PiSquared Member

I'll second Cooking Light. I've had a subscription to the magazine for a number of years now. I basically taught myself to cook using their recipes, and they very rarely steer me wrong. I think the worst I've come across is not so much bad, as 'Meh, not really worth the effort'. For the most part, though, the recipes are…

Raisin Bran. We used to get Raisin Bran cereal all the time as a kid, because it was one of the few things my brother would eat, and my mother had only so much energy to spend on food battles. I used to eat around the raisins. Honestly, I wish they just sold the sweetened bran flakes without the raisins. Regular bran…

There are so few foods I don't like. I think that's part of my problem. I have made my peace with onions. I appreciate what they do as a foundation for many dishes. I will eat them cooked into something, but I will never truly love onions. I don't think I could ever stomach an onion ring, or a blooming onion. I don't want…

Assuming you have access to a microwave for reheating purposes, I've got a couple of go-to quick cooking meals for taking to work. Rice and beans - Mix 1 package Uncle Ben's microwavable rice (I usually use the unflavored brown rice. Or feel free to make your own rice if you want to avoid prepackaged stuff), a 15 oz can of…

Is it possible for you to cook enough at dinner the night prior to have left overs to pack up for lunch? My standard lunch these days is left overs from last night's dinner. It works for me, since most recipes I've come across make 4 portions and I'm only cooking for myself and the husband.

I recently started taking a multi-vitamin. Looking at my nutrition stats, I am consistently below what I should be getting for a number of items. Calcium and iron are the big one for me. I'm only getting about half of my recommended level through food. I'm doing better on iron , but it's also consistently low and I've had…

Oh, I definitely stock up where I can. Fresh produce and milk I buy weekly based on what we'll use. Meat I buy while it's on sale, and also based on the meal plan. I tend to buy large packs of meat, because they are usually less expensive per pound. Extra meat is easily frozen for future use. A lot of staples I only buy…

My question to you: what are you eating that you're spending so little? In all seriousness, though. This is my meal plan for the week, and grocery list. I am feeding 2 adults (myself and husband). The recipes I make for dinner have 4 servings, so the left overs get packaged up and eaten for lunch the next day. Sunday:…

A tip for sauces, condiments, and other gooey ingredients...put the whole jar/bottle on the scale and tare the scale. Now, take whatever you want out and put on your food as normal. The scale will register the weight as a negative number. This is how much sauce/mayonnaise/peanut butter/whatever you used. Easy peasy, and no…

Do you do any exercise? It doesn't need to be complicated. I started by just going for short walks. I liked it because there is no special equipment or training needed, no cost, and you can walk anywhere. I am in no way a weight loss expert, so take my advice with a grain of salt (everything in moderation, right?). One…

OK. I feel a little better about my food budget, but I think I'll wait to get some more replies. To answer a few questions, I'm not shopping at any 'fancy' stores. I usually shop at Hannaford, a local chain in the northeast. We also have a PriceChopper and a Shaw's, but they often don't have the stuff I'm looking for,…

So, I guess the big question comes down to where you get your meals, and who prepares them? If you prepare your own meals (or buy them yourself), I don't see this being an issue. If someone else prepares your meals, than it's certainly something you will need to discuss. Also, if you do cook for yourself, and also for your…

I recently just discovered turnips. The best way to describe them is like a starchy radish. They're starchy like a potato, but more fibrous and they have a peppery bite like a radish. I made a turnip puree in lieu of mash potatoes last night. They were really good, and I'll do that again. Except next time I'll add less…

Spinach is easy to add to pasta. Cook your pasta as normal. Put a your raw spinach in the colander and then drain your pasta into that. The hot water from the pasta will wilt your spinach. Now all you have to do is mix up the pasta and spinach and stir in your toppings/sauce/cheese. Adding tomatoes to your pasta is nice,…

My understanding is that dietary contributes little to your overall cholesterol. I am not a doctor, so if your doctor has told you to watch your dietary cholesterol, then by all means follow doctor's orders. With that said, you're only going to get cholesterol through consuming animal products. Some foods are higher than…

Here are my 2 favorite entree salads. You can put the toppings on in any quantity you want, but keep your calorie goals in mind. Chicken and strawberries Start with a bed of greens (spring mix works just fine), add cooked chicken breast, sliced strawberries, walnuts, and a sprinkle of crumbled goat cheese. Top with a good…

I do meal planning a week at a time, usually Sunday - Friday, with Saturday as a leftover day or using up remaining ingredients. I really only plan dinners. Lunches tend to be left overs from the previous night's dinner. I am boring with breakfast. I have a bowl of cereal and I'm good to go. This week's dinner menu Sunday:…

Here's an entree salad for you, with chicken! Start with a bed of salad greens. I usually just use a basic spring mix. Top with cooked chicken breast (chop into smallish pieces or shred), sliced strawberries, walnuts, and crumbled goat cheese. Finish with a nice vinaigrette. I love Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette. If…

Chicken is nearly a blank slate it the kitchen. You can do almost anything with it. I'm actually having chicken 3 times this week. Tonight I made Asian glazed chicken thighs (http://www.myrecipes.com/m/recipe/asian-glazed-chicken-thighs ) Wednesday I'm planning on making spicy basil chicken…

Nuts and hard cheese travel well. I love cheddar cheese and pepperoni, but I have to be careful with the portions. Emeralds has various flavored roasted almonds in 100 calorie packs (I love the cocoa roast). Someone already mentioned hard boiled eggs. Greek yogurt with dried fruit, nuts, and honey is one of my personal…

I usually have something desserty after dinner. Sometimes I have a salty snack, too. I know it doesn't really matter when you eat, but I try not to eat immediately before going to bed. I'm not exactly sure why, but it feels weird to me.

Boring old cereal and milk for breakfast (store brand Special K) I spent most of the afternoon prepping food for the rest of the week, so I just had celery and peanut butter for lunch. And an orange, because I had one left in the fruit bowl. Dinner was Asian glazed chicken thighs, braised bok choy, and turnip puree. Super…

OK. So you're leaving work and starving. You've got 750 calories left for the day. Have a small snack, and then eat a reasonable dinner. It shouldn't be too hard. Do you cook at home, or are you eating at a restaurant/fast food/take out? Any idea how much your dinners typically run, calorie wise. I would think you would be…

Mmmm...cheese... Someone already mentioned goat cheese. It is delicious! I love it as a spread on roasted veggie sandwiches, and also spinkled on salads. Salad greens, chicken breast (if you're feeling particularly lazy pick up a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket), strawberries, goat cheese, and walnuts are an…

Split the difference and eat carb-y veggies? Sweet potatoes, squash, turnips, and rutabagas all work well as starchy side dishes, plus give you some nutrition along with them. Sometimes I roast cauliflower in the oven, and then mash it up a bit like mashed potatoes. Beans are a good side dish, too. Black beans with…

Well, what have you eaten and when did you eat it? At 1000 calories, you should have at least a few hundred calories left. What's your calorie goal? I am going to assume that you have already eaten a lot of calories early in the day, and are worried about the rest of the day's meals, as you are already hungry. Is that…

I'm at 1200 calories per day as a starting point. I find that number to be too low for me to realistically sustain in the long run. I get seriously grumpy and depressed when I'm constantly hungry. I do some exercise and eat a bit of the calories back. I'm aiming for 1300-1400, but sometimes go higher. That is more doable…

I only discovered last year how tasty beets are. I love roasted beets. I remember hating pickled beets as a kid. They were mushy and gross, and leaked pink slime all over everything. Blech. Maybe it was the kind we bought? I don't remember a brand, but I do remember them coming in a big white plastic tub (always stained…

Dealing with plantar fasciitis has taught me the importance of buying good quality, comfortable shoes. Yes, you may more money upfront for them, but, by golly, you will pay for them in pain later if you scrimp.

I also have plantar fasciitis. It started off as just my right foot, but it's also in the left now too. It stinks. There's not a lot of treatment options. I do have a pair of custom orthotics I wear in my shoes. These correct my mismatched leg lengths and provide serious arch support. They help a lot. They were expensive,…