Help, quick! Chicken is taking over my life!

Options
Hi, everyone!
I have really been struggling lately to come up with meal ideas that doesn't consist of boring chicken breasts. I mean, I like chicken, but I only know of one way to cook it that's healthy. I always bake it in the oven with some sort of seasoning on it and then I roast veggies for a side dish. I don't know how else to cook chicken or what is considered to be a healthy meal if I cook it in another way or with other ingredients. It stresses me out and I know that sounds stupid but it really does because if I do try to change it up I worry that I won't know how to count the calories for it (like if I add a spicy tomato sauce over top which I did once and it was really good, but how do you figure out how much sauce is baked onto the chicken?) or that it's going to really add up in calories and not be my usual healthy chicken anymore. Also, I would love it if you guys could give me other healthy meal ideas. I have looked all over the internet and found only a few meals that seem healthy. It's difficult too because I don't eat beef, rarely eat pork and I don't eat and the only processed foods I eat are bread and an occasional multigrain cracker. I don't eat pasta either because I know it isn't good for you. So I'm kind of feeling stuck at the moment in that I can't figure out what's healthy to eat. But any meal suggestion would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks you guys!! :)
«134

Replies

  • ephiemarie
    ephiemarie Posts: 264 Member
    Options
    Do you like shrimp or other seafood? Tons of protein and not a lot of calories.
  • AndyCool22
    AndyCool22 Posts: 131 Member
    Options
    something we do a lot is cook with lean ground turkey. similar to ground beef but less fat.
  • Jerrypeoples
    Jerrypeoples Posts: 1,541 Member
    edited December 2014
    Options
    my chicken meal is like this

    Thomas' thin bagel
    slice of provolone
    1 slice of bacon
    chipolte spicy mustard
    3 oz of baked chicken breast

    toast the bagel
    microwave the chicken with bacon on top of it for 2 minutes
    remove chicken and back in the container it came in
    place provolone on it and close the lid. (allows the heat to melt the cheese)

    remove bagel and spread mustard on half evenly.
    remove chicken/bacon/cheese and place on bottom half of bagel

    complete sandwich


    7hzvomu6c72o.png
  • GrammyPeachy
    GrammyPeachy Posts: 1,723 Member
    Options
    Soups and turkey chili are great this time of year.
  • GrammyPeachy
    GrammyPeachy Posts: 1,723 Member
    Options
    http://www.skinnytaste.com/

    Has lots of recipes!
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
    Options
    Is there a reason why you don't eat pork (religious?)? Because if there is nothing prohibiting you from eating it, pork tenderloin is a great protein.
  • 47Jacqueline
    47Jacqueline Posts: 6,993 Member
    Options
    I have the same problem with tuna salad. I stopped eating it about six months ago. If I never see another tunafish sandwich it will be too soon. ;-)
  • RosaileenB
    RosaileenB Posts: 49 Member
    Options
    Chicken Fajitas are awesome - healthy and very tasty.
  • al369
    al369 Posts: 170 Member
    Options
    cherirana wrote: »
    http://www.skinnytaste.com/

    Has lots of recipes!

    ^Yep. This. She has a whole chicken section you can peruse and she counts the calories for you, so if you follow the recipe, you're golden.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
    Options
    just roast that chicken. delicious.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
    Options
    you can throw 2 or 3 chicken breasts in the crock pot with a jar of salsa, and let it go all day, then just shred it up in the pot. This is a versatile thing to have around - works for tacos, burritos etc. It's nice in a hamburger bun .. or plain .. or .. well you get the point.

    2 lbs of chicken plus one jar of salsa devided into 6 servings comes out to about 150 cals a serving.

    Use the recipe builder - it's a great tool.
  • jpaulie
    jpaulie Posts: 917 Member
    Options
    Certain fish are great and supply Omega 3's. Great choices are sockeye Salmon and halibut (wild) as well. Shrimp and scallops are also a great choice. I make a sockeye sandwich that is very satisfying

    Dinner #5 Cal Carb Fat Pro Salt Chol
    Skotidakis - Taziki, 1 tbsp 25 1 2 2 55 5
    Nanuck - Wild Sockeye Salmon, 160 g +salt 224 0 10 34 316 80
    Stonemill - Chia Bread, 2 slices 150 24 3 7 160 0
    Garden Fresh Gourmet - Guacamole, .5 Tbsp 23 2 2 1 53 0
    422 27 17 44 584 85
    Only downside is some of these are expensive
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    Options
    I eat a lot of stuff that you probably wouldn't think was healthy... and I am still losing weight.
    A few things I do with chicken- baked with garlic, seasoned salt, pepper and rosemary, grilled chicken, tandoori style chicken, chicken stir fry with vegetables and rice, chicken with pasta on the side, shredded chicken mixed with bbq sauce for a sandwich.
    Try making soups.
    Try turkey occasionally.
    Check out bean and lentil recipes.
    Eat eggs or oatmeal sometimes.
    Eat a giant salad- add some chicken to it if you like.

