[silverose1209]

Believe it or not that is the hardest thing for me to put in my diet...
I just dont know what to do with the stuff...
Only things I can think of are frozen fish, canned tuna, and boneless skinless chkn breast.
Do beans count?
Anyway not really sure what to have as a meal.
The nutritionist at the gym suggeted for breakfast..
3 egg whites, oatmeal and a piece of fruit..
Does this sound balanced..
And any other examples of a balnaced lunch or dinner?
Thanks
Amy

[nelie]

Boneless, skinless chicken breast is so versatile. You can put it on salads, serve it with rice and veggies, make a whole grain sandwich with it, etc.

Cottage cheese is another lean protein.

Yes fish is a lean protein as well and you should try to get some fish in your diet if you don't already.

[sugarlove]

I eat a lot of chicken breast, turkey breast, shrimp, white fish, and - yes - beans! Beans are great - good protein and lots of fiber.

Your breakfast idea sounds great...it's got a good amount of protein, healthy carbs, and it's great to get a fruit/veggie serving in early on. I try to balance my meals this way - 1/4 of the plate protein, 1/4 of the plate carbs (but I try to avoid refined carbs, and stick with brown rice, whole wheat pasta, quinoa, couscous, etc.), and the other half veggies (or a fruit and veggie mix...but not together!!LOL!). For snacks, I opt to have protein with a carb - this makes for a snack that tastes great and is also more filling than a carb alone. Examples would be an apple with peanut butter, celery with some cheese, a cheese string with some almonds, etc.

[mandalinn82]

Chicken breast, turkey breast, shrimp and fish, beans, egg whites, plain yogurt with berries, and my personal favorite (and dinner tonight) - trimmed pork tenderloin! If you get the tenderloin, its so lean - I cook it up with some bbq sauce, or a rub, or marinated in orange juice, soy, and ginger...so many options! Slice it up in 4-oz portions and you've got a delicious chicken alternative.

Ground chicken breast/turkey breast are key to me. Also, turkey breast cutlets are thin and cook up quickly - roll them around a laughing cow wedge, sliced bell peppers, and spinach, and bake for a quick, tasty entree.

[Currydi]

Every morning I usually eat:
6 egg whites
1 cup cooked oatmeal with spray butter and Splenda
Fruit
Lunch:
Salad, low cal dressing, chicken breast, tuna, or turkey approx. 4 ounces
Dinner:
4 ounces lean meat, sometimes lean beef, turkey, chicken, buffalo, sweet potato, green veggie (sorry no peas)
Also, for snacks, I do unsalted almonds, fat free yogurt, apples.
Protein sources: lean meats turkey, fish, beef, eggs, almonds, beans (small amounts, check serving size) peanut butter (with essential fatty acids in small amounts), and protein powder shakes for quickies.

[AquaWarlock]

Almost any meat (mammal, bird or fish) can be a good source of lean protein -- lean beef/pork/lamb is only very slightly fattier than bird/fish so if that's what you're in the mood for, just read the label for the lean varieties and go for it. Similarly, egg whites (or several whites mixed with one yolk) and lowfat dairy are good sources too.

For vegany options, beans & soy products are generally pretty good.

Personally, my favorite is tuna / salmon / turkey breast / ham / cottage cheese / yogurt / cottage cheese.

[jillybean720]

I'm a chicken girl. I have never cared much for pork or beef products (nope, I don't even like steak!), and I don't actually like turkey much, either (Thanksgiving is a dangerous day for me because I load up on the cheesy broccoli, the buttery mashed potatoes, the salty corn, the sweet cranberry sauce, etc., instead of lean turkey ).

