What should I cook for dinner

Playabunnie2013

I always crave the wrong things what should I do?

robynmclaren98

Taco Salad!! If you substitute the ground beef for ground chicken, sub the sour cream for 0% greek yogurt, and skip the tortilla chips, you can eat a ton of it and not feel guilty at all Plus its delicious (you don't even notice the substitutions at all)

amandammmq

You should plan ahead. pick a few healthy recipes for the week, then grocery shop for what you need. Make sure it's something fast and easy to prepare, or if you have a slow cooker, you can have the food cooking all day and ready when you come home.

I did a really easy meal last night where I cut up cauliflower, olives and apricots, tossed them in some olive oil, curry powder, paprika and a little salt, plopped them on a lined baking sheet, then put some seasoned chicken thighs on top. 40 minutes in the oven and my dinner was ready.

You can substitute other roastable vegetables (zucchini, carrots, celery -yes, celery tastes good roasted!, peppers, asparagus, onions) and substitute other spices if you don't like curry, and can use chicken breast instead of thigh if you prefer. It was super easy and it tasted really good.

I'll also prep things ahead of time so on days when I'm tired I don't have to cook. In my freezer right now, I have some lentil burgers, some fish cakes, and some leftover chili, ready to thaw if I'm having a lazy day.

Queenmunchy

What are you in the mood for?

kmsoucy457

amandammmq is right, and to add on to that: meal prep. At least make your lunches/workout snacks for the week, ahead of time.
I'm a fan of creamy salads such as egg, chicken, tuna, ham 'n pickle etc... use cottage cheese instead of mayo in the recipe! You'll get rid of the icky fat plus add a lot of protein. Cottage cheese isn't as tangy as Greek yogurt, which doesn't always work for a substitution with savory foods imo. For low-cal, top a green salad with your concoction, or treat yourself to a pita pocket or whole wheat bread. Or just eat it right out of the container...

And robynmclarin98 is right with the chicken substitution - a packet of taco seasoning (watch the salt content!) will disguise the fact that you are not eating beef! To really let the ground chicken shine instead of hiding it, try this recipe for Asian lettuce wraps:
1/2 lb ground chicken, I can water chestnuts minced, 2 tbs oyster sauce, 1 tbs soy sauce or fish sauce, 1 c chopped cabbage, dash of red pepper flakes and whole-leaf iceberg, Boston or romaine lettuce. Cook all but the lettuce in 1-2 tsp oil in a large skillet (feel free to add whatever veggies you have in the fridge), then eat taco-style with the lettuce leaves.

Need2Exerc1se

Instead of ground chicken for tacos or taco salad, I'd suggest shredded chicken. It tastes much better and is lower fat, leaving room for a few avocado slices. I'd also suggest making your own taco seasoning. There are many recipes online and that way you can control the heat and sodium levels.

OP, it would be helpful if you'd share what type of wrong things is it that you crave. Almost anything you can buy premade can be made cheaper and with less calories at home.

Balance out your fat, carbs and protein. Other than that, there shouldn't be too many rules other than satiety and enjoyment. Find meals that you enjoy that won't break your calorie budget.

You might take a look at lower calorie recipe sites like budgebites, skinnytaste, hungrygirl, eatingwell, etc.

tephanies1234

OR you can just have your beef, avocados and taco salad too by making room in your caloric allotment elsewhere. This is a typical meal of mine as in once or twice a week. Nothing can replace beef no matter how much salt you add. Just get "lean" ground. It's all about balancing your requirements.

kmsoucy457

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Instead of ground chicken for tacos or taco salad, I'd suggest shredded chicken. It tastes much better and is lower fat, leaving room for a few avocado slices. I'd also suggest making your own taco seasoning. There are many recipes online and that way you can control the heat and sodium levels.

OP, it would be helpful if you'd share what type of wrong things is it that you crave. Almost anything you can buy premade can be made cheaper and with less calories at home.

Balance out your fat, carbs and protein. Other than that, there shouldn't be too many rules other than satiety and enjoyment. Find meals that you enjoy that won't break your calorie budget.

You might take a look at lower calorie recipe sites like budgebites, skinnytaste, hungrygirl, eatingwell, etc.

Need2 is right about the taco seasoning, and with all prepared/processed foods. I do try to stay away from those foods myself... but for a beginner (I just assumed that the OC is new to clean eating, forgive me if that is incorrect), small simple changes are key. And nothing is easier than throwing a $1 packet into a pan of sizzling meat than going out and spending $30 on spices then trying to develop the perfect powder cocktail before dinnertime.

