Eating habits..

Lunch:
Try adding a protien to the salad like grilled chicken or beef...it will be more filling. Or have your Lean Cuisine with a small salad to get a little more nutritional push.

Dinner:
Beef is not unhealthy and, if you're getting lean beef, is not much more in terms of calories than turkey. I can't stand the ground turkey. It has no taste unless you get the higher fat content turkey and then, you might as well have beef. Sub multigrain pasta for the spaghetti. You're already having veggies so as long as you watch your portions, you're in good shape.

Nothing wrong with potatos either. They are packed full of nutrients and very good for you. What's bad is what we tend to put on them: cheese, butter, sour cream, etc. If you top them with things like salsa, herbs, or broth, they are non-fat, nutritious and cheap.

I have the same problems, salads do nothing for me!! Lately I have been trying a roasted vegetable salad that is so good. Just put all your favorite veggies on a roasting pan with some extra virgin olive oil and your fav seasonings and roast until soft..so good!
Don't beat yourself up over potatoes! Dieticions reccomend bake potatoes as a good healthy snack..they are very nutritious. have you tried sweet potatoes? even lower in calories and higher in nutrients! A great diet snack is a baked potatoe with some low fat cheese and broccoli sliced up in the potatoe and baked in the oven!!
For dinner I love chili. My fiance doesn't like ground turkey so we just use extra lean ground beef. it is very cheap, goes a long way and can be used for many different meals. Mix it for a spaghetti sauce for the next night, or some low fat burritos!
My latest snack wich is sooo good is sliced apple with almond butter, very good!! almond butter is a little pricey but it lasts a long time.
I am with you on the snacking..latley i keep reminding myself it losing weight is the difference of me being happy or not, than it isn't worth it to binge!!! Sorry for any spelling mistakes, i wrote this very quickly!

Do you like squash, my favorit is yellow squash, slice it up and spray it with olive oil spray, then just pop it in the oven, at 350 until its nice and tender. Or you could boil, and put a tiny bit of butter on it when its done. This works for lots of veggies and all it takes is a little salt and pepper to season.
Spaghetti squash also is good with spaghetti instead of noodles.
My family eats lots of bananas, oranges, and apples.
hope this helps

Okay something easy and not expensive. It has to fit into the healthy relm.....Got a great idea.

Chicken Packets YUMMO
Chicken breasts (I buy them frozen in the bags much cheaper)
Fresh Carrots (baby carrots are fine)
Frozen Broccoli (a handful per person is usually good)
One onion (preferably yellow)
Butter (tablespoon each packet)
White or Brown Rice (make according to directions)
Water
Salt
Pepper

You will need large sheets of aluminum foil (one for each member of your family). Place the carrots on the aluminum foil FIRST (they take the longest to cook), then the chicken with salt and pepper, add a couple slice of the onion, the broccoli, then the butter, fold the ends of the foil up and close the packet. Poke a few holes toward the top. Bake on 350 for roughly 45-50 minutes. When the packets are done...POUR OUT THE BUTTER AND JUICES...these are not very good for you. Put the meal over rice and it is delish without a whole lot of fat!!!

I also do grilled salmon (frozen from wal-mart), and a few other dishes that aren't bad on the budget or your waist!

I am a raging fajita addict.. I have one whole wheat tortilla(121cal) with sauted red peppers, onions, and because I live alone, so I buy the perdue short cuts chicken, it's 90 calories per serving. Saute them all up, I add a little montreal seasoning for taste, and fill the tortilla til it barely reaches around, add a few slices of avocado or homemade guac. on top, and that's my meal. It's balanced, covers the food groups, and is about 350 calories. If I have extra calories for the day I throw on some 2% cheddar. It's one of my favorite meals! Avocado is high in fat, but the good kind, so no worries! It's filling and wholesome, and can be made in about 10 minutes!

I have been making fajita salads.....................yummy!!! Except I don't use the pre-cooked chicken, I pan fry mine in some adobo seasoning.


I found that buying whole foods and shopping the perimeter of the store where all the fresh foods are at, my grocery dollar stretches a LOT further than it did when I was buying a lot of that processed, already prepared stuff...................

I love the idea of soups. It's a great way to get your veggies in and it's very filling. You can make a vat of veggie soup just microwave whatever you want, when ever. Very lo-cal, lo-fat lunch or snack. And you can certainly add a little ground beef to the soups if you want protein and the taste of meat. Just saute garlic, onion, carrots celery , cabbage, mushrooms whatever, in a litlle xtra virgin olive oil. Add the browned ground beef that has been drained of fat. Add a can of chopped tomatoes, 4 cups veggie or beef broth (make sure you check the sodium levels, better to add your own salt to taste)Add some thyme to taste and slow cook until it taste right. You can throw in frozen green beans or fresh chopped parsley. It's so easy and fresh.
Also, there is a recipe on this site for a Moraccan Chickpea Stew that I highly recommend! Even my burger and fries 11 year old loves it!