Need Meal Ideas

Sarahs1203
Sarahs1203 Posts: 4 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I'm a single mom restarting this journey after a year of eating whatever and not exercising. It's hard to break the eating whatever cycle. A little background... The past year I was under a lot of stress from my divorce, moving and selling everything, getting my child readjusted to this different life, finishing graduate school, and working full time. The extreme stress caused me to have no appeitite so when I was actually hungry I would just eat whatever. I lost about 50 pounds. Only now I'm in a better place and happy but I haven't reined in my eating yet so I'm gaining. I've gained about 10 lbs in the past four months. In November, I started going to the gym, using the weight machines and I've started the couch to 5k program (which is hard btw! but I'm determined to do it). I need help in the eating area. I'm at a loss on what I should be eating that's healthy but will be high protein for breakfasts and lunches. I have to get my kid off to school and me to work in the mornings so normally I eat once I'm at work but I can make something at home to take with me. For lunches I have been taking cans of soup or healthy choice meals but I'm getting bored of them. What are some things you eat or suggestions for me?

Thanks!

Replies

  • rg37
    rg37 Posts: 6
    I hope to get ideas from here,
    http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/category/healthy
  • jayjrf
    jayjrf Posts: 25
    bento box
  • Sarahs1203
    Sarahs1203 Posts: 4 Member
    Thanks!
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,098 Member
    For me, the easiest take-along healthy breakfast is a sort of muesli: stir together some yogurt or greek yogurt (you probably want greek if you're looking for higher protein) with uncooked plain rolled oats (either regular "old-fashioned" or the quick-cooking -- not instant -- kind), and add a little milk if you want it thinner (I also add a little milk if I want to eat it in just a few minutes, because the oats won't absorb enough moisture from greek yogurt that quickly). Then comes the fun part: add your choice of things like chopped nuts; fresh, dried, or frozen fruit (if your taking it with you, it should thaw enough by the time you eat it, and in the meantime it will be keeping the yogurt cold, although I often eat it without frozen fruit several hours after being without refrigeration, and it tastes fine and I'm not dead); cinnamon; flaked coconut; pureed pumpkin (homemade is especially good); apple sauce; peanut butter; chocolate chips (I don't care for this for breakfast, but I imaging some people would); sweetener of choice (for my taste, it doesn't need it, but I do occasionally add a little blackstrap molasses for the minerals).

    ETA: Or hard-boiled eggs, which you can do a few days ahead and keep in the refrigerator. Those should also be fine to eat an hour or so out of the refrigerator, but if you're concerned about food safety, get an insulated lunch bag and maybe a small reusable freezer cold-pack.
  • chriskim1996
    chriskim1996 Posts: 10 Member
    As a student, I also have a similar rush and go morning like you do. Literally, I have 10 minutes or less to eat my breakfast at 6 AM in the morning. What I found out to be extremely useful are those "diet shakes" (even though I'm not dieting). They provide a extremely great source of macro and micro nutrients and are only about $5 a meal. I blend it with 4 ice cubes with 8oz of cold water (which takes, no doubt 45 seconds max), and usually pair it with a fruit (banana, apple, pear). This nutritious, *about*350cal meal of a shake and fruit can get me through the day no sweat. If you're a person that likes variety, there are hundreds of flavors out there, and you can switch up the fruit too.

    My brand: http://caloriecount.about.com/calories-isagenix-isalean-shake-chocolate-i89454
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,966 Member
    I don't really change what I eat, I just eat less of it to lose weight. Typical meals that we eat around here are lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, meatloaf, tacos, pasta with chicken, just cooked chicken breast (lots of ways to do that) with sides like broccoli, rolls, etc...

    For breakfast I make a baked oatmeal thing with blueberries and bananas, it's really good... I have been eating it for breakfast every day for the last month or two and haven't gotten sick of it yet. Before that I was doing breakfast burritos... I would just cook a bunch of scrambled eggs and bacon and keep it in tupperware and every morning I would scoop some out in a tortilla with some cheese and then stick it in the microwave.

    Also my boyfriend likes breakfast casseroles or "scrambles" or something similar. So hashbrowns, eggs, bacon ,sausage, cheese... that would be an easy thing to make sunday night and portion it out into tupperware for the week.

    My favorite thing to take for lunch is something really simple like a chicken breast, broccoli, and a roll or rice or something. Lots of protein and it is sooo filling. I eat that for lunch and I'm full for hours. For snacks I eat beef jerky, apples or bananas with peanut butter... cut up tomatoes or cucumbers with salt... I'm so simple, I eat the same things every day.

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