low calorie SIMPLE recipes which won't break the bank?

plinkityplonk
plinkityplonk Posts: 30
in Food and Nutrition
I've just started on the weight loss journey and am a little lost to know what to make to keep me eating a balanced, low calorie diet without spending a fortune.

I need to go shopping tomorrow so I'm trying to write my shopping list and could use some inspiration. I've googled for recipes and obviously millions come up which is a bit overwhelming! I found a few things I want to try (like baked zucchini fries!) but not sure what to put with them to make a balanced meal which will keep me under my MFP calories. Any ideas?

I've saving up at the moment so don't want to spend a fortune as I'm saving every penny I can just now so ideally I'm looking for simple meal ideas which won't require hundreds of ingredients I don't have and mean I have to spend a fortune to stock up on loads of stuff to make anything.

What are your favourite low calorie won't break the bank recipes? Could you share? Also do you just use the calculator within MFP to work out calorie content of your meals? Is it fairly accurate?

Replies

  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
    Eggs are good for breakfast - if you dont want them every day ring the changes with oatmeal, or a slice of toast with cottage cheese.

    For lunch - I like to make my own soup or salad. Chose your favourite ingredients - I don't really like lettuce, but I love spinach, so I always have it in teh house. Add tomatoes, cucmber, peppers etc.

    Dinners - I base mine round grilled meats and fish with a load of veg.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    Egg whites with a light sprinking of cheese.

    Chicken with a light sprinkle of chilli or seasoning with a green salad or spinach.

    White fish, seasoned with salad or spinach.

    Very lean cuts of beef with veg.

    Turkey with a light sprinkle of chilli or seasoning with a green salad or spinach.
  • tequilasunris3
    tequilasunris3 Posts: 197
    Tomato-rice!!

    1 cup of uncooked brown rice (white rice works too)
    1 tin of tomatoes
    1 cup of water
    1 white onion
    1 clove of garlic (or 2, or 3, or 4 depending on how much you like garlic)
    1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
    1 vegetable oxo cube

    optional-
    pretty much any vegetables can be thrown in (apart from potatoes)
    beans (sometimes I like to add a tin of adzuki beans)
    diced chicken, quorn mince etc
    pepper, mixed herbs/spices

    * no need to add any extra salt, there is enough salt in the oxo cube *


    1. Roughly chop the onion and garlic and lightly fry them in a large sauce pan and then remove them from the heat.
    2. Add the tin of tomatoes, a cup of water, the oxo cube, the Worcester sauce and the cup of rice to the pan and start to stir. Put the pan back on the heat.
    3. ?? This is your chance to add your own ingredients! Your favourite vegetable maybe, or some diced chicken? or not, your choice! ??
    4. Bring to the boil, cover and then simmer for 30-40 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid burnt bits at the bottom. Ready to serve when most of the liquid ha reduced down and it starts to resemble a risotto.
    5. Serve up and enjoy!

    * Refrigerate and eat within 2 or 3 days. add a small amount of butter and microwave for 2-3 minutes *
  • SilverOnTheTree
    SilverOnTheTree Posts: 102 Member
    If you have space on a balcony or in a yard for a big terracotta pot, plant some salad greens. Oversow (like, put 4x as many seeds as the pot is designed for) and eat as they grow. In warmer areas, you can continually replant and it saves a fortune in the long run.

    Pick a couple of spices which you really enjoy. Strongly aromatic food is more satisfying. I splashed out on whole coriander seeds and cardamom pods.

    Here's my budget student recipe for tonight:

    SALMON CHOWDER
    210g can salmon (on special at supermarket) $2
    1 cup chickpeas (more $ than rice but higher in protein) $1.50
    1/2 can crushed tomatoes $1
    chilli, ginger, seasonings, salad greens $1
    Total $NZ 5.50, or about $US 4.50

    "WEIRD PORRIDGE"
    Based on a Taiwanese sweet, but low-calorie. My breakfast alternative.
    Adzuki beans, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cardamom, chopped prunes or raisins (or sugar)
    This mixture doesn't turn glutinous like oatmeal but if oatmeal's your "must have" you can cut it 50/50 with the beans. Still tastes good.
  • plinkityplonk
    plinkityplonk Posts: 30
    Thanks! these sound really good. Liking the sound of the tomato rice - is that like risotto when it's done? Do you know what kind of calorie content it has roughly?

