this diet is expencive

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What about things like:

chicken breasts
rice
beans
lean hamburger
Slow Cooker Recipes Under 300 Calories
100 Calorie Snacks and Treats
Low-Calorie Family-Friendly Meals

Slow Cooker/Crockpot meals are awesome. You can make a big batch of something, portion it out and freeze the portions. You then have meals for several days that all you have to do is heat up. They also make great family dishes and come out a lot cheaper than buying frozen meals.

Rice is awesome. 3lb bag (not the instant stuff, this takes about 15 mins to cook) will last awhile and can be used in a lot of things. Campbells has a Sweet & Sour Chicken Skillet sauce thing that my husband made for his work lunch. All he needed was a couple chicken breasts, rice and the sauce pack. It made him 3 meals (2 servings a meal), but it would have been 6 for me.

ashleybarnette1986 wrote: »

wow i like crock-pot food i always thought it was high cal

You can make anything in a crock pot! From soups to roast beef! Nice soft vegetables covered in great sauces.

I would avoid frozen meals. They are expensive, as you have found out, and high in sodium. I think you will find it much cheaper and better for you if you make things from scratch. My daughter and I started shopping the outside of the grocery store and found we lost weight without much effort. Frozen veggies are good but the frozen meals, not so much. Instead of buying "snacks" you can use boiled eggs, cheese, nuts, fruit and vegetables for snacks. You will find them more filling and less expensive. Buy on sale, in bulk when you can and search the web for low cal recipes.

frozen entrees and meals add up quickly and you can make them yourself alot cheaper with less crap in them. Oatmeal or eggs for breakfast are cheap. Cans of water packed tuna are cheap. Mix the tuna with some plain greek yogurt and spices or balsamic and throw it on a bed of lettuce. That's a cheap and quick lunch. Roast a whole chicken...you eat the white mean and family eats the dark and white and use the bones to make homemade soup. The bones make the broth and add in some no salt chicken broth and water as a base, throw out the bones and strain then add a bunch of veggies. I try to make things homemade as much as possible and it isn't hard to eat well on a budget.

ashleybarnette1986 wrote: »

wow i like crock-pot food i always thought it was high cal

all food is high calorie if you eat enough of it.

www.skinnytaste.com

I wonder if you just need to learn a bit more of the basics about food, nutrition and cooking? I don't know what to suggest, other than using a couple of good-quality, sound cook books and web site (skinny-taste is good) but other people here might. Eating well is a life change. A few tips:

Use the "half of your plate" rule, which states that your meals plates should be half-filled with good veggies (salad, coloured veggies) and the other half should be the meat plus traditional starch (potatoes, rice, bread). Remember that plain frozen vegetables are very nutritious and affordable.

I am a big believer in planning. I often prep supper before heading to the office or make a stew/chilli on the weekend.

A few of our family favorites:
- Baked salmon: farmed salmon is perfectly healthy and I get it at Costco (freezes well). Marinate portions of salmon with half each of soya sauce (low sodium) and maple syrup then bake. We love roasted broccoli or cauliflower (watch for sales for the fresh ones) with this, and it can baked at the same time as the fish, so easy!
- Cod or other firm white fish: bake in a single layer topped with sliced cherry tomatoes, garlic or leek and capers (and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper).
- Crock pots are great: toss in a bunch of sliced mushrooms and garlic, sprinkle with poultry seasoning, lay over chicken pieces and add liquids (I usually use chicken broth mixed with a bit of flour to thicken the sauce plus a good splash of white wine and orange juice). As soon as you get home, add in a whole pile of frozen veggies (precook them in the microwave if you are in an extra hurry). You can play with the spices (tarragon is a fresh change that we love) and the veg used.

Buy real food and make the meal. The frozen meals are too pricey per plate. No reason you cant feed a family of 4 chicken breast, mixed veggies and maybe some brown rice or beans for around $3-4 per person. That's like a $12 dinner.

ashleybarnette1986 wrote: »

another down fall i have noticed with the frozen dinners is my 3yr old has started thinking we all get a diff meal at dinner and will not eat what i cook

Yes Cooking the same meal for everyone is best. Eating Well and Cooking Light websites have some great recipes and meal plans. You can easily do one family friendly meal and just be sure to portion yours out carefully.

Another thing to know is that you can import recipes on here to calculate calories. Just keep track of how many portions the recipe made for you.

jgnatca wrote: »

Someone mentioned the half plate idea. I agree with this. Since everyone eats different amounts in your family, use different sized plates. Nine inch for you, twelve inch for 3,000 calorie a day fiancee, and six inch for toddler. Eat the same things. When your plate is done, you are done.

This is great advice.