Anyone cook and eat actual meals most/all days?

Raddichio

I am always looking for more ideas for meals that fit into my eating plan, so I often take a look at people's open diaries for new ideas. I like a lot of variety in my meals and, since I cook for my family, I have learned that I can eat almost everything they eat---just smaller portions and limiting extras like desserts.

In looking at other diaries, though, I'm surprised that I'm having trouble finding people who eat real meals through the day---or at least one or two meals. A lot of people seem to either eat fast food or what I would consider snacks (no cooking). There's nothing wrong with that, if it is a balanced, healthy diet and meets your caloric/nutritional needs. However, it's not what I'm looking for to give me more ideas in feeding myself and my family.

So here's my question: Who of you regularly prepare and eat meals regularly? What things do you make for you and your family? Better yet, are any of your food diaries open?

thebuz

I definitely do. Me and my boyfriend plan out the week for our grocery shop and stick to it for the most part through the week. This last week has been lazy with some take out and fast food as I was in a dragon boat festival all last weekend and we ran out of groceries. Will be back on track this weekend. You can go through my diary and look at my dinners.... I usually make things in bulk and then have them for leftovers on my lunch hours and I think we have a pretty good variety. Have a gander and hopefully it gives you some ideas.

We use a lot of Clean Eating, Taste of Home and Allrecipes so if you see something you like I can fire over the recipe or you can find it online.

HeidiCooksSupper

I cook a from-scratch supper almost every night. Depending on what it is, sometimes it will show up in my diary as a list of ingredients, sometimes as a named item I put in a recipe for just to make the calculations easier. Some nights it's a better balanced meal than others. Last night, for instance, supper was sorely lacking in veggies and was a chicken/pasta splurge. I do try to incorporate a lot of vegetables most of the time. I also do pretty simple cooking in terms of effort and precision but variety in terms of flavor and combinations. So, I think my diary is open to one and all (let me know if it isn't) and I respond yes to all friend requests but don't watch everybody's daily feed.

Whatever we have for supper tonight will be veggie-heavy to make up for last night's sins. :embarassed:

Oh, and if you ever want to know what went into one of the named recipes, give me a holler and I'll cut and paste into a message to you.

itsmandible

I LOVE cooking and my boyfriend needs to eat low fat because he had gallbladder surgery in February, so I always prepare a proper dinner. Lunch is usually a salad or wrap or something (except for today haha) with fruits or veggies or a granola bar, something I make sure I put a little effort into.

As far as where I get ideas, Pinterest inspires me a TON, as do weight loss blogs (mostly Pinterest). I'll see something, realize I have all of the ingredients, and just go ahead and make it that night! I always keep olive oil, brown rice, chicken, ground turkey, salmon, pasta (not the best thing for me but I don't care haha), bread crumbs, flour, various veggies (sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, black beans) around along with seasonings (garlic, pepper, salt, lemon pepper are aamong my favorites), and I can almost always recreate things I've found online quickly, easily and healthily. I would love to share some of my favorites if you know what you like to eat!

Raddichio

Thank you both---I really appreciate your offering to share recipes, too. I always plan meals a week (or more) ahead, too. Then I enter them in my food diaries in advance. I find it really helpful for making sure I eat properly the rest of the day to balance out the day nutritionally and calorically (is that a word?).Of course, unexpected things do come up and some days things don't end up as balanced as I'd like, but I know that my nutrition is better with planning than without and even if some days aren't stellar, they all average out to a decent diet (as in plan of eating, not just weight loss). My biggest problem is incorporating more fruit in my diet---I've never liked fruit that much, I'd rather eat veggies.

KimINfortheWin

Disclaimer: My new lifestyle is an anti-inflammatory plan due to health reasons. So we have cut out all gluten and grain, eating as little processed food as possible, and cutting out refined sugar (due to TOM, my chocolate craving is pretty obvious on my diary atm). My meals are a lot of 'ingredients' listed separately because I don't feel like putting recipes in my database.

I grill a lot of chicken, steak, pork, and seafood. Roast a lot of asparagus, Brussels sprouts (LOVE!), broccoli, cauliflower, fresh salads. from my garden. Tons of eggs - my skin is loving me for this addition to my diet! It's also a quick/easy way to cook my breakfast and lunch at work.

