I need sandwich ideas/Dinner recipes!!

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paradi3s
paradi3s Posts: 343 Member
in Recipes
Hello! I'm having trouble what to eat for lunch, since I've been eating tuna sandwiches since September started and as much as I love tuna, I know for sure I will start to get sick of the taste of it hahaha any great sandwich filling that's easy to make and with not so costly ingredients?

Also, I need me some dinner ideas! I'm good for breakfast and lunch, but when it comes to dinner, this is the time I overeat because I have no idea what's for dinner at times and I just eat whatever's on the table, and it's usually not as healthy as I want it to be.

I'm a college student, so i'm really hoping that the recipes you can suggest to me are healthy, not so expensive and easy to make! As much as I would love to spend all my money on colorful fruits and vegetables and spend my time in the kitchen preparing perfect meals, my studies and extracurricular activities won't allow it. Add having social/family life, an online business to take care of, and an empty wallet... woosh there goes my life!

I get a bit afraid when they say that people "let go of themselves" during college, and I don't want to go back to who I was before. Which is why I need to get back on track and keep myself focused and motivated. :-)

Please suggest any recipes and give your own, I would love to see them! :-)

Replies

  • dklibert
    dklibert Posts: 1,196 Member
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    This is delicious and fast you can keep the ginger in the freezer and grate it right into the pot. Well you may need to buy a hand held grater, but you will use it. I use mine for garlic, ginger, and to zest citrus.

    Inside Out Egg Roll
    Serves 3-4

    Ingredients

    1 Tbsp canola oil
    1/2 a roll of reduced fat pork or turkey breakfast sausage
    1 or 2 garlic cloves, grated
    1" piece of ginger, grated
    1 bag (16 oz.) Cole slaw mix
    Soy sauce (reduced sodium) to taste
    1/8 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
    Salt, white pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

    Optional garnishes:
    Green onions, sliced
    Toasted sesame seeds
    Fried Chinese noodles

    Directions

    Sauté sausage in oil until brown. Add garlic, ginger, and slaw mix; saute until it starts to reduce in size. Add soy sauce, five spice powder, salt and peppers to taste. Sauté a little longer and serve. Garnish with any or all garnishes from above.

    Here is my blog with photos of this recipe and many more recipes. http://soupspiceeverythingnice.blogspot.com/
  • dklibert
    dklibert Posts: 1,196 Member
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    Roast Beef and Cucumber Sandwich
    Serves 1

    Ingredients

    1 Sandwich thin (or Pita)
    3 slices Deli Roast Beef
    6 or 7 English cucumber slices
    Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
    Creamy Cucumber Dressing [recipe on blog or you can buy bottle dressing]

    Directions

    Place one sandwich thin on a plate. Spread the bottom half with a little dressing. Place two or three slices of roast beef on top of the dressing. Top with sliced cucumbers, season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a little more dressing and top with other half of sandwich thin. Enjoy!

    http://soupspiceeverythingnice.blogspot.com/2014/04/roast-beef-and-cucumber-sandwich.html
  • dklibert
    dklibert Posts: 1,196 Member
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    Creamy Tomato Soup with Sausage and Spinach
    Serves 4 to 6

    Ingredients

    Olive oil cooking spray
    12 oz. Low Sodium Italian Sausage (click here for recipe)
    4 cups unsalted fat free chicken stock
    25 oz. jar low sodium marinara sauce
    10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
    Pinch (1/16 tsp.) ground nutmeg
    Pinch (1/16 tsp.) red pepper flakes
    1-1/2 cups bow-tie pasta, dry
    1/2 cup half and half (fat free)

    Directions

    Using a tablespoon measure, scoop sausage into small meatballs. Spray a 4 qt. soup pot or Dutch oven with olive oil cooking spray; add sausage and brown over medium high heat. Add chicken stock; deglazing pot, scraping the bottom of the pot to lift any brown bits. Add marinara sauce, spinach, nutmeg, red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Add pasta, reduce to a simmer and continue to simmer 12 minutes until pasta is al dente. Remove from heat, stir in half and half and serve.

