I need very basic diet recipes without diet ingredients
Hello,
I've tried searching around in the forums for recipes to help me with my diet. I eat the same 4 meals rotating so im so burned out I'm just thinking about giving up dieting all together.
Bottom line is I need recipes that contain pork or chicken that contain very basic ingredients that are not processed or pre-packaged and does not require use of an oven.
I have some problems that are making it hard for me to find diet recipes:
1. Im severely allergic to fish and shellfish and cannot eat seaweed because of its iodine levels.
2. I live in remote area of japan, we do not have wacky weird "gourmet" ingredients found outside of japan like hummus or whatever half the recipes seem to call for. We have carrots, potatoes, onions, eggplant and cabbage.
3. People in japan don't own ovens.
4. There is no low-fat, no-fat, sugar-free, low-sugar products. There is only whole milk and camembert cheese.
5. Beef is unaffordable
6. I don't eat tofu
7. I have problems digesting grains like wheat so I can't eat pasta or noodles. I also can't eat much rice.
8. Japan doesnt sell dried beans or canned beans like western countries apparently do.
9. fruit is unaffordable for daily consumpton (an apple is about USD1.60 each, Peaches are about USD3.00 each)
Please guys I need Help!!!! 4 days a week of boiled chicken breast is starting to make me frustrated.
Could you give us a list of things that ARE available? Common spices you have access to use, etc. Any food can be a diet food, if it's in the correct portion sizes! Can you tell us what a typical day of food is, so we can see how you can get some variety? What appliances do you have available?
That's about all I eat is chicken simply because I don't really like beef or pork or anything, so let's see...
Do you have a crock pot? I know a good idea is to pop some chicken breasts in a crock pot with salsa (if you can't buy salsa, can you make your own from tomatoes, peppers, and onion?). I also like to add other things to make it a bit of a soup-type thing, so I cut the chicken up into small pieces and add salsa, a little chicken broth (though I'm sure water would work fine since everything else is so flavorful), some frozen veggies (maybe corn, chopped spinach, chopped onion, etc.), some shredded cabbage, and some chili powder.
I also make stir-fry meals (usually chicken with broccoli, bean sprouts, snap or snow peas, etc.) and just don't have any rice or anything with it--the meat and veggies are plenty. If you can't find prepared sauces to cook them in, try something like soy sauce, pineapple juice, and spices (I like ginger, garlic, and sesame seeds).
Maybe you can tell from above, but I don't really cook with "recipes" per se. I just kinda make stuff up as I go along by throwing together ingredients I like. Sometimes, I can get a few different meals out of basically the same ingredients by just combining things differently (i.e., whole chicken breasts with salsa vs. chopped chicken breast with salsa, broth, and veggies). Try focusing on what you DO have available rather than what you don't have--I would think maybe there are some great ingredients over there that you may not be familiar with yet but that could be really great. I am here in the states, and there are still things some women mention on here that I cannot find for the life of me at any stores nearby Luckily, once I find things I like I tend to stick to them. My poor boyfriend probably eat the same 7 dinners every week simply because that's all I know how to or am willing to make
Here is a list of things I can find and eat: chicken, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, bananas, pork, onions, eggs, canned tomatoes (fresh are too expensive), daikon, sesame oil, sesame seeds, some red tomato based sauces as one would put on pasta, potatoes, spinach, eggplant, ham deli meat, dehydrated coffee, whole milk, gouda parmesean, and camembert cheese (although cheese is very expensive), very basic spices and seasonings such as black and white pepper, salt, some common herbs like parsley, oregano, tyme, rosemary, canned and dried mango, green peppers, cucumbers, margarine, red bean paste, garlic, canola oil, white vinegar, curry mix, canned corn, dried cup soup mixes.
I have a gas burner, large boiling pot of several quart capacity, frying pan with cover, and small toaster oven.