Last night, for our 'quick' meal, I baked red potatoes, poured Trader Joe's veggie chili over the top, dollop of sour cream and cheddar cheese. Very filling! I had also roasted asparagus but was too full from the other. And this was one of my higher calorie dinners.

One of my new summer favorite salads is getting a bag of the shredded broccoli slaw, adding EVOO mayo and vinegar, salt pepper, diced pears, blue cheese crumbles and chopped imitation crab. Topping with dried cranberries and cashews. YUM! Quick and easy with no cooking.

Another quick meal, was that I bought a rotisserie chicken. Diced it into bite size pieces. Smeared goat cheese on fresh home-grown basil leaves and wrapped those around the rotisserie chicken.

Made a cauliflower crust pizza that surprisingly good.

Make tacos often. Just used romaine lettuce instead of taco shells.

I also love love love my flaxseed pancakes with pure maple syrup or honey poured over the top.


My diary is open if you want to peek.

nfgchick79

Absolutely. I cook dinner every single night and I make double and bring the leftovers to work for lunch. I also cook my breakfast every single day. The only snacks I really eat are greek yogurt and sometimes fruit or like half an avocado. I allow myself take-out sushi once a week. I tend to eat a lot of meat and vegetables cooked various ways usually cooked in some kind of healthy fat.

Kristy7418

Mine's open to friends and yes I do cook pretty much every dinner at least. I try to make healthier versions of things I have made in the past. I just learned the recipe feature so I have just started creating my own recipes so now instead of seeing just all the ingredients listed and guessing to what I have made you can see the name of the meal.

beattie1

I cook from scratch virtually every evening (salad, or sandwich or soup for lunch). I cook roasts, shepherds pie, fish pie (both have mashed potato on top - grilled), pork steaks or chicken with different sauces (going to make sweet & sour pork tonight out of cut up shoulder steaks), we have fish, spag bol (I usually have finely sliced cabbage instead of spaghetti - delicious!), lasagne, meatballs, home made burgers....

My diary is open. This is a great season for fruit - it's delicious! Veggies are even better for you, so don't worry if you prefer them.

Raddichio

One more reply came in while I was posting---thanks.

What do we like to eat? We like spicy foods (as in hot!) and highly seasoned things. Mostly I like variety. I would love more recipes with ground turkey. I mostly use it in things like chili or tacos, but I would love to know how to cook it by itself so that it would be moist and flavorful. Love mushrooms, spinach, and zucchini. We don't eat a lot of beef, but I do try to cook it from time to time for DH. My preference is chicken. I like salmon and tilapia and would love to have halibut, too, but I just can't bring myself to pay the high cost. We have pork from time to time. We have everything from fish fillets, brown rice, and veggies to beef stroganoff, chicken pot pie, enchiladas, or beef burgundy. Of course, wtih some of the heavier entrees, I just have to eat smaller portoins. However, I can actually eat a regular serving of the beef stroganoff and beef burgundy because they have some low-fat substitutes included in the recipe. (I got the recipes for both of those from Diabetic Living.)

Edited to add: I love, love soup! DH doesn't think of soup as a "real" meal, so I have to have a lot of add-ons for him, but if it is well seasoned, soup is my comfort food.

deb3129

I eat real meals for almost all of my meals. I do eat out on occasion, but most weeks only once a week. I try to avoid fast food and processed food and stick with whole foods as much as possible.

Raddichio

Yeah, I didn't want to imply that I don't eat out. In fact, we meet family and friends once a week for a meal at a restaurant. Everyone takes turns choosing, so I often don't know where we're going until the time comes. And I've even been known to pick up fast food on occasion, but it's not a regular thing.

Raddichio

Thanks everyone for all the responses. I need to go and get some real work done now, but I'll be back later to look at some diaries and read/reread the responses.

MarisaDLS2

I eat homemade food for every meal.

Its a lot cheaper than buying readymade convenience foods, way tastier and you know what you are consuming.

Breakfast is usually a veggie omelet w a fruit on the side, w coffee. :drinker:

Lunch is usually a salad or last evenings leftovers if any were left.

Dinner is made from scratch.
Usually a lean meat/veggie saute/whole grain like brown rice,wild rice or quinoa.

No white rice, no bread, no white flour, no white potatoes, no pasta. :noway:
(I am prone to type 2 diabetes :blushing: , try to limit carbs to fruits/veggies/whole grains.)

I shop weekly, prep a ton of vegetables,
prepare a large pot of vegetable soup in case I need a quick meal.

