Where do you get healthy meal ideas??

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I'm getting bored of eating salad, turkey and rice cakes every day :/ Anyone know a good place to find healthy meal ideas with variety??
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  • kaseyr1505
    kaseyr1505 Posts: 624 Member
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    I go to Yummly.com, allrecipes.com or google and look for food that I like.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    I would strongly suggest broadening your perspective on what is "healthy". There is more to proper nutrition than just sucking on salads and celery sticks...for one thing, dietary fat is an essential macro nutrient, not something to be avoided at all costs.

    I cook most of my meals from scratch, whole ingredients...I consider it all to be pretty damned healthy in the proper context and dosage of course. Hell, even pizza can be a "healthy" meal in the proper context and dosage.

    Do a little reading up on actual nutrition and you will find that there's a whole world of food out there that is "healthy" and will nourish the body. Also, start looking at your diet (noun) as a whole rather than individual food items and whatnot...you'll drown in minutia doing that....you have to look at your diet as a whole so that you can realize for example, that eating a hot dog or something on the 4th of July is pretty damned meaningless in the grand scheme of things...context and dosage...context and dosage.
  • Angelica0530
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    No need to act like such a know it all. I'm operating under the theory that I need to consume less calories to lose weight. All I was asking for were meal ideas, not a lecture.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    *looks for lecture - doesn't see one, just some good advice* :tongue:

    I get my meal ideas by what sounds good and what's in season. We have a lot of farmers markets around here, and I have a garden, so I grow a lot of my own food.

    I rarely eat salad, and I never ever eat rice cakes!

    Summer is grilling season - last night we had grilled pork tenderloin, grilled zucchini with orange bell peppers and onion, and cous cous - yep cous cous, the packaged stuff with a seasoning pack that's ready in 5 minutes. I wanted a sweet potato, but I'm out, so we had cous cous. Oh, and sliced peaches. Snacked on grapes all day.

    I grill a lot of food in summer - and tend to grill extra meat - lean beef, chicken, pork, fish, and burgers - and save the leftovers to for lunches. A burrito bowl is a favorite lunch - chopped meat, some canned black or pinto beans, salsa, cheese, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, avocado - yummo. If I have leftover rice, I'll toss that in there too. Super tasty and filling, great protein and fiber.

    Got a George Foreman Grill or something similar? You can cook up a chicken breast or fish fillet in minutes with those things - they are awesome for quick lunches. Throw some seasoning on it and pop it in the grill - a few minutes later, perfectly cooked meat/fish to put on your burrito bowl, or salad, or with other fresh or leftover sides.

    Winter - same thing only I roast a lot of foods instead of grilling - roast meats, stews, pot roasts... Favorite veggies are winter squashes like acorn, butternut, or banana squash - cube them up, toss with olive oil and herbs and roast them on a baking sheet. I also roast broccoli, green beans, all sorts of root veggies - roasting brings out the sweetness and flavor.
  • Coconutgirl78
    Coconutgirl78 Posts: 12 Member
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    I get my meal ideas from Cooking Light and Eating Well magazines. You can find recipes on their website. Also, I have found some really good heathy recipes on Pinterest :)
  • k1ttyk1tty
    k1ttyk1tty Posts: 86 Member
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    Google.
  • LizELopez
    LizELopez Posts: 13 Member
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    Skinnymom.com
  • krogers810x
    krogers810x Posts: 92 Member
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    I don't cut any foods out, but most of our food tends to be pretty healthy just by the token that I cook from scratch every night and like vegetables.

    If you're new to cooking and want something geared toward being healthy/low fat/etc, look at skinnytaste.com. Her recipes tend to be really good.
  • vha2
    vha2 Posts: 64 Member
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    I have a friend who LOVES http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/ - I haven't tried it but I'm not big on baking/desserts. I know they're not everyday meals but it could give you some variety :smile:
  • ittybittybadonkadonk
    ittybittybadonkadonk Posts: 11,634 Member
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    I like emilybites.com ........skinnytaste.com.......canyoustayfordinner.com.....chef-in-training.com
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
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    skinnytaste.com

    cookinglight
  • Novus175
    Novus175 Posts: 80
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    There are a lot more veggies out there than salad and a lot more meats out there than turkey. Expanding your food choices might be a good place to start (and I don't say that in a sarcastic way).

