What should I cook for dinner

Taco Salad!! If you substitute the ground beef for ground chicken, sub the sour cream for 0% greek yogurt, and skip the tortilla chips, you can eat a ton of it and not feel guilty at all Plus its delicious (you don't even notice the substitutions at all)

What are you in the mood for?

Instead of ground chicken for tacos or taco salad, I'd suggest shredded chicken. It tastes much better and is lower fat, leaving room for a few avocado slices. I'd also suggest making your own taco seasoning. There are many recipes online and that way you can control the heat and sodium levels.

OP, it would be helpful if you'd share what type of wrong things is it that you crave. Almost anything you can buy premade can be made cheaper and with less calories at home.

Balance out your fat, carbs and protein. Other than that, there shouldn't be too many rules other than satiety and enjoyment. Find meals that you enjoy that won't break your calorie budget.

You might take a look at lower calorie recipe sites like budgebites, skinnytaste, hungrygirl, eatingwell, etc.

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Instead of ground chicken for tacos or taco salad, I'd suggest shredded chicken. It tastes much better and is lower fat, leaving room for a few avocado slices. I'd also suggest making your own taco seasoning. There are many recipes online and that way you can control the heat and sodium levels.

OP, it would be helpful if you'd share what type of wrong things is it that you crave. Almost anything you can buy premade can be made cheaper and with less calories at home.

Balance out your fat, carbs and protein. Other than that, there shouldn't be too many rules other than satiety and enjoyment. Find meals that you enjoy that won't break your calorie budget.

You might take a look at lower calorie recipe sites like budgebites, skinnytaste, hungrygirl, eatingwell, etc.

Need2 is right about the taco seasoning, and with all prepared/processed foods. I do try to stay away from those foods myself... but for a beginner (I just assumed that the OC is new to clean eating, forgive me if that is incorrect), small simple changes are key. And nothing is easier than throwing a $1 packet into a pan of sizzling meat than going out and spending $30 on spices then trying to develop the perfect powder cocktail before dinnertime.

That's so funny, because I dislike shredded chicken, I think it's dry and flavorless. In your defense I've probably been cooking it wrong... Can you suggest a method of prep for tasty shredded chicken? The key to texture in ground chicken is buying whole or by the breast, and grinding it up fresh just before you cook it. Much better than the store-ground stuff, and you can control the fat content: all breast is practically fat-free; tossing in a thigh gives you a little fat, more flavor, and more iron. When buying pre-ground, no matter the type of meat you choose, the fat content is always listed on the package (fun fact: fat percentage can be lower, but not higher, than what is stated on the package).

And leaner isn't necessarily better: if you eat little fat throughout the day, go ahead and splurge on your dinner protein. I eat a lot of fatty foods for breakfast and snacks (nuts, seeds, and tephanies1234: mmmmmavocadoesmmmmm), so I choose lean proteins for lunch and dinner.

kmsoucy457 wrote: »

Need2Exerc1se wrote: »

Instead of ground chicken for tacos or taco salad, I'd suggest shredded chicken. It tastes much better and is lower fat, leaving room for a few avocado slices. I'd also suggest making your own taco seasoning. There are many recipes online and that way you can control the heat and sodium levels.

OP, it would be helpful if you'd share what type of wrong things is it that you crave. Almost anything you can buy premade can be made cheaper and with less calories at home.

Balance out your fat, carbs and protein. Other than that, there shouldn't be too many rules other than satiety and enjoyment. Find meals that you enjoy that won't break your calorie budget.

You might take a look at lower calorie recipe sites like budgebites, skinnytaste, hungrygirl, eatingwell, etc.

Need2 is right about the taco seasoning, and with all prepared/processed foods. I do try to stay away from those foods myself... but for a beginner (I just assumed that the OC is new to clean eating, forgive me if that is incorrect), small simple changes are key. And nothing is easier than throwing a $1 packet into a pan of sizzling meat than going out and spending $30 on spices then trying to develop the perfect powder cocktail before dinnertime.

That's so funny, because I dislike shredded chicken, I think it's dry and flavorless. In your defense I've probably been cooking it wrong... Can you suggest a method of prep for tasty shredded chicken? The key to texture in ground chicken is buying whole or by the breast, and grinding it up fresh just before you cook it. Much better than the store-ground stuff, and you can control the fat content: all breast is practically fat-free; tossing in a thigh gives you a little fat, more flavor, and more iron. When buying pre-ground, no matter the type of meat you choose, the fat content is always listed on the package (fun fact: fat percentage can be lower, but not higher, than what is stated on the package).

And leaner isn't necessarily better: if you eat little fat throughout the day, go ahead and splurge on your dinner protein. I eat a lot of fatty foods for breakfast and snacks (nuts, seeds, and tephanies1234: mmmmmavocadoesmmmmm), so I choose lean proteins for lunch and dinner.

If I was cooking the chicken specifically for tacos, I'd likely cook it in a skillet with water and taco seasoning and a little olive oil. Keep adding water a little at a time until the chicken is to temp, then let all the water cook off and you should have some pretty tender and well seasoned chicken taco meat. I most often use leftover roasted chicken for tacos though.

In my experience dry chicken is usually caused by overcooking or cooking in dry heat without any type of moisture or oil. Brining can help, especially if the chicken is cooked without the skin.

How lean your meat needs to be is personal preference based on taste and goals. I've never been a fan of most meat fat so I prefer lean meats cooked in olive oil. Since avocado is already high fat, I might not add any fat to the meat if I was adding avocado to the taco. But that's just my preference.

I've made delicious shredded chicken in the crockpot lately...slice onions and peppers and put in bottom of crockpot, place frozen chicken breasts on top (that's how I buy them) sprinkle liberally with taco seasoning and then after work, they just need to be shredded. I'm still not sure if you need to add liquid or not, the two times I have I've ended up having to drain it out. The frozen breasts have a lot of water in them so I'm thinking next time I'll skip any liquid. I've added just about 1/2 cup in the bottom to keep anything from sticking.

Delicous shredded chicken!

If you haven't left the house yet throw some chicken in a crock pot with some bbq sauce. have pulled chicken when you get home. or, chicken with some tomato sauce and a few veggies. or, lentil soup with some seasoning. if you've already left the house today, sautee some veggies and salmon when you get home.

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