I need help with food...new girl here...

jdl249

I'm stuck in this rut for lunch and dinner. I don't like a whole lot of veggies or dressing...the only veggies I like are corn, peas, potatoes, and string beans (also I don't MIND lettuce). And 3/4 of those (if not all of them) are starchy (I think??) so they're not really good for me...right??

I mostly focus on breads, meats (usually chicken), and cheeses. My comfort food since I was a child is/was macaroni and cheese. I just got hooked onto the Lean Cuisine mac and cheese dinners and I've staved off eating any more Kraft or Velveeta.

This is usually my typical eating day:

Breakfast:
either
1) Special K cereal with a banana
or
2) scrambled eggs and toast

Snack:
either a yogurt or a Special K 90 calorie bar

Lunch:
usually a Lean Cuisine mac and cheese dinner or a chicken sandwich (with just meat and bread, maybe cheese if I feel like it

Snack #2:
either a Special K 90 calorie bar or a yogurt

Dinner:
chicken quesadilla (usually 2 smaller slices)

This is usually it. I'm in a rut and don't know what else I could do. I am just starting to learn to cook/bake stuff and I want to explore more options,

Help????

*Edited to add: as far as fluids go, I drink water and the occasional glass of V8 Fusion Juice, not much else unless on a rare treat*

jb_sweet_99

Check out hungry-girl.com or Kraft.com, they have lots of great recipes and meal Ideas. There are also a lot of ideas here as well, try searching the forums, and check out the feeds that say "what's for Dinner" or "what's for lunch" etc for some ideas. Hope this helps.

Kidvicious28

I would suggest eating more fruits and veggies.
Apples are a good choice. They're pretty filling and only have about 65ish cals.
Green veggies are prob the healthiest choice of vegetables. They have a lot of fiber and antioxidants in them.
Nuts/sunflower seeds are good. They are packed with protein.
Oatmeal...is a good complex carb and protein.
Cottage cheese..high in protein.
Maybe adding in some other lean meats or fish.
Pb! yum!
Certain soups are good and filling
:flowerforyou:

kelligirl

Do you like crunchy veggies at all - like carrots, cucumbers, celery, peppers?
Cottage cheese is high in protein, as is Sargento Lite String Cheese.
Tuna is good for lunch. I use 2 oz (1/2 can) w/ 1/2 T lite mayo, celery, in 1/2 oat bran pita with lettuce. Add a side of crunchy veggies, 1/2 c. cottage cheese & 1/2 c. sugar free jello and it's lunch!
Dinner for me is usually meat of some kind... chicken, steak, fish & a ton of steamed vegetables like brocoli, cauliflower or asperagus, & maybe a small side of long grain or brown rice. If I eat bread, it's Sara Lee 45 calorie. Check out the thread - what's for dinner - to get ideas too.

mrsb0310

im sooo into stir fry just now, i use a tea spoon each of lazy garlic, lazy chilli, lazy ginger and soy sauce to make a marinade (add a little splenda if its too tangy) leave the meat in this to soak up the flavours then stir fry with fry light and peppers, corn, onion, i often have it with noodles or a savoury rice pack. DELICIOUS!

LuckyLeprechaun

start experimenting. Go into the produce section and start trying stuff. the veggies you mentioned are on the starchy side, peas are great, but the corn& potatoes are on the starchy side. which is not to say they are "bad", you should just add others so you get a lot of variety.

stuff I never ate before I started this journey, but now I love:
hummus
different kinds of mushrooms (portabella especially)
zucchini
squash
carrots
broccoli
cauliflower
asparagus
bell peppers
green onions
cuties (small tangerines)
different kinds of lettuce (butter lettuce is YUMMO)
jicama
black beans
all kinds of salsa
nectarines
plums
asian apple-pears
pears

just keep trying stuff, you'll find things you didn't know you liked:flowerforyou:

what about fish/seafood? very low in calories, and soooo good for you!

