Examples of healthy, filling, easy and CHEAP meals please??

jadelyndsey
jadelyndsey Posts: 150 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi everyone :)

I'm 6'0", and at my heaviest I was 13 stone. Today I weighed myself and I am a whopping 16 stone so it's definitely time to change. For good this time! So I'd appreciate it loads if people could give me some examples of a healthy balanced meal that will keep me fill for an adequate amount of time!

A bit about me: I do exercise daily in the form of walking, Usually I get 3X 30 minute walks a day with my dog, 2X 40 minute walks (to and from work) and then two or three times a week I walk to and around my local town centre (usually about 3 hours of walking around). My diet on the other hand is awful. In the mornings at around 10am I will eat like a pasta tub for 600 calories, a milk shake or an energy drink, and a large bar of chocolate or two. Lunch is usually a large sandwich, a slice of cake, a bag of crisps, a bag of family size sweets washed down with 2 cans of non diet pop/soda, and then for dinner I usually have a large full sunday type dinner when my partner is home to cook i.e. leg of lamb, 5-6 roast potatoes, mashed potato and veg with gravy followed by pudding, but if he's not home I get a takeaway like a 12" pizza with chips or a chinese. It's really not until I sit and type this all out that I realise how much I'm actually eating, and a couple weeks ago I was denying it all by saying "I don't eat that much" but I actually do when looking at it. Grossly so, in fact. The disgusting thing is, I usually snack pretty much all day too on popcorn or malteasers, or maoams too, and I get so tired and lethargic now! My bowel movements are few and far between, my skin is suffering with a slow return of acne, and I'm getting really bad headaches and diziness all the time. There is nothing wrong with me, I've been to see my GP, so the only thing he and I can think of is my poor diet. I do really want to change, but I feel like everything I am reading on the internet is conflicting about what would be the true "healthy" diet to follow.

So please, feel free to share & educate, thank you in advance! :)

Replies

  • mortuseon
    mortuseon Posts: 579 Member
    Often, if I have no time left and a virtually empty cupboard, I resort to the easiest pasta sauce ever which can be upgraded depending on what you have in your cupboard (aubergine, borlotti beans, courgette and even pancetta are some favourites). I have this with about 50g of wholewheat pasta.
    Easiest pasta sauce ever, ingredients:
    350gish passata or chopped tomatoes (I usually have 500g on hand to top up as I need to)
    1tbsp tomato puree
    1 onion
    2x clove garlic
    1-2tbsp olive oil
    optional veggies as above
    Herbs e.g. oregano
    Poss. pinch of sugar (if you find tomato too sharp)

    Method: Saute onions, med. heat until translucent in olive oil. Add garlic (and optional veggies, pancetta, cooked borlotti beans), saute for 2 mins more. Add passata/chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, herbs, bring to boil and simmer for ~12mins.
    That's very approximate, apologies, but hopefully it'll provide some inspiration for those nights you really just need a quick meal!
  • mortuseon
    mortuseon Posts: 579 Member
    Also: skinnytaste.com is really helpful for low-cal recipes!
  • KateK8LoseW8
    KateK8LoseW8 Posts: 824 Member
    Buy a huge bag of frozen chicken breasts, and a bunch of different bags of frozen vegetables. 1-2 chicken breasts and 2-4 servings of veggies takes 30-45 minutes and pretty much zero effort. Just throw the chicken breast in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 375F, microwave the veggies, and done.
  • peejay65pj
    peejay65pj Posts: 15
    coleslaw (1% sour cream instead of mayo)
    apples
    cauliflower raw and cooked
    shrooms
    cukes
    carrots by the 5lb bag
    dip for veggies with mrs dash, 1% sour cream and rice wine vinegar
    all low in calories
    veggie (salad) plate with a can of tuna on top works 4 me
  • tmarie2715
    tmarie2715 Posts: 1,111 Member
    For breakfast I can make this in about 10 minutes with practically no effort.

    1/2 cup egg whites (carton type, but if I don't have them I just use three large eggs and toss the yolks or save them for my little kid's french toast)

    Use a really small non-stick skillet (I think mine is 6-8" in diameter) sprayed with cooking spray. Pour eggs in, top with favorite veggies (diced tomatoes, baby spinach, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, whatever you have on hand) and turn the burner on to med low. I cover them with a lid and then go put some make up on, get the kiddo dressed, or some short task.

    Come back and flip the eggs if they are fully set (no runny parts). Turn the burner off and leave them until the other side is browned a bit (maybe two more minutes). In reality they are cooked through anyway, so you could skip the last part.

    Wrap in a corn tortilla or a high fiber low-cal option (my favorite is 1/2 a La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious wrap, which is 40 calories, 80 for the entire huge tortilla) and go!

    Depending on add ins, this is around 200 calories.
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    My first diet changes were small steps. Instead of getting a Big Mac meal, I'd get a Kids Meal. Instead of a xxl taco, I got a regular taco. I bought premade meals (healthy choice, ect..) so I didn't have to cook.

    I then wanted more food for my calorie buck. I buy a head of lettuce, quarter it and eat some with every meal. I eat a whole can of vegetables with whatever my meal is (a lot of times, it's just sandwiches) to fill me up.

    Doing just a bit of exercise gets your blood pumping and feeling good. I hated running, but once I did it, I wanted more, until my knee said **** you. Once you get the little things down, you can tweak them to your needs. Don't get down on yourself if you fall off the wagon one day, your progress is determined over weeks and months.

    :drinker:

    Buying chicken and canned/frozen vegetables in bulk are a cheap way to always have a quick meal to throw together.
  • whitecapwendy
    whitecapwendy Posts: 287 Member
    I prefer chicken thighs to chicken breasts but get the skinless boneless variety at 160 calories for 4 oz. I will buy whole sweet potatoes and bake them in the skin (I have done microwave, but they are more moist and tasty if done in regular oven--at least according to my experience). I also do the frozen veggies in the microwave. At 160 calories for a large sweet potato--add a little butter for 50 calories, and a good portion of veggies for 30-60 calories, you have a filling meal for about 400 calories--just watch the portions.

    I find that I can eat a lot of veggies for very few calories. I allow myself 1490 calories a day, and find that I can eat more volume of food if I choose lots of fruits and veggies, choose lean meats and whole grains, and avoid the more processed foods

Categories