Ideas for side dishes?

beatyfamily1
beatyfamily1 Posts: 257 Member
edited November 29 in Food and Nutrition
Anyone have ideas for side dishes to go with a main meal other than carbs? Something that's not too high in calories. I already eat plenty of vegetables. I love carbs, but can't have too much because they put me over my calorie limit real quick.

Replies

  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    Scrambled eggs/boiled eggs. Avoiding carbs gets rid of the choices really.

    I love meat or fish served with a huge pile of stir fried veg and 1 slice of garlic bread which is only 120 calories. It comes to around 500 for the lot.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    edited January 2016
    Carbless side dishes (already have veggies covered).....hmm that leaves protein or fat.

    More meat?

    Fat is calorie dense so that's out too

    I got nuthin'
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    no one says you have to have 2 side dishes lol

    i make plenty of meals that are meat and veg

    or all veg

    or one mixed dish (like a casserole or soup)
  • beatyfamily1
    beatyfamily1 Posts: 257 Member
    @callsitlikeiseeit I know, but I'm getting burned out on just vegetables.
  • PiSquared
    PiSquared Posts: 148 Member
    Split the difference and eat carb-y veggies? Sweet potatoes, squash, turnips, and rutabagas all work well as starchy side dishes, plus give you some nutrition along with them. Sometimes I roast cauliflower in the oven, and then mash it up a bit like mashed potatoes.

    Beans are a good side dish, too. Black beans with tomatoes, garlic, and cilantro are fantastic with chicken or pork. White beans with sauteed greens show up a lot in Italian cuisine.
  • callsitlikeiseeit
    callsitlikeiseeit Posts: 8,626 Member
    beatyfamily1 wrote: »
    @callsitlikeiseeit I know, but I'm getting burned out on just vegetables.

    im not sure what you want if you dont want veg or carbs....

  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited January 2016
    Beans are carby... So if you do not do pinto, kidney, back eye peas, grean peas, etc,, this leaves starch (corn, potaoes, rice, pasta,etc..)

    Have your meat, veggies and a small or moderate starch! Get creative with with your food.

    I am OD'ing on veggies every week but I do mix up the variation and how to cook them as I need my veggies alot more so than starch. I love beans.

    I decide to have or not to have sweet potatoes or white potatoes, or white rice or brown rice or just add more meat and veggies or even add some home cooked pintos or black eyes..

    Also depending on the meat, fish, chicken you cook and prepare, depends on the type of side that pairs with it.

    I am going out on limb here and say casseroles and crock pot ideas may be something you want to look into.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    sweet potatoes
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    beatyfamily1 wrote: »
    @callsitlikeiseeit I know, but I'm getting burned out on just vegetables.

    I'm not sure how you can be. Are you eating them the same way all the time?

    I eat mashed swede, mashed sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes.
    Roasted everything in garlic oil and chilli oils.
    Herb crusted crispy sweet potato.
    Sweet potato chips and wedges with all sorts sprinkled on them.
    Cauliflower bhajis/mushroom bhajis.

    Get adventurous with your food and you'll never get bored.
  • beatyfamily1
    beatyfamily1 Posts: 257 Member
    @RuNaRoUnDaFiEld On a limited budget so most vegetables come from the frozen section. Yes I pretty much make it the same way every time. I'm trying to get ideas that I can compromise on with my husband. He's a picky eater. Once I make it a certain way that he likes he gets mad if I change it. Then again he complains that it's pretty much the same stuff most of the time lol. Oh well. I guess if he's really hungry he'll eat whatever I make.
  • toe1226
    toe1226 Posts: 249 Member
    polenta!
  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    beatyfamily1 wrote: »
    @RuNaRoUnDaFiEld On a limited budget so most vegetables come from the frozen section. Yes I pretty much make it the same way every time. I'm trying to get ideas that I can compromise on with my husband. He's a picky eater. Once I make it a certain way that he likes he gets mad if I change it. Then again he complains that it's pretty much the same stuff most of the time lol. Oh well. I guess if he's really hungry he'll eat whatever I make.

    Does he like burgers? You can mash defrosted frozen veg and mix it with ground/minced turkey. Add a little seasoning that he does like and grill. It will bulk out the meat and get some nutrition in whilst helping keep costs down.
  • beatyfamily1
    beatyfamily1 Posts: 257 Member
    @RuNaRoUnDaFiEld That's a good idea. I make turkey burgers already. I didn't think about mixing some veggies in there. That would cut down on the calories of the burger meat too.
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,097 Member
    soup?

    fruit salad? berries topped with greek yogurt?

    vegetable juice?
  • nkluet
    nkluet Posts: 14 Member
    Deviled eggs.
  • Acidique
    Acidique Posts: 119 Member
    Cheese.
  • chastity0921
    chastity0921 Posts: 209 Member
    If you're on a budget, why don't you look into freezing sides? You could make a lot and freeze them yourself. Put them in containers based on what you would use at a meal. If he's picky and you don't want to eat what you fix him, you could make single servings of his food and tell him to warm them up himself haha.

    I just made a post about Birdseye Protein Blends. They also have some new products like Buffalo Cauliflower and Ranch Broccoli. I've heard they were good. Skinnytaste.com also has some recipes with nutrition information. The crockpot ideas may be good for you, as someone stated above.
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