Whole Foods Lifestyle For discussion of whole foods and more natural diets.

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Old 06-04-2009, 02:16 PM   #1  
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Default Those of you who don't like to cook...

what are some of your favorite whole foods meals (mostly dinner type meals)?

I hate cooking. It's true. I have been eating a lot of salads, egg whites, and oatmeal. They are getting boring.

I've been trying some recipes from the Clean Eating book and Mastering Your Metabolism. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. They all seem to have so many ingredients and have so many steps. If I have to cook I like it to be simple and fast.

I should also say that I don't mind cooking things in big quantities so I can have them later.

Last edited by Cinnamon; 06-04-2009 at 02:31 PM.
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Old 06-04-2009, 02:36 PM   #2  
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1) Lasagna with whole wheat noodles, low fat cheese, spinach and x-lean ground beef. Love lasagna.

2) Burgers - x-lean ground beef or turkey. Meatballs too. Usually make ahead of time with any extra meat I have and just freeze them. Don't even use a bun, just use two slices of whole grain bread I already have, sometimes the ends of the loaf.

3) Grilled chicken on the BBQ. Love to add a portabello mushroom with chicken into a wrap/bun. Or do chicken with brown rice.

4) Not a favourite yet, but did what could've been a stew in the slow cooker overnight (if the broth had thickened, I have to tinker). Beef, yams and regular potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, beef broth and ww flour. Covered the beef in ww flour and browed it in olive oil first. All into the slow cooker on low until morning. Looking forward to trying a chicken stew.

5) Pizza. On ww pita for me. White pita for boyfriend. Low fat cheese and we each pick our toppings so it's an easy to please dish. So simple.

6) WW pasta and meat with some veggies mixed in if you want -- x-lean ground beef or turkey (this is where the extra for the burgers and meatballs usually comes from).

Pair all of the above with a homemade soup (yay grandma!) or a big whack of veggies and I'm good to go. If homemade soup isn't available, there's also a natural one at my local grocer -- so expensive, but so good.

Good luck finding some options!
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Old 06-04-2009, 03:02 PM   #3  
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Cooking light has quick 30 minute meals that are easy
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Old 06-04-2009, 07:14 PM   #4  
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chickiegirl-thank you for all those great ideas!

beerab-I'll have to check that out...quick & easy is right up my alley.
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Old 06-04-2009, 08:07 PM   #5  
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Can you make a big pot of soup on Sunday and eat it for 2-3 nights during the week?

My rules for cooking - I like no more than 2 pots, no more than 30 minutes I don't mind a lot of chopping.

Some easy ideas:

Stir fries - lots of veggies, a little protein, served over a measured portion of brown rice or udon noodles. Trader Joe's makes an excellent yellow curry sauce - there's really no need for a complicated recipe. Just chop some veggies, saute them in a little peanut oil, add some shrimp or chicken or lean beef or tofu (or whatever), pour on the sauce, add a squeeze of lime - delish!

Omelets - saute up a ton of yummy veggies, add protein of your choice, maybe a little low fat cheese, top with tons of salsa (I love spinach, shrimp, sun dried tomato, low fat feta omelets, topped with green salsa)

Big pot of pasta sauce over a measured portion of whole grain noodles or polenta or gnocchi. It takes me about 30 minutes to make my pasta sauce and I have dinner for about 3 nights (I love reheating nights!). I brown up some turkey (or veggie crumbles or meatballs), onions, garlic. Crush 3 cans of tomatoes, add a can of tomato paste, handful of fresh basil, 1 tbs of organo, a little crushed red pepper (I like spicy), splash of red wine, veggies of choice (spinach wilts down nicely, mushrooms are always welcome, sun dried tomatoes or kalamata olives give it a certain flair, it's nice to do different things so it's not the same old thing all the time). Simmer - done in 30 minutes!

I'm biased - because I find cooking such an integral part of my healthy lifestyle, but I'd encourage you to find a few "tried and true" recipes to rotate through. I do like to try new things, but I bet I make the same 10 things, 90% of the time
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Old 06-05-2009, 08:15 PM   #6  
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Glory-Thanks so much for all your ideas.

I really want to like cooking...I just don't...yet. Maybe someday.

I'm going to be trying these ideas that have been listed.

Last edited by Cinnamon; 06-05-2009 at 08:17 PM.
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Old 06-06-2009, 06:36 PM   #7  
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Do you have a George Foreman grill? They're pretty easy to cook with. Tip: soak a paper towel in water, and when you're done cooking, lay down the paper towel in the grill after it's turned off (but still hot). It'll steam the cooked residue and make for an easy clean-up later.

I do the batch cooking/freezing thing a lot, too.
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Old 06-06-2009, 07:26 PM   #8  
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Or, if you really don't like to cook, there are places where you go in and do food prep and then the company freezes them, you take home a couple of weeks of frozen dinners - made from whole food. I'll be danged if I can think of the names of them right now..... Anyway, they have all the ingredients - you just chop and mix.

Cooking Light and I think Weight Watchers have cookbooks that feature recipes with 5 or less ingredients. CL has a new one called Fresh Food Fast that's good.
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Old 06-06-2009, 07:30 PM   #9  
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Tonight I browned a chicken breast (no skin and no fat) and set aside. Next, I prepared Lipton Oriental boxed rice according to directions. Placed 1/3 of the rice on a plate and topped with 1/3 of the chicken (sliced) and spring onion and water chestnut slices. Added steamed carrots and broccoli as side vegetables. The entire meal is about 450 cal and cost about $2.50/serving. Be creative, add a few peas, mushroom slices, top with some sprouts or a few almond slices.
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Old 06-07-2009, 11:18 PM   #10  
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One of my standbys:

Tilapia seasoned with a pinch of salt, plenty of fresh cracked pepper, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Sauté it on the stove with just a tiny smidgeon of butter (for flavor). When it is almost done, add the juice of one lemon and a splash of white wine. Let the sauce reduce while the fish finishes cooking. We usually serve this with fresh veggies sauteed in peanut sauce over a bed of quinoa. So good and it only takes 20 mins from start to finish and most of that is chopping!
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Old 06-07-2009, 11:22 PM   #11  
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Also, have you tried cooking in a crock-pot? That definitely isn't fast, but you can throw in a few ingredients in the morning and come home to a delicious dinner that evening! I've done chicken, soup, roasts, and even casseroles in my crock-pot. It's a lifesaver during busy days!
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Old 06-08-2009, 12:13 AM   #12  
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I do like to cook but today I got out the food processor:

Today I whirled up some chick peas with fresh garlic and a bit of almond milk to add some creaminess to it

Then I whirled up tomatoes, cilantro, onion and a lil' bit jalapeno..

We ate both of these with baked pita chips...dessert was angel food cake with strawberries..

This wasn't the healthiest I realize--mostly because of the pita chips--but it's the weekend so I had a lil' sumpin', sumpin'....
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Old 06-08-2009, 02:30 PM   #13  
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Hyacinth - thank you for that tip! I didn't know that. That will make life so much easier We use ours a lot.

WaterRat-Thanks for the cookbook ideas. 5 or less ingredients sounds perfect.

Samantha100-Chicken and rice is definitely something I've been making a lot. Mainly because I can make a bunch of both and have it all week. It is getting a bit old though. I haven't ever tried mixing veggies in...I think I will.

digitalrequiem-thanks for your ideas. I'm not sure if it's because I'm unexperienced in the kitchen...but your first recipe sounds complicated to me. lol. I'm sure it's very easy...I'm just really bad. However, we do have a Crockpot. I'm embarrassed to say that I only know how to make fattening dishes in there though. I'll have to look into that.

Thighs Be Gone-Thanks for that idea. It sounds yummy. I'll try just the first part for now, I don't think I'm ready for angel food cake yet

Last edited by Cinnamon; 06-08-2009 at 02:32 PM.
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Old 06-08-2009, 10:04 PM   #14  
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Cinnamon -- Don't be afraid to experiment in the kitchen! Even if it turns out looking like a**, it probably still tastes good. I adapted that mantra years ago and I've only had 1 or 2 of my 'experiments' that weren't edible. On those nights I just quietly throw it away and make a sandwich or something...lol.
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Old 06-09-2009, 12:31 AM   #15  
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Here are some more tips that I saw recently:

A peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread with a glass of 1 percent milk and an apple.

Precooked chicken strips and microwaved frozen broccoli topped with Parmesan cheese.

Scramble eggs in a nonstick skillet. Pop some asparagus in the microwave, and add whole wheat toast. If your cholesterol levels are normal, you can have seven eggs a week!

A bag of frozen vegetables heated in the microwave, topped with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of chopped nuts.

Prebagged salad topped with canned tuna, grape tomatoes, shredded reduced-fat cheese, and low-cal Italian dressing.

Keep lean sandwich fixings on hand: whole wheat bread, sliced turkey, reduced-fat cheese, tomatoes, mustard with horseradish.
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