please help with food ideas!

Im from a smaller town, a meat and potatoes sort of town, so I have a hard time with food choices as well. However, I have found that trying new foods is rather exciting and makes me want to eat them. We have a fresh market nearby and I have been buying all the new fruits and vegetables I have never tried before. It usually takes two or three weeks before the excitement wears off, but in that time I've been eating much better.
Of the new things I've found I like the blood oranges, pomelos, and blue fingerling potatoes best.

I usually take a 4-6 oz peice of chicken breast (or sirloin steak), spice it with sea salt, black pepper, and Montreal Chicken (or Montreal Steak) and sear it. After searing for just a couple of minutes, I remove it from the heat and chop it into cubes and then throw it back on the pan with some sliced portobello mushrooms and red onions.

I'll top it with some fresh salsa and eat it all up. Meat and mushrooms tend to fill me up for longer and I usually don't feel the need to eat again for hours. Those meals are low carb and low in calories - approximately 275 for chicken and 400 for steak (depending on cut of meat).

Paired with an ice cold seltzer is perfect.

I suggest you use your food tracker as a planner!!

Logging after you have eaten is not much use IMO... but if you log beforehand you can make substitutions and make better choices.

For example - I love curries. it's 600 calories even to have a home-made healthier version? By using a lean meat (chicken or turkey) and swapping rice for new potatoes I can now have my curry for under 500 cals!

The other tip I have is weight your carbs - do not guess.

Try putting in what you plan to eat tonight and then see where you can make changes?

I still eat pretty much what I did before but I use lower cal carbs, I use white meat as opposed to red meat, I use smaller bread (IE I buy a small loaf - 60 cals per slice) I try to eat salad or veg with lunch and evening meal - you get so much for so few calories.

But my top tip is plan your food don't just log what you have already eaten!

My core meals tend to be based around the following:

With a jacket potato (Weigh it - better than the generic 'big/medium/small), wholemeal pasta (50-75g dry) ,brown rice (50-75g dry) or in a bread wrap....

150g of Grilled or baked chicken breast (free range) - for variety
Rub with curry powder or paprika before cooking
Add balsamic glaze post cooking
topped with a small amount of Parmesan, black pepper and sliced olives
topped with a home made salsa


150g Prawns
In Helmans extra light mayo
With half a sliced avacado (highish calories but so good for you!)
With 100g of the best steak you can lay your hands on: a special treat - but because the steak is small and padded yummy with low calorie prawns its cheaper than a normal steak night!
In a stir fry

150g Quorn
You can substitute 'chicken style pieces' for chicken - but there isn't much benefit from a diet perspective unless you want to be a vegetarian. The mince, however, is really low fat and as good as steak mince in my opinion: Our favourite is stir-fry (again) but cottage pie and chilli is also great.

Can of tuna
- Great in wraps - sandwiches or pasta bakes. People are scared of pasta - it is a bit high in calories - but if you are going to the gym its the right type of thing to eat after a work out - I recommend the Penne in a bake because it looks bigger than it actually is. Try it with a can of tomatoes, a small can of butter beans and the tuna (serves 2)

serve everything with salad or fresh veg - and lots of it!

If you have a descent pan you can cook all the above for 2 people with just a teaspoon of oil!


Snack wise I love 'fruit factory' 14g boxes of raisins with apple, apricot or sultanas (40ish cal each): They live in the same tin as 2 finger kit-kats and penguins which are 107 calories. I have no rules here but I found I only chose the kit kat or penguin when I really had a chocolate craving - if I was was just peckish I would go with the fruit.

Same fruit is also great in porridge which is my stable breakfast along side special k red berries.


If you have more time to cook there are some great recipes on this site - all the above are 20 minute dishes except the bake which is about 10 minutes effort then bung it in the oven for another 20 (ish).