    I enter in a recipe and then log the portion I ate.

    Some good recipes. budgetbytes.com
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Options
    OP - I guess it would help if you told us what you perceived to be healthy... are you trying to keep your meals under a certain number of calories? Are you doing low carb, low sodium, using any other parameters? Do you want only chicken entree ideas or are you looking for complete meals using chicken? What's the aversion to other proteins?

    There are so many ways to cook chicken, and other proteins. Baking it and serving it with vegetables would get old very quickly. You also asked about how to calculate calories if you add tomato sauce....

    1. Determine calories in tomato sauce per unit of measure
    2. Measure/weigh tomato sauce
    3. Pour that amount on chicken
    4. Cook according to directions.
    5. Eat and enjoy

    Pinterest and AllRecipes have lots of suggestions. I third the SkinnyTaste suggestion.

    Also second the comment that people lose weight eating all sorts of foods, even those you may not think are "healthy". There are plenty of people on here (myself included) who lose weight eating pizza, burgers, ice cream, drinking wine, etc.

    Good luck!

  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    Options
    Yes, I eat all kinds of meat. You really don't have to limit yourself to boneless, skinless chicken breast (although it's fine in moderation, of course). ;-)

    I really like just roasting chicken breast with bones and skin, or a whole chicken or dark meat pieces. Boneless skinless breasts or (ideally) thighs can also be chopped up and used in a stir fry or soup or pasta dish.

    I'm big on pork, which can be as lean, or lean cuts of beef or venison. I also eat lots of lamb and lots of fish and other seafood (shrimp, smoked salmon, calamari). I've also recently discovered that you can slow cook a skinless boneless turkey breast really easily and have lots of meat available for lunch for the rest of the week (or make an easy dinner).
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Options
    I have looked all over the internet and found only a few meals that seem healthy. It's difficult too because I don't eat beef, rarely eat pork and I don't eat and the only processed foods I eat are bread and an occasional multigrain cracker. I don't eat pasta either because I know it isn't good for you. So I'm kind of feeling stuck at the moment in that I can't figure out what's healthy to eat. But any meal suggestion would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks you guys!! :)

    I missed the comments before about processed food and pasta isn't good for you. Why isn't pasta good for you?

  • sheldonklein
    sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
    edited December 2014
    Options
    Sounds like you have the tail wagging the dog. Calorie tracking is supposed to liberate you to eat well, not to fear eating anything that you don't know the exact calories or doesn't fit some definition of "good for you.". Learn to cook and stop obsessing over precise calorie counts. In the meantime, marinate your chicken in yoghurt and (lots of) garlic, then bake. And don't worry about exactly how much yoghurt stuck to the chicken.
  • HappyPhantom4
    HappyPhantom4 Posts: 19 Member
    Options
    PRMinx wrote: »
    Is there a reason why you don't eat pork (religious?)? Because if there is nothing prohibiting you from eating it, pork tenderloin is a great protein.

    No, it's not because of religious reasons. I just had someone tell me pork is fatty that I should stay away from it. And because I'm still learning how to make healthier food choices, I listened to them. But I love pork so maybe I'll try a pork tenderloin sometime. Is there any special way you cook it? Oh, thanks so much for your help!!
  • michellemybelll
    michellemybelll Posts: 2,228 Member
    Options
    my chicken meal is like this

    Thomas' thin bagel
    slice of provolone
    1 slice of bacon
    chipolte spicy mustard
    3 oz of baked chicken breast

    toast the bagel
    microwave the chicken with bacon on top of it for 2 minutes
    remove chicken and back in the container it came in
    place provolone on it and close the lid. (allows the heat to melt the cheese)

    remove bagel and spread mustard on half evenly.
    remove chicken/bacon/cheese and place on bottom half of bagel

    complete sandwich


    7hzvomu6c72o.png
    that sounds yummy and pretty easy to make.