I need to fix my crap-tastic diet!

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J3SSP3NNY
J3SSP3NNY Posts: 235
in Food and Nutrition
I am eating out almost every day...several times a day.

It NEEDS to stop. It's bad for me and EXPENSIVE.

I am looking to incorporate more veggies into my diet.
And I LOVE TO COOK. Time is just not my friend.

Any advice on some yummy receipies with a variety of veggies, and a short cook time, would be wonderful. Please :)

Replies

  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    Repeat after me: CROCK POT.

    Seriously. You can make almost anything you can bake in a crock pot plus lots more. There are some great healthy recipes online, and it's super easy. Plus, once you set it, you come home to an amazing already-perfectly cooked meal. Can't beat it with a stick!
  • lynner22
    lynner22 Posts: 21 Member
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    Spaghetti squash with pasta sauce. It's just like spaghetti but with lots of veggies.Throw some extra greens in the sauce as well :)
    Good luck!!
  • megs315
    megs315 Posts: 2 Member
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    It helps me to plan out my meals in advance... Takes a little bit of additional time, but when I'm at the grocery store I buy everything for the week. I also do a food co-op every week where I get a basket of fruit and basket of veggies for only $15. It's fun because I get new ingredients to try (allrecipes.com) and I have TONS of produce I have to eat for each meal because I don't want it to go bad. I don't know where you're located, but I go through bountifulbaskets.org, I know they have food co-ops all over the country now.
  • MoooveOverFluffy
    MoooveOverFluffy Posts: 398 Member
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    i agree with above CROCKPOT comment.... last Sunday i put a beef roast in crock and let it cook all day long. After eating it a few times, i was OVER it and then made the leftover meat into Veggie Bean Stew ( i saved recipe in database...PM me if interested) and it's 109 calories per cup. I used some crushed red pepper because they say a little heat will help boost your metabolism (don't know if this is true, i just like the soup because it's super filling)!!
  • TNFirefly
    TNFirefly Posts: 169 Member
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    awesome word....crap-tastic. Seriously love it.

    I have picked some recipes that freeze from once-a month cooking by Mimi Wilson & Mary Beth Lagerborg. I spend a day or two doing a bunch of prep and cooking, putting things together, but then on a daily basis I can just empty a baggy into a casserole dish, bake and serve. Family friendly recipes that I can modify to increase fiber, decrease fat, etc. We have cut down our take out SIGNIFICANTLY and it has surprisingly reduced food costs even when buying boneless skinless chicken breasts (12 pounds at a time) and leaner ground beef, etc.

    Just a thought, but it has helped us a lot. I was doubling almost every recipe but am now cutting back little by little on what I package so that we are eating more normalized portions. I am over 400 pounds, and the whole family is obese, so little by little I am serving more meals that are just enough instead of "push back and unbutton, cuz we are sucking air". An investment of a few hours once a month and it makes meals that are almost "carry-out" simple to prepare for a month.

    Would be glad to email you a couple of the family's favorite recipes and how I modify them if you want to try like a week's worth and see how it goes. I highly recommend the book.
  • MrsODriscoll
    MrsODriscoll Posts: 127 Member
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    It is sooo much better for you to up your veggies - include some beans/lentils and some whole grains and there you go! Try www.fatfreevegan.com or www.thekindlife.com for some great ideas. For lunch today I had sweet potato and black bean soup made by cooking them with onion, chilli, peppers, stock, tinned tomatoes, parsley and lime juice. For dinner tonight I made broccoli and cauliflower soup and served it with some butter beans in - really quick, easy and tasty.
  • MoooveOverFluffy
    MoooveOverFluffy Posts: 398 Member
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    Also, i am a fan of grilling an entire bag of frozen chicken breasts and using them all week long in salads, sandwiches, and wraps!
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
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    I make some things in batches every few days, things like brown rice, steamed and/or roasted veggies and a healthy sauce or two. That's 'fast food' to me, and that way I don't tend to grab something on the run as often.
  • RedHotRunner
    RedHotRunner Posts: 850 Member
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    SInce i'm time pressed, I use the KISS principle (keep it simple stupid).

    Grill a protein, bake a potato and steam a veggie. Maybe season w/salt and pepper or a little olive oil.
  • NeuroticVirgo
    NeuroticVirgo Posts: 3,671 Member
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    Repeat after me: CROCK POT.

    Seriously. You can make almost anything you can bake in a crock pot plus lots more. There are some great healthy recipes online, and it's super easy. Plus, once you set it, you come home to an amazing already-perfectly cooked meal. Can't beat it with a stick!