those special K bars are pretty good, I have one almost every day, but if you have too many, you'll be high in sugar.


last night, my DH made a super good dinner:
brown about 6-8 chicken breasts (just enough to hold in their juices)
lay them in a pyrex baking dish, and smother them in a sauce made of:
3 cans of cream of broccoli soup mixed with 1 can of cheddar cheese soup
bake in the oven for an hour
serve over steamed rice.
I loved it. He also makes this dish with cream of mushroom (1) and golden mushroom (3) soups.

another EASY and delicious dish is:
boil up a package of penne pasta, and when it is 2/3 done,
saute up some shrimp, like about a pound
pour in a jar of spaghetti sauce,
add three big dollops of (either) fat free sour cream OR Fage greek yogurt 0%
stir it all together, drain the penne, toss it in the creamy spag sauce. GOOD! can also be made with chicken, either together with the shrimp, or as a substitute. also we add some mushrooms sometimes.

jdl249

Thanks everyone! I did forget carrots and celery when mentioning my veggies. I love a lot of fruits too though, like apples (as someone suggested), peaches, pears, bananas, grapes, etc.

LuckyLeprechaun - thank you for those recipes! They sound amazing, especially the first one! I'll have to make another run to the store soon and go pick up some things.

Kidvicious28 - oatmeal, PB, and nuts are things I really love. Again, I almost forgot about those...LOL.

Once again, THANK YOU everyone!!!

ngwife4life

I'm a super picky eater so I sympathize with your frustrations! Even more difficult when my husband is home is that the ONLY vegetable he will eat is corn and occasionally I can get him to eat a salad. Tonight, I whipped together a really easy dinner so I figured I would throw you the recipe:

I used an egg white and 1/4 teaspoon of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) whipped together. I also took 5 ritz crackers and two wheat thins (you can use whatever cracker you have on hand or already prepared bread crumbs) and crushed. I added some salt-free all purpose seasoning to the crushed crackers. Take whatever portion you want of Chicken Breast Tenders or Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cut down smaller and dip into the egg white/EVOO mixture. Make sure you cover both sides. Dip into the crackers, covering both sides. Throw onto a cooking sheet (might want to spray it with some cooking spray) and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until done! I was super short on time so I used a Betty Crocker mashed potato pouch and Green Giant frozen carrots. It took me about 20 minutes from the time I started cooking to the time I sat down at the table to eat.

When my hubby is home, since he loves fruit so much, I often make a simple fruit salad to serve either with dinner or as dessert. We love cutting up two or three types of apples, an orange, and some strawberries/grapes. If we can afford it, we get some fresh pineapple to put in there, too!!! The orange is important with cut up apples. It will help keep them from turning brown and help them to last longer.

I prefer making things fresh and from scratch but that's not always an option in this household. So, I keep frozen veggies and a few box sides around for the just in case moments!

I have to agree with stir fry! And I love any chicken/veggie/rice combo these days. Campbell's has a delicious Cheesy Chicken and Rice Recipe that's really easy to make and even though my hubby HATES casseroles, he LOVES that recipe. I think it's on their website but it's also on their Cream of Chicken Soup. Can you tell the only meat I eat is chicken? :laugh: Good luck and happy cooking!!!

Sebidian

Welcome!

You are eating quite a bit of simple carbs. I like the same foods you do, but with easy tricks you can make them healthier. I have three suggestions:
1. Pick a cereal with more fiber. There are lots of good tasting ones.
2. Make your own Mac and Cheese using Dreamfields pasta. It is high in fiber and tastes exactly like the normal stuff. I cook the noodles, then splash it with light cream, a dash of nutmeg, and some Kraft Shredded Cheese (I use Classic Melts 4 Cheese). Just watch serving sizes.
3. Make your quesadillas or other wraps with Mission Carb Balance flour tortillas. Again high in fiber and taste great.

