Help us eat better, and easier

maguariento

Hi all,

I'm starting this thread after reading some posts on other topics. A problem for many of is that if we get in good workouts in a day, we tend to eat poorly, or at least not as well as we could/should. Exercise takes time and energy, and quite frankly after getting it all in I find it's 8 o'clock at night and the thought of standing in front of the stove, chopping and cooking something healthy.

I'm hoping that here we can help support each other by sharing ideas for recipes, meals, foods, pre-planning, etc.

When posting recipes, if at all possible, please include the number of servings and info such as calories, protein, fat, carbs, fiber, sodium, and whatever else you find important.

Cheers,
Mary Ann

maguariento

Let's start with breakfast! Ever few weekends I make up a batch of these for the freezer. It makes eating a healthy, satisfying breakfast quick and easy. I've never been one to be satisfied by cereal, unfortunately. I need my ham and eggs!

Breakfast Burritos - make ahead

Makes 16 Burritos

8 Large eggs
1 c Egg substitute or egg whites
1/4 c Nonfat milk (75g)
1/2 bag (~380g) Frozen Potatoes O'Brien
4 oz. Lean boneless ham
1 1/4 c 2% Milk Reduced Fat Mexican Four Cheese Blend
16 Low Carb/HIgh Fiber Whole Wheat Tortillas, Large - La Tortilla Factory (Costco)
Salt & pepper to taste
Waxed paper

Whisk together the eggs, egg substitute, and milk. Add salt & pepper to taste. Cook in a non-stick pan over medium/low heat until well done. Cool completely.

Place potatoes in a covered, microwave safe dish. Add about a tablespoon of water and salt and pepper to taste. Microwave until fully cooked, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool completely.

Dice the ham very fine. (I use ham instead of things like turkey sausage because it has surprisingly few calories.)

Lay the tortillas out on your counter/table/etc. Add a spoonful each of the eggs and potatoes. Sprinkle with a bit of diced ham and cheese (use very little cheese). Roll them up, then roll in waxed paper. Chill in the fridge before transferring to the freezer (your freezer will thank you by not getting all frosty!).

I pull one out the night before and pop in the fridge. In the morning, unwrap from the waxed paper and wrap in a paper towel. Microwave 2 minutes on 50-60% power, turning it over half way through cooking. Even when I'm running late, this is an easy one to nuke at the office.

178 cals
23g carb
8g fat
17g protein
13g fiber

The trick here is the tortillas... they are only 80 cals each with 8g protein and 12g fiber - amazing!!! I get the best deal on them at Costco (I live in Southern California); I hope you can find them, too!

maguariento

On to lunch! I've been into taking salads to work lately, which I prepare the night before (I am NOT a morning person). I layer the ingredients in a 5 c. size Rubbermaid container and tuck in a separate little container of salad dressing in the corner. Everything seems to stay good and crispy!


Southwestern Salad
The oregano and ancho chili really pack in the flavor!

4 cups torn romaine lettuce
1/3 cup fresh salsa (such as Safeway Signature Salsa Cafe - Salsa Fresca Mild)
1/2 can black beans (such as S&W Premium)
1/3 cup frozen corn

Dressing:
1 T nonfat plain Greek yogurt (high protein & calcium, low in calories)
Lime juice to taste (about a teaspoon; bottled is fine)
A dash of each: oregano (preferably Mexican), ancho chili powder, cumin, salt

Shake the dressing ingredients together in a small container with a touch of water; toss with salad ingredients just before serving.

230 cals
45g carbs
3g fat
11g protein
14g fiber

I sometimes add 1/3 of a medium avocado, but it's an additional 83 cals, 2 carb, 8 fat, 3 fiber. Honestly, with all the other flavors, you don't need it!

maguariento

Greek Salad
Okay, this one is more chopping than the last one, but soooo yummy.

4 cups chopped romaine
Sliced red onion to taste, about 2 T.
8 Kalamata olives, chopped (or not!) (Costco has huge jars of these, nice and cheap!)
1/4 cup (34g) crumbled reduced fat feta cheese (Athenos is my current favorite)
2 medium tomatoes, chopped

Dressing (alter quantities to taste)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 t. Dijon mustard
1 t. oregano
1 garlic clove finely minced
1/4 cup water
salt & pepper to taste

I layer these in my big ol' 5 cup Rubbermaid container, again, tucking the dressing up into the corner. Use as much dressing as you'd like... it's zero calories!