    Nutrition information per serving*: (calculated on 5 servings) Calories 310.1, Total Fat 10.5 g, Saturated Fat 3.1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g, Monounsaturated Fat 2.7 g, Cholesterol 48.4 mg, Sodium 338.6 mg, Potassium 412.5 mg, Total Carbohydrate 30.4 g, Dietary Fiber 2.5 g, Sugars 7.6 g, Protein 22.7 g.
    WW P+ 8

    *Information from the Sparkrecipes calculator. NI may vary depending on the brand or size of the ingredients used to prepare it.

    http://soupspiceeverythingnice.blogspot.com/2014/08/creamy-tomato-soup-with-spinach-and.html
  • oedipa_maas
    oedipa_maas Posts: 577 Member
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    Roast Beef and Cucumber Sandwich
    Serves 1

    Ingredients

    1 Sandwich thin (or Pita)
    3 slices Deli Roast Beef
    6 or 7 English cucumber slices
    Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
    Creamy Cucumber Dressing [recipe on blog or you can buy bottle dressing]

    Directions

    Place one sandwich thin on a plate. Spread the bottom half with a little dressing. Place two or three slices of roast beef on top of the dressing. Top with sliced cucumbers, season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with a little more dressing and top with other half of sandwich thin. Enjoy!

    http://soupspiceeverythingnice.blogspot.com/2014/04/roast-beef-and-cucumber-sandwich.html

    Yum. I've also replaced the dressing with a little cream cheese, and that's good too!
  • dklibert
    dklibert Posts: 1,196 Member
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    Chicken Tortilla Soup
    Servings: 6

    Ingredients

    1 lb uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast
    2 tsp olive oil
    1 med onion, sliced in half moons
    10 1/2 oz canned tomatoes with green chilies, with liquid
    14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, with liquid
    14 1/2 oz canned yellow corn, with liquid
    4 cups fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth
    1/4 tsp ground cumin
    3/4tsp seasoned pepper
    1 tsp Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning
    3/4 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
    1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
    Tostitos baked tortilla chips
    2% Mexican blend shredded cheese

    Instructions

    Place chicken in a 3-1/2 quart pot, cover with water and bring to a simmer over medium high heat. At the first sign of bubbles lower to temperature to low. Poach chicken for 30 minutes. Discard cooking liquid and shred chicken. Set chicken aside. Rinse pot and return to heat.

    Sauté onion in olive oil until they start to get transparent. Add tomatoes, corn, broth and seasoning. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Add chicken and cilantro. Simmer until chicken to warmed through. Taste for seasoning, adjust to taste. Serve over corn chips and a tablespoon of Mexican cheese blend.

    http://soupspiceeverythingnice.blogspot.com/2012/12/chicken-tortilla-soup.html
  • softblondechick
    softblondechick Posts: 1,276 Member
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    I keep Chipotle burgers in my freezer for a quick dinner. I had one the other night, smothered with caramelized onions and A-1. I also have eggs a lot, hard boiled, I make egg salad, or a quick egg white omelet with mushrooms, spinach, red peppers, and some feta.
    Those are my go to quick healthy meals.
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
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    One of my favorites is a sandwich or wrap with:

    Chicken (grilled chicken strips or lunch meat work great)
    1 tbps of thousand island dressing
    Romaine Lettuce leaves
    Tomato/Cucumber/onion/whatever toppings you like

    This is also easy if you make a chicken bacon ranch with 1 tbsp of ranch dressing and a strip of turkey bacon or regular bacon crumbled throughout.

    These get soggy if you make them ahead so if your packing a meal find some super tiny little tupperware containers at the store they're a perfect way to store the dressing so your not dragging around the whole bottle.

    Tzatziki sauce made with 0fat greek yogurt is super yummy and great as a dip for veggies or on chicken sandwiches + veggies
    http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=809319


    If you have a crock pot the recipes from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2007/07/crock-pot-recipes.html are yummy and a good way to have a "hot" and "real" meal with minimal effort. And leftovers can be stored for later which makes them affordable. ;)
  • melaniecheeks
    melaniecheeks Posts: 6,349 Member
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    My favourite sandwich filling is a sort of "spring salad". Dead easy to make, protein packed and cheap.

