Help, quick! Chicken is taking over my life!

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  • Sydking
    Sydking Posts: 317 Member
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    Pork, Beef, fish, Duck, Kangaroo

    Each have about 10+ Cuts you can use for dishes all in many ways

    Learn too cook.

    I eat chicken once a week....... To many other tasty meats and dishes

    All just as healthy
  • jim_just_jim
    jim_just_jim Posts: 148 Member
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    Dang, I could eat a different flavor rotisserie chicken every day lol !
  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
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    I marinate my skinless/boneless chicken thighs (5-6) and bake with the marinade for 60 minutes at 325'.
    Marinade:
    Small chopped onion
    2 cloves finely chopped garlic
    2 tablespoons country Dijon
    2 tablespoons tomato paste
    1/4 cup olive oil
    1 tablespoon Sriacha sauce
    Juice of one lime or lemon
    1/4 cup water
    Salt/pepper
    Mix it all in a large Baggie, add thighs, squish together and marinate all day or at least 2-3 hours.
    Spread it all in a baking pan and bake in 325' oven for 60 minutes!
    Yummo!!!!!
    I promise.
  • HappyPhantom4
    HappyPhantom4 Posts: 19 Member
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    Sounds like you have the tail wagging the dog. Calorie tracking is supposed to liberate you to eat well, not to fear eating anything that you don't know the exact calories or doesn't fit some definition of "good for you.". Learn to cook and stop obsessing over precise calorie counts. In the meantime, marinate your chicken in yoghurt and (lots of) garlic, then bake. And don't worry about exactly how much yoghurt stuck to the chicken.

    I guess it's just that I'm worried I'm going to fail again to loose weight which makes me determined to learn as much as I can about having a healthy lifestyle and maybe even obsessing over it. So yeah it's going to worry me when I can't figure out the calories because knowing the calories allows me to keep control over my weight loss and health. I'm brand new to this. I'm probably messing something up, but I'm doing the best I know how since I don't have anyone to help me through it. (except of course all the nice people here on MFP, who have been so helpful. You also, Sheldon) But I do get what you're saying, and I appreciate it. I will do better about not getting so wrapped up in calories and being stressed. Thank you!!!
  • Slasher09
    Slasher09 Posts: 316 Member
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    I bake chicken breasts with salsa covering them for an added kick. We also do "chinese chicken" which is a raw chicken breast cut into small pieces. I sautee it in chicken stock and once nearly cooked through I add a bag of frozen broccoli. Once completed we serve over a little bit of rice with chinese sauce sold by our local grocery chain (wegmans). One chicken breast makes enough for two people...and its a whole meal in one for about 400cals
  • fivethreeone
    fivethreeone Posts: 8,196 Member
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    Unfortunately, I feel like chicken is taking over my life, too. I regularly eat a pound of chicken breast a day.

    Best ideas I have are to eat it with various grains and sauces. I like couscous, wild rice, brown rice, and "cream of" soups, skillet sauces (target has some great ones, including a green Thai curry, a spicy sesame, and a really good tikka masala).
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    Dip it in an egg wash, roll in corn starch, and fry in veggie oil. Then I toss them with spices and wing sauce Mine generally comes out to less than 300 calories for a 3oz serving to put on salads.

    Marinate overnight in Italian dressing, and grill/broil in the oven.

    Marinate in fresh lemon, soy sauce, a little spicy oyster sauce, and sliced garlic. Cook in a pan.

    Cook in the oven, toss with a few tablespoons of light mayo, and add in salad supreme seasoning, onion, and celery. Top with salads or use in sandwiches.

  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    PRMinx wrote: »
    Is there a reason why you don't eat pork (religious?)? Because if there is nothing prohibiting you from eating it, pork tenderloin is a great protein.

    No, it's not because of religious reasons. I just had someone tell me pork is fatty that I should stay away from it. And because I'm still learning how to make healthier food choices, I listened to them. But I love pork so maybe I'll try a pork tenderloin sometime. Is there any special way you cook it? Oh, thanks so much for your help!!
    The pork I buy from the 4h kids is very lean.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    dbmata wrote: »
    PRMinx wrote: »
    Is there a reason why you don't eat pork (religious?)? Because if there is nothing prohibiting you from eating it, pork tenderloin is a great protein.