And like nelie mentioned, you can do SO much with chicken! I live with my fiance, and he doesn't cook, and he's not particularly health conscious, so everything I make, I have to make it seem "normal," not intentionally healthy I do things like bbq chicken pizza (whole-wheat Boboli pizza crust, chopped up chicken breast, chopped up center-cut bacon, reduced-fat shredded cheese, and all natural bbq sauce), orange chicken (chopped up chicken cooked in 1 jar no-sugar-added orange marmalade, big splash of orange juice, ginger, reduced-sodium soy sauce, a spoonful of whole wheat flour, and a bag of frozen broccoli), baked chicken tender sandwiches (boneless skinless tenders marinated in honey dijon marinade, baked with 1/2 slice center-cut bacon on top, then topped with 1/2 slice thin-sliced Swiss cheese and served on wheat hamburger buns), salsa chicken (chicken tossed in the crock pot with salsa, frozen corn, black beans, and spices)...these are just a few of my favorites--and they're all pretty darn easy since I'm not much of a cook!

[rockinrobin]

I eat tons and tons of chicken breast. I love it. I have it grilled and cut up in salads. I make it with tons of veggies in a stir fry. With sauteed portabello mushrooms and onions. With sauteed onions and mushrooms and spaghetti squash and marinara. Chicken marsala. I probably eat it 6 times a week.

For lunch, I eat veggie/soy products. I eat the Morning Star Farms Chick Pattie or a Morning Star Farms Spicy bean burger. I eat either of them with about 3 cups of cauliflower.

Everyone else has already mentioned other good sources. Salmon fillet is my favorite fish. Very "un"fishy and meaty like.

[BeezKnees]

I think you and I have the same PT. I too am supposed to eat 3 egg whites and oatmeal for breakfeast. I don't know about regular oatmeal, but there's a small amount of protein in the steel cut oatmeal.

I've been using whey protein too, but I HATE it. I'd rather just eat a couple of ounces of chicken than drink cheese juice. Yuck!

I also sometimes boost my protein with soy protein powder. It's almost tasteless, unlike the whey.

Most of my protein comes from chicken.

I suggest checking out other people's fitday links for meal ideas.

[srmb60]

I'm certain that low fat cottage cheese has already beeb mentioned but for me ... it it THE thing. Dessert, breakfast, instead of salad dressing ... so versatile.

[baffled111]

Shrimp are one of my favorites. They are SOOOOOO low in calories, and very versatile. I buy the 2lb bags of frozen shrimp and always have some in the freezer. A favorite lunch is blackened shrimp with a spinach salad. Yummy.

[zenor77]

I love tofu or soy in any form! Silken tofu can be thrown in smoothies and used to replace the oil in salad dressings. Extra-firm is my favorite though. It can be put in stir fries, soups, or sliced and used like meat in recipes (extra-firm is higher in protein than silken.) I also like to snack on edamame pods.

[silverose1209]

WOW!! SO many more ideas than I even had hoped for.
1 question..How healthy do you think the frozen veggie burgers are...I love them but am afraid they kind of fit into that "to be avoided" group of processed foods...
I am copying and pasting these ideas to help me put together a plan and a shopping lsit! Thank you all so very much!
Amy

[MariaMaria]

How healthy do you think the frozen veggie burgers are...I love them but am afraid they kind of fit into that "to be avoided" group of processed foods.

Check the labels, both the nutrition facts and the ingredients. It's a good habit to get into, even for food that's generally healthy.

[rockinrobin]

Silverose, the veggie burgers that I eat are definitely the most processed foods that go in my mouth. I believe that it's okay to eat them, as number one they keep me on plan, which is essential for me, having been 287 lbs. I needed to find foods that are of course healthy and ones that I enjoy and will satisfy me, which in turn keeps me on plan and therefore I am no longer morbidly obese. Moderation is the key. I certainly don't think that every meal, every day should be veggie burgers. But one for lunch some days will do me no harm. The good in fact far outweighs the harm, if there is any harm at all.

The Morning Star Farms Spicy Bean Burger has 140 calories, 4.5 gms fat, 5 gms. fiber, 2 gms. sugar, 12 gms protein.