Cooking & Recipes
Runningcircuits
Posts: 182
Hi all -
I'm loving this group - thanks again for starting it. Having a short term goal instead of always having to stare my long term goal in the face is very helpful.
Anyway...onto the topic of food and cooking. I am a chef and own a business that basically consists of me writing recipes all day, cooking them or teaching others how to cook them. Knowing your way around a set of pots and pans and how to swap ingredients for healthier alternatives can help keep you on track.
My personal outlook to this is to avoid, whenever possible, the low sugar/low fat varieties of food. These "diet" foods often contain a huge number of chemicals and salts to make them taste edible. For example, I would rather have 1/4 tbsp of unsalted butter than a whole pound of those whipped chemicals they call margarine.
So, I thought maybe this thread would be helpful for people who can't keep eating baked chicken and steamed veggies over and over again. That is a sure fire way to throw your arms in the air and quit!
My first 2 cents to offer:
Eat boneless, skinless chicken thighs, not breasts. You get 2 thighs for almost the same nutrition as the chicken breast, but the flavor is about 200 times better and the meat is moist and yummy.
Anyone else have an awesome recipe/tip to share?
-jen
I'm loving this group - thanks again for starting it. Having a short term goal instead of always having to stare my long term goal in the face is very helpful.
Anyway...onto the topic of food and cooking. I am a chef and own a business that basically consists of me writing recipes all day, cooking them or teaching others how to cook them. Knowing your way around a set of pots and pans and how to swap ingredients for healthier alternatives can help keep you on track.
My personal outlook to this is to avoid, whenever possible, the low sugar/low fat varieties of food. These "diet" foods often contain a huge number of chemicals and salts to make them taste edible. For example, I would rather have 1/4 tbsp of unsalted butter than a whole pound of those whipped chemicals they call margarine.
So, I thought maybe this thread would be helpful for people who can't keep eating baked chicken and steamed veggies over and over again. That is a sure fire way to throw your arms in the air and quit!
My first 2 cents to offer:
Eat boneless, skinless chicken thighs, not breasts. You get 2 thighs for almost the same nutrition as the chicken breast, but the flavor is about 200 times better and the meat is moist and yummy.
Anyone else have an awesome recipe/tip to share?
-jen
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Replies
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Thanks for your tip Jen. I look forward to hearing more!0
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Here's a tip that has helped me a log: make a morning protein smoothie. I learned these from doing "The Shred" diet. They are filling and are good for on the go: My morning staple smoothie recipe:
3/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Silk
1/2 banana
4-5 large frozen whole strawberries
1 scoop Designer Whey Choc protein powder
Blend and enjoy - this comes in at ~200 calories and fills my 20oz tumbler.0 -
Thanks for sharing the morning smoothie tip. I usually make one for myself every morning too, though lately I've just been too lazy. I see you too use protein powder. I was just telling someone how important it was to consume protein when they eat because it helps your body (somehow) take in the nutrients AND it helps you feel fuller longer. They were only eating oatmeal or cereal in the morning and getting unhappy about feeling so hungry so soon after breakfast.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/496414-why-diabetics-need-to-eat-protein-with-carbs/
My best tip that really helps me is that I will pre-make salads for my lunches for 3-4 days all on one day. This helps me not let my bag of mixed greens go to waste, and ensures that I have something good for me to eat easily so I don't have excuses as to why I ate a $1.50 bag of chips from the vending machine for lunch rather than saving money and eating real food. It's also good to have them pre-made because sometimes I just get hungry before my hubby comes home for dinner so I eat one of my salads and just a little less of dinner. I just cook up a chicken breast (or maybe try thighs now) or two and cube it, and toss it into a ziplock bag then put it into the tupperware with the greens. Same with the dressings.