    Would love to hear any other recipe ideas :)
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
    You can easily work out the calorie count of things you cook yourself. Go to "food" then "recipes" on the bar underneath those tabs and you can enter your own recipes. Search for the ingredients in the database, input the quantities you're using and put in the number of servings the recipe makes. Then you can save it and call it up again later if you have leftovers or cook it again.
  • beattie1
    beattie1 Posts: 1,012 Member
    I've just re-read your post and noted the request for simple cheap recipes. I'm making this soup a lot, I got it from a blog that someone posted a link to. Scroll down for the recipe for tomato & lentil soup. It's delicious & I'm thinking of making variations by adding carrot, sweet peppers etc. I find it makes 8 portions with a calorie count of 94 per bowl, so I assume my bowls are smaller than "tinned tomatoes' "
    http://www.tinnedtomatoes.com/2012/08/52-diet.html
  • StrawberrySprinkles
    StrawberrySprinkles Posts: 90
    One recipe that has been making the rounds on MFP is a tortilla chicken soup. I've modified it to be a fajita chicken soup. :)

    2 cans of chopped tomatoes with juice, 1 medium/large onion, chicken breast 300 or 400 grams (Can sub for another lean meat such as extra lean beef mince if you really wanted to..or chicken thighs or even beans or even a combo), a packet of fajita seasoning (doesn't have to be name brand), 2 pints of water, and a stock cube (optional). Slow cook until chicken falls apart. You can always alter the amount of water added to make it thicker or thinner.

    Using another meat will alter the calorie count, but it makes 5 or 6 bowls and it's less than 250 calories and pretty low in fat.
  • plinkityplonk
    plinkityplonk Posts: 30
    One recipe that has been making the rounds on MFP is a tortilla chicken soup. I've modified it to be a fajita chicken soup. :)

    2 cans of chopped tomatoes with juice, 1 medium/large onion, chicken breast 300 or 400 grams (Can sub for another lean meat such as extra lean beef mince if you really wanted to..or chicken thighs or even beans or even a combo), a packet of fajita seasoning (doesn't have to be name brand), 2 pints of water, and a stock cube (optional). Slow cook until chicken falls apart. You can always alter the amount of water added to make it thicker or thinner.

    Using another meat will alter the calorie count, but it makes 5 or 6 bowls and it's less than 250 calories and pretty low in fat.

    That sounds nice! Do you need to blitz it at the end or is it just a nice soupy consistency?
  • bluestocking01
    bluestocking01 Posts: 71
    "WEIRD PORRIDGE"
    Based on a Taiwanese sweet, but low-calorie. My breakfast alternative.
    Adzuki beans, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cardamom, chopped prunes or raisins (or sugar)
    This mixture doesn't turn glutinous like oatmeal but if oatmeal's your "must have" you can cut it 50/50 with the beans. Still tastes good.

    Just how do you make this porridge? It sounds interesting.
  • tracym22
    tracym22 Posts: 107 Member
    Hi Beattie1 thanks for your link. I've just been reading about the 5:2 diet, I missed the Horizon programme. I think I might give this a go.
  • 23Brandy
    23Brandy Posts: 20 Member
    Lots of salad. I eat one every day. Vary the ingredients. Shop Aldi's.
  • tequilasunris3
    tequilasunris3 Posts: 197
    Thanks! these sound really good. Liking the sound of the tomato rice - is that like risotto when it's done? Do you know what kind of calorie content it has roughly?

    Yes, it does turn out like risotto depending on how long you cook it for. There arent many rules to the recipe though so I guess you could cook it a bit less and it would be more like a thick soup. The whole thing makes enough for 3 or 4 servings, roughly 250 cals per serving :)
  • heliumheels
    heliumheels Posts: 241 Member
    Vegetable and tofu stirfry (cook in vegetable broth instead of oil) with brown rice.
  • NikkiSmo
    NikkiSmo Posts: 180 Member
    Pita Pizza
    Low Carb pita pocket - 60 cal
    1/4 cup fat free moz cheese - 45 cal
    1/4 cup of pizza sauce - cal will vary depending on the sauce but I have found one that is 20 cal
    16 slices of terkey pepp - 75 cal

    place in oven or toaster oven till cheese melts and YUMMY pizza!!!
    p.s. you can also add any veggies ex. mushrooms, onion, peppers, etc. I would suggest you saute them first just so they soften a little.

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