Getting high calories in at a convience??

[Impit]

Hey everyone.

I'm on the LeanGains diet routine right now and I'm having a hard time getting my calories up to the roughly 3,000 mark that I need to on lifting days. I've done it in the past, but the issue is that if it becomes too time consuming, I just eventually lose interest. Time is a huge factor for me since I work full time, have a long commute, and am a full-time college student as well.

These are some things that I'm doing right now to for convenience. I'd love some tips that anyone does right now that they can contribute.
- Cans of tuna are about 26 grams of protein per can and fairly low in fat. Depending on my fat intake, I use either miracle whip or lemon juice. The larger cans are 65 grams of protein and can be purchased in bulk from a place like BJ's or Costco.
- "Pouches" of salmon. Sold by the same companies that make the tuna. Usually about $2 to $3 per pouch, which gives me 30 grams of protein if I eat the entire thing.
- For complex carbohydrates, I eat whole wheat bagels. It's an easy 50 grams of carbohydrates and only 2 grams of fat. Just make sure it says "100% whole wheat" or else it's not a combination.
- I buy Perdue's "Short Cuts" cooked chicken or turkey when they go on sale. I can usually get them for about $3 for about 70 grams of protein. Fat is low, sodium is a little higher than I would like, but the chicken tastes amazing and is cooked perfectly. It's not uncommon for me to buy their entire stock when they do actually go on sale.
- Sweet potatoes shrink wrapped already that you can throw into the microwave and cook in 5 minutes. They're about $1 per sweet potato. I've tried wrapping them myself but it has never worked out.
- Egg whites from a carton. They're literally half the price at BJ's and Costco than at a place like Stop and Shop.
- I buy the boil-in-a-bag brown rice and cook a few bags a time, throw a little bit of olive oil on it when it cools and throw it in a large tupperware and leave it in the fridge.
- For veggies, I buy the frozen bags and just microwave as much as I need in a tupperware container.

I don't mind eating left over chicken, but after more than a day I have a hard time stomaching the taste. I usually baked it in the oven with some seasonings. I haven't tried something like a George Foreman grill but that's definitely on my list. Maybe it will make it more appetizing?

Anyone have anything to add? I'd love some tips.

 

[youngandfree]

I bake about 3lbs or so of chicken breast at a time. In fact I cook all of my meat in 2-3lb quantities so I have it for a couple days. The trick is bake it at 350-375 degrees starting at 15-17 minutes if chicken is thawed. I never buy frozen chicken any more. But check the chicken and barely get it done, even just a tad pink is ok since you can reheat it later when you eat it. I buy bags of steamer veggies with no sauce. Each morning, I steam a bag of veggies, divide it into 3 bowls. Then add 4-6 oz of left over chicken to each bowl. Then drizzle Olive Oil on the top. I work out of a van, so I am on the go all day. I will pop into a gas station to use the microwave or if it is hot enough, just toss the bowl on the dash about 30-45 minutes prior to meal time. BTW I just bake the chicken with some "pork rub" sweet chipotle type seasoning. If you can stand to eat tuna and salmon from a bag or precooked chicken in a bag, eating 2 day old chicken shouldn't be a problem. I cook usually just 2-3 times per week. Most everything I eat is left overs. Using a George foreman to cook a chicken breast each time you need to eat is the antithesis of "efficient" in my humble but accurate opinion.

 

[Impit]

I've tried it at about 15 minutes but it wasn't enough. I should maybe consider cutting the chicken and tenderizing it to make it thinner. It always seems to take around 20-25 for me at that temperature but that might be because I'm using the full size breast in the oven.

Do you bake it uncovered or do you cover it with tin foil?

 

[youngandfree]

I've tried it at about 15 minutes but it wasn't enough. I should maybe consider cutting the chicken and tenderizing it to make it thinner. It always seems to take around 20-25 for me at that temperature but that might be because I'm using the full size breast in the oven.Do you bake it uncovered or do you cover it with tin ifoil?

I bake it uncovered. Sometimes it takes up to 20-25 minutes. It just depends on the size. After it has cooled, I put it in a large Tupperware container and its good to go. Stays moist enough, and adding the olive oil helps as well.