That's so funny, because I dislike shredded chicken, I think it's dry and flavorless. In your defense I've probably been cooking it wrong... Can you suggest a method of prep for tasty shredded chicken? The key to texture in ground chicken is buying whole or by the breast, and grinding it up fresh just before you cook it. Much better than the store-ground stuff, and you can control the fat content: all breast is practically fat-free; tossing in a thigh gives you a little fat, more flavor, and more iron. When buying pre-ground, no matter the type of meat you choose, the fat content is always listed on the package (fun fact: fat percentage can be lower, but not higher, than what is stated on the package).

And leaner isn't necessarily better: if you eat little fat throughout the day, go ahead and splurge on your dinner protein. I eat a lot of fatty foods for breakfast and snacks (nuts, seeds, and tephanies1234: mmmmmavocadoesmmmmm), so I choose lean proteins for lunch and dinner.

Need2Exerc1se

tephanies1234 wrote: »

OR you can just have your beef, avocados and taco salad too by making room in your caloric allotment elsewhere. This is a typical meal of mine as in once or twice a week. Nothing can replace beef no matter how much salt you add. Just get "lean" ground. It's all about balancing your requirements.

Yes, if you prefer beef, then eat beef (ground or shredded). Have pork, if you like. Pork tenderloin is about the same calories as boneless skinless chicken breasts. Sometimes I make venison tacos. Sometimes fish tacos or black bean tacos. Tacos are yummy.

Need2Exerc1se

kmsoucy457 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Instead of ground chicken for tacos or taco salad, I'd suggest shredded chicken. It tastes much better and is lower fat, leaving room for a few avocado slices. I'd also suggest making your own taco seasoning. There are many recipes online and that way you can control the heat and sodium levels.

OP, it would be helpful if you'd share what type of wrong things is it that you crave. Almost anything you can buy premade can be made cheaper and with less calories at home.

Balance out your fat, carbs and protein. Other than that, there shouldn't be too many rules other than satiety and enjoyment. Find meals that you enjoy that won't break your calorie budget.

You might take a look at lower calorie recipe sites like budgebites, skinnytaste, hungrygirl, eatingwell, etc.

Need2 is right about the taco seasoning, and with all prepared/processed foods. I do try to stay away from those foods myself... but for a beginner (I just assumed that the OC is new to clean eating, forgive me if that is incorrect), small simple changes are key. And nothing is easier than throwing a $1 packet into a pan of sizzling meat than going out and spending $30 on spices then trying to develop the perfect powder cocktail before dinnertime.

That's so funny, because I dislike shredded chicken, I think it's dry and flavorless. In your defense I've probably been cooking it wrong... Can you suggest a method of prep for tasty shredded chicken? The key to texture in ground chicken is buying whole or by the breast, and grinding it up fresh just before you cook it. Much better than the store-ground stuff, and you can control the fat content: all breast is practically fat-free; tossing in a thigh gives you a little fat, more flavor, and more iron. When buying pre-ground, no matter the type of meat you choose, the fat content is always listed on the package (fun fact: fat percentage can be lower, but not higher, than what is stated on the package).

And leaner isn't necessarily better: if you eat little fat throughout the day, go ahead and splurge on your dinner protein. I eat a lot of fatty foods for breakfast and snacks (nuts, seeds, and tephanies1234: mmmmmavocadoesmmmmm), so I choose lean proteins for lunch and dinner.

If I was cooking the chicken specifically for tacos, I'd likely cook it in a skillet with water and taco seasoning and a little olive oil. Keep adding water a little at a time until the chicken is to temp, then let all the water cook off and you should have some pretty tender and well seasoned chicken taco meat. I most often use leftover roasted chicken for tacos though.

In my experience dry chicken is usually caused by overcooking or cooking in dry heat without any type of moisture or oil. Brining can help, especially if the chicken is cooked without the skin.

How lean your meat needs to be is personal preference based on taste and goals. I've never been a fan of most meat fat so I prefer lean meats cooked in olive oil. Since avocado is already high fat, I might not add any fat to the meat if I was adding avocado to the taco. But that's just my preference.

Lounmoun

Playabunnie2013 wrote: »

I always crave the wrong things what should I do?

What kind of food do you like? Why do you think the food you crave is wrong?

