Feeling burnt out...food ideas needed

Options
LeeLee2412
LeeLee2412 Posts: 12 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So between work, 3 kids, and masters classes, I am very limited with free time. Thus far I have managed to lose 13 lbs in four months, but I'm struggling. I'm getting stuck with ideas for healthy dinners and snacks. I've been eating a ton of chicken and getting a bit tired of it. I'm looking for ideas that are easy and don't have a long list of ingredients. Also trying to figure out sweet type snacks that won't kill my efforts. I have so much more to go and I'm scared of giving up simply because of the burn out. Any ideas are definitely appreciated.
«1

Replies

  • healthybodyhealthylife
    healthybodyhealthylife Posts: 189 Member
    Options
    Do you use protein powder? I find protein powder is really versatile not just for shakes. You can make protein bars using oats, nuts, dried fruit etc to your own liking and they're really filling and fill the need for something sweet. There are also recipes online for protein muffins, protein biscuits etc. If you don't already, I'd definitely recommend you get some :)
  • Swiftdogs
    Swiftdogs Posts: 328 Member
    Options
    As long as you use lean cuts, pork and beef are welcome substitutes for chicken. Soups are filling and warming, welcome in winter. I'm a big fan of roasted sweet potatoes - sweet, filling and rich tasting.
  • MrsSecri
    MrsSecri Posts: 10 Member
    Options
    Try meatless meals. I mix 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can black soy beans, and a bag of Minute Rice whole grain, wild and brown rice. We use organic whole wheat tortilla shells and put a bit of salsa on top. My husband loves them and doesn't miss the meat.
    Another idea for chicken is to make the Hellman's Chicken - I only use 1 tbls of mayo, 1 tbls. parmesan cheese mixed together and spread on a 3-4 oz. chicken breast and sprinkle panko bread crumbs on top. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Very tasty and moist.

    Hang in there, sometimes if you loose it slower, it will stay off forever. Good luck!
  • Sharon0203
    Sharon0203 Posts: 2
    Options
    My new favorite right now is Julia Child's eggplant pizza. My kids loved it (so did I of course).

    http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/08/recipe-for-julia-childs-eggplant-pizzas.html?m=1

    I made my own pizza sauce this time but you can easily use pre-made pizza sauce! I also added diced ham.

    Also, I'm not sure if where you live you have a Smith's or a Private Selection brand, but their jarred sauces are awesome! I always get tikka masala and orange chicken! (Watch the sodium!)
  • TcaitlinO
    TcaitlinO Posts: 6 Member
    Options
    One of my favorite comfort foods is a fun (I think) alternative to chicken:

    Mix:
    1 lb ground lean turkey
    2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
    1 small onion, diced
    1 handful of half-way cooked rice, white or brown
    salt and pepper if desired

    Make into little balls

    Chuck them in a baking dish with 1 can of tomato soup & 1 jar of tomato sauce. Bake at 350 until done through - maybe 20 minutes. Mom called them porcupine balls when we were growing up. Make some vegetables or a salad for a side. They're great over fresh homemade french fries, if you can spare the calories.
  • Skarlet13
    Skarlet13 Posts: 146 Member
    Options
    A good sweet treat is Snack Pack sugar free Vanilla pudding. Only 60 cals and I would eat it if not on a diet. I love it.
  • bheathfit
    bheathfit Posts: 451 Member
    Options
    Found this Banana Bread recipe on MFP in recipes section. Kids would probably Love to help you make it...

    265g very ripe bananas- mashed well
    2 scoops vanilla protein powder (I have/used cinnamon graham cracker, worked well)
    2 egg whites
    3 whole eggs (I used the 3 egg equivalent of egg beaters)
    1/2c skim milk
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    1 tsp baking powder
    1/2c oats (it calls for rolled, but all I have is quick oats, still worked)
    1/2 tsp cinnamon

    Preheat oven to 325. Whisk the eggs & milk in with the mashed bananas until combined well. Mix dry ingredients and whisk in with the banana mixture. Pour mixture (it'll be pretty runny) into sprayed loaf pan and bake 35-45 mins (until knife put in middle comes out clean).
    It doesn't rise a ton like regular bread, it's pretty dense when it's all said & done. I didn't add any, but it would be good to sprinkle some walnuts or chocolate chips on top too!