    THIS!

    I started cooking in bulk and then freezing in "meal" sizes. This comes in handy when I'm out of time (or cranky and don't want to cook)...I can just pull out the leftovers, microwave them and wa-la dinner!
  • TankGirl71
    TankGirl71 Posts: 241 Member
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    Steam fresh bags of veg! Most grocery store have their own generic brand for $1.00-$1.50 a bag. Nuke it, spritz it with some Olivio and you're golden.
  • Diary_Queen
    Diary_Queen Posts: 1,314 Member
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    Im not sure how much freezer space you have, but there's a book that helped me get through a time in my life that was a HUGE time crunch..... I highly recommend it.. it's called "Don't Panic, Dinner's in the Freezer" and it teaches you quick & easy recipes you can make in mass quantities, ahead of time, and how to properly freeze each different one so it will reheat or can be cooked well later.
  • milaxx
    milaxx Posts: 1,122 Member
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    Food prep. An hour or two of planning and prepping on Sunday or Minda night makes it easier and cheaper to eat well all week long.

    ~ parboil chicken breast that can be cut up into salads or stir fries
    ~make and freeze meatballs or ground meat for sauces
    ~ chop up and fruit or veg for salads or snacking
    ~ plan 1 or 2 crock pot meals & how they can convert into lunch meals
    ~ boil half a dozen eggs for breakfast on the go or adding to salads

    Just a few examples, but you get the idea. Once you start preparing food ahead of time you'll be surprised how much simpler things are.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    Steam fresh bags of veg! Most grocery store have their own generic brand for $1.00-$1.50 a bag. Nuke it, spritz it with some Olivio and you're golden.

    This too! We have a freezer full of steam-in-bag veggies.
  • abbigail_r
    abbigail_r Posts: 283 Member
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    if you have a couple hours one day a week use it to cut up veggies, grill chicken like above poster said, make some healthy things that can be grab and go and that can be used for quick fixes. crockpot is and always will be a great suggestion. eating well.com has recipes that take under 30 mins. you have lots of options!!
  • mcrowe1016
    mcrowe1016 Posts: 647 Member
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    Stuffed mushrooms:

    Cooking wine (I like marsala, but any will do)
    12 oz white mushrooms
    2-3 oz goat cheese (Adjust this as necessary)
    Basil to taste
    250-300 calories for the whole batch
    Total time: 15 minutes

    Remove stems from mushrooms and chop stems to small pieces. In large skillet, pour enough wine so bottom of pan is just coated with wine. Add mushroom caps and cook covered on medium for about 10 minutes or until the caps have filled with liquid.

    While mushrooms caps are cooking, heat chopped stems and basil in small pot (with short spray of PAM) until jucies release (4-6 minutes). Mix this with goat cheese.

    Dump liquid out of mushroom caps and fill with cheese mixture. Eat and enjoy!
  • mcrowe1016
    mcrowe1016 Posts: 647 Member
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    This one is 20 minutes, but still good:

    (You can always double, triple, etc.)
    3 oz Zuchini
    1 oz feta cheese
    Calories: 100-120

    Slice zuchini into thin coin sized pieces. Spray a skillet with pam and add zuchini. Cook on low for 20 minutes.

    While this is cooking, mash feta cheese into as fine a mixture as possible. When zuchini is done, toss with cheese and serve. Add salt/pepper/herbs to taste.
  • bethdris
    bethdris Posts: 1,090 Member
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    I LOVE my crock pot! I also will cook a whole package of lean meat(chicken, beef) and then use it during the week. I eat out VERY seldom, due to expense and calorie contents.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    I LOVE my crock pot! I also will cook a whole package of lean meat(chicken, beef) and then use it during the week. I eat out VERY seldom, due to expense and calorie contents.

    We make our own lunchmeat in the crock pot. I make homemade shredded chicken with tomatoes and green peppers for sandwiches. Good stuff.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
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    SInce i'm time pressed, I use the KISS principle (keep it simple stupid).

    Grill a protein, bake a potato and steam a veggie. Maybe season w/salt and pepper or a little olive oil.
    Agreed! Do this in bulk. Also agree with the crock pot comments. Don't overwhelm yourself with trying to find recipes for everything or make everything amazing (I tend to do this since I also love to cook).

    I have since learned to just 1) make sure I have protein in the fridge/freezer, 2) make sure I have a good assortment of spices, vinegar, oil, lemons, onion, and garlic, and 3) pick up a bunch of whatever veggies look delicious that week. And then I pretty much just wing it. Seems to turn out pretty good most of the time.

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