[Jman1]

So, in response to this thread, I posted my typical "good" day's food and it struck me how unbelievably boring and monotonous it is.

Breakfast: 1.75 c Optimum slim cereal ~300 cal
Lunch: 4 Frozen chicken fingers (Tysons) ~400
Snack 1: MET-RX Protein Plus bar ~300
Snack 2: 1.5 c OS Cereal ~300
Dinner: 4 chicken fingers ~400
Big bowl of frozen veggies ~100
Snack: MET-RX Protein Plus bar ~300
Snack: 1.5 c OS Cereal ~300

Total: ~2500 cal
46% Carbs, 25% Fat, 30% Protein

There are two reasons I eat this way.

1) I'm lazy. I don't want to have to think about what I'm going to eat or spend a lot of time getting it ready.
2) Poor willpower. If I have too big a variety of foods, I worry I'll eat too much. Also, if I cook and make more than enough for one meal, I have a hard time not overeating.

So, what are your favorite "easy" foods? Extra points for low sugar and high protein.

[Glory87]

Wow, that's a lot of processed foods.

My favorite easy meal is veggie tacos. 3 whole wheat tortillas (50 calories each), 2 crumbled veggie burgers (just nuked for 2 minutes and then dice), spinach leaves, tons of salsa and a little, low fat shredded cheese. Dinner in less than 5 minutes.

I also like to make omelettes, which are super easy. 3 eggs (I buy the extra omega 3 eggs), fill with shrimp, spinach leaves, diced tomatoes, onions, a little low fat feta (I also like black olives, sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts)

And the extremely basic - salmon, baked sweet potato, steamed broccoli (I usually have this once a week)

I have three favorite easy desserts:

Heat 2 tbs of pumpkin butter (from Trader Joe's) and then dip a banana in it

Chop an apple, put it in a bowl, nuke for 4 minutes. Take it out, add 1 cup of frozen blueberries, cover with saran wrap, nuke for 1 more minute, add chopped walnuts

Smear a whole wheat tortilla with natural peanut butter, heat, wrap around a banana

[kms7z]

here are a list of my frequently-eaten mini-meals

-cottage cheese with anything-- usually either some fruit or cocoa powder
-veggie or a turkey burger-- i buy them from costco, so i usually have some in the freezer
-PB sandwich or PB and a piece of fruit
-salad with whichever veggies/cheese/poultry i have handy
-frozen veggies heated in the microwave and tossed with terriyaki sauce.
-cheese melted on heated up frozen veggies
-scrambled eggs/omelets a la Glory87
-yogurt

[chicagoposter]

• 99% Fat Free Lentil Soup w/hot sauce and sometimes over brown rice
• WW english muffins w/laughing cow cheese and honey (broiled for 5 minutes) if you eat meat...ham instead of honey
• Salad w/ ff. rasp. vine., mandarin oranges, craisins, feta or chow mein noodles (not both)
• FF. refried beans, cheese, taco bell sauce on a WW tortilla
• cottage cheese w/ canned fruit
• oatmeal w/craisins
• green beans, pinjur from Trader Joe's, laughing cow cheese wedge
• frozen meatless meatballs( TJ's), frozen mixed peppers (TJ's) (cooked 10 minutes), bbq sauce, on a piece of WW bread.
• Meatless corndogs (Trader Joe's)
• Three bean salad
• and lately a lot of smoothies (oj, or grapefruit juice, frozen mixed berries, mango, peach, protein powder from TJ's)

[angeleyezx]

Easy foods
Apple, banana, yogurt, raisins.
Easymeals
loadsa veggies add curry pasta and simmer, packet of WW noodles.
soups

[junebug41]

The Whole Foods cold and hot bar.

[jillybean720]

junebug--I'm jealous...my Whole Foods doesn't have a hot/cold bar!

Wow, man...4 chicken fingers as a meal? That would never be enough food to constitute a whole meal for me! Even my SmartOnes frozen dinner of just chicken and veggies (either chicken santa fe or sweet n sour chicken) only has 140 calories--not much food, but could add something else to it if needed and still be less than 400 calories for MUCH more food.

On to the list...

• turkey burgers w/light cheese on light wheat buns
• crock pot concoction that includes boneless, skinless chicken breast and salsa (sometimes with black beans, corn, cream cheese...)
• whole-wheat wraps with chicken or ground turkey breast
• pizza--whole-wheat Boboli crust w/sauce and light cheese and maybe some turkey pepperoni
• fat-free hotdogs on light wheat buns
• cut up boneless, skinless chicken breast cooked w/a bag of broccoli coleslaw mix and some teriyaki or sesame marinade
• baked boneless, skinless chicken breast with honey dijon marinade and a side of whole wheat noodles mixed with 1/2 box frozen chopped broccoli, 1/2 box frozen chopped spinach, and a splash of the honey dijon marinade
• sandwiches on light whole-wheat (or light rye) bread--either ham, turkey, and cheese or natural PB w/no-sugar-added fruit preserves

[illinichick]

Quesadillas... chicken and black beans with a little cheese, lots of salsa

[junebug41]

Jilly- you certainly wouldn't be jealous of the reflection of these visits on my credit card statement.

[Canadian_Mickey]

Thanks for all the ideas!!!!

[Sushi Penguin]

Stir-fries all easiest and quickest for me. And I only use a few drops of olive oil, so it's not so much "stir-fry" as just "stir". Good way to eat veggies too - I usually have them with no meat, just veggies and sauce on rice, sometimes I add shrimp.

Very easy and fast salad - baked chicken breast (bake it without any grease, oil, butter or etc. and then cube it), cubed green or red pepper (capsicum for Aussies), a bit of extra light mayo just to cover the stuff, salt and pepper to taste, mix everything well - perfect in tortilla wraps, in sandwiches and on it's own.

[healthyme05]

YUM!!!
What great ideas...I'm going to have to write some of these down.

For me I'm a breakfast junkie...
Oatmeal with nuts and sugar substitue.
Good for You Cereals like Special K or Uncle Sam.
Egg Beater Omelettes with veggies like mushrooms and lite deli meat like turkey slices.

[Lyria]

My favorite easy and lazy food is mixed bean and beetroot salad.

1 can mixed beans (usually has butterbeans, kidney beans, pinto, cannellini and chickpeas) and 1 can of baby beets that I cut into quarters. Toss it together with a little worcestshire sauce and sweet chilli and voila!