    1 hard boiled egg
    1 large or 3 cherry tomatoes
    1 spring (green) onion.
    Salt and pepper. Celery salt is nice in this.

    Chop every thing together with a sharp knife and a fork in a bowl. The juice from the tomatoes will be enough to make a moist filling without any additional oil or mayo.
  • MlleKelly
    MlleKelly Posts: 356 Member
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    6 Easy, Healthy Dinner Ideas You'll Make Again and Again! (Fitness Magazine): http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/quick-recipes/dinner/healthy-repeat-dinners/#page=1

    Your Guide to Healthy Portion Sizes (Fitness Magazine): http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/you-can-do-it/portion-size-guide/?page=1

    Easy, Healthy Salad Recipes (Fitness Magazine): http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/quick-recipes/lunch/healthy-salad-recipes/#page=6

    My personal favorite is BudgeBytes.com.

    Just remember that you don't always have to stick with samiches for lunch. Try switching it up with salads and hot lunches, too (there's always a microwave in a student lounge somewhere on campus, or even in the cafeteria!). My husband and I like to make a big dinner twice a week, then we'll have leftovers for lunch for the next day or two. On the other days, it's salads, samiches, and rice and beans.

    I gained a BUNCH of weight in college, and my biggest piece of advice for avoiding that is: don't let your friends dictate your health, or your schedule. I worked in restaurants, so the schedule was crazy enough already, but my friends always wanted to go out afterwards or split something like pasta alfredo and fried appetizers between double shifts. It was cheap and you never want to be the one who goes home early, so it was always just easier to give in. Well...I gained 40+ lbs. If your close friends have unhealthy habits, try to branch out and meet some new, like-minded people, or suggest to your friends instead of going out at night, you stay in, invite some people over, and cook together/have a few drinks at home. It's more diet-friendly and budget-friendly. Join the gym on campus. At many places, the student membership is FREE or super cheap for the whole semester.

    Good luck!
  • nothinfancyreally
    nothinfancyreally Posts: 11
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    I really love a good tomato and avocado sandwich. :smile: Just slice up some avocado (make sure it's creamy) and layer with slices of tomato, add some salt, and I like a little bit of balsamic vinegar as well. You can also add other toppings, like mozzarella, or I like hard boiled eggs.
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
    Options
    My favourite sandwich filling is a sort of "spring salad". Dead easy to make, protein packed and cheap.

    1 hard boiled egg
    1 large or 3 cherry tomatoes
    1 spring (green) onion.
    Salt and pepper. Celery salt is nice in this.

    Chop every thing together with a sharp knife and a fork in a bowl. The juice from the tomatoes will be enough to make a moist filling without any additional oil or mayo.

    Can I just say this sounds super yummy?!
  • paradi3s
    paradi3s Posts: 343 Member
    Options
    thank you so much for all these recipes! i'm definitely trying these out for lunch ;-) my blockmates are starting to tease me for always having a tuna sandwich for lunch hahaha
  • paradi3s
    paradi3s Posts: 343 Member
    Options
    6 Easy, Healthy Dinner Ideas You'll Make Again and Again! (Fitness Magazine): http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/quick-recipes/dinner/healthy-repeat-dinners/#page=1

    Your Guide to Healthy Portion Sizes (Fitness Magazine): http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/workout/you-can-do-it/portion-size-guide/?page=1

    Easy, Healthy Salad Recipes (Fitness Magazine): http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/quick-recipes/lunch/healthy-salad-recipes/#page=6

    My personal favorite is BudgeBytes.com.

    Just remember that you don't always have to stick with samiches for lunch. Try switching it up with salads and hot lunches, too (there's always a microwave in a student lounge somewhere on campus, or even in the cafeteria!). My husband and I like to make a big dinner twice a week, then we'll have leftovers for lunch for the next day or two. On the other days, it's salads, samiches, and rice and beans.