    I get recipe ideas from pinterest and I've discovered several food bloggers who cook/eat in a way similar to me so I pretty much always like their recipes. My meal planning (for lunch and dinner) is basically either: meat that I do something to plus a plain veggie OR plain meat and a veggie that I do something to OR a salad with lots of meat and veggies and stuff. Plus, maybe fruit for "dessert." Pretty simple but I rarely eat the same meal twice (unless it's something I really really like).
  • CleanUpWhatIMessedUp
    CleanUpWhatIMessedUp Posts: 206 Member
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    I pull them out of my *kitten* generally.

    I tend to eat oatmeal for breakfast. I can eat 2 packets for 260 calories or 320 calories.
    For lunch I may have a sandwich and that is typically around 300 or 350 calories. I usually add some chips or some fruit to go with it.
    Dinner is all over the place.
  • Mrswheels01
    Mrswheels01 Posts: 201 Member
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    An other vote for skinnytaste.com
  • lingo10
    lingo10 Posts: 305 Member
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    food network, allrecipes, whole living magazine :)
  • BeginningAgainMay14
    BeginningAgainMay14 Posts: 97 Member
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    I get most of my meal ideas from the sale ads. Ground turkey and bell peppers were on sale last week, so I made chili. Scallops, pineapple, avocado, and sweet corn are on sale this week and I'm having my dad over for dinner, so I'm making seared scallops with avocado pineapple salsa (the salsa is based on something I saw on food network), steamed sweet corn, and sauteed spinach. The produce on sale will also generally be whatever is in season, so that means you're getting the stuff at the peak of ripeness.

    Many times the items on sale will suggest something to me, and if I need one I'll google the recipe.. If you're a less experienced cook and need ideas of how to use what's available, allrecipes.com has an ingredient search. You just put in the ingredients you're planning to use and it will suggest a recipe.

    Also, not every meal needs a recipe. Today for lunch I had carrots, bell peppers, and hummus. Eggs are very good for you and you can scramble anything into them. My current favorite is spinach and goat cheese, and it's fine for dinner as well as breakfast.

    Cook what you like to eat but don't be afraid to experiment.
  • massivediet
    massivediet Posts: 54 Member
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    I agree it might not be necessary to use recipes. Are you cooking healthy meals for your family, or are you preparing food for yourself alone? (either no one else to cook for or they want something you are not eating).

    I am the only one "on a diet" at my house. I get my meal ideas from Mexican restaurants, where everything on the menu is a different combination of the same basic ingredients. I try to keep a lot of foods that I like that are ready to go in the fridge, for example cooked chicken breast, cooked steak, cooked and crumbled bacon, salad mix, chopped mushrooms and broccoli, tomatoes, good sharp cheese, and so on. When it's mealtime, I use these to make what I feel like and need at that time, whether it is a giant salad with all trimmings, omelette, sandwich, potato scramble, pasta dish, etc. If I don't have enough calories left for that, just the veggies steamed or in a salad. If I get tired of something I can swap it out, salmon for chicken and so on. If you have a variety of spices and a few different condiments, the variety of meals can be great. This method seems to cut down on food waste, too.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    You can go to skinnytaste for ideas.

    But what I do is buy a few meats (typically chicken breast, chicken sausage, fish, maybe some ground meat), a lot of fresh and frozen veggies, and potatoes, rice, quinoa, pasta etc. Then I pick one of each and make a meal. The chicken I grill on the foreman two breasts at a time (or 4 if it's for dinner for the whole family) and just use in salads, wraps, tortillas or just plain with veggies. I use a lot of Greek yogurt for snacks.

    My diary is open if you want ideas (my goal is 1700 right now, but I typically have 200-300 calories of treats that you can skip if your goal is lower).
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    No need to act like such a know it all. I'm operating under the theory that I need to consume less calories to lose weight. All I was asking for were meal ideas, not a lecture.

    I think you're reading way too much into my post....I was simply giving you sound advice...ya know...'cuz I've been there and done all that and stuff. My first post wasn't meant to be snarky or whatever...just informative...this post however is totally meant to be snarky...apparently you don't even internet. and are incapable (as many newbs are) of actually listening to sound advice.
  • iasue
    iasue Posts: 46 Member
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    skinnytaste.com
    cooking light.com
    Hungry Girl is another one that has some great ideas sometimes
    Also, there is a website that a friend of mine created called Cooking Planit.com You can find a TON of great recipes and meal ideas there just by searching for the items that you have on hand and how you want to cook them. I absolutely love this website - it is easy, has a ton of recipes and meal planning ideas.