I know myself and I need simple easy to do meals to follow. What are some of your favorite easy meals? When I look at some sample menus online and I see things like grapefruit and cottage cheese I just cringe. I know if I eat those things I am setting myself up for a fall. I am also diabetic so the best thing for me is to eat frequently throughout the day so I need smaller calorie count meals and snack ideas.
This morning I made a fruit smoothie at 205 calories. In about an hour and a half I am planning on having 2 scrambled eggs for 140. I know I can have some air popped popcorn for a snack later, but I need more ideas.
As an aside, my son brought me home some chicken wings (plain) from where he works and they are so good. I usually gorge myself on them and I am having a mini freak out because I won't be eating any! I need to keep telling myself that being fit feels better than any food tastes.
I am a lazy cook, I do it in bulk ahead for lunches and otherwise make fairly easy stuff.
So, my current easy meal (and pretty low calories for the volume) is miso soup. Set water to boil, and while it boils add the miso paste, and whatever you want in it (tofu, shrimp, seaweed, mushrooms, whatever. By that point the water has boiled, pour it on, and dinner is served!
If you are willing to do some prep time each week, make a bunch of rice and chicken, keep it in the fridge. When you are ready for your fast meal just scoop it out and mix it with some veggies (frozen or fresh), nuke a few minutes and eat!
The super market I like has apple-chicken saussages that come in a pack of five, I cook them all and eat them throughout the week. I have them with rice, and sometimes, because I'm random like that, I eat them with oatmeal (the apple smell just says "Oatmeal!" to me, dunno). That's another meal ready in less than 10 min, due to the nuking. I always eat lots of fruit, but that can be substituted for veggies easy, to reduce the sugar.
I am not diabetic and don't really know the restrictions so my snacks may not be helpful to you at all. I tend to eat a lot of fruit, or if it's after work and I won't be home for a while (going to the gym, shopping, whatever) I eat a fiber 1 bar (and a banana, if its the gym). String cheese is great too, or a single serving of cereal and a banana or something, or carrot sticks. Things that a single serving fits very well in small containers. My current dessert is mixing a cut up banana with light cool whip (~5-6 "servings" worth) for a total of ~200-250 cal, but that may be too sugary?
I like stir frys. You can get tons of yummy veggies in, some protein and some good fat (using a bit of olive oil in the pan). Just use a low sodium soy sauce and add in some minced garlic and it's a really great and easy dinner.
You can add a 1/2 cup of brown rice if you like and you have a full meal.
I like making casseroles that I can portion out and freeze some of so on days I am in a hurry I can just pop a portion in the microwave and not have to worry about making something complicated just to make sure I am eating healthy.
I love sparkrecipes.com tons of easy recipes that are healthy.
If you like chili there is like a 30 min. chili recipe also.
basically it's one can pinto beans, mccormick chili spice, ground beef (or turkey or soy or whatever) then some green chilis and canned tomato- I don't use the chili's but everone has their preferences.
cook the meat- drain- then mix all the peices together and simmer for half an hour- DONE
I'm planning on making this on the weekend to have chili for the rest of the week!
I like the chicken quesadilla. Grilled chicken, cheese of your choice between WW tortilla. I usually do 1 tortilla and fold it in 1/2. I do it like a pancake in a frying pan. You can also add other veggies like mushroom or onions if you. Quick and easy.
I love soy hot dogs. Depending on the brand, they're 45 or 90 calories each. Add 15 calories per tablespoon of ketchup, and a few more for some saurkraut, and you've got a meal!!
Yum, thanks for the yummy ideas. I just assumed when I started my weight loss that things such as caseroles, chili, etc. wouldnt be allowed in my diet. Im a newbie with cooking so it just didnt hit me that theres such a wide range of yummy meals that are actually healthy!
I also tried googling healthy recipe sites and didnt see one I liked but I just looked at sparkrecipes.com and its def what I was looking for! Thanks Beerab! =)
My quickest favorite meal is probably breakfast burritos. I just throw a pan on the stove and make a serving of egg white substitutes with a peice of turkey bacon and whatever else I have, like mushrooms or peppers or something. When its done in just a few minutes I throw it all in a whole wheat tortilla and its yummy!
I make spinach salads alot for lunch with some tuna and precut tomatoes and cumcumbers. Sometimes I have a side of fruit with it.
For dinner alot we premake chicken breasts/fish and throw on some veggies and brown rice. I usually cook at the beginning of the week and make extra rice, chx or fish, and veggies and have it for the rest of the week with some tweeks to mix it up everynight.
I enjoy Barley soup. Not from a can. I use the Quaker pearled Barley that cooks in about 10 minutes, stove top. I use it specifically for the Potassium, since I take BP meds that eat up my body's Potassium. It tastes great and you can dress it up with condiments that have little or no calories and fats. The 1/3 cup serving has about 160 calories, 115mg Potassium and very little of anything else to disturb your controlled intake. I enjoy it very much as a quick meal. I do eat it with a toasted slice of flat sandwich bread (50 calories), and for dessert... are you ready for this?... I have a jar (6 oz) of Gerber Banana/Strawberry pudding (140 calories, 500mg of Potassium) with 1/2 tsp of Cinnamon (6 calories <?>) and 1/2 tsp of granulated sugar (8 calories), mixed together and mmmmmmmmm... DeeeLishhh. Of course, I make this and consider it ONE meal!!
Just a suggestion that I've found very helpful in my "counting calories" lifestyle is the series ( and they have a book ) Cook Yourself Thin. I believe it aired on Lifetime tv ... but the second season has not started yet. If you are not familiar with the show they basically take a person who wants to lose weight and take 3 of their favorite meals ... and revamp them to make them more healthier and basically cut the calories in half ( atleast ). I found almost all of the recipes in the book to be GREAT and they didnt take too much time at all. There are recipes from breakfast to dessert in there. That might be of help to you if you are trying to find quick easy healthy but DELICIOUS meals. Hope this helps.
I love sparkrecipes.com tons of easy recipes that are healthy.
If you like chili there is like a 30 min. chili recipe also.
basically it's one can pinto beans, mccormick chili spice, ground beef (or turkey or soy or whatever) then some green chilis and canned tomato- I don't use the chili's but everone has their preferences.
cook the meat- drain- then mix all the peices together and simmer for half an hour- DONE
I'm planning on making this on the weekend to have chili for the rest of the week!
I usually cook a lot on Sundays so I won't have to stress out over what to eat during the week, but I guess my quickest "I didn't have time to cook on Sunday" meal would be a quick saute of boneless/skinless chicken breast with portabellas, onions, and a smidge of fresh garlic and jasmine rice drizzled with a bit of the pan juices. I add whatever fresh veggie I have handy (usually broccoli or asparagus).
I used to eat a LOT of salad, but since I've been on low cal, salads are not on the menu very often as I DETEST low fat/cal dressings (I've tried them all...no thank you!). I guess salads have become a treat for me.
Your favorite easy meals?
