I keep giving up because I don't know what to eat for dinner

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nicolanicola
nicolanicola Posts: 23
in Food and Nutrition
I am a very fussy eater and find it difficult to find foods I like. I don't like fish except for tuna or from the fish and chip shop! Same with broccolli, cauliflower, and a myriad of other things.

I have been trying to limit my calorie intake to 1200 a day. I am ok with breakfast and lunch but I fail with dinner. I had been having a jacket potato, salad and a chicken garlic kiev or escalope for about 2 weeks. However I am bored of that meal now so I have just been eating lasagne and pizzas etc, stuff thats really not less than my 600 cals I'm allowed for dinner!

So can anyone give me any advice? It needs to be simple too as my and my partner work full time. Often I come in and I am aboslutely starving and want to make something right there and then, but don't know what to make!

I also shoudl add, I am not one for cooking, I can do a chilli, bolognaise and a roast dinner and that's about it.

Can anyone give me any advice?
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Replies

  • CarolMorris66
    CarolMorris66 Posts: 59
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    Think you must be me! Your diet, cooking abilities and lifestyle are identical to mine :wink:

    Not ideal when dieting, eh?
  • nicolanicola
    nicolanicola Posts: 23
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    Haha that's great I am not alone!! I know it's hard. How have you managed to lose weight so far?
  • SaraBrown12
    SaraBrown12 Posts: 277 Member
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    600 calories for an evening meal should be pretty simple. I get that a lot of people are very busy and dont have time to slave over a hot stove for hours on end. From a dieting point of view and sticking to calories the weight watchers ready meals are quick and mostly under 500 calories. I would rather personally have fresh however if you have to have ready meals i would try them in order to stick to your calories. Maybe the range will inspire you to try a few new things and cook something different!!!
  • emchamberlain
    emchamberlain Posts: 133 Member
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    If you want to look in my diary, you can get some ideas. I usually keep my dinner to 300-400 calories.

    How about a big salad with chicken or hard-boiled eggs? Scrambled eggs/egg whites, fruit, and toast? Soups and sandwiches?
  • froglegjack
    froglegjack Posts: 388 Member
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    Not really sure what to say since I am not sure what you do like. With your busy schedule though maybe you can cook for the week at one time and freeze the dinners? then just pop them in the microwave so you don't eat junk when you come home tired and starving. Also are you breaking up your meals so you are having snacks? It really helps from ever reaching the point where you feel like you are really starving. I know if I reach that point I don't care what I eat :)
  • nicolanicola
    nicolanicola Posts: 23
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    Not really sure what to say since I am not sure what you do like. With your busy schedule though maybe you can cook for the week at one time and freeze the dinners? then just pop them in the microwave so you don't eat junk when you come home tired and starving. Also are you breaking up your meals so you are having snacks? It really helps from ever reaching the point where you feel like you are really starving. I know if I reach that point I don't care what I eat :)

    Yeah I could do that. But what do I make?

    Snacks...well I am not sure what to have for snacks, I have fruit as a snack, but that doesn't fill me up at all. Although I have been finding these brilliant 80 calories crisps which I love, trouble is they are dead crispy and I work in a really quiet office so I don't like to eat them!
  • RGPargy
    RGPargy Posts: 285 Member
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    You may think i'm really sad and/or anal but i have written out a 5 week menu plan for dinners. I know exactly what i'm going to eat for dinner every day for 5 weeks! I have done this because i get so stressed out if i have to decide at dinner time what i'm supposed to be cooking for dinner, rather than knowing in advance what I'm going to be cooking! It also means that i can shop according to my menu planner and not buy stuff that wont get eaten!

    I have got meal ideas / recipes from my old WW cookbooks and also have grabbed some meal ideas / recipes from the SW website. Most of the recipes I have made are under 300 calories and they are all pretty fool proof too. Last night i made garlicky cheesey courgette spaghetti in about 20 minutes and it was FAB!

    Perhaps you could look up some recipes that you know are easy to cook and that you will like? As i said, some are from the Slimming World website and they have quite a few on there - maybe that's somewhere you could start?

    Good luck!
  • nicolanicola
    nicolanicola Posts: 23
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    600 calories for an evening meal should be pretty simple. I get that a lot of people are very busy and dont have time to slave over a hot stove for hours on end. From a dieting point of view and sticking to calories the weight watchers ready meals are quick and mostly under 500 calories. I would rather personally have fresh however if you have to have ready meals i would try them in order to stick to your calories. Maybe the range will inspire you to try a few new things and cook something different!!!

    Thanks for your reply. I don't like the look of those weight watchers meals, or any pre-packed meals with meat in it, to be honest.

    May I do need to cook :(
  • Dunkirk
    Dunkirk Posts: 465 Member
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    Search online for weightloss recipes, check your library, and any recipe books you may already have. There are 4 ingredient cookbooks available for easy meals, If you look you'll find heaps out there. Bon Apetit!
  • jasmin1310
    jasmin1310 Posts: 80 Member
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    The other day I made pizza using a weight watchrs wrap (100 cal wrap)
    add tomoto puree, low fat cheese, yellow + red peppers, mushrooms, a little pepperoni and bake in the oven.
    you get a thin crust pizza that is low in cal then have with a ton of rocket leaves, cucumber and cherry tomotoes?

