Meals that last days

mkc2004

Ok-so i have a "meat and tator" family...to avoid the expensive meals (one for me, and one for them concept) are there things that i can cook for myself that will last a few days???? i dont mind eating the same thing over and over and switching it out every week. I just can't afford to stick to a "normal" meal for my family and a healthy, light meal for myself. maybe something i can just nook and eat as i cook their dish. i know i can portion control most of it, but there are some meals that is a family favorite, that i will really need to avoid. any suggestions????

lwagnitz

Can't they eat what you eat? There's no reason your family shouldn't be healthy, too.

As well as the "family favorites", don't have them as frequently, and practice portion control. Or load your plate with veggies first. Make that the smallest part of your meal, whatever it is.

mkcmurphy

Chili? Easily portioned out and dressed up per participant. Good luck!

chervil6

theres nothing with meat and tater .... just have the veggies more

75Juniper

Can't they eat what you eat? There's no reason your family shouldn't be healthy, too.

As well as the "family favorites", don't have them as frequently, and practice portion control. Or load your plate with veggies first. Make that the smallest part of your meal, whatever it is.

^^100% this. You are teaching your family that a person is either on a diet or off a diet. Use this as an opportunity to show them that they can still eat things they like while trying a variety of new, healthy foods.

koridoobah

I like to make homemade beef stew thats loaded with veggies... a pot of that yummyness lasts me about 4-5 days.

ncqueenbee

My family eat what I eat. I will sometimes include a side dish they like, but leave it off my plate and just double up on the veggies.

And to answer your question...Turkey chilli is a hit with everyone. You can make a hugh batch , freeze it, heat and serve when ready.

angelique_redhead

I make myself a small portion of meat with a salad. They get the potatoes.

nturner612

i have this same problem.

Tuna ($1 can x7days)
progresso light soups (dollar tree)
bananas (.49 cent pound)
oatmeal (will last for a long time and that can b ur bfast)
head of lettuce ($1,change) maybe lettuce with tuna
great value sliced turkey (something like $3 for sandwiches, or even for a bfast sandwich)

ive also made chili, and/or veggie soups in my crockpot. cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, celery, broccoli, onions, etc. spend about 20$ but u can stretch it for a week. throw in some chicken and itll b delish!

*** hit ur grocery store in the evenings and look for "Clearance" meats. I have found at Safeway, sliced turkey, sliced chicken breast, cheeses, ground beef, chicken etc for as low as like $3! of course they will go bad in ALOT and havent died yet from eating food thats alomost goin bad.

MyOwnSunshine

Ham... ham for a few days, ham sandwiches/wraps, ham and beans, ham and cheese omelettes.

Chili... chili for a few days, chili dogs with all beef hotdogs and no bun.

Any soup or stew... split pea, beef stew, lentil soup, chicken and rice, beef barley, minestrone.

roberts1013

For my family i started out with making one "healthy" meal a week for them with out telling them it was "diet" food. Once they ate it and loved it i just added it to the meal routine. That way I slowly got rid of the less healthy meals with out them realizing what was going on. We still eat there favorites just way less often. I also did some internet surfing and found healthier versions of there favorites. They hardly even noticed cuz they still tasted great.

Barbarajavon

I recently made a huge batch of shredded chicken (about 4 large chicken breasts) and I use it for a variety of things, salad, tacos for myself, sandwiches, and chicken salad. All I have to add is a carb (usually a piece of bread) and a veggie.

mdonovan

On Sundays I do up a roast of some kind (chicken, pork, beef) and use it through the week for wraps, with veggies, soup, that sort of thing. Eggs are great too. Super quick and really versatile.

mkc2004

great ideas. . . thanks. . . i guess i need to look into some more recipes, or maybe just change out what i have in mine. i love to cook and i make everything from scratch. i tried switching turkey meat with my hamburger meat in my taco soup, it just wasn't the same. which that was the very first time anyone in my family has tried turkey meat. my husband was raised on a ranch with pretty much nothing but meat and fried veggies, so it truly will be a change for all of us, but a good change. what about sweets, i love to bake. i know what i bake now is so far from healthy.

do you have any suggestions on healthy recipe cook books???

hmadrone

I cook for 6 people, including 4 adults and two teenaged boys. They need the calories; I don't.

I make things that have separate carb, protein, and veg portions. That way, the kids can load up on the calories they need to grow, and I can load up on the veggies I need to lose.

I always make a lot of whatever vegetable I'm serving. I focus on the veg and the protein, and skimp or skip the carb portion of the meal.

So, if I'm making pasta and garlic bread for the crew, I make a big order of sauteed summer squash. I have my pasta sauce on the squash and only eat a little garlic bread.

If we're having a nice balanced soup, I serve it with some kind of bread for the kids. Garlic bread, biscuits....

If we're having a stir fry (I do a lot of stir fries), I take a little rice, a lot of veggies, and top with meat.

If we're having more traditional meat-and-potatoes fare, I make sure that half of my plate is veggies,

val922

ok this is what I do, I cook for the family with meat and tater people too....I take any meat or shrimp, stir fry with veggies and garlic with a little olive oil, I take a healthy serving of the meat and veggies and very very little potatoes. I roast the meat and steam the veggies (when veggies are done cooking I take what I want to eat) then prepare them with butter or cheese (the way they like it) They eat well with me. Again what I do is eat what they are eating but not as much of the carbs. I make a breakfast for dinner night also so I fry their eggs and make them pancakes but I have poached or soft boiled eggs and whole wheat toast. Hope this helps you.

val922

go to allrecipes.com....free recipes, you can create a recipe box to keep your faves in, then click on recipes then low cal recipes. I think you might find some you will like .

lwagnitz

great ideas. . . thanks. . . i guess i need to look into some more recipes, or maybe just change out what i have in mine. i love to cook and i make everything from scratch. i tried switching turkey meat with my hamburger meat in my taco soup, it just wasn't the same. which that was the very first time anyone in my family has tried turkey meat. my husband was raised on a ranch with pretty much nothing but meat and fried veggies, so it truly will be a change for all of us, but a good change. what about sweets, i love to bake. i know what i bake now is so far from healthy.

do you have any suggestions on healthy recipe cook books???

skinnytaste.com

Liz77bandsman

I have always encouraged my family to eat what I eat. That said all meals can be made better for you all:
Home made chips (invest in frylite or any other spray oil), veggies/beans and then bake what goes with it
Corned beef hash has always goes down treat - great as a filling meal as i use 1 tin of corned beef, 1 tin of baked beans, a load of sliced mushrooms & onions topped with mash and a touch of grated cheese, accompany with extra veggies (I always have a load of steam fresh bags ready to hand).
Homemade lamb meatballs in a tomato sauce (the bigger the better) this is from an old SW magazine but are super lush
If you prefer veggie food (like me) then quorn is nicer than soya mince and is an amazing and low fat meat replacement

If you are really struggling changing the way you cook could be key: bake/grill rather than fry, if you do need to fry foods use a spray oil rather than olive/vegetable oil from a bottle, as many others have said increase vegetables. Do leave the skin on meats when cooking but don't eat the skin/bacon rind as this is pure fat (and yes i know the best bit).

I would recommend you stop thinking of what you eat as diet food. Once you get to where you want to be you're leaving yourself open to falling back into the bad habits that got you to the place you are now. Opt instead for a lifestyle change and keep the weight off for good. It's never easy and life does tend to get in the way, just take small steps. Good luck.

nejaustin

I cook something in the crockpot every Sunday. Right now I have a yummy smoked sausage cassoulet simmering away that smells yummy. (from myrecipes.com). I will portion these out when it is complete, write the portion/cal on tape on the container. It will probably smell so good that your family will want to eat what you are.

matti07

I cook something in the crockpot every Sunday. Right now I have a yummy smoked sausage cassoulet simmering away that smells yummy. (from myrecipes.com).

I just packaged up some Moroccan chicken that I made yesterday. Put it into the MFP recipe app, and the dish was way lighter than I thought!

Yay, slowcookers!

ce_fit

I got a receipe over at skinnytaste.com which I am still enjoying. I think it meets your need of nooking well you are preparing their meal. The meal is crock-pot-chicken-taco-chili. If it is my dinner I add a bit of cheese and low fat sour cream and a slice of unbuttered bread. If it is lunch just a slice of bread. The receipe is at; http://www.skinnytaste.com/2008/11/crock-pot-chicken-taco-chili-4-pts.html

mkc2004

wow-you guys are awesome! so crazy on how there are so many crock-pot things you can do, and portion it out for the week. for Christmas my dad got me one of those big crock pots that have 3 individual small crock-pots within it. you can adjust each temp differently if needed. Way to go dad! thanks again guys!

JDelphiki

Here is good recipe. When it is done I portion out the leftovers in bags and stick them in the freezer. When I want to eat some take a bag stick it into a pot of boiling water until the meat is thawed.

Ingredients:
3 lbs raw boneless skinless chicken breasts (the original recipe used frozen breasts, but I used them unfrozen, so it appears you can do either)
12 oz bottle of Buffalo wing sauce (I used Frank's Wing Sauce)
1 oz packet of dry Ranch mix (I used Hidden Valley)
2 T light butter

Directions:
1. Place the chicken breasts in your slow cooker. Pour the bottle of wing sauce over the top of the chicken. Sprinkle the packet of ranch mix over the top of the wing sauce. Place the lid on your slow cooker. Cook on low for 7-9 hours until meat shreds easily.
2. Remove meat and shred it using two forks. Return shredded meat to the sauce and add the butter. Stir to combine. Continue to cook on low for another hour so the meat can soak up the sauce. Serve however you like!

Yields 12 (1/2 cup) servings. WW P+: 3 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Nutrition Information per serving from myfitnesspal.com: 175 calories, 1 g carbs, 5 g fat, 28 g protein, 0 g fiber

Got the recipe from here: http://www.emilybites.com/2012/07/slow-cooker-buffalo-chicken.html

OzarkMountainMan

What you need to ask yourself is can I make these recipes healthier for everyone in the family and can I (For example) get away with eating a cup of chili instead of a bowl.

Sometimes it doesn't need to be such a serious change in what you eat but how much you eat.

reneespencer46

I use portion control and eat the same thing as my family eats.

WendyTerry420

Meat and tators are healthy. I'm not sure what caused you to believe otherwise. If you're worried about calories, just eat a smaller portion and add an extra veggie or two instead.