    No, it's not because of religious reasons. I just had someone tell me pork is fatty that I should stay away from it. And because I'm still learning how to make healthier food choices, I listened to them. But I love pork so maybe I'll try a pork tenderloin sometime. Is there any special way you cook it? Oh, thanks so much for your help!!
    The pork I buy from the 4h kids is very lean.

    I read this out of order/quickly, and for a moment I thought it read that you buy 4H kids.
    On another note...they sell stuff like that?! I had no clue.

  • HappyPhantom4
    HappyPhantom4 Posts: 19 Member
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    Slasher09 wrote: »
    I bake chicken breasts with salsa covering them for an added kick. We also do "chinese chicken" which is a raw chicken breast cut into small pieces. I sautee it in chicken stock and once nearly cooked through I add a bag of frozen broccoli. Once completed we serve over a little bit of rice with chinese sauce sold by our local grocery chain (wegmans). One chicken breast makes enough for two people...and its a whole meal in one for about 400cals

    That sounds really good! Recently I did try adding salsa, black beans and corn to chicken breasts first I seasoned chicken with like a taco seasoning, salt and pepper I covered it with foil and baked it for half of the cooking time then poured over salsa and the corn and beans and added a little garlic and put it back into the oven uncovered until it cooked the rest of the way. I made 2 chicken breasts, one I ate as is with a small potato, the salsa bean mix was good on top and then I ate the other slices on warmed corn tortillas.
  • HappyPhantom4
    HappyPhantom4 Posts: 19 Member
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    Unfortunately, I feel like chicken is taking over my life, too. I regularly eat a pound of chicken breast a day.

    Best ideas I have are to eat it with various grains and sauces. I like couscous, wild rice, brown rice, and "cream of" soups, skillet sauces (target has some great ones, including a green Thai curry, a spicy sesame, and a really good tikka masala).

    I like brown rice a lot and I'll make up like a rice pilaf or healthy Spanish rice to go with chicken taco salad. I don't usually use that much of the cream soups because I know it's not too healthy unless I make my own. I try to make what I can from scratch. But the Thai curry spicy sesame sauces sound really good! Thanks so much for the suggestion!
  • HappyPhantom4
    HappyPhantom4 Posts: 19 Member
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    I marinate my skinless/boneless chicken thighs (5-6) and bake with the marinade for 60 minutes at 325'.
    Marinade:
    Small chopped onion
    2 cloves finely chopped garlic
    2 tablespoons country Dijon
    2 tablespoons tomato paste
    1/4 cup olive oil
    1 tablespoon Sriacha sauce
    Juice of one lime or lemon
    1/4 cup water
    Salt/pepper
    Mix it all in a large Baggie, add thighs, squish together and marinate all day or at least 2-3 hours.
    Spread it all in a baking pan and bake in 325' oven for 60 minutes!
    Yummo!!!!!
    I promise.

    That sounds really good! I'm not sure about the sriacha sauce, I didn't care for the taste of it, could I substitute with Franks hot sauce?
    Thank you for the suggestion! I'm definitely going to try this one.
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
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    Slasher09 wrote: »
    I bake chicken breasts with salsa covering them for an added kick. We also do "chinese chicken" which is a raw chicken breast cut into small pieces. I sautee it in chicken stock and once nearly cooked through I add a bag of frozen broccoli. Once completed we serve over a little bit of rice with chinese sauce sold by our local grocery chain (wegmans). One chicken breast makes enough for two people...and its a whole meal in one for about 400cals

    That sounds really good! Recently I did try adding salsa, black beans and corn to chicken breasts first I seasoned chicken with like a taco seasoning, salt and pepper I covered it with foil and baked it for half of the cooking time then poured over salsa and the corn and beans and added a little garlic and put it back into the oven uncovered until it cooked the rest of the way. I made 2 chicken breasts, one I ate as is with a small potato, the salsa bean mix was good on top and then I ate the other slices on warmed corn tortillas.