My snacks are usually fruit/cheese/popcorn/crackers.

I've always loved cooking, so for me its not a chore.

Remember that certain foods have a certain flavor profile w different spices.

ie Creole/Cajun - onions, garlic, green pepper, garlic, paprika, cayenne, thyme, parsley.
Curry - garlic, ginger, curry, coriander, cumin, hot chili paste, lemongrass, cilantro.
Asian - garlic, onions, soy sauce, ginger, hoisin, chili flakes, fish sauce, lemongrass, rice wine vinegar.
Mexican - garlic, onions, cumin, chili powder, oregano, cilantro.
French - shallots, garlic, thyme, lemon, tarragon, parsley.
Mediterranean - garlic, onions, shallots, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, parsley, lemon, rosemary, oregano.

Feel free to look at my food diary, its open.

shutterbug282

I make most of my meals from scratch. Either for myself or cook for the entire family, the past 2 weeks I've just been cooking for myself. I think my diary is open

kpk54

I do. I cook. My diary is open to friends so you can friend me and see it though it really doesn't tell the whole story. Last night for example I entered pork tenderloin but it was really a pork tenderloin marinated in a homemade Chimmichuri Sauce. Some of the other entries from the last 6 weeks are: Chicken Piccata, Shrimp Pesto Pasta, Chipoltle Spaghetti Zucchini, Chicken Paprikash, Primavera, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, Pork and Shrimp Stirfry. All are home made. I pounded the chicken for the picatta, made the pesto for the shrimp, the chipotle peppers did come out of a can but the rest of the sauce was homemade. I make my own hummus, guacamole and salsa. Homemade alfredo sauce is so much better than that stuff in a jar.

Neither my husband nor I care to eat in restaurants and both of us love to cook. I have 84 sq.ft of raised bed for gardening so grow my own vegetables for fun. Every year is an experiment. My pole beans are excellent this year! Fennel is my new venture. Waiting for the cucs. I may have watered the zucchini too much. I have already had from the garden: spinach, lettuce, radishes, beets, arugula, bush beans, polebeans, etc. Have an ongoing supply of fresh rosemary, basil, tarragon, parsley, cilantro, thyme.

I have had 2 restaurant meals in the last 6 weeks. Both were lunch business meetings. I ate fish tacos 2 days in a row because they were the easiest to decifer since neither restaurant had nutritional info on line. I do buy stuff from the frozen section of the grocery store...plain frozen peas mostly. LOL. I buy a few canned vegetables on occasion for stews or soups. I usually make my own chicken stock but have bought the stuff in a can or box. I make my own salad dressings to keep the sodium level down. Same is true for taco mix. My mashed potatoes are real potatoes, butter and milk.

I cook. I eat real food. I use allrecipes.com and foodnetwork.com a great deal. My "go to" TV stations are the Cooking Channel and The Food Network.

I eat eggs but don't raise the chickens. My steel cut oats come in a box but I cook them on the stove. My Greek Yogurt comes from the dairy aisle because it's better than any I've tried to make. Same is true for noodles. They're from a bag or box.

All said I probably have more time than many on the board. Cooking does take time but I enjoy it. :happy:

poedunk65

I cook and eat everything i comsume. That way I know absolutley what is going in my mouth.

MrsB123111

I cook from scratch 99.9% of the time. I get a lot of recipes from Pinterest or I make them up myself. I utilize the "recipe" feature often!

I also have a blog, meetmrsb.blogspot.com, I try recipes from different places and post about them. There's other stuff on there too My diary is open to my friends, so feel free to add me.

Acg67

::Raises hand::

becka63

I do! Love cooking and have included a lot of my recipes on here. I think my diary is open so feel free to have a look. If you are interested in any of my recipes then drop me a friend request. FYI having homemade pork bolognese to night with home grown salad leaves. Yum!

jlapey

I do, but I seldom log my dinners. Breakfast is one of two usuals, as is lunch. Dinners however often consist of a protein and two veggies OR a protein, a veggie and a starch. Feel free to ask me on any given day what I plan to eat. If you go back far enough in my diary (about 2 months or so) you'll find some ideas.

Pandorian

The MFP blog has a few tasty looking recipes up currently breakfast and lunch options so far with dinner and snack options to come on Friday

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/mike/view/myfitnesspal-summer-shape-up-meal-plan-part-1-547282

tincanonastring

I plan a weekly menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and most of the things are made from basic ingredients. I've really been killing the recipes in Cook This Not That and have entered a bunch of them into the MFP recipe tracker (if they ever get that thing up and running!). The turkey chili recipe in there is ah-f'ing-mazing. Wifey's been really hating on it lately because we can't order from the local pizza place anymore, but I haven't heard her complain much about my cooking, so that's a plus!

MaeRenee94

My lunch and dinner are completely made by me. My lunches are prepared every Sunday and I cook dinner fresh every night.

My diary is open so you can look.
Thing is right now I am on a new food plan I created so my lunch and dinner are identical every day just my snacks are switched up.

cwolfman13

I cook...I rarely go out to eat and I don't really believe in just sucking on celery sticks...that's not dinner.

sleepingtodream

I prefer to cook rather than buy ready-made meals or to eat out. I can track calories better and I really enjoy using fresh produce. We hunt and fish and buy other meats from a local farmer so we have alot of food frozen/available to cook (pork, fish, beef and venison). I don't care too much for potatoes so I cook with alot of beans and grains. Meal planning has made things easier because we are very busy/on the go. Basically cooking at home doesn't take up any more time than running for fast food would and it's budget friendly for our family.

ETA- My diary is open:)

KathryneJY

I prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner from scratch most days, though I do like to go out for lunch with my husband on Fridays, so don't judge by today's lunch menu!

For me, it's quite simple. A good chunk of protien (chicken, fish, pork, steak, eggs, or greek yogurt depending on the meal) surrounded by healthy fats, fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies make up more than half my plate for every meal. I find it very satisfying and filling - especially big salads or steamed veggies.

I love taco night. I make my own fillings from scratch including salsas, guacomole, adobos, carnitas, shredded lamb, fish, etc. I am picky about my tortillas and tend to buy from a local company whose tortillas are half the calories of other commercial brands without preservatives. I'm going to try making some one day.

I try to limit carbs, so no bread (other than a couple of tortillas a week), limited rice and potatoes, no sugar except by exception when I'm out and dessert is served, or the occasional chocolate splurge. I try to get the bulk of my calories from protiens.

But most of all, I avoid processed foods where possible. Yes, there are some convenience items that I do use, but it is minimal. Making your own salsas, salad dressings, bbq sauces, etc can save you a lot of calories and sodium. I do like artichoke hearts on my salads, so I buy water packed ones. I like pickles and hot peppers too, but I limit those due to sodium content. I am lazy about beans. I buy chickpeas in water with no added salt and it's a great protien boost to salads or veggie dips (hummous). If you look at my diary, you will see I am pretty consistent about what I eat. My breakfast and lunch is basically the same every day. I know I won't be hungry and I save the majority of my calories for dinner.

I will make a salsa or two when I have time, and it lasts me a week. I buy my meat daily depending on my calorie needs for the day. If I have had a heavy lunch, I'll have fish or chicken for dinner instead of steak. This is where consistency is helpful because you're not trying to plan all kinds of different meals every week. My grocery shopping is pretty much the same every week, though the fruits and veggies will depend on what's in season or looks good.

Espressocycle

I tend to cook huge pots or casseroles and freeze individual containers so that I can eat my homemade food for most of my meals. I used to keep a blog of it (icemancooketh.blogspot.com) and should probably go back to that - it was a great resource for me to go back and decide what to cook. I have been entering my recipes here for the calories and I wish they would activate recipe sharing.

LadyElby

I cook a "real" dinner pretty much every night, and most of my breakfasts are "real" meals as well. LOL! Unfortunately, my lunches are usually a series of snack portions because of my work setting. My diary is open so feel free to add me and check it out if you want. I make a lot of salmon and and chicken. Ground turkey is one of my favorite things to cook with, but my boyfriend hates "healthy foods" so a lot of times we meet in the middle with lean ground beef instead.

Some sites to check out for recipes include:

Pinterest
Cooks.com
allrecipes.com
sparkrecipes.com
hungry girl

There are a ton of others but for some reason my brain isn't working right now. Good luck!

shutupandlift13

I cook almost every night. I do a lot of meal prep though so sometimes its just a matter of reheating a main dish/finish cooking it and steaming/baking/frying up a side to go with.

cmeiron

Me, almost all the time. (Diary is open)