Healthy food? Help!

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janine0187
janine0187 Posts: 15
in Food and Nutrition
Hi guys,

It's not that I can't cook but I can never come up with any idea what healthy food I could cook. :( so usually I end up eating crap or a cheap boring garden salad like today.

I know there are some experienced people on this forum and it would be great if you could help me what I can cook for me and my boyfriend. It doesn't have to be complicated. Simple, healthy and and filling. :)

Replies

  • LindseyC87
    LindseyC87 Posts: 178 Member
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    You can make a healthy version of ALMOST anything. What are some of your favorite foods and I can give you some healthy variations
  • Larius
    Larius Posts: 507 Member
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    Grilled fish or chicken and veggies is pretty standard for me. There are a variety of different seasonings to try, and different veggies. You could add a potato or pasta if you want some carbs.
  • jenjenlv
    jenjenlv Posts: 42
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    grilled chicken with veggies (steamed with seasoning). You can grill the veggies, steam them, put different seasonings on them. You can do the same with the chicken, blackened chicken, seasoned, garlick, grilled, in the oven, etc.
  • vallejos6
    vallejos6 Posts: 146 Member
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    My usual go to is a lean protein (chicken, fish, leaner cuts of beef- flank or sirloin) with a whole grain (quinoa, brown rice, ww couscous, sometimes change it up and do beans/legumes instead, or a starchy vegetable like a sweet potato) and then round it out with a large serving of veggies. Our plates usually look like 1/4 protein, 1/4 grain/starch, and 1/2 veggie. I also do some nights when I don't have the grain/starch and just do extra veggies. Like last night, I made chicken and then sauteed peppers, mushrooms, onions, chopped tomatoes in some olive oil with some fresh garlic and fresh basil and dumped those on top of my chicken. It was really good and took about 15-20 minutes total.
  • Morglem
    Morglem Posts: 377 Member
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    Hi, how about some chicken, steak or pork grilled? Some vegetables steamed or boiled? You can use some dry rub on the meat so doesnt add that many calories. Feel free to add me. My food diary is open if you like anything let me know and I'll let you know how to make it. Good Luck!
  • Avalonis
    Avalonis Posts: 1,540 Member
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    One of my favorites is baked chicken, steam broccoli and asparagus, and Nonfat milk. (I know, Almond milk is better... but my god its awful)

    There's so many healthy foods to make, seriously.
  • mommyami1
    mommyami1 Posts: 154 Member
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    I started using www.mealtimemakeover.com. I didn't cook either and it was hard to find the time to get a grocery list together. These menu plans do all the work for me. They give me 7 meals and numbered and organized grocery list to go with the meals. I do pay $5/mo but it's so worth it.
  • Morglem
    Morglem Posts: 377 Member
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    My usual go to is a lean protein (chicken, fish, leaner cuts of beef- flank or sirloin) with a whole grain (quinoa, brown rice, ww couscous, sometimes change it up and do beans/legumes instead, or a starchy vegetable like a sweet potato) and then round it out with a large serving of veggies. Our plates usually look like 1/4 protein, 1/4 grain/starch, and 1/2 veggie. I also do some nights when I don't have the grain/starch and just do extra veggies. Like last night, I made chicken and then sauteed peppers, mushrooms, onions, chopped tomatoes in some olive oil with some fresh garlic and fresh basil and dumped those on top of my chicken. It was really good and took about 15-20 minutes total.

    Yummy!
  • kappyblu
    kappyblu Posts: 654 Member
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    :smile: I have made a ton of recipes from Hungry Girl. Sign up for her newsletter and you will not be disappointed. (google Hungry Girl)She also has fabulous cookbooks out there (about $12 on Amazon.com) that are fabulous! A lot of her recipes are healthier versions of favorites, but there are some fabulous originals, too...like the egg mug recipes.
  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,141 Member
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    Stir frys must be one of the easiet and quickest meals to do, you can put in pretty much anything you like.