    Info: 8 servings
    Cals- 101
    Carbs- 13
    Fat- 1
    Protein- 11


    I also make about 3 days worth of meals and snacks at a time to save time the rest of the week. I used to use a slow cooker for stews before my Beautiful wife was pregnant. She cannot stand the smell of stew, so now I eat baked chicken. Happy Wife, Happy Life!! :wink:
  • rrloos
    rrloos Posts: 32 Member
    Options
    So, I came home from work last night starving. I had gotten some popcorn a few days ago for times like this when I needed something quick to satisfy my need for a snack, and still not blow my calories out of the water. I have two grown sons who live with us right now and my popcorn was missing! Not a mystery where it went. Crabby me. Anyway, I was a bit desperate. I had some salsa, but didn't want to waste my suppertime calories on chips so I looked around for something else to use. I sliced up a cucumber! Who would have thought it, but cucumbers dipped in salsa -- not half bad, and Very Few calories! My new favorite snack for those times I need something quick and satisfying. : )

    Keep on working at it. You're doing great and it will be worth it!
  • Antiakrasia
    Antiakrasia Posts: 6
    Options
    Hi LeeLee,

    Don't get discouraged!

    I have a couple of initial thoughts. They're broken into two sections- the first being more workaday weeknight resources, and the other is the exciting stuff that might help spark excitement about cooking.

    Part One: For when you want to go on autopilot

    Hearty salads, with a protein and bread on the side are (relatively) easy to prepare, once you get past the chopping. A nice element about them is that you can prep a ton of veggies one evening, and mix and match components all week. The ingredients can get pricy.

    If you have a slow cooker, The Kitchn has good collections of slow cooker recipes (see, for example: http://www.thekitchn.com/10-awesome-vegan-recipes-for-the-slow-cooker-196492 and http://www.thekitchn.com/slow-good-17-incredible-recipe-114880)

    Eating Well also tends to have good menu planning tools (http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus).

    Part two: Fun and inspiration

    Yotam Ottologhini has gorgeous cookbooks, Jerusalem especially. They're visually delicious to page through.

    The Vege cookbook just came out, and has some really cool ideas for new treatment of veggies.
  • Antiakrasia
    Antiakrasia Posts: 6
    Options
    Also, for snacks: the small pots of greek yogurt are super useful (especially if you can stir honey and some fruit into them). They're not the cheapest at $1-$2 a pop, and are kind of wasteful.. but, these days you can find them everywhere and they provide a serious hit of protein to tide you over until dinner.

    Also in the ~$1 serving range, Larabars are usually accessible. They're calorie dense, but at least it is calories from nutritionally valuable foods (generally dates). Actually, if you can access a big bag of dates, those make a good high-fiber, high nutrient snack. I also like putting a couple of squares of strong dark chocolate in a baggie as a treat.
  • duffypratt
    duffypratt Posts: 21
    Options
    Fish? Lots of fish are really simple to cook either by sauteing or baking.

    Also, theres not much simpler than steaming a few muscles or clams in white wine with garlic and chopped tomatoes.
  • LeeLee2412
    LeeLee2412 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    I haven't considered it because I always thought it was a shake thing. Tried those before and nearly got sick. I will definitely give it a go. Any brand will do or do you use a specific one?
  • LeeLee2412
    LeeLee2412 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    As long as you use lean cuts, pork and beef are welcome substitutes for chicken. Soups are filling and warming, welcome in winter. I'm a big fan of roasted sweet potatoes - sweet, filling and rich tasting.

    I have done beef occasionally but noticed I would either not lose or gain a little. Do you recommend eating steak or ground beef? Lean pork seems to be in short supply in my area. There's always highly fatty pork roasts. Would maybe boneless pork chops be ok?
  • LeeLee2412
    LeeLee2412 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    Try meatless meals. I mix 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can black soy beans, and a bag of Minute Rice whole grain, wild and brown rice. We use organic whole wheat tortilla shells and put a bit of salsa on top. My husband loves them and doesn't miss the meat.
    Another idea for chicken is to make the Hellman's Chicken - I only use 1 tbls of mayo, 1 tbls. parmesan cheese mixed together and spread on a 3-4 oz. chicken breast and sprinkle panko bread crumbs on top. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Very tasty and moist.

    Hang in there, sometimes if you loose it slower, it will stay off forever. Good luck!

    That sounds like a really good meal. Thank you.

    That's what I'm hoping. I had lost over 40 lbs in about 4 months and ended up putting it right back on (and then some). Trying to do a complete lifestyle change is a little more challenging than I thought, but I'm trying :)
  • LeeLee2412
    LeeLee2412 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    My new favorite right now is Julia Child's eggplant pizza. My kids loved it (so did I of course).

    http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2012/08/recipe-for-julia-childs-eggplant-pizzas.html?m=1

    I made my own pizza sauce this time but you can easily use pre-made pizza sauce! I also added diced ham.

    Also, I'm not sure if where you live you have a Smith's or a Private Selection brand, but their jarred sauces are awesome! I always get tikka masala and orange chicken! (Watch the sodium!)