I also use a food scale for everything. They are about $20 from walmart, but you get so much out of it. It's more accurate to say 120g of apple than it is to say one small apple. Some apples are bigger than others and some people don't eat the core etc.... I think it's an investment well worth it and I usually buy one as a gift for Christmas for anyone I know trying to loose weight.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/The-Biggest-Loser-Digital-Food-Scale-6.6-lb.-Capacity/11090896
I find that convenience is key for healthy eating. I'm less likely to want to eat that healthy snack if I have to work for it, so I pick a day or two during the week to prep those healthy snacks. When I want a snack the healthy one is already ready to go, so there's no reason to pass it over in favor of something not as good for you.0 -
opps.0
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guilt free icecream
150 grams of frozen mango
40 mls of full cream milk
Whizz it up in a blender and serve, makes about 2 scoops and is only 114 cals.0 -
If anyone has some good low-calorie breakfast ideas, I am in need of some.0
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Frittatas - delicious for breakfast and tons of flavor combinations.
Start with 2 eggs and 4 egg whites. Add 3 tbsp 1% milk and a good pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Turn broiler on to high.
Have already prepared vegetables, proteins, small amount of cheese if desired.
Add 1 tsp unsalted butter to a nonstick saute pan (8" works best) over medium heat. Yes, you can use cooking spray, but I prefer all-natural ingredients so I, personally, avoid the stuff. To each his own on this.
Once pan is hot, add egg mixture and cook while stirring. It should start to scramble - keep it moving. The slower this goes, the better the texture will be in the end. Once the eggs are 2/3 cooked, turn off the heat and scatter the other ingredients on top. No need to stir in.
Place pan in the oven about 3" below the broiler. Allow to cook until it puffs up and turn golden brown and yummy. It should slide out of the pan and onto cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve with hot sauce or salsa if you want.
You can adjust the ratio of whole eggs/egg whites based on your own caloric intake.
Add ins to frittata (all should be pre-cooked, cut into small pieces):
Asparagus and red bell peppers
Roasted chicken and fresh thyme, parsley
Left over lean steak, pork or any other protein
Bacon or turkey bacon
Caramelized onions and goat cheese (my personal favorite, but I have to run a little further to get this one!)
Roasted Red Peppers and shallots
Anything you want.....
Edited to add: an 8" frittata can serve 1 or 2 people. Again, depends on your caloric/protein intake.
-jen0 -
Hi Jellarrysmum! I also make this guilt-free ice cream but use yogurt instead of milk. My husband has a soft spot for soft-serve and this has satisfied his cravings beautifully!
Good luck with your challenge!
Rebecca0 -
Has anyone tried the baked avocado with egg in the middle? It is amazing! So good for you and easy as well! My husband and I just had them for a quick, low-cal lunch, but you could easily have these for breakfast, snack or apps.
Preheat oven to 450F
halve avocado - remove pit
crack a full egg in each half (we had to remove a little extra bit of avocado to have enough room)
pepper/salt
chopped green onion
dash of paprika
Season to taste. My hubby likes a little garlic or salsa on his as well. A little dallop of greek yogurt on top after baking is delish too!
Pop in oven for 10-15 mins
Note: We had a messy time getting the avocados to sit properly on baking sheet, so i used a folded piece of tinfoil under each half to make a little cradle. Do this prior to filling with egg so that any spill over will still be cooked and edible. Also throw the small scooped out portion of avocado in the cradle as well. No waste. Yummy!
Enjoy!0 -
I work early in the morning and have no time to make breakfast..what do you girls think of slim fast shake or special k shake....is there a better one??0
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Ditto for me some mornings - I do the Pure Protein or Premiere Protein brand shakes. Both of those brands have high protein, very low sugar/carb and no "crap" in them. Just read the labels. The big brands like Special K and such have much lower protein and more carbs.
Edited to add: look in the organic/natural/health food aisle for the brands I mentioned, not the cereal/breakfast aisle.0 -
Frittatas - delicious for breakfast and tons of flavor combinations.
Start with 2 eggs and 4 egg whites. Add 3 tbsp 1% milk and a good pinch of kosher salt and black pepper. Turn broiler on to high.