    I made one today for our dinner, we had onions, cabbage and noodles with some fish sauce and soya sauce for added flavour with prawns and chicken in garlic and soya sauce, was ready within minutes and delicious!
  • jujubean1992
    jujubean1992 Posts: 462 Member
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    i can make baked chicken breast like 1000 different ways and they always turn out as my guys say "bangin" lol. my fiance told me i should write a cook book of just chicken recipes. so what sounds good? or i made really good baked lime tomato basil chicken last night.
  • KPFOLSOM
    KPFOLSOM Posts: 7
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    I just made this easy and great recipe. You need: 2-4 pork chops, 1/4 cup less sodium soy sauce, 1 TSP minced garlic, 1TSP ginger paste, 1/2 cup salsa and 1 TBSP sugar free raspberry preserves.
    Mix together the soy sauce, ginger paste and garlic.
    Take the pork chops and season them with salt and pepper. Put about 1 TBSP of oil in a skillet and heat. Put the pork chops in the skillet and cook about 4 min per side. Pour the soy sauce mixture over the chops, allow to heat and put pork chops on plate. Cover them with aluminium foil.
    Take salsa and preserves and heat in a saucepan and pour over the chicken. It's delicious and literally takes less than 20 min. It's low cal and low fat. Pair with steam veggies or salad.
  • Kelly_Wilson1990
    Kelly_Wilson1990 Posts: 3,245 Member
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    If you are busy, do a one day a week cooking day. Plan your meals and grill meats for the week. Make a salad and put it in those green veggie bags (no tomatoes, add them at meal time). Then you can add some whole grain bread, brown rice or quinoa. Then you will always have something ready to go at a moments notice.
  • CarlitaK
    CarlitaK Posts: 139
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    I just had this last night and it was delicious! The spicy chicken and sweet salad went perfect together! It might look like a lot of work, but it was pretty easy!

    I used chicken and ate a smaller serving of the salad for 553 calories! It was super filling because of all the protein :)

    Creole rub:

    Combine the following:
    1 tsp dried thyme (or 1 tbs fresh thyme)
    1 tbsp paprika
    1 tsp ground cumin
    1 tsp kosher salt
    ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
    3 tsp unpacked brown sugar
    1 tsp black pepper

    Use what you need to coat your protein of choice in a ziplock bag. Let sit for 15 minutes or so then pan fry or bbq the protein.
    Enough to coat 4 pieces of meat. 18 calories per seving

    Chick pea quinoa salad:

    2 cups Chick peas (fresh or 1 can, rinsed)
    1 cup dried quinoa (follow instructions on the package)
    ¾ cup dried cranberries
    ¼ cup finely diced red onion
    2 stalks of green onion, chopped
    ½ large yellow pepper
    Juice of one orange (freshly squeezed)
    Zest of orange (to taste)
    Juice of one lemon (freshly squeezed)
    Zest of lemon (to taste)
    1 tbsp honey (or more/less to taste)
    1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or more/less to taste)
    Fresh parsley to taste
    Salt and pepper to taste

    Add all the ingredients together into a bowl and stir.
    Makes 4 large or 5 smaller servings
    406 calories per large serving
    304 calories per smaller serving
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
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    I'd definitely recommend investing in a couple of cookbooks. "The Enchanted Broccoli Forest" has amazing healthy recipies, as do the cookbooks from "The Moosewood Collective." My standard is Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook. It's the classic one with the red and white checked cover. Some of the recipes are dated, but it's full of fresh salads, soups, cassroles, breads, fish, and poultry recipes that are easy to adapt and change. Head to the bookstore or the library and see what catches your fancy. There are a million titles out there. Also, go online and type in search words like "healthy cooking" or "healthy recipes". See what pops up!

    In addition to getting you out of the uber-boring garden salad rut, you'll become familiar with how to stock both pantry and refrigirator for easy, inexpensive, healthy cooking. You'll learn what healthy foods are made from. You'll learn what different spices do. You might even branch out and try cuisines you've never considered making (Thai, Indian, Ethiopian?). Who knows? Best of all, you'll be in control of what goes in, and what stays out, of your precious, priceless body!
  • Sistasarita
    Sistasarita Posts: 39 Member
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    Public library and internet can be your best friends. Also depending on what type of phone you have there are apps that give you ideas of what to make based on what's in your cupboard. Whole Foods has an app for iPhone/iPad. The section "What's on Hand" is pretty cool. You type zucchini and then they will give you meal ideas of what can go with zucchini.

    Keep searching through the message boards and you will find some scrumptious, simple recipes for the culinary challenged.

    Bon appetit!
  • janine0187
    janine0187 Posts: 15
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    Thanks gor your help guys. I will have a look around.

    I do have about 3 apps on my iPhone for recipes. Lol

    The only problem I have is I am not a big cook fan. I don't use many ingredients. I am a person who just gets the chicken in the shop, puts it in the pan, done and then pour the korma or tikka masala sauce from the jar over it. Lol

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