what if I am wrong

mrsbuzz

I have been trying to eat within in my calories, but I feel like I am not eating what I should. I guess I don't know what to eat. All the recipes I find, have weird stuff or things I wouldn't mix together. I am sturggling to find the right things to eat and incorporate all the my veggies, good fats, protiend, calcium, fiber, and fruits.!!! I know that I am good with staying in my calories, but I doesn't look healthy or filling!!! Any ideas or advice? My hubby gets paid this friday so I will be stocking up on food. Let me know what you think, please!!:flowerforyou:

mrsbuzz

I have been trying to eat within in my calories, but I feel like I am not eating what I should. I guess I don't know what to eat. All the recipes I find, have weird stuff or things I wouldn't mix together. I am sturggling to find the right things to eat and incorporate all the my veggies, good fats, protiend, calcium, fiber, and fruits.!!! I know that I am good with staying in my calories, but I doesn't look healthy or filling!!! Any ideas or advice? My hubby gets paid this friday so I will be stocking up on food. Let me know what you think, please!!:flowerforyou:

strawberryblonde1

i had the same problem for a long time (and still kind of do)... i was lucky to have to supper healthy roomies that are really good cooks... so i am coming along my favorites are homeade chili (lots of beans, lean meat, corn, lots of spices...) ... eggplant parm (w/ reduced fat cheese)... spagetti squash as a pasta subsitute... lots of grilled chicken dishes with brown rice and a side of veggies ... I found that writing down all of my favorite "bad" foods and modifying them to reduce the fat, calories, sodium etc. really works... like the spagetti squash pasta thing... or instead of a fast food burger... i make a really yummy veggie burger (usually the spicy ones) with mustard and lots of veggies... i hope this helps! i know it can be hard at first but start with a few dishes you really like and experiment from there... you really can't go wrong! :flowerforyou: :drinker:

Dave198lbs

think about the old days of your Mom and Gram...the simpler times

food choices were much simpler then...some meat some veggies some bread

we now know we need to rethink the bread and the meat sort of but

go for a straight forward meal...do you have a whole foods store near you or a reasonable health store

have a nice roasted chicken (great for leftovers) some green beans or spinach...some really grainy bread with real butter...

or get some of my favorite...SHAKE IT AND BAKE IT BABY
skinless chicken breasts with the spicy shake and bake and some sauteed spinach in loiveoil and chopped garlic

keep it simple and have fun
Dave

abillings9

I cook a lot so I've just learned to substitute lower fat stuff like reduced or fat free sour cream, low fat cheese, low fat cream soups. I already think I cook fairly healthy, I try not to use a lot of butter or salt in anything, I am an avid fan of herbs and spices to bring out flavors in foods.

I just bought Devin Alexander's The Decadent Diet Cookbook but that was mainly to get better dessert ideas. I love to bake and that is my downfall, I can't keep my hands off cookies or brownies once I make them!

wildkat318

i had the same problem for a long time (and still kind of do)... i was lucky to have to supper healthy roomies that are really good cooks... so i am coming along my favorites are homeade chili (lots of beans, lean meat, corn, lots of spices...) ... eggplant parm (w/ reduced fat cheese)... spagetti squash as a pasta subsitute... lots of grilled chicken dishes with brown rice and a side of veggies ... I found that writing down all of my favorite "bad" foods and modifying them to reduce the fat, calories, sodium etc. really works... like the spagetti squash pasta thing... or instead of a fast food burger... i make a really yummy veggie burger (usually the spicy ones) with mustard and lots of veggies... i hope this helps! i know it can be hard at first but start with a few dishes you really like and experiment from there... you really can't go wrong! :flowerforyou: :drinker:

Chili is one of my favorites too. In fact I have a low fat one with lots of beans and ground turkey in it. I cook it in the crockpot so it's great to have when you get home and you're freezing!

My husband and I have very busy schedules and do not always get to eat together so I cook a lot on the weekends for the upcoming week. I will usually broil or bbq chicken and some form of low fat beef, cut it all up in 3 oz portions, bag it and stick it in the fridge. I also bake potatos and cook rice, put those in portion appropriate containers and I then keep lots of fresh veggies ready to go. I can pick up a protein, veggies, and a carb, throw it on a plate and nuke it. It also makes it easy to pack it for lunches. It makes it much easier to make the right choices when they are right there in front of you and take no effort.

I find the basics really are my favorite during the week (grilled meal, fresh steamed veggies, rice/potato/couscous and save my more elaborate recipes for the weekend. Check out Cooking Light's website, you can log in "chicken" and it will give you lots of yummy recipes you can peruse. I'm sure you'll find many there. Eating Well is also another website that has great recipes that are low cal and healthy.

I hope that helps some. :flowerforyou: It takes some time to get the hang of it! :grumble:

age1389

Maybe not try to revamp everything at once. Cook what you usually do and try to make it more healthy and if you find that you are lacking in something try to incorporate it into some of your meals. Like have some fruit with breakfast and have some for dessert. If it's protein add into your lunch like if you just have a salad for lunch put some grilled chicken on top of it or some nuts.
Doing it little by little will save your sanity and will probably see better results in the long run.
Also Cooking light has a website with some good recipes in it.
Good luck:flowerforyou:




-Adrienne

Poison5119

When I first started in MFP, I used my grill every day, and kept it simple. I shishkebobbed chicken, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, made huge salads with wishbone salad spritzers, and had a slice of Aunt Millies Fiber for Life bread spread with hummus.

I would measure out one cup of spaghetti with meat sauce and froze containers of it for lunches and brought frozen mixed vegetables to go with it.

Simple is best, but portion control is the key.
Some one showed us a Youtube thing on proper measuring, and I was surprised at the mistakes people make when they measure incorrectly. The lip on a measuring cup is NOT part of the portion! Buy whole foods whenever possible - anything in a bag or a box is processed and therefore all but useless!

mandersen16

I have replied to just about everyone this way but truly believe in it.

Buy the book Eating for life. It will tell you how to put all those foods together, portion sizes, and also gives you some great recipes. I am a pretty picky eater so this book was awesome for me.

To keep myself from eating too much, i usually prepare a dinner and lunch plan for the whole week. Then I get groceries for just what I am going to cook for that week. That way you aren't wasting food and you eat better because you have it all planned and have everything you need for it!

Chellekk

The good thing about cooking out of a cook book...you can make it your own. Chose the meal you'd like to cook and substitute foods/veggies for ones you would eat. If there are spices you don't have or know you don't like...put a different one in there. Cook books are there to give you ideas, but you don't always have to follow it.

My BF has to follow the recipe down to each minute/item, so I know it's hard, but in time...it'll become easier.

Good luck and keep cooking or you'll never be able to think outside that box!