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Food prep is by far the most time consuming and drudge heavy daily task, but it remains pretty much impossible to eat healthily if you don't cook daily. Short o

Food prep is by far the most time consuming and drudge heavy daily task, but it remains pretty much impossible to eat healthily if you don't cook daily. Short of paying a personal chef or landing a full time housewife there doesn't seem to be a solution. Restaurants and prepared food just don't have the economic incentive to use high quality ingredients.

pnathan 14y ago
> Short of paying a personal chef Ding, I smell a business idea: OurChef: You want good dinners, and you want a life. We want to sell you good dinners. OurChef is your personal caterer, with authentic quality ingredients.
- pavel_lishin 14y ago
  One of my previous employer's clients was a company that did exactly this. I don't remember their name, or how well they were doing, but I thought that the idea was a pretty good one. The only problem I saw was that their meals were typically fairly expensive, to the point where you could probably eat out every day for less money.
- Erwin 14y ago
  A poor student here has offered something similar: you pay for the food, he'll come cook for you, if he can join you for dinner. He got thousands of requests (see http://politiken.dk/indland/ECE1778538/halvfattig-tilbyder-at-lave-mad-til-dig-hvis-han-maa-spise-med/ http://politiken.dk/indland/ECE1778538/halvfattig-tilbyder-a... ) Someone has taken the idea and try to scale it since: http://www.facebook.com/cook4food http://www.facebook.com/cook4food It's social, it's local, it's mobile, it's cooking!
- athgeo 14y ago
  US: kitchit.com, munchery.com, kitchensurfing.com UK: housebites.com
hoka 14y ago
two words: slow cooker
- padobson 14y ago
  This doesn't eliminate prep time, it just separates the prep and eating.
  - jlgreco 14y ago
    That depends on what you are cooking I think. Most things I am normally inclined to cook require me to attend to them while they are cooking. Slow-cookers eliminate that and do other things instead, like go to work. Even if you are cooking something relatively hands off in your oven.. how often do you leave your home while your oven is on? You are locked down to that location for the duration of the cooking time.
    - rubashov 14y ago
      A digital electric pressure cooker is a better option than a slow cooker in my experience. I use one. Pretty much everything cooks inside 20 minutes, even a whole frozen chicken. I cook tons of stuff straight from frozen. But still, preparing the food once or twice a day is a distracting pain. It would be great if I could just stop off at street vendors or fast food stores and eat well, but as it is that stuff will kill you.
      - jlgreco 14y ago
        When cooking for one, a slowcooker will usually get me several meals. Still, healthy street food would be nice.
  - joonix 14y ago
    Yes it does eliminate prep time. You put a bunch of stuff into a slow cooker, add a can of soup like cream of mushroom for flavor, and it comes out amazing when you get home. Just don't end up eating too much meat this way. Use a lot of vegetables. You don't have to stand over a stove watching stuff fry. You only have to clean one dish. You make enough for leftovers too.
javajosh 14y ago
One solution that I've heard about, but never used, is a personal chef that cooks for you once a week, and packages meals to be trivially reheated during the week. That way, you have control over the ingredients, preparation methods, and the details of the menu, and it's a few hours of labor cost.
Timothee 14y ago
About food, I remember reading a post on HN some time ago about how someone had found somebody on Craigslist to cook for him and his family. The lady would bring food three times a week or something like that and everything was homemade and of the season. Personal chef makes it sound like it would be somewhat fancy, and thus expensive, but in that post it was just somebody who was cooking at home but make more and bring it to them. That could be something to look into if you're really interested. edit: I believe it was this post http://sidsavara.com/personal-productivity/the-price-of-my-dreams-60-a-week http://sidsavara.com/personal-productivity/the-price-of-my-d... At least that's the idea. (I can't believe there's no date on that post)
- JoeAltmaier 14y ago
  My bachelor buddy does that. Two ladies come every couple weeks, cook and freeze dozens of entres, chat and leave. Everybody happy, he doesn't frequent Wendys any more.
- Bjartr 14y ago
  wow, that almost sounds too good to be true
phil 14y ago
Preparing food is one of the most rewarding activities in my life, and the same is true for many of my friends. Maybe it's an attitude thing?
- jacalata 14y ago
  Similarly, some people really enjoy running, or sitting at a desk working in excel, and some people consider either of those to be horrific experiences undertaken only through pure necessity. This isn't news.
Splines 14y ago
Good god, man. What are you cooking? As a student I cooked meat, rice & vegetables (mixing around the meat & veggies as needed) for literally months, and it doesn't take more than a few minutes to get everything going. I mean, sure, if you want some fancy-pants meal you're going to have to put in some effort. But if you don't want to spend time and still want something healthy, it doesn't take long. (Heck, how long does it take to make a sandwich?). Frankly, anybody suggesting a personal chef must be off their rocker or living on a different planet than me. It's not hard to cook, even if you're lazy.
- joonix 14y ago
  Get a bag of quinoa, few cans of chickpeas, a bag of lentils, and a can of mixed beans. Cook the lentils and the quinoa (google for good instructions on the lentils). Mix in the chickpeas (already cooked in can) and mixed beans. Store. Bulk bake some fish, chicken, whatever, for protein (or your favorite vegetable protein source). Store. One of the healthiest dinners imaginable (quinoa, chickpeas, and lentils are wonderful) is now as easy as placing these two items on a plate and microwaving. Sure, you'll get bored after a while, but just mix it up next time.
Wingman4l7 14y ago
The trick is to make simpler meals, and ones that are freezer / fridge friendly; you can make a large amount, store it as leftovers, and alternate -- that way you don't eat the same thing twice in a row. I think I & my SO only cook maybe 3-4 unique meals a week. Bonus: you get a hot meal to bring to work for lunch, which doesn't require separate prep!