    Not sure if you like any of that stuff - but hopefully u can do trial and error - goofd luck
  • LeeKetty1176
    LeeKetty1176 Posts: 881 Member
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    I use this site a lot


    http://www.greatlittleideas.com/theme/161/winter-warmers/?gclid=CP_nyvzX5KgCFQEKfAod5gw_Ew
  • nicolanicola
    nicolanicola Posts: 23
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    You may think i'm really sad and/or anal but i have written out a 5 week menu plan for dinners. I know exactly what i'm going to eat for dinner every day for 5 weeks! I have done this because i get so stressed out if i have to decide at dinner time what i'm supposed to be cooking for dinner, rather than knowing in advance what I'm going to be cooking! It also means that i can shop according to my menu planner and not buy stuff that wont get eaten!

    I have got meal ideas / recipes from my old WW cookbooks and also have grabbed some meal ideas / recipes from the SW website. Most of the recipes I have made are under 300 calories and they are all pretty fool proof too. Last night i made garlicky cheesey courgette spaghetti in about 20 minutes and it was FAB!

    Perhaps you could look up some recipes that you know are easy to cook and that you will like? As i said, some are from the Slimming World website and they have quite a few on there - maybe that's somewhere you could start?

    Good luck!

    That's a great idea, thanks. I also get very stressed not knowing what to cook, and sometimes I have gone to bed without eating because I just don't know what to make!

    Organisation and planning are the key to sucess I think!
  • jasmin1310
    jasmin1310 Posts: 80 Member
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    You may think i'm really sad and/or anal but i have written out a 5 week menu plan for dinners. I know exactly what i'm going to eat for dinner every day for 5 weeks! I have done this because i get so stressed out if i have to decide at dinner time what i'm supposed to be cooking for dinner, rather than knowing in advance what I'm going to be cooking! It also means that i can shop according to my menu planner and not buy stuff that wont get eaten!

    I have got meal ideas / recipes from my old WW cookbooks and also have grabbed some meal ideas / recipes from the SW website. Most of the recipes I have made are under 300 calories and they are all pretty fool proof too. Last night i made garlicky cheesey courgette spaghetti in about 20 minutes and it was FAB!

    Perhaps you could look up some recipes that you know are easy to cook and that you will like? As i said, some are from the Slimming World website and they have quite a few on there - maybe that's somewhere you could start?

    Good luck!

    That's absolutley brilliant - i generally plan the night before but maybe i should plan a little more in advance.
  • hartsmart
    hartsmart Posts: 141 Member
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    i'm terrible at cooking and work about 50 hours a week (getting home by 1pm but up so early, i'm the walking dead by dinner prep time). I have subscribed to cooking light this past year, and they have '30 minute meals' and '5 ingredient meals' as sections in their mag...maybe pick up a cooking mag sometime while at the grocery store or library...or check online for 'quick healthy meals'. i generally have to swap out a certain veg for something i like (well, actaully, i have to swap out for something hubby likes, since i'm a lover of most veg); or switch the protein...pork for chicken or vice versa depending on what looks/sounds good. and i plan a week of dinners so i KNOW what to expect time wise for prep. and sometimes even prep chopped veg, like onions, ahead of time (you could even buy pre-chopped veg as a time saver).
    good luck...you can do it, it's not impossible, i swear!! :)
  • RGPargy
    RGPargy Posts: 285 Member
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    If you like, I am happy to email you my recipes (it's a Word doc). Message me with your email address if you're interested. :smile:
  • MrsSWW
    MrsSWW Posts: 1,590 Member
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    I go along with what others have said, cook big on your day off and freeze in measured portions - if you like plain chicken steam or griddle a full pack, wrap them in foil and stick them in the freezer - left out in the morning it'll have defrosted for tea and will take a couple of minutes to heat up in the microwave - ditto for bolognese and chilli, by the time you've cooked your rice or pasta the sauce will have heated in the microwave. Cook a huge joint of meat when you're doing a roast and freeze in portions, veg will only take a little while to cook. What about stirfries? Again, shred your defrosted chicken breast into it.

    Best advice though? Exercise your way to more calories, even if it means getting up an hour earlier in the morning - you'll change shape more quickly, you'll get better quality sleep, and you'll have more calories to eat so will be able to have a bigger range of food. I don't know if you can read my food diary but please feel free to have a look at it if it's available. I go over my total calories on average a couple of times a week (it's usually the fault of wine, lol!) and have been steadily losing a pound a week.

    Shaz
    x
  • TheGoktor
    TheGoktor Posts: 1,138 Member
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    Thanks for your reply. I don't like the look of those weight watchers meals, or any pre-packed meals with meat in it, to be honest.

    May I do need to cook :(

    I think you do! :smile: I could help you out with easy, and quick recipes, which are also under 600 cals.
  • michelleion
    michelleion Posts: 122 Member
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    Stir frys are pretty much my staple - take a piece of chicken, some prawns, beef - whatever protein you do like, chuck it in a pan with whatever veggies and spices you like (or in my case, whatever it lurking in the fridge), and maybe add some rice if you want it - super easy and quick - even I can do it :P
  • nurseaim
    nurseaim Posts: 146
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    What about "Smart Ones" or "Lean Cuisines"? They are quick to heat up and low calorie to stick to your diet. Generally they range from 350-280 calories a meal. In my opinion, they have some yummy choices. Good luck!
  • bayoucitygirl
    bayoucitygirl Posts: 54 Member
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    Another suggestion is to google "once a month cooking" -- my mom helped us do it in college and its an awesome way to have meals simply ready to go!

    If you like soups you could also make two or three in bug batches and freeze portions that are easy to heat up!

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