Have already prepared vegetables, proteins, small amount of cheese if desired.
Add 1 tsp unsalted butter to a nonstick saute pan (8" works best) over medium heat. Yes, you can use cooking spray, but I prefer all-natural ingredients so I, personally, avoid the stuff. To each his own on this.
Once pan is hot, add egg mixture and cook while stirring. It should start to scramble - keep it moving. The slower this goes, the better the texture will be in the end. Once the eggs are 2/3 cooked, turn off the heat and scatter the other ingredients on top. No need to stir in.
Place pan in the oven about 3" below the broiler. Allow to cook until it puffs up and turn golden brown and yummy. It should slide out of the pan and onto cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve with hot sauce or salsa if you want.
You can adjust the ratio of whole eggs/egg whites based on your own caloric intake.
Add ins to frittata (all should be pre-cooked, cut into small pieces):
Asparagus and red bell peppers
Roasted chicken and fresh thyme, parsley
Left over lean steak, pork or any other protein
Bacon or turkey bacon
Caramelized onions and goat cheese (my personal favorite, but I have to run a little further to get this one!)
Roasted Red Peppers and shallots
Anything you want.....
Edited to add: an 8" frittata can serve 1 or 2 people. Again, depends on your caloric/protein intake.
-jen
I made a Spanakopita version of this and posted the recipe on my blog, the calories, carb grams, fat grams and protein grams are at the bottom of the recipe: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/takerbrat/view/spanakopita-frittata-5768490 -
I work early in the morning and have no time to make breakfast..what do you girls think of slim fast shake or special k shake....is there a better one??
I made my own breakfast bar for when I was on holidays. It is based on Tosca Reno's Clean Eating version. I posted the recipe with calories/serving, carb grams, fat grams, and protein grams on my blog - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/takerbrat/view/keep-it-clean-5576430 -
Has anyone tried the baked avocado with egg in the middle? It is amazing! So good for you and easy as well! My husband and I just had them for a quick, low-cal lunch, but you could easily have these for breakfast, snack or apps.
Preheat oven to 450F
halve avocado - remove pit
crack a full egg in each half (we had to remove a little extra bit of avocado to have enough room)
pepper/salt
chopped green onion
dash of paprika
Season to taste. My hubby likes a little garlic or salsa on his as well. A little dallop of greek yogurt on top after baking is delish too!
Pop in oven for 10-15 mins
Note: We had a messy time getting the avocados to sit properly on baking sheet, so i used a folded piece of tinfoil under each half to make a little cradle. Do this prior to filling with egg so that any spill over will still be cooked and edible. Also throw the small scooped out portion of avocado in the cradle as well. No waste. Yummy!
Enjoy!
I haven't tried it in an avocado but I did bake an egg in a portabella mushroom cap and it was very good.0 -
My "goto" breakfast is Magic Muesli:
1/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tablespoon ground flax
1 tablespoon hemp hearts
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon large flake oats
1 tablespoon nuts of choice (slivered almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, pumpkin seeds, etc.)
2 tablespoons dried fruit of choice (apricots, blueberries, cranberries, currants, cherries, etc.)
Dash of cinnamon
Calories – 365 Carbs – 36g Fat – 19g Protein – 17g
Tip: I measure all of the dry ingredients into a Ziploc snack bag - do several at a time - so that I can just grab one quick, add it to the apple sauce and yogurt and I am good to go . . . "goto" breakfast!
To read about the key benefits of each of these ingredients visit my blog - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/takerbrat/view/good-morning-good-morning-5522130 -
Has anyone tried the baked avocado with egg in the middle? It is amazing! So good for you and easy as well! My husband and I just had them for a quick, low-cal lunch, but you could easily have these for breakfast, snack or apps.
Preheat oven to 450F
halve avocado - remove pit
crack a full egg in each half (we had to remove a little extra bit of avocado to have enough room)
pepper/salt
chopped green onion
dash of paprika
Season to taste. My hubby likes a little garlic or salsa on his as well. A little dallop of greek yogurt on top after baking is delish too!