    If you add 16oz of salsa and about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of rice to the mix (along with some extra water), you can make that into a casserole!
  • HappyPhantom4
    HappyPhantom4 Posts: 19 Member
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    Sydking wrote: »
    Pork, Beef, fish, Duck, Kangaroo

    Each have about 10+ Cuts you can use for dishes all in many ways

    Learn too cook.

    I eat chicken once a week....... To many other tasty meats and dishes

    All just as healthy

    I thought beef wasn't healthy since it's loaded with so much fat/grease? I don't think I can find Kangaroo at my local Walmart, it would be interesting to try it. I heard Bison is good. Have you tried that before? I don't care for duck so much, but I do really like fish!
    I have been trying to learn how to cook healthily and I've been finding new recipes online.
    Thank you for the suggestions!
  • missiontofitness
    missiontofitness Posts: 4,074 Member
    Options
    Sydking wrote: »
    Pork, Beef, fish, Duck, Kangaroo

    Each have about 10+ Cuts you can use for dishes all in many ways

    Learn too cook.

    I eat chicken once a week....... To many other tasty meats and dishes

    All just as healthy

    I thought beef wasn't healthy since it's loaded with so much fat/grease? I don't think I can find Kangaroo at my local Walmart, it would be interesting to try it. I heard Bison is good. Have you tried that before? I don't care for duck so much, but I do really like fish!
    I have been trying to learn how to cook healthily and I've been finding new recipes online.
    Thank you for the suggestions!

    Beef is fine, and fat isn't bad; it's necessary in a diet (by diet, I mean normal intake.)

    I have wanted to try bison; it's always intrigued me!

  • HappyPhantom4
    HappyPhantom4 Posts: 19 Member
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    Kruggeri wrote: »
    I have looked all over the internet and found only a few meals that seem healthy. It's difficult too because I don't eat beef, rarely eat pork and I don't eat and the only processed foods I eat are bread and an occasional multigrain cracker. I don't eat pasta either because I know it isn't good for you. So I'm kind of feeling stuck at the moment in that I can't figure out what's healthy to eat. But any meal suggestion would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks you guys!! :)

    I missed the comments before about processed food and pasta isn't good for you. Why isn't pasta good for you?

    Sorry, haha, I guess I didn't finish that thought. But I was trying to say I've heard pasta isn't a healthy carb and is really processed and so since I've done away with the majority of the boxed processed foods (except I have whole grain bread once or twice a week and a few whole grain crackers) didn't seem like a good choice to me. But how do you feel about eating pasta?
  • I love bison burgers as something to swap out beef with--I just wish the meat was not so expensive. Never have had Kangaroo, but I am not sure that would go over well in my household.

    I also found black bean burgers by morning star at my Costco that I love as a quick easy meal.

    I second the recommendations for Skinnytaste and BudgetBytes. Excellent and easy meal ideas.

  • libbydoodle11
    libbydoodle11 Posts: 1,351 Member
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    Hi, everyone!
    I have really been struggling lately to come up with meal ideas that doesn't consist of boring chicken breasts. I mean, I like chicken, but I only know of one way to cook it that's healthy. I always bake it in the oven with some sort of seasoning on it and then I roast veggies for a side dish. I don't know how else to cook chicken or what is considered to be a healthy meal if I cook it in another way or with other ingredients. It stresses me out and I know that sounds stupid but it really does because if I do try to change it up I worry that I won't know how to count the calories for it (like if I add a spicy tomato sauce over top which I did once and it was really good, but how do you figure out how much sauce is baked onto the chicken?) or that it's going to really add up in calories and not be my usual healthy chicken anymore. Also, I would love it if you guys could give me other healthy meal ideas. I have looked all over the internet and found only a few meals that seem healthy. It's difficult too because I don't eat beef, rarely eat pork and I don't eat and the only processed foods I eat are bread and an occasional multigrain cracker. I don't eat pasta either because I know it isn't good for you. So I'm kind of feeling stuck at the moment in that I can't figure out what's healthy to eat. But any meal suggestion would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks you guys!! :)

    Split pea soup is good. Try googling recipes for that. Or do a search for chili or any soup. Soups and chili are good because you can add tons of veggies. You can cook them with or without meat of your choice.