    Not a fan of eggplant, but I will definitely give the sauces a go. I have been scared of sauces since I'm not too good with understanding the labels and ingredients. But adding a sauce would definitely change things up. Thanks for the tip.
  • LeeLee2412
    LeeLee2412 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    One of my favorite comfort foods is a fun (I think) alternative to chicken:

    Mix:
    1 lb ground lean turkey
    2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
    1 small onion, diced
    1 handful of half-way cooked rice, white or brown
    salt and pepper if desired

    Make into little balls

    Chuck them in a baking dish with 1 can of tomato soup & 1 jar of tomato sauce. Bake at 350 until done through - maybe 20 minutes. Mom called them porcupine balls when we were growing up. Make some vegetables or a salad for a side. They're great over fresh homemade french fries, if you can spare the calories.

    Sounds good. In your recipe, I'm assuming that they are placed in the sauce uncooked? I tried working with ground turkey and it came out so dry I couldn't choke it down if someone paid me to. Do have a secret for keeping it moist when not cooking them in a sauce? I've wanted to really give turkey burgers a try, but I failed miserably and gave up.
  • LeeLee2412
    LeeLee2412 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    A good sweet treat is Snack Pack sugar free Vanilla pudding. Only 60 cals and I would eat it if not on a diet. I love it.

    Thank you, I never really considered pudding as an option. I might even try to pair it with some fruit since I am really bad with not eating any fruits.
  • LeeLee2412
    LeeLee2412 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    Found this Banana Bread recipe on MFP in recipes section. Kids would probably Love to help you make it...

    265g very ripe bananas- mashed well
    2 scoops vanilla protein powder (I have/used cinnamon graham cracker, worked well)
    2 egg whites
    3 whole eggs (I used the 3 egg equivalent of egg beaters)
    1/2c skim milk
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    1 tsp baking powder
    1/2c oats (it calls for rolled, but all I have is quick oats, still worked)
    1/2 tsp cinnamon

    Preheat oven to 325. Whisk the eggs & milk in with the mashed bananas until combined well. Mix dry ingredients and whisk in with the banana mixture. Pour mixture (it'll be pretty runny) into sprayed loaf pan and bake 35-45 mins (until knife put in middle comes out clean).
    It doesn't rise a ton like regular bread, it's pretty dense when it's all said & done. I didn't add any, but it would be good to sprinkle some walnuts or chocolate chips on top too!

    Info: 8 servings
    Cals- 101
    Carbs- 13
    Fat- 1
    Protein- 11


    I also make about 3 days worth of meals and snacks at a time to save time the rest of the week. I used to use a slow cooker for stews before my Beautiful wife was pregnant. She cannot stand the smell of stew, so now I eat baked chicken. Happy Wife, Happy Life!! :wink:

    That sounds like a really good recipe. I'll have to try it. I'm not the best chef, so hopefully it turns out right. And I think my kids would also love it so that's a plus too. I'll let you know how I do.
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
    Options
    I second Eating Well magazine and their website. Their recipes aren't too involved.

    I make a LOT of soup at a time and freeze it in quart-size freezer bags.

    Frozen shrimp is a great protein. It works well in stir fries, and stir fries are quick and easy!

    For a sweet, try some Greek yogurt, fruit, and a sprinkle of granola with a drizzle of honey. So good!

    Little pizzas: slice a roma tomato and toss with a teaspoon of olive oil, a small minced garlic clove, and some dried oregano. (Or if you have fresh oregano or basil, by all means use that!) Put it on a small pita and sprinkle with a little mozzarella or Parmesan cheese. (Trust me, you don't need much.) Broil it until the cheese melts.
  • LeeLee2412
    LeeLee2412 Posts: 12 Member
    Options
    Hi LeeLee,

    Don't get discouraged!

    I have a couple of initial thoughts. They're broken into two sections- the first being more workaday weeknight resources, and the other is the exciting stuff that might help spark excitement about cooking.

    Part One: For when you want to go on autopilot

    Hearty salads, with a protein and bread on the side are (relatively) easy to prepare, once you get past the chopping. A nice element about them is that you can prep a ton of veggies one evening, and mix and match components all week. The ingredients can get pricy.

    If you have a slow cooker, The Kitchn has good collections of slow cooker recipes (see, for example: http://www.thekitchn.com/10-awesome-vegan-recipes-for-the-slow-cooker-196492 and http://www.thekitchn.com/slow-good-17-incredible-recipe-114880)

    Eating Well also tends to have good menu planning tools (http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus).

    Part two: Fun and inspiration

    Yotam Ottologhini has gorgeous cookbooks, Jerusalem especially. They're visually delicious to page through.

    The Vege cookbook just came out, and has some really cool ideas for new treatment of veggies.


    Thanks for the resources. How do you store your cut veggies? Mine always seem to be limp and/or dried out. Figure I'm doing something wrong???

Categories