Help with Meal Plans

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silvafan
silvafan Posts: 147
in Food and Nutrition
I'm currently on the 1200 cal allowance & im doing 30 day shred along with cardio workouts at the gym. I'm having a hard time with the food part. I don't know what to make I've been relying on Subway for the last week but I know I can't keep on like this. So could you please offer up some food suggestions and recipes. I don't have a lot of time (like most people) I drive about 70 miles one way so I have about a 2 1/2 hour commute round trip. I can make lunches ok I just need help with dinner I need some quick easy recipes that aren't high in calories. Thank You MFP friends :-)

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  • iamacraftymama
    iamacraftymama Posts: 32
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    I find planning meals difficult too. I often make the mistake of finishing off my kids meals because I don't like to waste food but that has done nothing for my waistline. I wish there were sample daily menus on this site from a nutritionist/chef to help give everyone a good head start. Even a shopping list of things to always have in the pantry would be good.
  • Dnsnyder
    Dnsnyder Posts: 263 Member
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    Maybe you could cook some stuff ahead of time, like on the weekends, so that it is already prepared for the week?

    Chicken is really easy to do this with. On Sunday night (or whenever works best for you) cook several chicken breast by method of choice (bake, broil, grill). If you keep the seasoning simple (pepper, garlic powder, onion, etc) you can use it for multiple dishes:

    Chop up and make chicken salad wraps with flatout bread, lettuce (or baby spinach), tomato, & other veggies of choice
    Chop up and use on salad, flavor of which can be changed by additional toppings. Use olives, black beans, corn, and salsa one day. Use chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, or almond accents), grapes, cranberries, apples, celery, green onion, and lemon poppy or rasberry vinegarette another day.
    Serve with steamed veggies (broccoli, cooked carrots, beans, anything you like!)
    Slice and sautee with frozen stir fry vegetables and asian sauce (I prefer Asian Gourmet brand, no high fructose corn syrup).

    Hope this helps! Message me if you want any more ideas!
  • smile72101
    smile72101 Posts: 26 Member
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    I agree....like many of us, we have others in the house that don't need to "watch" everything that goes into their mouth. I have ALWAYS loved to cook but now I feel like I am running out of healthy ideas. I am watching fat, calories, cholesterol too bc of my husband....soo....I will keep ideas coming if I get anything good too....would love to see something on the site as well for recipe ideas from the "professionals"....
  • LauriinSB
    LauriinSB Posts: 34 Member
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    I often bring a salad with turkey in it for lunch, and fruit and yogurt for snack. I tend to make a few different dishes on the weekend so I don't have to worry about dinners too much and don't have to cook every day. For example last Sunday I made turkey chili and roasted a chicken. If you can get into my recipes section take a look around. It is much easier to take a little time and prepare everything ahead of time. Then there's no problem with getting home from work starving and just grabbing something.
  • Brittney24
    Brittney24 Posts: 105
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    I often find the saute sensations by Stouffers to be pretty good. The chicken teriyaki one has 2 servings of vegetables in each half of the package and you get a lot of food for a small amount of calories. I often add extra rice because there's a lot of sauce and I think the amount I eat with the extra rice is under 300 calories.

    Chicken fajitas are also healthy and low in calories. I usually make chicken, add in red and green peppers and an onion and then use about half a packet of the fajita seasoning mix. All together it makes about 4 servings and each serving is 103 calories for the insides alone then I use about 15 grams of low fat cheese and 2 tortillas making the meal about 300 calories again.
    (You can do the same with Tacos)

    I found these chicken and vegetable patties in the grocery store precooked so I often will heat one of those up and have it as a burger. Add cheese, condiments and a bun and it is around 300 calories. (The patty is 190 cal). They are called Janet and Greta's Gourmet Chicken Burgers with Fire Roasted Vegetables.


    Basically I eat everything I want in moderation. If I want pizza I'll eat pizza and use a food scale to accurately measure how much the package says as a serving.
  • kimphillips36
    kimphillips36 Posts: 125
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    I just started a blog about my weight loss journey and I have a lot of grocery/food/meal ideas on there...I hope to add more soon! I still make a lot of 'regular' meals but I've changed how I make them because I use different ingredients/food that make them healthier.

    Go to:

    www.kimsjourneytoahealthierlife.blogspot.com
  • kailisa2000
    kailisa2000 Posts: 12 Member
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    My suggestion is to throw stuff in the crockpot in the morning so you don't have to deal with it when you get home. Or make a double batch of soup on the weekends to freeze for the week. Oh, and plan out your whole week so you have something thawed and ready to go when you get home. :)
    I make a vegetable/quinoa soup that is super low in calories, around 170 for a serving. I sautee some veggies (peppers, carrots, celery, onion, etc) in a bit of olive oil and whatever seasonings I feel like, and then add a box of chicken stock, 1/4 C quinoa, and a cup of diced tomatoes and cook until the quinoa is sprouted. It's really good and healthy :)

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