Plan ahead and fit things you like in your calorie goal.
I still eat the same foods just smaller portions really. Pair your higher calorie foods with lower calorie foods. If I have a hamburger then I might have a salad with it instead of fries.
You can substitute ingredients and make things you like lower calorie.

suruda

I've made delicious shredded chicken in the crockpot lately...slice onions and peppers and put in bottom of crockpot, place frozen chicken breasts on top (that's how I buy them) sprinkle liberally with taco seasoning and then after work, they just need to be shredded. I'm still not sure if you need to add liquid or not, the two times I have I've ended up having to drain it out. The frozen breasts have a lot of water in them so I'm thinking next time I'll skip any liquid. I've added just about 1/2 cup in the bottom to keep anything from sticking.

Delicous shredded chicken!

kmsoucy457

Thanks, Need2 and suruda! Will try brining overnight, then slow-cooking.

amgreenwell

If you haven't left the house yet throw some chicken in a crock pot with some bbq sauce. have pulled chicken when you get home. or, chicken with some tomato sauce and a few veggies. or, lentil soup with some seasoning. if you've already left the house today, sautee some veggies and salmon when you get home.

melaniecheeks

I'm going shopping later. My menu plan for the next few days includes chicken Caesar salad, fish pie, sweet potatoes with chorizo, beef and broccoli stirfry, and red thai prawns with rice.

Playabunnie2013

robynmclaren98 wrote: »

Taco Salad!! If you substitute the ground beef for ground chicken, sub the sour cream for 0% greek yogurt, and skip the tortilla chips, you can eat a ton of it and not feel guilty at all Plus its delicious (you don't even notice the substitutions at all)

That actually sounds super good I may try that thanks!

Playabunnie2013

amandammmq wrote: »

You should plan ahead. pick a few healthy recipes for the week, then grocery shop for what you need. Make sure it's something fast and easy to prepare, or if you have a slow cooker, you can have the food cooking all day and ready when you come home.

I did a really easy meal last night where I cut up cauliflower, olives and apricots, tossed them in some olive oil, curry powder, paprika and a little salt, plopped them on a lined baking sheet, then put some seasoned chicken thighs on top. 40 minutes in the oven and my dinner was ready.

You can substitute other roastable vegetables (zucchini, carrots, celery -yes, celery tastes good roasted!, peppers, asparagus, onions) and substitute other spices if you don't like curry, and can use chicken breast instead of thigh if you prefer. It was super easy and it tasted really good.

I'll also prep things ahead of time so on days when I'm tired I don't have to cook. In my freezer right now, I have some lentil burgers, some fish cakes, and some leftover chili, ready to thaw if I'm having a lazy day.

That sounds like a great idea and I've never tried roasted celery actually sounds pretty good

Playabunnie2013

Queenmunchy wrote: »

What are you in the mood for?

Anything really I like all types of food it's just the fast food places that get me

Playabunnie2013

Lounmoun wrote: »

Playabunnie2013 wrote: »

I always crave the wrong things what should I do?

What kind of food do you like? Why do you think the food you crave is wrong?

Plan ahead and fit things you like in your calorie goal.
I still eat the same foods just smaller portions really. Pair your higher calorie foods with lower calorie foods. If I have a hamburger then I might have a salad with it instead of fries.
You can substitute ingredients and make things you like lower calorie.

I like fast food and I'm like a sugar slash candy hog I love sweets

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Queenmunchy

Playabunnie2013 wrote: »

Queenmunchy wrote: »

What are you in the mood for?

Anything really I like all types of food it's just the fast food places that get me

I tend to like certain flavors, so my unofficial rule is that I can eat what I like, just make it at home and as healthy as I can.

Buffalo wing craving: buffalo cauliflower, buffalo wontons, chicken/hot sauce/blue cheese/broccoli slaw wrap, buffalo chicken pizza on flatbread, buffalo meatballs (keep in freezer)

Pizza/Pasta: Pizza on flatbread, high fiber pita or tortilla pizza, zoodles with marinara and cheese, pasta with vegetables and a little Neufchatel and/or marinara, spinach or zucchini mixed with meat for meatballs (keep in freezer)

Burger: Shredded vegetables mixed with lean meat with 100 calorie buns or wrapped in lettuce. (Turkey/zucchini or spinach is great for a non-traditional burger, beef/mushroom is more traditional tasting). Keep patties in the freezer.

Chicken nuggets: Shredded vegetables (I use zucchini or yellow squash) mixed with ground chicken, covered in breadcrumbs and baked. Keep in the freezer for anytime.

Chinese takeout: Baked egg rolls or wontons (keep in freezer), kungpao zoodles, any stir fry, cauliflower fried rice