Pop in oven for 10-15 mins
Note: We had a messy time getting the avocados to sit properly on baking sheet, so i used a folded piece of tinfoil under each half to make a little cradle. Do this prior to filling with egg so that any spill over will still be cooked and edible. Also throw the small scooped out portion of avocado in the cradle as well. No waste. Yummy!
Enjoy!
Sounds delish! Just used up all my eggs yesterday, I am going to have to buy more and give it a go!0 -
My breakky nearly every morning is 25 grams of rolled oats and a single serve chobani. Chuck it in a bowl mix and eat so quick and easy but tastes great, and I can have a different flavour every morning 0
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Has anyone tried the baked avocado with egg in the middle? It is amazing! So good for you and easy as well! My husband and I just had them for a quick, low-cal lunch, but you could easily have these for breakfast, snack or apps.
Preheat oven to 450F
halve avocado - remove pit
crack a full egg in each half (we had to remove a little extra bit of avocado to have enough room)
pepper/salt
chopped green onion
dash of paprika
Season to taste. My hubby likes a little garlic or salsa on his as well. A little dallop of greek yogurt on top after baking is delish too!
Pop in oven for 10-15 mins
Note: We had a messy time getting the avocados to sit properly on baking sheet, so i used a folded piece of tinfoil under each half to make a little cradle. Do this prior to filling with egg so that any spill over will still be cooked and edible. Also throw the small scooped out portion of avocado in the cradle as well. No waste. Yummy!
Enjoy!
This sounds fabulous! I will try it tomorrow. My usual breakfast is a toasted piece of Dave's Killer Bread (21 Seed) smeared with a half an avocado topped with a poached egg with salt and pepper.0 -
Love boneless chicken thighs with Braggs Amino Acids. It's better tasting than soy without all the salt!0
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I made up this recipe and keep them in the fridge to grab on the go in the morning as I rarely have time to actually prepare something:
12 slices Jennie-O turkey bacon
12 frozen broccoli florets
10 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese with chives
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Wrap a slice of bacon in each muffin. Place a broccoli floret in each. Whip eggs and cottage cheese together and fill each cup.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Enjoy! I have it figured out that each "muffn" is only 113 calories and 9g of protein! I normally eat 2 with some fruit and am very satisfied 0 -
YUM!I made up this recipe and keep them in the fridge to grab on the go in the morning as I rarely have time to actually prepare something:
12 slices Jennie-O turkey bacon
12 frozen broccoli florets
10 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese with chives
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Wrap a slice of bacon in each muffin. Place a broccoli floret in each. Whip eggs and cottage cheese together and fill each cup.
Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Enjoy! I have it figured out that each "muffn" is only 113 calories and 9g of protein! I normally eat 2 with some fruit and am very satisfied0 -
I made this recipe this week for dinner, it ended up being approximately 400 cals per serving (4 servings total):
1c. orzo pasta
2 roma tomatoes, can sub for whichever tomato you like
1 large handful fresh spinach
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 oz dry white wine
1.5 oz provolone cheese
2 tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 tsp minced garlic
salt, and pepper to taste
Cook orzo according to package directions, except drain pasta about 2 mins before it is cooked to your liking, reserve 1-2 ladles full of the water your pasta cooked in to add in later.
Place olive oil, butter and garlic in a 12" sautee pan
Once garlic begins to cook (1-2 mins over med heat) add tomatoes (seasoned with salt and pepper)
After 2 mins add lemon juice and white wine to tomatoes
Once oil, butter, lemon juice and wine mixture begins to reduce, add 1-2 ladles of starchy pasta water to the pan
Add orzo to sautee pan
Add cheese to pan and combine until well mixed
Add spinach to pan and combine until spinach is wilted
Add additional salt and pepper to taste0 -
Does anyone have a healthy recipe for breakfast muffins? I like to have something like this sometimes for breakfast.0