TIP: I love thinly sliced red onion, but it's such a pain to have to cut it every single day. I learned from my Dad - slice half of the onion and put it in a sealed container in the fridge. It keeps just over a week this way. I leave the other half intact in a zippy, and either use it for something else or slice it up the next weekend.

TaraRichardson913

My go-to meal is: veggie chickN strips fried in olive oil on top of a ceasar salad! Even if I eat all the chickN strips it is 250 for them. Then you can make your salad as lite as you want. I'm so lazy. LOL.

maguariento

Capellini alla Checca - 1 serving, can easily be doubled, tripled, etc.

This is my go-to meal when I don't have (much) time to cook dinner. My only requirement has been FRESH basil. If you find a good cheat, though, I'd love to hear it! The longest part of putting this together is waiting for the pasta water to boil.

1.5 oz (dry) whole wheat pasta; my favorite is angel hair
1-14oz. can diced tomatoes, slightly drained
Fresh basil to taste (I use about 1/4 cup)
Fresh garlic to taste, 1-2 cloves

While pasta water comes to a boil, finely mince the garlic. Dump the tomatoes (slightly drained) and minced garlic into a medium frying pan, and cook on low/medium heat while waiting for the pasta. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook pasta a minute or two shy of the recommended cooking time. When done, scoop out and put into the frying pan; toss with the sauce.

Cut the basil into thin strips (chiffonade), toss into the sauce. Cook until the pasta is tender, adding water (or pasta liquid) if necessary.

Once you have this recipe "down," pretty much all the prep is done while the water boils for the pasta (cutting the garlic & basil, draining the tomatoes). The sauce only needs to cook long enough to heat the tomatoes through and finish the pasta.

220 cal
42g carbs
1g fat
9g protein
9g fiber

Add a quarter of an ounce of finely shredded Parmesan Reggiano for an additional 30 cal, 2g fat, 2g protein. For a hungrier spouse, up the amount of pasta for their portion. As a treat, I'll have a slice of frozen garlic toast with this (about another 140 cals). My quick trick: fry it in a non-stick pan - it has plenty of butter on it already!

maguariento

Okay, I'll admit this one is not for for the timid palette. I cobbled it together because of some home-grown ingredients that were given to me.

Cabbage & Butternut Squash Pasta with Goat Cheese
Serves 4

400g onion, sliced thin (about 1 large)
4 cloves garlic, minced
400g of cabbage, finely shredded (about 1/4 head)
400g peeled, seeded, shredded butternut squash (about 1 medium)
4-6 leaves of fresh sage, finely chopped (or 1 t. dried)
6 oz. whole grain pasta (I prefer angel hair)
2 oz soft goat cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

Basically, you want about about equal quantities of cabbage, butternut squash, and onion... adjust based on what you have on hand. Bagged coleslaw mixes work fine, too!

In a large non-stick skillet, cook the onion until soft and brown (add a bit of water as needed to keep it from sticking).
Add the garlic, and cook for another minute.
Add cabbage, butternut squash, and sage. Toss well, and add water (about half a cup). Cover and simmer on low, stirring occassionally, until the squash and cabbage are soft. About 30 - 60 minutes, depending on the texture you are going for.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, a minute or two shy of doneness. Add to the sauce once the vegetables are to your desired texture. Add a bit of the pasta liquid, if needed, and cook the last minute or two in the sauce. Take off of the heat, and stir in the goat cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tip: I prepare the sauce and freeze it in portions. Stir the thawed sauce into freshly cooked pasta and finish with the goat cheese. Otherwise, this is not a very quick meal

Per serving:
297 cals
47g carb
4g fat
10g protein
9g fiber

Steffani911

Yes! Great idea! Food for many of us is the main battle. I tend to not eat enough when I don't log. I will skip meals and snacks. Food is scary after being overweight. And let me tell you, I earned every pound I had on me at my biggest.

I have my go-tos:

1/2 cup egg whites
handful or so of spinach
Couple table spoons fresh salsa

My fav. I never get bored because I'll change it up and add mushrooms or a green salsa and maybe a light striing cheese. Great protein boost.

Quick easy lunch
Bagged salad (whatever's on hand)
Lunch meat or canned tuna
Light string cheese or parmesan
Balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, or rice vinegar


I'm working on getting more creative with my meals. Someone on MFP recently introduced me to ziplist.com. While it doesn't have a lot of recipes that will work for weight loss, you can load any recipe found online and it creates a shopping list for you and you can store all of your recipes online in one place. I am horrible at making a shopping list. Plus I will find a great recipe but not be able to find it in my long list of favorite recipes all over the place. This is my test week, so I will share my updates.

dirtmagnets

I rarely cook with a recipe, so I always have to just note what I'm throwing in the pan and add everything up afterwards (not much help to others, I know!), but we had one of my favorite salads tonight.