kariadams

Do you like Salmon?? I baked a Salmon filet 15min at 400 degrees. Sprikle some lemon pepper, salt and garlic powder ove the top and bake. I also like roasted veggies, In a baking sheet with sides place mushrooms, onions, red bell peppers and orange bell peppers, and tomatos. Drizzle with EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), pepper and salt and place in the broiler. And in about 20 minutes you have a delicious dinner. Be careful with the EVOO, because it will bump the calories, but it is also good fat, so it is up to you. Hope you like this one, it is my fav, but DH does not care much for fish, so I make it when he is out of town!

jdl249

I'm a super picky eater so I sympathize with your frustrations! Even more difficult when my husband is home is that the ONLY vegetable he will eat is corn and occasionally I can get him to eat a salad. Tonight, I whipped together a really easy dinner so I figured I would throw you the recipe:

I used an egg white and 1/4 teaspoon of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) whipped together. I also took 5 ritz crackers and two wheat thins (you can use whatever cracker you have on hand or already prepared bread crumbs) and crushed. I added some salt-free all purpose seasoning to the crushed crackers. Take whatever portion you want of Chicken Breast Tenders or Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cut down smaller and dip into the egg white/EVOO mixture. Make sure you cover both sides. Dip into the crackers, covering both sides. Throw onto a cooking sheet (might want to spray it with some cooking spray) and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until done! I was super short on time so I used a Betty Crocker mashed potato pouch and Green Giant frozen carrots. It took me about 20 minutes from the time I started cooking to the time I sat down at the table to eat.

When my hubby is home, since he loves fruit so much, I often make a simple fruit salad to serve either with dinner or as dessert. We love cutting up two or three types of apples, an orange, and some strawberries/grapes. If we can afford it, we get some fresh pineapple to put in there, too!!! The orange is important with cut up apples. It will help keep them from turning brown and help them to last longer.

I prefer making things fresh and from scratch but that's not always an option in this household. So, I keep frozen veggies and a few box sides around for the just in case moments!

I have to agree with stir fry! And I love any chicken/veggie/rice combo these days. Campbell's has a delicious Cheesy Chicken and Rice Recipe that's really easy to make and even though my hubby HATES casseroles, he LOVES that recipe. I think it's on their website but it's also on their Cream of Chicken Soup. Can you tell the only meat I eat is chicken? :laugh: Good luck and happy cooking!!!

I was wondering where that Cheesy Chicken Casserole came from!!! I haven't had it before but I know I've wanted to try making it for the longest time...I LOVE YOU!!!!! :laugh: What do you do with the yolks though?

LuckyLeprechaun

you can give egg yolks to a dog, if you have one.
or just toss 'em.
that's where the cholesterol is located, and about 50-ish calories...

LuckyLeprechaun

oh and if you are using tortillas a lot, costco has some that are the BOMB! (probably available elsewhere too)
La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious low carb low fat whole wheat.

most tortillas are like 200 cals, these are soft, delicious, and only 80 cals!!!

I have them almost everyday, spread with some hummus (tJ's tomato basil hummus=2tbsp=35 cals)

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

gemiwing

I'm a mac n cheese addict too. It's my go-to food. I've found that I can slip in some veggies in with the mac n cheese and it helps me up my veggie intake. I like peas and carrots, corn (rarely) and sometimes I'll just throw in some mixed veggies. Add some Chilli powder and it's like a cheesy enchilada with pasta. Yum!

ngwife4life

I don't do a lot of cooking but I have read on some other message boards that they put the yolks into ice cube trays and when they're frozen, pop 'em out and put them into a plastic baggy. People who do a lot of cooking and end up needing an egg yolk instead of a whole egg or the egg white find it very handy! You can always use the whole egg if you want to. I was just short on calories and wanted mashed potatoes instead of a whole egg on my chicken!

I've also read about people doing the ice cube trick for leftover wine/champagne to use for ice cubes in a drink later. I don't know how they end up with any leftover! :drinker: