Advice needed & would be greatly appreciated :)

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BiancaW18
BiancaW18 Posts: 26 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So..I am a college student living in a dorm. I have access to a stove, microwave, toaster, toaster oven, refridgerator, and a regular oven.
I have a tendency to eat the same, microwavable foods EVERYDAY!

Breakfast is usually: oatmeal or Kashi waffles
Lunch: microwavable chicken nuggets, lean pocket, or microwavable meal..etc.
Dinner: Whatver option I didn't eat for lunch.

I take a multi-vitamin but I'd much rather get my nutrients through the food I eat.

Any easy meals/snacks/etc that you know how to make & are good for you that you would like to share? :)
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Replies

  • ared84
    ared84 Posts: 3
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    chicken is good for you. but i would go with non-breaded things. salads are good too but you need to count that as some of your water intake. just try to watch your calories and what you're burning and what your intake is.
  • BKarenLong
    BKarenLong Posts: 5 Member
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    Breakfast: Scramble an egg in a small bowl and microwave it for 1 minute (no oil needed to cook it) and if you want more flavor, after you've cooked it, put a slice of low cal cheese on top and place it back in the microwave for 15 sec. to melt it. Drink some tomato juice and eat a banana. You need some variety.
    Lunch: How about some canned tuna packed in water. Put it on a salad. I like to use salsa or dijon mustard as a dressing...I know I'm unusual. ...but its low cal and I like the taste.
    Dinner: try some ground turkey ( add Adobo seasoning, dried onions, different spices to zest it up, etc.) ome or chicken sausage fried in PAM and throw in some french sytle green beans, mushrooms, etc.
    Hope this helps.
  • Huskychemist
    Huskychemist Posts: 75 Member
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    I'd suggest keeping more fresh fruits around, and even some vegetables that make good snacks (carrots, celery with cream cheese, etc.). Just a thought...as for the actual meals, I like some of the ideas that have already been put out there.

    Good luck!
  • SueN113
    SueN113 Posts: 46
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    A good snack is Laughing Cow cheese with Kame Rice crackers, or hummus singles.
  • AmberJslimsAWAY
    AmberJslimsAWAY Posts: 2,468 Member
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    fresh fruits and veggies! And maybe look up cookbooks for microwaves? I know there's this one called a man a can and a microwave, but IDK how healthy their food is :)
  • gnrshelton
    gnrshelton Posts: 358 Member
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    I usually eat pure protein bars for breakfast because they are easy and full of protein. I am not a breakfast eater so they are simple. For lunch I would say a salad but watch the salad dressing. (usually where the bad calories are). Then chicken for dinner with more salad or veggies. You have to start to cook. Those prepackaged meals will kill a diet fast. There are the healthy steamers which are pretty good. Give up anything breaded or plain bread if you can. That usually stalls weight loss for the most part. Hope this helps. Good luck.
  • Mirimuffin
    Mirimuffin Posts: 69 Member
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    Just for your information, this is what chicken nuggets look like: tumblr_lybv2uus4q1qg66w3o1_500.jpg

    For lunch I tend to make myself some rice pudding or tuna salad wraps. Rice Salad is also nice to go :)
  • SamMorBelsmom
    SamMorBelsmom Posts: 164 Member
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    avocados are a good source of healthy fats. On a day off, cook a weeks worth of chicken or fish, buy some veggies, cut them all up and put them in a container for the week. Buy some whole grain wraps. Tuna or canned chicken with celery, miricale whip, onion and pickle relish is a great spread on crackers, makes a good sandwich, a topping on a salad or in the wraps. you can make chicken tacos for dinner, or fish. My advice is to pick a day to cook, chop all your food. As a mom of two, I am always looking for ways to save time and this one works for me. I like avacodo on everything.
  • thunderbolt37
    thunderbolt37 Posts: 17
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    Breakfast: as another person suggested microwaved scrambled eggs but instead of cheese add salsa; it's quite tasty
    Breakfast: 1/2 banana, 1-2 tbsp natural peanut butter on a slice of martin's 100% whole wheat bread with coffee (1 cream)-- that's if you like coffee
    Lunch or Dinner: squeeze a little lemon on salmon and a pinch of salt cook it in the toaster oven
    Lunch or Dinner vegetable options: vegetable steamers; fast and delicious
    Good Carb: Uncle Bens 90 sec Brown & Wild Rice; You microwave it for 90 secs
  • cutecollarbones
    cutecollarbones Posts: 2
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    Celery with peanut butter is my favorite! <3 Maybe try different fruits and vegis with something healthy to dip them in.
  • lambertj
    lambertj Posts: 675 Member
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    If you can use a crock pot, i highly recommend a healthy soap divided into tupperwear for the freezer. i do turkey chili once a week, makes 10, 1 cup servings. my go-to food
  • lauehorn
    lauehorn Posts: 183
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    avocados are a good source of healthy fats. On a day off, cook a weeks worth of chicken or fish, buy some veggies, cut them all up and put them in a container for the week. Buy some whole grain wraps. Tuna or canned chicken with celery, miricale whip, onion and pickle relish is a great spread on crackers, makes a good sandwich, a topping on a salad or in the wraps. you can make chicken tacos for dinner, or fish. My advice is to pick a day to cook, chop all your food. As a mom of two, I am always looking for ways to save time and this one works for me. I like avacodo on everything.

    I agree with this. Try to eat fresh, whole foods instead of just microwave meals. You'll get more nutrients this way. Hummus is great for you and an easy snack with raw veggies. So is Greek yogurt with fruit or nuts. Peanut butter on toast is great with a banana. etc
  • bparr
    bparr Posts: 246 Member
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    In the freezer section, the Green Giant "Steamers". Have them everyday at work for lunch. :bigsmile:
  • TWrecks1968
    TWrecks1968 Posts: 138 Member
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    Just for your information, this is what chicken nuggets look like: tumblr_lybv2uus4q1qg66w3o1_500.jpg

    For lunch I tend to make myself some rice pudding or tuna salad wraps. Rice Salad is also nice to go :)

    Huh?
  • 11Jayme11
    11Jayme11 Posts: 194 Member
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    I hardly ever cook in the microwave now.. only for steam fresh bags of veggies. Stock up on them! I buy big family packs of chicken breast, and separate it into smaller bags, and freeze them. I use light italian dressing and cook the chicken either on top of the stove in the dressing or in a dish in the oven, add a few veggies from the steam fresh freezer bags.. and you can have leftovers for lunches also. Take some chicken and bake it with a jar of salsa, super yummy and you can even top with mozz cheese. I also make wraps with low sodium ham, and turkey bacon...lots of veggies. Breakfast for me is usually cereal (Special K o Cheerios) peice of fruit and a yogurt.. or light wheat toast. Watch the sodium in alot of the freezer meals, thats a killer! I have salads sometimes with dinner, as a side but salas does not stay with me long enough for me to have just that for dinner.
  • WendiH76
    WendiH76 Posts: 3
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    Try to eat more frest foods. It is really important to eat clean. Eggs are easy in the microwave or you can boil a dozen to last you all week. You can premake low fat soups or meals and put it in individual containers and store in the refridgator or freezer. It will make eating healthier and cleaner a little easier. It is a little time consuming for one day but totally worth it the rest of the week. Tuna pack are good too with whole grain wraps. The more options you give yourself the better your results will be and you won't get bored with eating the same old foods!
  • 11Jayme11
    11Jayme11 Posts: 194 Member
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    Go to the grocery store sometime when you have some free time.. and just look at all your options. IMO.. healthy eating shopping takes alittle longer.. actually read the lables... think of meals you can make.
  • ldsgirl16
    ldsgirl16 Posts: 9 Member
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    Breakfast:
    -English muffins (the 100 calorie ones) with either peanut butter or nutella. I cut up a banana into slices and put it on top.
    -Eggs
    -cereal
    -toast

    Lunch:
    -Sandwiches
    -lean cuisines
    -subway
    -bagels

    Dinner:
    -Pretty much anything, just watch how many carbs and calories and stuff.

    snacks:
    -apples w/ peanut butter
    -bananas w/peanut butter

    A GREAT WEBSITE THAT I USE FOR MEALS IS skinnytaste.com
    She shows step by step pictures of meals. everything from breakfasts, to snacks to lunch, dinner and dessert recipes. She lists calories, and nutrients. It's awesome!
  • AbsolutelyAnnie
    AbsolutelyAnnie Posts: 2,695 Member
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    What are your grocery shopping habits? What are the storage options in the fridge for fresh food? Generally, microwave meals are super processed, very high in sodium, and much more expensive per meal than cranking out something fresh.

    If you can hit the store at least once or twice each week and have a way of storing your food so others don't snag your stuff, then there are definitely a number of inexpensive easy things you can make for yourself to help you eat healthily. (I have a daughter in college, so I understand about crazy hours and oh-so-little cash.)

    At minimum, make sure you are getting some fresh fruit and veggies. Even just carrots and apples. Obviously they are also great for snacks. But adding fresh food to each meal should be a goal.

    Do some prep work ahead of time and store stuff in the fridge to be used in recipes in the coming days, or the freezer for next week. Examples could be steaming veggies like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, etc. Flashing some peppers, mushrooms, and onions in a pan with a drop of olive oil. Whipping up some rice, pasta, couscous. Baking a couple of potatoes. I always keep a jar of pesto in the fridge (HUGE flavor for a small amount). Toss your veggies in some pesto, and put them over the rice, pasta, couscous or baked potato and warm in the microwave. Sprinkle with some shredded low fat cheese if you want. Even if you did this just a few times each week you'd save money and get better nutrion from the fresh food.

    And, look at the kinds of microwave meals you gravitate toward regularly. I bet you could whip up an approximation pretty easily by using fresh food.

    Bless you!
  • Mirimuffin
    Mirimuffin Posts: 69 Member
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    Just for your information, this is what chicken nuggets look like: tumblr_lybv2uus4q1qg66w3o1_500.jpg

    Huh?

    Just trying to show how unhealthy they are because I know some people tend to say that it's healthy because it's chicken. I used to love chicken nuggets but after seeing this picture I was completely cured since I don't want to eat chicken eyes etc as well.

    Another thing you could try is smoothies :) You can also check my diary for some nice meals which are easy to prepare. (I'm a college student as well, so my cooking isn't the best)

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