NEED Help

Options
claudie1981
claudie1981 Posts: 32
in Food and Nutrition
Okay so next weekend is payday for me and i want to go shop for healthy food that i can make a quick lunch or healthy dinner.. things that dont have tons of calories in it, even healthy snack ideas , at the moment my snacks are bananas apples, raisins and grapes ,Lunch is killing my calorie intake cause i dont know what is low in calorie or not , like who know 2 minute noodles had almost 400 calories in it... Please just help me by giving me ideas for healthy lunches and dinners, Things i can buy next weekend... I dont eat any fish or seafood except hake. Thank you in advance

Replies

  • Peni_Davidson
    Peni_Davidson Posts: 54 Member
    Options
    Okay so next weekend is payday for me and i want to go shop for healthy food that i can make a quick lunch or healthy dinner.. things that dont have tons of calories in it, even healthy snack ideas , at the moment my snacks are bananas apples, raisins and grapes ,Lunch is killing my calorie intake cause i dont know what is low in calorie or not , like who know 2 minute noodles had almost 400 calories in it... Please just help me by giving me ideas for healthy lunches and dinners, Things i can buy next weekend... I dont eat any fish or seafood except hake. Thank you in advance

    I like to make myself a big pot of chunky vegetable soup. To be honest it is more like a stew it's that thick but it is really tasty. The pan I make is really big and divides up into 8 very filling portions at 183 cals a portion.Which I then divide between the fridge and freezer and just take one out when I want lunch or a warm tasty snack.
  • gel91
    gel91 Posts: 309
    Options
    There will be tons, I'm sure you'll get lots of options on replies.

    I do find that lots of noodles and pasta ect will give you lots of cals. Though they can be good for you in moderation. Have you thought of making your own pasta, bread, chicken nuggets, soups ect? You're more in charge, so you'll watching how much and what your eating more.

    Sweet potatos are yummy and easy and quick
    Big bags of ready cooked chicken, you can just chuck in the grill for a few minutes or eat cold
    Steamed veg maybe? with gravy or some kind of sauce.
    Soups are always good, you can cook & freeze and take out when needed
    Eggs are always good
    Salads are a more obvious option
    Stir frys can take minutes if you prep your veg when you get them
    Maybe a salad sandwich on granary bread? with fruit you usually eat
    Breakfast bars
    Nuts, though they are high in cals.
    Home made pizza, you can premake dough it'll last a few days in your fridge just a matter of adding topping and cooking

    With dinners just have whatever you want. Salads/paninis/jacket potatos/pasta/stew/meat/pizza! Just add a ton of veg first and don't over eat. Don't deprive if you want/crave something.

    And if you look around when you do go shopping you'll be surprised at the amount of people who stand there checking out the calories on everything they're about to buy. You can too, if it's got more than say 350/400 and isn't gonna fill you, then don't buy it and keep looking.
  • claudie1981
    claudie1981 Posts: 32
    Options
    Has your chunky vegetable soup got meat in it?
  • claudie1981
    claudie1981 Posts: 32
    Options
    I love the idea, of homemade Pizza and Stir fries.
    when you talk about breakfast bars you mean the ones you buy?
    your ready to eat chicken... we get ours in a bag bones and all do you pull off the meat and freeze it in portion sizes.. or do you just hope it stays fresh all week?
    Thanks
  • Peni_Davidson
    Peni_Davidson Posts: 54 Member
    Options
    Has your chunky vegetable soup got meat in it?

    No it's a veggie, you could add meat if you want but I like to keep the calorie count as low, but as filling as possible.

    Alpen light bars are good for snacking on at only 70 cals.
  • Peni_Davidson
    Peni_Davidson Posts: 54 Member
    Options
    One thing to remember when cooking veggies, don't overcook them. The crisper they are the more calories your body burns digesting them.
  • lcvaughn520
    lcvaughn520 Posts: 219 Member
    Options
    Definitely sweet potatoes - low in calories and pretty filling! I microwave mine for about 8 minutes (flip over once in the middle), spritz some I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray on it, a touch of salt and voila - lunch! I also recently made a great stir fry - just frozen veggies (my grocery has an "edamame asian blend"), one egg and quinoa, all sauteed with some stir fry sauce and soy sauce. You could also add chicken or shrimp to that, also. I also think soups are a great idea. Super easy to heat up and enjoy.
  • NaomiJFoster
    NaomiJFoster Posts: 1,450 Member
    Options
    Hummus (I do store-bought because I'm lazy, but it's actually very easy to make) with raw veggies like celery, green beans, carrots, snap peas, and grape tomatoes. Finger food, dipping fun. Yum.

