad shortcut foods--Papa Murphey's or WalMart Take and Bake Pizza, the Bertolli meals that have been mentioned, the tubs of taco meat or pulled pork--it's only for a while and is far cheaper than eating out all the time.

 

[lovetoscrap]

Do a Google search for "Freezer Cooking" or "Once a Month Cooking". If you can find some things that you like and can find a day to put them together this might be a good option to get some things ready ahead of time. This will also be really helpful after the baby comes.

Also you might check out this site www.menusformoms.com . They have a set of menus that you don't have to pay for and you can actually go back into the archives several years and pull out weekly menus. They have the weekly shopping list and can be a real help in putting a meal plan together.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

Have you tried taking B6 supplements? It's what my OB told me to take when I kept getting sick.

Is there anyone who can help you make soups (veggie soup, hamburger soup, etc) and you can freeze it?

Any casseroles that you can make ahead so all you have to do is bake it?

Did I miss it... do you work? If not, what about throwing a roast (pork or beef) in a crock pot with some onion, celery, carrots, and garlic in the morning and let it go all day? If you get a big enough roast, you could stretch it into 2 meals (at least). One, you can make a Manhattan out of the roast, veggies, bread, and gravy (mashed potatoes too). Another time, shred the pork or beef, toss it in a saucepan with some BBQ sauce and about a 1/2 cup of chicken broth (trust me, it sounds weird but it really cuts down the acidity of the BBQ sauce which = less heartburn later), now you've got pulled meat sandwiches - it takes nothing to prepare.

Can you handle quesadillas?? Keep some tortillas and cheese handy with some veggies/salsa/etc - you're all set.

Most of the stuff I've mentioned is fairly economical to pick up. I watch for sales and get my roasts on sale... I picked up a 3 lb pork loin for $6 the other day. It was mighty tasty!

If none of that sounds appealing, there are always the frozen crock pot meals, lasgna (sp?), other meals that you basically only have to cook them.

Good luck!

 

[monkeybug]

I could have written this post about a month ago! This is my third pregnancy, but the first time I've dealt with morning sickness. Ick!!! I'm just now getting caught up after doing the bare minimum those first three months. Hang in there!!! In the second trimester you should get your energy back and be mostly over the sickness!! (which I'm sure you already know!)
As others have said the crock pot is your friend!!!!

You can put in chicken breasts with some taco seasoning, shred it when it's done and put it on a tortilla with some cheese and fresh tomatoes. Minimal, but still yummy and nutritious.

Soup and grilled cheese. I add sliced zucchini, shredded carrots, and sunflower seeds to grilled cheese sandwiches (before I grill it) to add some healthy veggies, and a yummy crunch.

Salad with spinach, mushrooms, some walnuts, dried cranberries, and red onion. Top it with raspberry vinaigrette. The walnuts give you some protein, and of course the spinach is full of good for baby vitamins! You can serve it with some yummy hearty bread.

Sandwich thin pizzas! Just buy those whole wheat sandwich thins, top with some pizza sauce, shredded cheese, pepperoni and some olives. Pop them in the oven until the cheese melts!

Chili! Super easy!!! Just buy the packet (or it's quick to make your own seasoning too, and you can avoid msg) brown some ground turkey, add a can of kidney beans, corn, and diced tomatoes. (there are instructions on the back of the packet) Top with some sour cream or shredded cheddar! Quick and the beans and ground turkey are great sources of protein!

I have to second the poster who mentioned the freezer meals! When you get farther along in your pregnancy and get some energy back (hopefully) it's an awesome idea to stock your freezer with pre-made meals that you can just throw in the oven!!! I did that with my last baby and it was sooooo worth the effort!!

Also another life saver if you have it available in your area is online grocery shopping! Our local Safeway delivers for free on orders over $100 (or something like that) The prices are the same as in the stores, and the drivers don't accept tips! It's awesome!!!! No going to the grocery store and having to smell raw meat. Blech!
They even carry the bags into the house for you, and if your not happy with something they remove it from your bill on the spot!

 

[WDWorBUST]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. I know it will pass in time...but in the meantime I am just barely hanging on. The worst part is that it all just snowballs. I'm too tired to go to the grocery store so there is no food in the house. I'm too tired to do dishes so even if there was food in the house I'd have to do dishes before I could cook. It just all seems so absolutely overwhelming. We do have a couple of grocery stores locally that although they don't deliver they do offer a pick-up service where everything is all ready to go for you.....they only charge $5 for the service, but the downside is that they are typically more expensive over all. Of course at this point I would still be saving money so I might just give it a shot.

 

[monkeybug]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. I know it will pass in time...but in the meantime I am just barely hanging on. The worst part is that it all just snowballs. I'm too tired to go to the grocery store so there is no food in the house. I'm too tired to do dishes so even if there was food in the house I'd have to do dishes before I could cook. It just all seems so absolutely overwhelming. We do have a couple of grocery stores locally that although they don't deliver they do offer a pick-up service where everything is all ready to go for you.....they only charge $5 for the service, but the downside is that they are typically more expensive over all. Of course at this point I would still be saving money so I might just give it a shot.

Oh I feel so bad for you!! That's exactly how it was for me too! It's so frustrating!!!!
Pretty soon your going to have to shell out money for diapers and wipes, maybe just keep eating out for three weeks and look at the extra expense as getting used to your after baby budget
Then when your feeling better and have more energy, you can pre-make a bunch of budget friendly freezer meals to "make up" for all the eating out!

 

[ut*disney]

WDWorBUST:

It sounds to me like you a coach's wife. I am a baseball widow myself. My husband has been a varsity baseball coach for 6 years. This year they decided to add on football. I was NOT happy, but not much I can do about it.

