Healthier meals

jackieschaaf

Hello,

I am working on changing the foods I eat, and I need a little help. Can anyone recommend some easily made healthy meals for breakfast, lunch, or dinner? Right now I am eating a lot of Lean Cuisine type meals, and I want to move away from the frozen, processed things into more homemade, natural foods and meals. I would be cooking for one, so meals that make good leftovers are great, and I also don't have a lot of time for cooking as a full-time college student.

If anyone has suggestions, please let me know!

notworthstalking

I have cooked bulk meats like chicken breast, rissoles, meat loaf, that type of thing. I throw it in a dish with a carb, and some frozen vegies. That makes good meals for work. Maybe it might work for you? Just cook extra meat and then reheat.

hecham

My diary is open if you want some meal ideas. I agree that frozen pre-packaged meals won't do you any good. You'll be hungry in a few hours and they don't really taste that great. It takes some prep work to make healthier meals, but I like to cook a big batch of something on a Sunday and eat it all week. Some of my favorites are quiches, baked sweet potatoes, roasted veggies, beans and rice, and soups. Best of luck!

LoraF83

Check out skinnytaste.com - there are lots of great recipes for the foods you love, just done in a lower calorie way. I find a lot of recipes on pinterest too.

On the weekend, I cook a bunch of chicken for my husband and I to eat all week for lunches. We also eat a lot of leftovers. I also make breakfast foods ahead of time and freeze them (right now, I'm finishing up a batch of steak, egg, and veggie burritos).

Frozen meals now and then won't hurt you - if you need to grab one in a pinch now and then, don't feel guilty about it. Are they great to eat every day? Probably not. The sodium content can mask weight loss. But, once a week won't kill you. It's all about moderation.

FitandFab33

I second skinnytaste.com!

I cook for one most of the time- chicken breasts and whole sweet potatoes baked in the oven, eggs, and I buy the steamfresh packages of various veggies, brown rice, etc.

Meals made in the crockpot (require little prep/cooking time or skill) usually last for a few days and can be really good/satisfying.

ETA: I keep everything on hand for big salads as well- including nuts, some fruit (and occasionally dried fruit), some kind of low-fat cheese, and just throw in some protein/avocado/sometimes bacon, etc and it makes a great meal..

krumpli

I also agree with the pre-portioned servings of meat. I also pre-cook a bunch of some starch and eat that throughout the week. Just add veggies and seasonings and you've got a nice meal!

As far as stuff that can be totally "made" ahead of time: chili and soups! Soup soup soup. Lots of healthy casseroles out there, too. I usually make 4 portions, eat one for dinner, one for lunch, and freeze two to eat again in a few days.

links_slayer

I second skinnytaste.com!

thirded!

wllwsmmr

I actually find a microwave pretty convenient in cooking some of my favorite low calorie-d and healthy foods!
Eggs cracked into a bowl and microwave a few minutes and poof I'm done!
My favorite sandwich would also be two slices of whole grain bread, canned tuna flakes in water, a laughing cow cheese for spread (you can use whatever other condiment you like!), lettuce, tomatoes and other veg you like or feel free to omit! Egg whites taste delicious in sandwiches too!
Salads are easy too, and I like canned tuna in them!
Else I'd zap some chicken breast (skinless and fat trimmed) in the microwave! I don't know if you'd find that bland though so I'd say marinate your chicken in lemon, pepper, salt or whatever!
Soups are convenient to cook in advance too, and if you're looking for something really low caloried, i'd recommend dumping your favorite vegs chopped up (I do cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, spring onion/chives etc) and adding vegetable stock powder or some sort for taste! I'd usually only end up using about 50g of stock for like 5 portions of soup, 1 portion being about 3 cups! And it is filling
Rice can be cooked in advance, portioned and freeze, and then when you need it, here comes the microwave again!!
Pumpkin/sweet potatoes are yummy and all they need is a few minutes of microwaving! Same goes for potatoes
I eat a lot of fruits, raw cucumbers/carrots, yoghurt, cereal with almond milk and blueberries etc so I do not cook a lot. Sorry if I didn't answer your question well, just thought I'd share easy meals since I'm a college student too! I struggle to cook though because I stay in the dorms and there's only one kitchen and there's no time....

I do not know what kinds of foods you like, so probably you could try http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/healthy_make_ahead_meals_and_side_dishes or http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/quick-recipes/dinner/make-ahead-freezer-friendly-recipes/! There are plenty others, have fun!!!

Lakerlady5747

Grill and/or bake some chicken breasts and use those to make various meals. You can cut up the chicken and put it in a salad as well for some protein.

You could make chicken stir fry. I bake the chicken breast in the oven, then use a pack of frozen stir fry veggies along with some stir fry sauce. Serve it over rice.

Also, I like making chicken fajitas. Here's a recipe for chicken fajitas that uses the oven. It's delicious and you can definitely control your portion size and calories. http://realmomkitchen.com/9318/oven-baked-chicken-fajitas/