Easy recipes with normal ingredients

2ChaCha

I'm trying to start cooking/eating better (obviously since I'm a big ol' fatty and that needs to change!) but I'm having a problem finding recipes that aren't full of crazy ingredients or just so insane that I know no one in my house would eat them. My b/f is a meat and potatoes man, our kids... well, they eat like kids. Every time I search for easy clean recipes I get butternut and leek soup or pomegranate chicken salad or grilled honey grapefruit or some other such ridiculous nonsense. Are there no normal recipes with everyday ingredients that don't cost a ton? I can't stand tomatoes, quinoa, kale, or asparagus. Tomatoes will honestly make me throw up. If I get frustrated eating I won't stick to it. There are five of us in my house, we're on a tight budget, and we're really busy most of the time so I would like some recipes that are healthy, easy, budget friendly, and kid friendly.
And please, if you're going to answer, don't be a ****. I already pretty much hate myself for being overweight, and every time I post a question on here I get a bunch of jerks beating me down and calling me an idiot because I have particular preferences with foods. I thought this was supposed to be a supportive community?

FitFitzy331

Is it just actual tomatoes or tomato products that you hate? If its actual tomatoes, you can try to make a chili recipe, slow clook it, tons of protein, good fats and not too high in carbs.
This was the last one my boyfriend and I made (for how many meals it lasted, this was definitely considered cost conscious)
1.0 Jalepeno Pepper
1.0 medium red pepper
2.0 Onions
4.0 stalk Celery
1.0 container Red Kidney Beans
1.0 container White Kidney Beans
1.0 container Garbanzo Beans (Drained and Rinsed)
1.0 can(s), Corn
3.5 lb(s), Organic Ground Beef 85% Lean 15% Fat
22.0 oz(s), Tomato products - Canned, sauce
1 jar Deli-Sliced Hot Cherry Peppers
browned the meat first then slow cooked everything together for 8 hours.

I've also made chicken quesadillas, low carb/cal tortillas season some chicken with taco seasoning, then just get shredded cheese, some peppers (optional) some lettuce, etc...

I definitely recommend checking out pinterest for recipe ideas. most of mine come from there and i don't spend a ton (though it's just my boyfriend and me) but I meet my protein and fat macros almost every day and never hit my carb macro.

Not sure what you've posted in the past or who responded, but there are other vegetables out there, spinach is great, green beans, etc... i hate certain veggies (like brussel sprouts) so i avoid those and use other ones instead.

2ChaCha

I can eat tomatoes cooked in something, just not raw or by itself. My boyfriend, however, won't eat mushrooms, beans, pasta, or anything with a lot of cheese, so that cuts out a ton of recipes right there. The kids won't eat fish or really any veggie but green beans or corn. So many picky eaters in my house!

Marlitharn

My husband's a meat and potatoes man, too. I've found that I have better luck mimicking a meat and potatoes meal (you know, where the foods on the plate aren't touching) with healthier ingredients and in healthier ways. For example, almost any vegetable can be roasted and they're awesome - two of my favorites are: 1) broccoli (fresh or frozen, doesn't really matter) tossed with butter (or olive oil - I don't use it 'cause my husband has issues with it), salt, and pepper, roasted until the tips are starting to brown, and then sprinkled with a little good parmesan. I fixed a big bowl of it for Thanksgiving last year and had NO leftovers.

2) Cube sweet potatoes into bite-sized pieces, toss with butter/vegetable oil/olive oil, curry powder, and a dash of cayenne pepper, and roast, stirring once or twice if you remember, until they're golden brown (takes about 20 minutes). Roast beets, onions, garlic, squashes, peppers, brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnips - do each one separately or mix a selection in a pan, play around with herbs and spices, and it'll still be tasty. Serve alongside a lean piece of grilled or roasted meat and there's your meal. Or forgo the meat, cook some rice in broth, and dump the veggies on top. Chop up a buttload of root veggies and/or squashes into a big heavy pot, place a chicken or a pork roast or a beef roast on top, season it all how you like, and chuck it in the oven for a couple of hours (bonus: leftovers!). Or do it in the slow cooker.

