Help with Mid-week Meal Doldrums

noelkm67

Hi Everyone,

I am finding that I run out of meal ideas and energy or desire to think about them mid- to late-week. It's hard for me to think about 5-7 days worth of meals in advance. I plan 3-4 days and then get tired of what I'm eating and then can't think of anything and/or don't want to cook.

Let see, this week lunches have been salads with a protein & fruit; sandwich with pretzels & fruit; frozen dinner which turned out yucky so I went with my fruit at lunch and a mid-afternoon protein shake.

Dinner last night was a sandwich, corn on the cob and green beans. Tonight it was a salad with greens, veggies and lean ham..

I have no idea what I'm doing tomorrow or Friday. My resolve isn't gone, but I'm trying to figure out how to address this next week before it gets ahead of me.

Any ideas you may have would be appreciated.

Thanks!

noelkm67

*Bump*

azalais7

I don't know if this is really what you're looking for, but for me, I take inspiration from Epicurious.com. I have over 600 recipes that I've saved to my "recipe box," and find the search function, which will let you put in "chicken thighs" or what have you, pulls up at least something that gets me excited.

I don't do this for the entire week at a time, mind you--usually only 2-3 days ahead. And of course there are many, many recipes on that site that aren't remotely low calorie (though there is are "healthy" and "low-cal" delimitors).

Ke22yB

I dont view it as a week at a time I usually go in groups of two or three days tonites dinner is in the fridge defrosted and tomws went in this AM to defrost for tomw nite then I am only thinking the salad and the vegs to go along
The salad is always the same so no thinking there and at this time of year a fresh veggie to either grill or saute
Like my lifestyle changes i do this one day at a time

srpm

I don't know if this is really what you're looking for, but for me, I take inspiration from Epicurious.com. I have over 600 recipes that I've saved to my "recipe box," and find the search function, which will let you put in "chicken thighs" or what have you, pulls up at least something that gets me excited.

I don't do this for the entire week at a time, mind you--usually only 2-3 days ahead. And of course there are many, many recipes on that site that aren't remotely low calorie (though there is are "healthy" and "low-cal" delimitors).

I love epicurious, I use it when I don't know what to make. I also love the dinner-spinner on the allrecipies.com mobile ap

mfp_junkie

I live in Toronto, and while we don't get a lot of snow, we get enough that my motto for the warmer months is to BBQ anything I can, when I can.

Simple low-fat meals I do on the grill:

- Grilled chicken (or lean pork chops) with naan and a fresh salad

- grilled meat of your choice, and then foil packs of potatoes, carrots on the grill. Quick and zero dishes!

- par-boil sweet potato medallions and finish on the grill

- sliders on whole wheat buns with side salad or oven baked potato wedges

- beer-can chicken on the grill - so moist!

Non-grill meals:

- whole wheat spaghetti with ground chicken spaghetti sauce
- my wife makes a wicked chicken, pineapple curry dish that we serve on rice

Nice thing about many of these is you can make two days worth and either have leftovers, or lunches!

We cook a ton from a series of books called "Looney Spoons". All lower fat, healthier versions of meals, but with serving sizes to fill you up, and most under 500 calories a meal. Look for Looney Spoons or Crazy Plates at your favourite book store.

noelkm67

Thanks Everyone! These are all great ideas that I will use.

stfuriada

- Fish tacos! :- just season some white fish fillet and grill/fry with those no cal sprays, warm up some La Tortilla low cal wrap things, salsa, coleslaw cut veggies, low fat sour cream, sprinkle of low fat cheese (or sub fish for those veggie crumbles from Boca/Morning Star)

- wendy's chili

- Buffalo Shrimp - coat some medium peeled/deveined tail off shrimp with some egg white substitute, dip in some seasoned flour, spray with non stick spray, bake, then douse in Frank's

- loaded omelets - egg sub + mushrooms + onions + veggie crumbles + sprinkle of cheese + w/e veggies you want