pnathan 14y ago

> Short of paying a personal chef Ding, I smell a business idea: OurChef: You want good dinners, and you want a life. We want to sell you good dinners. OurChef is your personal caterer, with authentic quality ingredients.

pavel_lishin 14y ago
One of my previous employer's clients was a company that did exactly this. I don't remember their name, or how well they were doing, but I thought that the idea was a pretty good one. The only problem I saw was that their meals were typically fairly expensive, to the point where you could probably eat out every day for less money.
Erwin 14y ago
A poor student here has offered something similar: you pay for the food, he'll come cook for you, if he can join you for dinner. He got thousands of requests (see http://politiken.dk/indland/ECE1778538/halvfattig-tilbyder-at-lave-mad-til-dig-hvis-han-maa-spise-med/ http://politiken.dk/indland/ECE1778538/halvfattig-tilbyder-a... ) Someone has taken the idea and try to scale it since: http://www.facebook.com/cook4food http://www.facebook.com/cook4food It's social, it's local, it's mobile, it's cooking!
athgeo 14y ago
US: kitchit.com, munchery.com, kitchensurfing.com UK: housebites.com

hoka 14y ago

two words: slow cooker

padobson 14y ago
This doesn't eliminate prep time, it just separates the prep and eating.
- jlgreco 14y ago
  That depends on what you are cooking I think. Most things I am normally inclined to cook require me to attend to them while they are cooking. Slow-cookers eliminate that and do other things instead, like go to work. Even if you are cooking something relatively hands off in your oven.. how often do you leave your home while your oven is on? You are locked down to that location for the duration of the cooking time.
  - rubashov 14y ago
    A digital electric pressure cooker is a better option than a slow cooker in my experience. I use one. Pretty much everything cooks inside 20 minutes, even a whole frozen chicken. I cook tons of stuff straight from frozen. But still, preparing the food once or twice a day is a distracting pain. It would be great if I could just stop off at street vendors or fast food stores and eat well, but as it is that stuff will kill you.
    - jlgreco 14y ago
      When cooking for one, a slowcooker will usually get me several meals. Still, healthy street food would be nice.
- joonix 14y ago
  Yes it does eliminate prep time. You put a bunch of stuff into a slow cooker, add a can of soup like cream of mushroom for flavor, and it comes out amazing when you get home. Just don't end up eating too much meat this way. Use a lot of vegetables. You don't have to stand over a stove watching stuff fry. You only have to clean one dish. You make enough for leftovers too.

javajosh 14y ago

One solution that I've heard about, but never used, is a personal chef that cooks for you once a week, and packages meals to be trivially reheated during the week. That way, you have control over the ingredients, preparation methods, and the details of the menu, and it's a few hours of labor cost.

Timothee 14y ago

About food, I remember reading a post on HN some time ago about how someone had found somebody on Craigslist to cook for him and his family. The lady would bring food three times a week or something like that and everything was homemade and of the season. Personal chef makes it sound like it would be somewhat fancy, and thus expensive, but in that post it was just somebody who was cooking at home but make more and bring it to them. That could be something to look into if you're really interested. edit: I believe it was this post http://sidsavara.com/personal-productivity/the-price-of-my-dreams-60-a-week http://sidsavara.com/personal-productivity/the-price-of-my-d... At least that's the idea. (I can't believe there's no date on that post)

JoeAltmaier 14y ago
My bachelor buddy does that. Two ladies come every couple weeks, cook and freeze dozens of entres, chat and leave. Everybody happy, he doesn't frequent Wendys any more.
Bjartr 14y ago
wow, that almost sounds too good to be true

phil 14y ago

Preparing food is one of the most rewarding activities in my life, and the same is true for many of my friends. Maybe it's an attitude thing?

jacalata 14y ago
Similarly, some people really enjoy running, or sitting at a desk working in excel, and some people consider either of those to be horrific experiences undertaken only through pure necessity. This isn't news.

Splines 14y ago

Good god, man. What are you cooking? As a student I cooked meat, rice & vegetables (mixing around the meat & veggies as needed) for literally months, and it doesn't take more than a few minutes to get everything going. I mean, sure, if you want some fancy-pants meal you're going to have to put in some effort. But if you don't want to spend time and still want something healthy, it doesn't take long. (Heck, how long does it take to make a sandwich?). Frankly, anybody suggesting a personal chef must be off their rocker or living on a different planet than me. It's not hard to cook, even if you're lazy.

joonix 14y ago
Get a bag of quinoa, few cans of chickpeas, a bag of lentils, and a can of mixed beans. Cook the lentils and the quinoa (google for good instructions on the lentils). Mix in the chickpeas (already cooked in can) and mixed beans. Store. Bulk bake some fish, chicken, whatever, for protein (or your favorite vegetable protein source). Store. One of the healthiest dinners imaginable (quinoa, chickpeas, and lentils are wonderful) is now as easy as placing these two items on a plate and microwaving. Sure, you'll get bored after a while, but just mix it up next time.

Wingman4l7 14y ago

The trick is to make simpler meals, and ones that are freezer / fridge friendly; you can make a large amount, store it as leftovers, and alternate -- that way you don't eat the same thing twice in a row. I think I & my SO only cook maybe 3-4 unique meals a week. Bonus: you get a hot meal to bring to work for lunch, which doesn't require separate prep!