Frozen green beans in my house get stir-fryed with a spoonful of minced garlic and a drizzle of sesame oil. Frozen carrots would probably be tasty that way, too. Or simmer your favorite veggies in your favorite stock and seasonings until they're soft and puree the crap out of it for soup. Leafy greens get wilted in a pan in which I've just fried a chopped slice or two of bacon or turkey bacon.

Ok, this got kind of long but I'm not really much of a recipe follower unless I'm preparing something special - for day to day meals I just grab food and cook it. I make liberal use of my cabinet full of dried herbs (I know fresh is better but dried is cheaper, especially at Aldi). Play around and see what you can come up with. It's very rare that my food isn't at least edible.

justlistening

Normal means different food to different people which may not coincide with your choices.

Do you only want to eat 'healthy' to lose weight? If so you do not need to change what you eat but reduce portions for yourself. So fill half or more of your plate with a salad (sans tomato and a very small amount of dressing) or steamed/boiled/roasted veges with minimal butter. This will reduce the amount of calories in your meals since salads/veges usually have minimal calories and you will be eating much less of the other foods. When you are more interested in eating healthier foods because they provide a variety of minerals, vitamins and fiber for your body you can slowly start introducing them into meals.

Steff46

My b/f is a meat and potatoes guy too...so I make lots of variations of pot roast. I use a crock pot (with liners) for most of my cooking. Just put in a roast, beef stock, can of mixed veggies (or separate cans of veggies you like), put in an onion, and some I like celery for flavor. Then salt, pepper, and add a packet of powdered ranch dressing. Cook on low overnight or high for three/four hours. You can make different types of roasts, ex: roast without veggies but with gravy and serve veggies on the side. If your family likes chicken; cook a packet or two of chicken breasts with a can of rotel and a bottle of your favorite salsa. Or chicken breasts, an onion, and two bottles of your favorite BBQ sauce. All of these are easy and have very little ingredients.

Hope this helps:)

onefortyone

I eat the same things I always have - tacos, spaghetti & meat sauce, steak and potatoes, beef stews, chicken soups, etc. but I simply watch the serving size. I use 1/4 cup of dry rice, or 3oz of pasta, or 8oz of potatoes, instead of just eyeballing it or estimating how much I think will fill me up. I weigh the meat I'm using. When dishing between multiple people you have to get used to fractions and dividing, but it is definitely do-able. Home-made foods are generally going to be reasonably nutritious anyway, unless you're deep-frying everything.

I also make an effort to add more veggies that I like to every plate - carrots, green beans, corn, broccoli, and make an effort to try things I never have tried before too, when they are on sale at the store. That is how I discovered I love asparagus and sweet potatoes (baked sweet potato fries, ommgg). I also incorporate a side-salad into almost every meal - it helps to fill you up and you get a bunch of extra nutrients.

I have also pureed veggies into sauces, so when I make spaghetti sauce, it can have steamed peas & carrots pureed in there and you literally don't even taste it. It's a good trick, but my mum did it exclusively and never really showed us cooked, whole veggies which meant that I didn't start trying to like them until now, mid-to-late 20's. So I would always make an extra effort to show kids that veggies can be edible too.

Finally, I also always suggest trying out stir-fries. They're easy to make and if you add orange sauce, sweet chilli sauce or whatever your favourite asian sauce is, it really covers the 'taste' of the vegetable. I add onions&garlic, broccoli, corn, sugarsnap peas (they taste just like green beans to me, but a bit sweeter), shredded carrots and red bell peppers. The smaller you chop them, the more palatable they will be at first.

Hope this helps, and I wish you luck finding the balance between delicious & nutritious that we are all ultimately searching for