We have 7-year old boy/girl twins with zero support system (both of my parents are deceased). The only family I have is my wonderful husband and children. I have been exactly where you are. PM me and maybe I can offer some suggestions to help.

 

[HunnyJar]

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. I know it will pass in time...but in the meantime I am just barely hanging on. The worst part is that it all just snowballs. I'm too tired to go to the grocery store so there is no food in the house. I'm too tired to do dishes so even if there was food in the house I'd have to do dishes before I could cook. It just all seems so absolutely overwhelming. We do have a couple of grocery stores locally that although they don't deliver they do offer a pick-up service where everything is all ready to go for you.....they only charge $5 for the service, but the downside is that they are typically more expensive over all. Of course at this point I would still be saving money so I might just give it a shot.

Does Schwan's deliver to your area? It's a great way of getting some freezer items without leaving your house. They stop by my house every two weeks and I'm able to pick up whatever I need from them like baguettes I can just pop into the oven or fruit you can turn into smoothies. If you haven't checked them out before, you really should!

 

[ZeroMyHero]

Do you have a meal assembly kitchen in your area (like Simply Homemade or Dream Dinners)? You can either go in to their store and make the meals yourself (enough for a month!) or you can order online and they will make them for you. I had to do this during my last pregnancy as I was on bedrest at home. It really helped us and it was cheaper than eating out. Sorry about your morning sickness. I had it the whole time during my last pregnancy. Hang in there!

 

[minnieandfamily]

I am so sorry that you have morning sickness - I can certainly sympathize - I had 24/7 morning sickness with both of my pregnancies. It is even worse when you are working full time and have another child to care for....hang in there!!

I'm sure you've already tried everything under the sun for nausea but two things that actually did help me were Preggie Pops/Drops (these helped me get through the work day!) and real ginger ale (I think Polar brand - there are very few ginger ales that actually use real ginger any more - you have to check the label).

I second the previous poster's recommendation for a meal prep/assembly kitchen. I don't know if you have any of them in your area but my friend was able to assemble and pick up the meals for me. You store them in your freezer and they require minimal cooking/preparation. They were a lifesaver when I was pregnant and then on bedrest. Like the pp said, they will even assemble them for you for a minimal fee if you aren't up to doing it yourself or if you don't have someone who can do it for you (they sometimes have specials where they waive the fee - most places also have special savings for new customers too). It also saves you from having to grocery shop for dinner food!

What about picking up a rotisserie chicken on your way home from work? Plus a bag of frozen veggies that you can steam in the microwave and a tub of premade mashed potatoes that you can also cook in the microwave (Country Crock, Simply Potatoes, etc.)

For easy/fast recipes, I would suggest the Campbell's Soup website. Many of their recipes require minimal prep (i.e. a can of soup, pour it over some chicken breasts, and put it in the oven to bake).

Also, try the Reynold's Wrap Kitchen website. They have easy recipes with minimal cleanup (because you can toss the tin foil away after baking).

I don't know how you feel about red meat....but this is an incredibly easy recipe and it is SO delicious (and I'm not even a big red meat fan myself!)

Mix together:
2 cups Sprite
2 cans of cream of mushroom soup
1 packet of onion soup mix

In a 9x13 baking dish, place 2 lbs sirloin tips (cut up) and pour liquid over top. Cover tightly with foil and bake at 275 for 4 hours. That's it!

I hope that your morning sickness subsides very soon! Take care!

 

[pommfrites]

I've been there.. With my daughter I had morning sickness throughout the whole pregnancy. Zofran was my best friend. It did make it hard for me to want to cook or have anything to do with food.

If you have a day where you are feeling relatively good maybe you could make enough meals to freeze and use them during the week. One thing I like to make in bulk is pasta sauce. It's easy to make and keeps well. I'm a vegetarian, so I don't know how many of the things I made/make would work our for you. But generally pasta is a good one for most families.

I also liked stocking up on favorite frozen foods on those days where I just could not stand the smell of food. That way my husband could warm things up for himself. And I had quick way of feeding my family. Soup is also another thing that is easy to make and keeps well. Oh and I would definitely keep lunch meat around for my husband and son.

I hope you start to feel better soon!

I thought I was one of the only priviledged few, who knew Zofran on a daily basis. I was on it the whole pregnancy for my DS 4. It made it tolerable to make it thru the day, but I still rowlfed after I ate like clockwork. I just got sick, and moved on. I couldn't handle the smell of fresh fish then too.
To the OP, Pastas can be your best friend..as they can be tweaked to the other eaters and you can have them plain if need be! They also take minimal effort to make!

After I 1st posted..guesswhat shows up in my email? Here's some links from Kraft for pastas!


http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes...65968.aspx?cm_mmc=eml-_-rbe-_-20100413-_-1015


All-in-One Pot Saucy Pastas

Super Cheesy Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Easy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

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All-in-One Pot Saucy Pastas

Super Cheesy Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Easy Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

more simple dishes


Creamy Restaurant-Style Tortellini

Sausage and Tomato Rigatoni

Spaghetti Carbonara

Shrimp Pomodoro Pasta

Creamy Chicken, Bacon & Tomato Pasta

Quick Fettuccine Cacciatore


Hope you feel better.

 

[MaleficentandGoons]

i feel your pain! The crock pot was my salvation while i was pg because i knew dinner was ready when i got home and i could just sleep and dh could cook once he was ready.

my favorites:
2 cans of guinness and corned beef
pulled pork cook all day- rinse throw in bbq sauce and pull
whole chicken carrots and potatoes