    I gained a BUNCH of weight in college, and my biggest piece of advice for avoiding that is: don't let your friends dictate your health, or your schedule. I worked in restaurants, so the schedule was crazy enough already, but my friends always wanted to go out afterwards or split something like pasta alfredo and fried appetizers between double shifts. It was cheap and you never want to be the one who goes home early, so it was always just easier to give in. Well...I gained 40+ lbs. If your close friends have unhealthy habits, try to branch out and meet some new, like-minded people, or suggest to your friends instead of going out at night, you stay in, invite some people over, and cook together/have a few drinks at home. It's more diet-friendly and budget-friendly. Join the gym on campus. At many places, the student membership is FREE or super cheap for the whole semester.

    Good luck!

    Thank you so much for these! The problem is that I'm in a state university and while they have great education and nice facilities (It's a new campus, 7 years old), they don't have much extra to offer, like a gym with treadmills/pool, or a microwave oven.

    My friends are very supportive and though we go out a lot, they understand if I decline a meal with them, or that I have my own. They only tease me because I've been eating the same thing for lunch for sooo long hahaha
  • Ke11er
    Ke11er Posts: 147 Member
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    My favorite sandwich is peanut butter with apple slices (instead of jelly). Tastes something like a caramel apple :-) As a change of pace from tuna salad I make egg salad (we use cottage cheese or plain greek yogurt instead of mayo for both). One of my friends fries up an egg and after it cools puts it in a sandwich baggie. He puts two pieces of bread with a slice of cheese in a separate baggie. At lunch time he microwaves the egg and easy as that has a warm fried egg sandwich for lunch. Hummus with feta cheese on a "sandwich round" (sort of like a small thin pita bread) is yummy too. We also use those little "sandwich rounds" to make little pizza's...just put them soft side down on a plate and add your favorite sauce, toppings, cheese etc. to the top then microwave to warm.

    ETA: Oops, just saw that you don't have access to a microwave. If you have a meal plan with your dorm they may have a box lunch available to pick up at breakfast for the days you can't make it back to the dorm.
  • paradi3s
    paradi3s Posts: 343 Member
    Options
    My favorite sandwich is peanut butter with apple slices (instead of jelly). Tastes something like a caramel apple :-) As a change of pace from tuna salad I make egg salad (we use cottage cheese or plain greek yogurt instead of mayo for both). One of my friends fries up an egg and after it cools puts it in a sandwich baggie. He puts two pieces of bread with a slice of cheese in a separate baggie. At lunch time he microwaves the egg and easy as that has a warm fried egg sandwich for lunch. Hummus with feta cheese on a "sandwich round" (sort of like a small thin pita bread) is yummy too. We also use those little "sandwich rounds" to make little pizza's...just put them soft side down on a plate and add your favorite sauce, toppings, cheese etc. to the top then microwave to warm.

    ETA: Oops, just saw that you don't have access to a microwave. If you have a meal plan with your dorm they may have a box lunch available to pick up at breakfast for the days you can't make it back to the dorm.

    thank you! i actually wanna try doing a sandwich wrap using a pita. :-)
    i'm not living in dorm, i live at home (which is an hour away!), so i have to deal with a soggy sandwich yikes
  • heyyitsamandaa
    heyyitsamandaa Posts: 26
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    My favorite sandwich is healthy, vegan and not very expensive to make.. so its bread, anny bread will work i usually get the dollar loaf. Half an avocado, there usually a dollar regular but i get mine off the "day old produce" section its about 4 or 5 for 70cents. Its crazy i know i love that section, but even regular price is reasonable. And add in any vegetable thats on sale that week. My absolute favorite would have to be. Two pieces of bread quarter avocado forked and spread, with a few mushrooms in the middle. Healthy sandwich for a dollar or less!!!
  • lovecriminal
    lovecriminal Posts: 41 Member
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    You can try salads which will include boiled sprouts / veggies with low calorie dressings. I refrigerate the boiled sprouts. When I'm home - chop in some veggies - squeeze in lime - dash of pepper salt. Dressing goes in and with a spoon start watching TV.

    You can add little bit of meat (measure them - chicken breast is good). I sometimes keep a small box of stir fried chicken breast pieces in the refrigerator.

    Salads work best for me :)
  • mrscronkhite
    mrscronkhite Posts: 21
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    Careful eating too much tuna. My brother used to eat a can a day and ended up with mercury poisoning....

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