    Recently, I made a black bean soup and a corn chowder I found on allrecipes.com. See links below.


    http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Vegan-Black-Bean-Soup/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=vegan black bean soup&e8=Quick Search&event10=1&e7=Home Page&soid=sr_results_p1i1

    http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Creamy-Vegan-Corn-Chowder/Detail.aspx?prop24=hn_slide1_Creamy-Vegan-Corn-Chowder&evt19=1






  • HappyPhantom4
    HappyPhantom4 Posts: 19 Member
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    Kruggeri wrote: »
    OP - I guess it would help if you told us what you perceived to be healthy... are you trying to keep your meals under a certain number of calories? Are you doing low carb, low sodium, using any other parameters? Do you want only chicken entree ideas or are you looking for complete meals using chicken? What's the aversion to other proteins?

    There are so many ways to cook chicken, and other proteins. Baking it and serving it with vegetables would get old very quickly. You also asked about how to calculate calories if you add tomato sauce....

    1. Determine calories in tomato sauce per unit of measure
    2. Measure/weigh tomato sauce
    3. Pour that amount on chicken
    4. Cook according to directions.
    5. Eat and enjoy

    Pinterest and AllRecipes have lots of suggestions. I third the SkinnyTaste suggestion.

    Also second the comment that people lose weight eating all sorts of foods, even those you may not think are "healthy". There are plenty of people on here (myself included) who lose weight eating pizza, burgers, ice cream, drinking wine, etc.

    Good luck!

    I guess what I see as unhealthy and from the articles/blogs, etc, I've read on the subject, it would be boxed/processed foods, junk food of course, and the meals I make are from scratch, mostly, I mean, I still use things like canned beans, veggies, I like a slice of whole grain toast once in a while with a poached egg on top or an open-faced sandwich, that sort of thing is ok, I think, as long as in the ingredients list it doesn't have words I can't pronounce or that I don't know what it is. Except bread, bread doesn't count, I can't give it up completely, lol. So I guess I'm trying to follow a Clean Eating, Whole Foods type of diet and I'm trying to watch my calories, too. I realized I have to keep track of calories and log the food I'm eating otherwise I tend to get out of control on portion sizes so I make sure to measure foods I eat.
    I'm not trying to be contrary, but how can you loose weight and still eat pizza and burgers? I don't think I could go back to eating those things, well, at least I would try to make healthier versions of those things, but for me to sit down and grab a slice of pizza, I think it would do me in. I'm not sure what to call it, a food addiction? Eating disorder? All i know is that I was so obsessed with food. It was bad. So the idea of eating at like a restaurant makes me feel really anxious. But thank you so much for your comments/suggestions, sorry this turned out so long. I didn't mean to write a book. Lol.
  • HappyPhantom4
    HappyPhantom4 Posts: 19 Member
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    Lounmoun wrote: »
    I eat a lot of stuff that you probably wouldn't think was healthy... and I am still losing weight.
    A few things I do with chicken- baked with garlic, seasoned salt, pepper and rosemary, grilled chicken, tandoori style chicken, chicken stir fry with vegetables and rice, chicken with pasta on the side, shredded chicken mixed with bbq sauce for a sandwich.
    Try making soups.
    Try turkey occasionally.
    Check out bean and lentil recipes.
    Eat eggs or oatmeal sometimes.
    Eat a giant salad- add some chicken to it if you like.

    I enter in a recipe and then log the portion I ate.

    Some good recipes. budgetbytes.com

    Thank you so much for the suggestions! I'll definitely have to try those. Do you make anything with ground turkey? I would like to do more with it, but it always tastes so bland to me and I try to add enough seasonings so it w