Dinners for a single non-cooker?

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smh926
smh926 Posts: 1
in Food and Nutrition
I am just starting my weight loss journey and find that I am having a hard time with dinner. I have healthy breakfasts, lunches and snacks but I have a hard time continuing the trend through the evening. I'm not really a great cook and tend to go for really easy things to make. But then I get bored because I'm always eating the same things! I'm also cooking just for myself and that makes it tough (and sometimes expensive!) Does anyone have some easy, healthy, quick, etc. recipes that I can use for dinner?

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  • sno_flakee
    sno_flakee Posts: 11 Member
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    My husband travels alot so I have the same dilema. When he is gone it seems I live on Lean Cuisine. I'll be watching this one to see what everyone has to say.
  • decemberg
    decemberg Posts: 26
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    I would only eat those processed dinners once a week max...they aren't good for you an they are loaded with sodium most of the time. Just read the labels and check the ingredients.
  • Melis25Fit
    Melis25Fit Posts: 811 Member
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    I would only eat those processed dinners once a week max...they aren't good for you an they are loaded with sodium most of the time. Just read the labels and check the ingredients.

    It really depends on which one you get...

    I have a BBQ chicken pizza lean cuisine that's only got 430 g of sodium....

    Anyways, easy dinners are taco salads minus cheese and sour cream and using ground turkey
    Also eggs

    If you've got a George Foreman grill stick a piece of chicken breast on it,a nd pop in a steamables frozen veggie....
    Super easy.

    Check out the recipe message board. Lots of good ideas there! :)
  • elipticallover
    elipticallover Posts: 34
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    Before my BF moved in I had the same problem... so some local friends and I did dinner nights, we would switch off cooking / location so each night seemed like a girls night out... we saved a TON of money and made really great stuff (it is so much more fun / motivating to cook when it is for more than just you)... so if you can try to join up with a group of friends that live close and start a little dinner circle...

    If that isn't an option try to plan your meals for the week so you only have to cook 2 - 3 nights a week... for example on Monday I make a HUGE salad with tons of veggies (don't dress it) and as the week goes on I use it as a side or main dish... If I cook other veggies and have leftovers they end up in the salad... it is kind of a never ending bowl of veggies that continues to change as the week goes on... then I will make a bunch of chicken... dice some for chicken salad, use some for a stir fry, put some on a salad etc... with just chicken, some fresh veggies and some spices you can make a TON of meals...

    Also if you have a grill it is easy to make a quick burger, fish etc... add some brown rice and a salad and you have a great meal.

    Good luck!!!
  • islandnutshel
    islandnutshel Posts: 1,143 Member
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    I'm not sure this is as simple as frozen dinner, but I love dinner salads. I make a hot scramble of extra lean beef/turkey/ckn, mixed w onion garlic, black beans, peppers, grated zuchinni and carrot (what ever is in the house),if you want it saucy, add sweet thai, (I like sambal & maple syrup) and I throw this over a huge bed fresh cut romaine lettuce. Maybe add cottage cheese or guacamoli, and salsa. No need for dressing. If you like something crunchy on top. A handfull of cornships crushed, works great. If you don't go crazy with the sauce or chips, the dinner is lo-cal and super healthy and super filling.
    I'll be checking to see what other suggest too.
  • RedneckWmn
    RedneckWmn Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I was in this situation myself. What I would do is buy meat and freeze them individually. I would marinate the meat with different seasonings so that whey I got a variety of taste. I would cook them on the grill but if you have a George Foreman that works too. I would switch out my veggies to mix it up a little bit. I made a lot of stir fry and pasts and would freeze what was leftover. I would also find recipes for a croc pot. It makes a lot at once but I would take a small portion out and freeze the rest. That way you have it for later. Love cookin the croc pot because there's not a lot to it. Throw all the fixings in the croc pot in the morning, you come home and it's usually ready to eat. I ate a lot of the Jennie O Turkey Burgers. Hope this helps some! Good luck!
  • kayleigh333
    kayleigh333 Posts: 138
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    Buy a two pack of salmon fillets and grill them both (I season mine with chopped garlic and red chilli, black pepper and lemon juice) and eat one for dinner with veggies and new potatoes, then have the other cold the next day in a salad.