    Can of garbanzo beans drained and rinsed, with some chopped up cucumber, tomato, and avocado. I'll either drizzle on some Italian dressing or just some lemon juice. It makes 2 full lunches. But don't put the dressing on the second portion until you're ready to eat it the next day.
  • HeidiCooksSupper
    HeidiCooksSupper Posts: 3,831 Member
    Options
    There are three categories of food that tend to be very high in calories for the amount you eat: starches, fats, and sugars. Starches include things like bread, noodles, etc. Fats include cheese, butter, oil, etc. Added sugars are present in many processed foods. You don't need to avoid all of these all the time but you do need to be mindful.

    So, as others have said, it's time to read labels as you shop. Figure that things like noodles, bread, rice and white potatoes are going to be calorie dense because they are chiefly starch. Avoid oily or fatty things. And look at the ingredients list to spot any added sugars. A good rule of thumb is that any word that ends in "ose" is a sugar, e.g. sucrose, fructose, dextrose, etc. In particular, avoid fructose because it metabolizes differently from the others, is harder on your liver, and is more likely to encourage fat deposits.

    You are wise to plan ahead and make a list. Try to fill most of your cart with vegetables.

    And expect to learn something new and get better at this as time goes on. Cooking is my hobby. Information seeking is my profession. And I'm in my sixties. Still, I am constantly learning something new about the food I choose. And it's fun!
  • claudie1981
    claudie1981 Posts: 32
    Options
    my mom used to make this soup that was packed with veggies and sugar beans and meaty soup bones ( i dont know if you guys get that) and she used to make a massive batch and then freeze what was left over it was so good and fulling

    are beans good or bad?
  • jcartwright2008
    jcartwright2008 Posts: 73 Member
    Options
    I cook up a bunch of chicken breast, brown rice and steamed veggies :smile:
  • gel91
    gel91 Posts: 309
    Options
    Are you in the UK? I go to icelands occasionally and pick up there bags of diced chicken. It's boneless & skinless and already cut up. It's actually frozen you just shove some in the fridge (or the packet) overnight and it's ready for snacking/lunch/cooking the next day.
    I usually defrost about 100/150g every day or 2 because I just love it. It's nice hot or cold.

    And in regards to homemade pizza, honestly try it! It's hardly any ingredients for the dough and plus whatever toppings you choose. Plus the making of the dough is very therapeutic!
  • claudie1981
    claudie1981 Posts: 32
    Options
    No I live in South Africa, but i have seen a few of icelands products in the freezers. i think its pizzas and ready meals but ill check for the chicken ...thanks.. Do you have a recipe for the pizza?
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    Options
    my mom used to make this soup that was packed with veggies and sugar beans and meaty soup bones ( i dont know if you guys get that) and she used to make a massive batch and then freeze what was left over it was so good and fulling

    are beans good or bad?

    Are you serious?

    EAT THE BEANS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ....BEANS!!!!!

    (beans are good)
  • gel91
    gel91 Posts: 309
    Options
    To make pizza dough, you just need, strong plain flour 500g, 7g yeast, 250ml of water, a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of sugar!

    Just mix the flour yeast salt and sugar together in a bowl, make a little well in the middle and slowly pour the water in (sometimes you don't need it all) and just knead it with your hands till it's a sticky ball ish shape.

    Sprinkle some flour on your chopping board/side then put the dough on there and just knead it in the flour till it's not sticky and is a smooth round shape. Stick it in a container somewhere and leave it somewhere warm for about an hour, it'll pretty much double in size. Once it's risen and spread out it's ready to use.

    Then you just roll it out to thickness of your choice then you can add your toppings. I'm simple I like plain old cheese and tomato, maybe some mushrooms but obviously add anything. I use tomato puree & low fat cheese.

    Because it's fresh it cooks super quickly aswell. You can store the dough for a few days in the fridge, roll it out first to make it easier and you can just grab it whenever you're ready!

    That amount of ingredients should make about 3 pizzas of normal size, but I prefer to make mini ones for me and my son, it'll make about 6-7 mini bases!
  • claudie1981
    claudie1981 Posts: 32
    Options
    Thanks for all the awesome suggestions... Im writing them down, and the pizza recipe.

Categories