Romaine lettuce, usually with spinach mixed in, but I somehow forgot to get the spinach out today
black beans
corn
chopped red or green onion
other chopped veggies - just shredded purple cabbage tonight, but I love it with chopped red pepper and/or jicama, too
baked boneless skinless chicken breast
and a dressing of 2/3 salsa and 1/3 light Ranch

So quick and easy, especially since we prebake and chop or shred chicken breasts and keep them in small packages in the freezer, very filling, and so much variety of flavor and texture.

kittiesandfarts

I really like to keep it simple and quick.

Quick and easy breakfasts:
Eggs fried with green and red peppers, mushrooms, and onions mixed in + fruit
OR
Open faced peanut butter and honey sandwich on wheat bread
OR
Kashi Heart-to-Heart instant Oatmeal with chia seeds mixed in

I pair all of these with 8oz of 1% milk.

I'm so lazy for lunch, I typically just have a serving of fruit and a handful of nuts. Maybe some dark chocolate for a pick-me-up.
Dinner... Tilapia, fried in butter or olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic (or lemon pepper seasoning) served on a bed of green beans.

maguariento

Steffani's post inspired me! We had a breakfast potluck at work today, and were trying to keep things on the healthy side. So with a base of spinach and eggs, I cobbled together a few other recipes I found to creat this. Folks loved it, but it was a bit too heavy on the spinach, IMO.

Breakfast Casserole

5 eggs
2 c. egg substitute (or egg whites)
12 oz. frozen potatoes o'brien, thawed (cubed potatoes with onion & bell pepper)
24 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess liquid squeezed out
2 oz. finely grated Parmesan (preferably Reggiano)
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together eggs. Add egg substitute, 1 oz. of cheese, salt & pepper. Stir in potatoes & spinach until well mixed. Spray 9 x 13 with cooking spray. Pour mix into pan, sprinkle top with remaining cheese.

Bake about 25 - 30 minutes until set. Turn on broiler and watch carefully, about 2 minutes, until cheese has browned nicely.

Changes I would make:
- Add non-fat Greek yogurt to the egg mixture, probably a cup. Good for tangy flavor, protein, and calcium.
- Skip the cheese in the mix; I didn't taste it at all.
- Chopped mushrooms (omitted due to co-worker's food aversions). I would probably sautee in a non stick pan first, to make them taste yummy and remove excess liquid.
- Add garlic powder!!!
- Some sort of herbs, too. Not sure what. Maybe a smidge of cayenne to brighten the flavors. Ah yes - nutmeg! That would be good, too! (Trust me)

As it stands, the breakdown for 1/12th of the pan is:

113 calories
9g carbs
3g fiber
4g fat (primarily from the whole eggs)
11g protein
1g sugar

I absolutely could not believe how low the calorie count came out!! If you use all egg substitute, it would be even healthier. But I think this was a fair compromise.

Steffani911

That sounds really good. I bet I could do that one on the weekend for the whole family.

maguariento

It's definitely for the whole family, and THEN some! I'd reduce the spinach to a mere pound... I think that would be plenty :-)

Steffani911

I made this for dinner tonight, and it was a hit. One of the hardest things I have run into is that I love savory foods. I don't have a sweet tooth really, but I love a hot savory dish. After eating this, I was so full. It was a filling meal that we all loved.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/07/taco-stuffed-zucchini-boats.html

maguariento

Oooh... that looks really good! Did you do the thing about boiling the zucchini for 1 minute? That sounds like an extra step I'd like to avoid, if it's not really necessary...

Steffani911

I did boil them. The only thing on here that I didn't do was-I didn't put salsa on the bottom of the pan just olive oil spay, salsa seemed like a waste. I also didn't put cilantro or scallions on top.

maguariento

There had been a lot of chatter on the other topics that it was difficult to find time to eat well AND get in the exercise we need. I heard mention of meal plans, shopping lists, things like that. Can anyone chime in with what they are trying, and that's working for them?

I've been VERY challenged with dinners lately, because all of my workout time is in the evenings. I really shouldn't live on Capellini alla Checca alone, and our "alternative" has been frozen bagged pasta meals (with extra frozen veg thrown in), but that is faaaar from healthy.

Anyone, everyone... please provide any tips you can!!! I know many probably work out in the mornings, so this may be less of an issue for you. But anyone in the same boat, please help!