Dinner ideas - UK only please :-)

lh12xx · January 2012

Have you heard of those Maggi So Juicy bags? The're great. The chicken cooks in its own juice in the bag with flavouring (garlic, paprika, mixed herbs etc) and one breast only has about 160 calories. Then why not make home made wedges? Cut up a potato, spray with some FryLight and season with some spices - yum

Stir-frys are a huge favourite of mine. Fresh egg noodles, chicken and some veg with blackbean sauce. Can work out about 400 cals per plate.

Feel free to add me and have a look at my diary, most of it is ready meals lol but now and again I venture on to the fresh stuff!

oompaloompa21 · January 2012

I always add a tin of lentils to a chilli, really bulks it out.

jessicasloan91 · January 2012

If you're like me and want quick and easy dinners I live on 'So Juicy' cooking bags for chicken!

Or Colmans season and shake bags.

Literally but the chicken & seasoning in the bag and leave in the oven for 30 mins.

I usually have with steamed vegetables.

mickipedia · January 2012

tortellini and a nice chunky vegetable sauce, my boyriend is that same.. all he ate as pizza and curry.

it works out about 400 - 500 calories per serving (depending on sauce) and it literally takes 2 mins to cook.. just boil on the hob

hannahlbur · January 2012

Chilli with wholegrain rice is a good one

My fave dinner now as I am completely hopeless at cooking is a stir fry. It has been a revelation for me as an easy way to heap a whole load of veggies in a pan and make it super tasty! Chicken or fish, loads of veg - peppers, mushrooms, beansprouts, cabbage, carrots etc etc, wholewheat noodles and for sauce - I use a couple of spoons of Levi Roots reggae reggae sauce - v spicy and tasty and lower calorie than the usual cook in sauces if you are the careful with how much you put in.

Lindsayrob · January 2012

Some of my favourites:
http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/10052/spring-chicken-in-a-pot

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1129666/the-ultimate-makeover-shepherds-pie

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3522/roast-chicken-risotto

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/234608/ginger-and-lime-chicken-with-sweet-potato-mash

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/333612/chicken-with-lemon-and-courgette-couscous

I think this is a great website - all their recipes are easy to do and calorie counted. Hope you like them
Lindsay

andiechick · January 2012

My fella is improving his diet as he used to be exactly the same as your fella, and we regularly eat chicken fajitas, with loads of onions and peppers (I'm not a veggie lover but I find it easier this way), we also have paella, with chicken, ham and prawns, then fill it up with onion, peppers, garlic and garden peas, beef casserole - you can prepare this then leave it in the oven to slow cook. My hubby also loves cottage pie, I put in worcestershire sauce and tomato puree to give it plenty of flavour.

We used to use quorn but i found after a while we went off it and I've gone back to using mince but I always use extra lean and drain all the fat off it.

In-box me your email address if you want me to write down any of the recipes for the above and good luck xx

chocciechip · January 2012

Low fat carbonara, use some bernard matthews wafer thin ham chopped up, then I mix an egg with some 0.1% (or fat free) formage frais with some parmesan and mix that in with the pasta and ham over the heat just for a minute or two until its all heated through.

EvelynForsyth · January 2012

I like the quorn chicken pieces, in stir frys, currys etc you can hardly tell! My boyfriend is a meat and two veg man and he hardly notices! i also use them in fajitas

Sweet potato is a good alternative to the usual potato and you can mash it, put it in currys and chop it and make them into wedges which you oven bake.
Casseroles, soups, pasta bakes etc. fish fingers mash and veg is good and cheap! Butternut squash roasts really nicely and is often £1 for one in morrisons or something!
You can get lean mince and make things like chilli, bolognase sauce, shepards pie...all sorts!

Hope that helps, im interning and my boyfriend is unemployed so we are very good at eating healthily but cheaply!

chocciechip · January 2012

also, start buying frozen veg!! frozen mixed peppers have been a revelation for me. They go in most meals I cook, it bulks them out - any stir fry, chilli, spaghetti, stir fry and at about 25cal per 100g it's sooo low!

Milziemooxx · January 2012

Again, everybody, thank you so much for the suggestions

. Payday is on Monday so I am sooo looking forward to going food shopping and actually buying food for tasty healthy meals!!

vonnywaft - My fella actually said the other day that he thinks we should invest in a slow cooker so that we can leave it all day to cook whilst we work. Brilliant idea!

b6bloke - Thanks for the recipes, will certainly be saving them and will give them a go at some point.

lisaloveheart - I have added you hun, I also live of ready meals, especially right now as I am skint, but I will be trying to eat more fresh food. I have tried So Juicy before and it is lush so will be buying a couple of packs of them on my shopping trip :bigsmile:

Foreverlyn - Ok this is it, I am going to try Quorn food. And if you say your bf likes it, then mine should too hopefully! Thanks for the suggestions!

chocciechip - OMG I love the frozen mixed peppers, I actually have a bag in my freezer which I will definately be using

You are all a REAL big help! Thanks so much, feel free to add me as a friend :flowerforyou: