In need of some healthy meal tips!!!

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fitme88
fitme88 Posts: 8
in Food and Nutrition
Hey there everyone.. I am just beginning to try and eat healthier. I don't have any problem when it comes to snacking because I just grab some fruit and there I go.. My problem is when it comes to meal times. I'm not sure how I can make healthy meals that doesn't involve salad all the time.. I have quite the craving for foods like bread, potatoes, pastas, pizza, and anything creasy..lol.. I know that anything like these foods are not the best for you.. Any tips on some healthy meals for dinner would be perfect... :)

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  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    Here's what I do. Make the center of every meal a good serving of protein. Balance it out with some carbs, and ideally some veggies. In my book, if it isn't about 50/50 carbs/protein, then it isn't a meal.
  • Megdmcda
    Megdmcda Posts: 273 Member
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    i just made something healthy tonight. and i was very satisfied with it. i made a meatloaf out of chicken instead of hamburger. obviously healthy. taste just like meatloaf, but a little better in my opinion. i was quite happy w myself for thinking of this. :)
  • bunny1006
    bunny1006 Posts: 325 Member
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    bump
  • OccupyFitness
    OccupyFitness Posts: 147
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    Do you like to cook and prepare your own food or do you tend more towards convenience foods?
  • fitme88
    fitme88 Posts: 8
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    Oh yes I love to cook dinner every night and I always prepare my lunches for work. I just am not preparing nutritious meals.
  • fitme88
    fitme88 Posts: 8
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    Oh and I also like the idea about making meatloaf with chicken.. Chicken is one of my favorites.. :) I'll have to try that out..
  • kaitimae
    kaitimae Posts: 727 Member
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    My go to meal lately is chicken or steak stir fry. It's great leftover, too.

    Cook your meat of choice with a little olive oil in your wok (or other giant pan). When it's done, put the meat in a bowl, put a little more olive oil in the pan, add a clove or two of garlic and a bit of ginger root, then throw in your veggies. I usually have a mountain of them... 2 peppers, couple handfuls shredded carrots, couple handfuls bean sprouts, couple handfuls snow peas, and a can of water chestnuts. But really, throw whatever veggies you like in there!

    Once they have cooked down a little, pour in your sauce. I use soy sauce (1/4 cup-ish), brown sugar, sriracha, and 1 TBSP cornstarch so it will thicken. (A little sesame oil also goes a long way for flavor.) Make the sauce to your taste, though. Let the veggies cook a little longer in the sauce, throw the meat back in to get it coated with sauce, and serve on top of some brown rice.
  • natalieanderson3
    natalieanderson3 Posts: 4
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    some of the ladies I workout with and I put recipes on this blog...you can check 'em out if you'd like :wink:
    http://practicallypaleopost.blogspot.com/

    there are an endless upply of healthy recipes online - happy hunting :bigsmile:
  • BibiFit03
    BibiFit03 Posts: 38 Member
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    I think it's still ok to have your bread and pasta, just make sure it's whole wheat. And for me ... portion control is key. Instead of my heaping pile of white spaghetti smothered in cheese, it's a small serving of whole wheat pasta with tons of veggies in the sauce. Cutting out the foods we love and crave won't work. We just need to learn to think about them differently.
  • lemasney
    lemasney Posts: 67 Member
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    I'm not sure if you are including vegetables in general when you say salad, but if not, you have a million options. For instance, I do most of my shopping in the produce aisle. I would suggest you theme your meals by cuisine, and focus on vegetables. For instance, let's say you choose Chinese. Get 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1/4 head cabbage, 2 carrots, 2 tomatoes, 1 tbsp parsley, and 2 oz whole grain pasta, like spirals or pearls or linguine. Dice the veggies, throw everything in a pan, and saute/simmer it all until the pasta is cooked. You have to do some chopping, but you'll have a very healthy meal with very few calories, most of which come from the pasta. You can add meat if you want, like 1 skinless chicken breast, and it will still be fairly low in calories. Hope this helps!
  • Erindipitous
    Erindipitous Posts: 1,234 Member
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    Google Michi's Ladder and try to combine foods to make a meal only from the top two tiers. Your body will thank you.

    The longer you cut out processed foods, the less you will crave them, and the more nutritious your meals will be.
  • OccupyFitness
    OccupyFitness Posts: 147
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    I find a lot of my favorite recipes on Cookinglight.com

    And try soup! Soups are so good for you and fast to make. I turn mostly to soups for warm and nutritious food that won't break my diary and also I can serve with lots of bread on the side for my kids, so everybody is happy.

    Also omelets are great. I do 2 eggs and 3 egg whites with any kind of veggies and it is filing and nutritious.
  • SuperSexyDork
    SuperSexyDork Posts: 1,669 Member
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    http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/ has some great meal ideas and the plus side is that they're cheap!
  • Megdmcda
    Megdmcda Posts: 273 Member
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    Oh and I also like the idea about making meatloaf with chicken.. Chicken is one of my favorites.. :) I'll have to try that out..

    i'm sure u will like it. i'm thinking of making patties like that too. like a turkey burger i guess but w chicken. and i put it through the processor so i'm sure that's cheaper than buying already ground.... and another think if u like beans, those are really good for u. i been eating a cup a day of white beans for like the last 3 weeks. major fiber and protein to keep u full and no fat. i try to make it kinda spicy cuz then i drink more water which makes me full on less beans. yes i have a gassy problem right now, but the more i eat it the less gas i'll have. lol and the fiber will keep ur bowels frequent which i think also helps aid in weight loss. if that's what ur aiming for. but even if its just for health, beans are like one of the best ways to go. and they always different. just be careful what u add to it. :)
  • fitme88
    fitme88 Posts: 8
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    I'm really liking all these yummy recipes I getting from you all. I am most definitly gonna try some of these out.. I will also be spending some time on these websites I got from ya's.. Can't wait to try them all out.. I just started chatting on here tonight and am already getting some great advise. I will be continueing on with chatting because I'm excited with all this new information so far.. It's great when so many people have the same interest in health and nutrition.. It makes things seem so much easier.. :) Thanks everyone..
  • cheddle
    cheddle Posts: 102 Member
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    im gonna sound like a douche... but any way...

    you need to redefine the word "healthy" in your own mind, you have to try not to fall into the trap of seeing a single meal as either good or bad. eating "healthy" is a balance, it cannot be measured in one meal, or in a week or at all. its almost impossible to measure or define - the closest thing is to assume its a state of operation, like - working or not working...

    that said, i know what you mean... now assuming your both looking to cut back calorie intake, maximum satiety and nutrition =

    try and avoid excessive fats (15 grams per 100 grams would be ok (15%)) and try and make these the "good" fats, "good" sources are avocado, fish, red meat, cold press olive oil ect...

    try and avoid excessive salt (3000mg per day)

    try and maximize proteins from meats and animal products like eggs and milk, try and make the calorie component from tehse about half of your total from the meal

    With the remaining 35% of the meal this will be carbs, these are tricky, basically high sugar and high starch is "bad" thing like thick sauses and dressings, potato and deep fried stuff - thin sause like clear salad dressing and clear strong sauses liek peri peri are a better choice

    try not to use sauses or dressings where possible, try and use herbs and spices like pepper or chilli or Cinnamon to add flavor

    with your carbs things that take a long time to digest, like oats are good and things high in fiber

    when choosing veggies try and use lots of different "colours" like orange carrot, green broccoli, red beetroot - generally different colour fruit/veg contain different levels of vits an mins so mixing the colours up in a meal will give you a better spread of nutrients.

    overall these "tips" will help you to understand what is consistanly "better" to eat - have a read of www.exrx.net - VERY good resources
  • soldierzside
    soldierzside Posts: 19 Member
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    LOVE skinnytaste.com and turkey meatloaf is on there, I just made it tonight! There is so many healthy "bad" foods on there so I can still have my favorites just in a healthier way.
  • delco714
    delco714 Posts: 229
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    how bout some shout outs for high calories foods that are low in sodium and fat?

    i am in desperate need of many more calories, but i cant afford MUCH more fat and certainly no more sodium then I get a day!

    maybe it's my fault for doing a ridiculous amount of cardio in a week on top of lifting 3x.. but i cant keep up with the calories burned.

    and yes I get PLENTY of protein a day

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