Have Kids Need Healthy Meal Ideas For Family.....HELP!

RandysHottie
RandysHottie Posts: 18
edited September 20 in Introduce Yourself
Hi all -
I started dieting about 9.5 months ago. Okay....I will be honest...I started Adipex and it was a GREAT way to get me motivated. I only took it for three months, lost about 25 lbs and never refilled the prescription because I want to take care of this without any more help.

In September I really started watching what I am eatting and have found I do real well away from the house on my own. I have also just started a daily elliptical routine 2x a day for 20 min each time - burn about 320 calories at each workout. But.....I am married with an 8 and 4 year old. I can't make dinners of boiled chicken, rice and brocolli every night. We also have a strict rule of we all eat the same meal....no smorgesboards. So...does anyone have any ideas for fun, healthy meals that my kids will like?

I am excited to be a part of myfitnesspal and look forward to communicating and depending on you for MOTIVATIONAL SUPPORT!

Alecia

Replies

  • karmasBFF
    karmasBFF Posts: 699 Member
    What I do is just think of ways to healthify the meals I already make. For instance, I use:
    whole wheat pasta or whole grain (my kids dont like the texture of wheat).

    I make homamade spaghetti sauce with tomato sauce and paste and spices. For thicker, use crushed tomatoes.

    Believe it or not meatless chili or turkey chili is not bad at all for you (if you use the actual ingredients and not a mix).

    Red potatoes are better than white potatoes (at least I've heard).

    Rice a Roni with 1/2 tbsp of olive oil instead of butter.

    Homemade mashed potatoes (just cut in half and boil) leave ingredients on the side (salt, sour cream, broccoli, cheese, etc) and each person can make their own version.

    Macaroni with homemade cheese sauce (fat free cheddar cheese, 1% milk and corn starch (salt and pepper to taste)

    Homemade turkey meatballs (fat free crackers or oats, 1 egg and seasoning)

    Portion control is key! I've found that I can eat what I want, just smaller portions. Use the healthy options as fillers. I usually munch on these as I am waiting to eat so my brain starts registering that I am full before I even start eating.

    I also make my dinner salad while I am cooking. I eat is as I prepare the meal and just eat less of the "good stuff".

    i hope these help!
  • one thing that i love to make is burritos!!
    make about a cup of brown rice, mix it in with 1 can of warmed and mashed black beans, and dump in the amount (and spiciness) of salsa that you like. when you mix it all together it makes a very filling, healthy, filling for your burritos. just add the tortilla wraps (warmed in a pan on the stove is best), and the toppings that you want. i highly recommend cheese, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and lettuce. and your done.
    it normally takes about 40 minutes start to finish, and thats only because your waiting for the rice to cook. if you cook the rice ahead of time dinner could be ready in 15 minutes.
  • tlblood
    tlblood Posts: 473 Member
    sparkrecipes.com has a lot of recipes. I haven't tried too many of them myself yet, but I've got a bunch of them printed out to make soon because they look so good.

    I also got Cook Yourself Thin cookbook. It has some good stuff in it.
  • karmasBFF
    karmasBFF Posts: 699 Member
    Oh and I read that eggs in the morning help you lose weight (yes, yolk and all!) So does red meat! Just a matter of portion sizes.

    Also, homemade pancakes are soooo easy to make:

    1 cup whole wheat flour
    1 egg
    milk
    oil (or applesauce)

    I add bannas, blueberries, choco-chips (yes, I said it!), or homemade strawberry preserves (strawberries and a itty bitty bit of sugar heated and smashed with a fork! You can even add a tsp or two of syrup and still be able to eat a full days worth!

    Tomorrow morning is one over-easy egg with 1/2 cheese on a piece of toast. Plus, coffee. and yes you will be full! (You can even add a 2nd slice!)
  • ltlhmom
    ltlhmom Posts: 1,202 Member
    The biggest this is portion control you can still eat some of the same meal that you served before. I think you just need to look at the meals you used to make and say OK how can I make this healthier or how can this work for me if I make it for the family? Eat 2-4 oz of meat, a serving or half of your starch, a serving to a serving and a half of veggies and you could also serve friut. I know a lot of times when I'm weighing and measuring out my food my plate is full and sometimes I even how to put some back because it is to much.
  • Thanks for all the support y'all!
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