Food Substitutions - Dinner Ideas for the Beginners!

I've seen a lot of post where there's a struggle of how you can eat healthy/clean, how to start cutting back and keep in your calories goal. By NO means I'm health expert - but I LOVE to cook and I equally LOVE good food. I don't want to eat something I won't enjoy or I will fall from this journey because it will feel like I'm deprived. So the best thing I did was to put together a complete meal for my family for the entire week and substitutes and use LOTS of seasonings....

Here are some of my FEW food ideas that has low calories and will fill you up!

97% Lean Spaghetti Meat Sauce over whole wheat angel hair pasta - Who doesn't want a good ole' spaghetti? you wouldn't even care when it's on a whole wheat pasta when you have a really tasty sauce! I use 97% lean ground beef and mix with turkey, lots of veggies too.

Chicken Curry on top of Brown Rice - Marinate your chicken in curry powder, cummin, tumeric, garlic, ginger, black pepper, dash of salt, paprika, cut up onions for an hour and you'll have yourself one yummy dish! If you want to add a little "umph" you can add a tbsp. of coconut milk - but without the milk it's about 250 calories per 50 grams of serving and with the milk about 325

Shrimp/Crab Arugula Salad - simple salad with lots of shrimp and some good ole' crab (try Chicken of the Sea Lump Crab Meat it's about $25 per pint from Costco) I eat it the whole week!

Lemon Baked Chicken - simple Mrs. Dash, Lemon, Pepper and Paprika coat it all and bake.

Bake Mayo Mahi-Mahi (substituting mayo with Greek Fat Free Yogurt, some mustard sauce, pepper, paprika) and you'll have one tasty fish! Squeeze of lemon and lemon zest.

Chicken Brown Fried Rice/Cauliflower - half brown rice and half Cauliflower rice to make a delicious guilt free Fried Rice! add your favorite protein and it's one great yummy food!

Chicken Stuffed Spinach (used Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese only 35 calories/wedge) and it's sooo good!

Grilled Top Sirloin Steak (seasoned with pepper and some salt) - I cook my steak on hot iron skillet and finish it in the stove for another 5-10 minutes depends if we want Medium or Medium Well for my kids. It's delish and easy!

Boiled Sweet Potatoes - add some cinnamon YUM!

Omelette - 1 whole eggs and 2 white eggs (buy the white eggs in cartons not to waste the egg yolks!), green peppers, mushrooms, spinach, 2% Colby jack cheese, slice ham, tomatoes, season. Pair it with 1 whole wheat toast and side of Avocado! Yes, Please!

So technically just try to stay away from too much salt or sugar, cook the food on its own - it will taste good if you season it right. Creativity is the key! if you want a little healthier sugar, put a swirl of honey...if you want some kick - paprika or cayenne pepper. I cook these with 2 kids who are picky eaters! they start loving it! Well I occasionally throw some triple decker club sandwich with broccoli cheddar soup sometimes... but eat in moderation and weigh your food... you get to enjoy both world!

hahha - I just spent generous time to write this, now it's time for this schmuck to call it a night.