    Or a vegetarian chilli is good, eat it with rice for dinner then in a jacket potato for lunch the next day. Here's a quick and easy recipe for chilli:

    Spray a non-stick pan with a spray oil, heat, and fry 1 chopped small onion, ½ chopped green pepper, 1 sliced courgette and 2 sliced carrots, until soft. Add chilli powder to taste and cook for a few minutes. Add 1 small can red kidney beans, 1 small can chopped tomatoes, 1tbsp tomato purée and a little water. Simmer until heated through and the sauce thickens. Serve with 7tbsp cooked brown rice and salad.
  • cdavis1126
    cdavis1126 Posts: 301 Member
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    I buy a rotisserie chicken once a week, already cooked, and take off all the meat. I made a chicken quesadilla last night. 4 oz of chicken, 1 tbsp trader joe's black bean dip and 1/4 cup 2% cheese. Nuked a sweet potato to go with it. In a non stick skillet, some cooking spray, lay the tortilla flat, add the chicken, dip and cheese, fold over. press down and then flip in a few minutes.

    I also use that chicken for a cold sandwich, same premise, trader joe's whole wheat tortilla, 1 tbsp trader joe's garlic hummus, a couple slices of tomato, nuke the tortilla for about 20 second so it's pliable, wrap everything up in it. I buy the microwavable bags of veggies which are quick and convenient.

    I also get alot of burgers from trader joe's, sorry if you don't have one near you! they are fabulous, or try whole foods. I get the grilled chicken burgers or vegetable marsala burgers and they have one that is a chili lime chicken burger. Put it on a pepperidge farm deli flat with a slice of tomato and 1 tbsp of garlic hummus and a side serving of veggies and that's a great quick meal.

    you could also do a 1/2 box of whole wheat pasta with Classico tomato and basil sauce and have a few dinners for the week.

    Throw together a recipe in the crockpot, eat your dinner serving and then bag up the leftovers into ziploc baggies to freeze for the following week. A healthy chili maybe? Then you would have a chili meal for the next few weeks.
  • irchrismm
    irchrismm Posts: 95 Member
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    I cook all my meats on Sunday, and fill plastic tubs for my weeks worth of meals. That way I just gotta pop my dishes in the microwave, and tadaaaa. You have dinner. Breakfast is the only thing I cook daily, but I make my omelet mixes on Sunday too, so I just pour my egg beaters and add my middle premixed stuff. Knocks out a ton of prep time during the week. (of course my diet is the P90X diet with a lot more protein required than most) I have a full fridge Sunday evening, and an Empty one after dinner on Saturday. No professional chef required.
  • jeweljade
    jeweljade Posts: 93
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    get a rice cooker!!! It's so nice to have because if you get one with a timer on it you can set it before you run to work and it will be ready for you when you get back. A lot of them have a little tray you can set in the top so you could put a piece of salmon up there while the rice cooks underneath it.
  • SilverRoxy
    SilverRoxy Posts: 64
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    I love reading these posts....as I'm in the same boat most of the time. I have to go with the person who suggested the rotisserie chicken. I live near a Sam's club and they are fantastic! Only around 5 bucks and it seriously lasts me a week. There are endless things you can do with it!

    Something I always keep in the fridge is Greek taziki sauce (greek yogurt, garlic and cucumber). I put this on everything, fish, chicken, on sandwiches. Very low cal and super tasty.

    Also.... every time you cook, don't think of it as cooking for one.... make 2-3 portions and freeze them. If you open my freezer, I have lots of single servings of things.

    In the winter, soups are a God send. Check out Foodtv.com for some ideas. I just made a carrot soup (they were super cheap at the farmer's market) and have a bunch of it in my freezer for some raining day I don't feel like cooking. One of my favorite dishes (either as a meal or a side) is Minestra.... white beans, escarole, garlic and chicken broth. Very good for you!

    I could go on forever but don't feel limited by the 'cooking for one' mentality. Have fun....and if something doesn't turn out, no one will know!
  • danadee
    danadee Posts: 49
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    I buy a pound of ground turkey, add lemon pepper and split into 4 patties. Freeze all and remove one at a time to thaw, and cook on my Foreman grill.
  • Ryhenblue
    Ryhenblue Posts: 390 Member
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    I don't like to cook when I'm by myself. I'll eat crackers, fruits, vegi's, Hummus, yogurt, cereal, and frozen dinners if it's just me. I sometimes will cook a meal and divide it up into single servings and freeze them for a quick meal later on. I find it hard to cook for one.
  • abyt42
    abyt42 Posts: 1,358 Member
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    It's too hot to cook much here right now, so I've been rotating a few foods through the iterations I find tasty: a salad, a wrap, a pita sandwich.

    Other easy items: a big pot of black beans with cilantro and onion is stew one night, burrito filling another night, tasty sandwich filling (drained and mashed) another night, and totally freezable for when I just don't think I can stand to eat it another day in a row.

    Good luck!

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