I eat alot of lettuce salad with a dressing made of canola oil and vinegar and some italian spices. I also eat alot of basic vegetable soups with canned tomatoes as the base and then potatoes, onions and carrots. Most of my protein comes from hard boiled or scrambled eggs or boiled chicken. I sometimes make a dipping sauce for the chicken from sesame oil, soy sauce, and red pepper. Sometimes I skillet cook pork with some soy sauce and red pepper flakes and add in chopped cabbage and carrots and onions. Sometimes I make curry soup using shredded chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions and curry mix.
For breakfast I usually have some dried cup-soup mix like potato, chicken broth or corn and a banana if they were on sale this week.
What about frittata? I'm not sure how to spell it but it's something like that. You can make the base like an omelet (egg whites only it you're watching fats) and pile it with any vegetable you like. That'd work in a skillet, right?
Hmm Im not sure what bean sprouts look like or how to use ginger although I think maybe I can find both here if I go to the grocery a bit farther away from my home. Can you link me to some pictures and maybe some basic preparation/use of those?
The sell "kagome" brand salsa at the farther away store here so i will try your chicken recipe. I dont have a crock pot but I will use my quart pot on slow to simmer maybe? The salsa is kind of expensive (around 3 USD for a small jar) but I will try it out
susan, I will look up some frittata recipes online then. Do you know how to seperate out the egg whites from the yolks. I tried it yesterday and I cannot figure out how to do it
My husband worked in a bakery for a little while and they ***honestly*** strain the egg through their fingers. You end up with the yolk in your hand and pitch it. I slide the yolks from one shell-half to the other and let the white fall into a bowl.
Do you like eggplant parmasean. You could actually fry the eggplant in a lightly coated pan. cover with tomatoes, sauce,italian spices whatever you like and add cheese ( you should be able to use your toaster oven for this part) You wouldn't have to eat the spaghetti, you could use it more like a stirfry and add chicken if you didn't have cheese that week.
Here are a couple of recipes that we like alot. I think they would work with what you have:
Cabbage Parmesan Recipe
1/4 cup slivered almonds (you could leave out if you can't get these)
1 medium head green cabbage
3 T. butter or margarine or oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
1. Brown almonds in a medium-size skillet over low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
2. Cut cabbage into 1/2-inch slices and discard core. Separate cabbage into strips. Layer cabbage in a saucepan with butter, garlic, seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook over medium-high heat until tender, stirring frequently. Garnish with cheese and toasted almonds.
6 servings - 130 calories per serving if you use butter
We love this with pork roast and homemade barbecue sauce.
Stracciatelle - Italian Egg Drop Soup
Ingredients
Homemade chicken stock or broth (about 2 quarts)
frozen chopped spinach (10 oz package) although I'm sure you could use fresh also
2 Eggs , beaten
Grated parmesan cheese
When the chicken stock comes to the boil, add the chopped Spinach.
When Spinach is wilted, add the beaten eggs, dropping in a little at a time with a fork till eggs are cooked. Top with grated cheese.
Serves 4 - 237 calories each serving
I also separate eggs right through my fingers. Quick and easy and much less chance of breaking a yolk that way.
Wow. I'm glad others can help with some recipes, I'm really no cook, I just thought it would good to give us an "ingredient" list, so to speak. Also - if you go to recipezaar.com or allrecipes.com, you can search for recipes based on ingredients! (At recipezaar, you can then filter by nutrition information, such as calories or low-fat, etc.). Good luck to you! Don't give up, and remember, it's a journey!
I understand what it's like to eat the same food all the time. I eat tuna salad, turkey salad, or chicken salad about 5 times a week. I only use boiled eggs, onions, pickles chopped in with the canned meat and a little mayonaise and mustard. It is inexpensive for me and fills me up without eating any bread with it.
I also take any type of beef or pork, cut in strips add chopped onions, any fresh veggies a little seasoning salt, a little butter and wrap in foil and place in oven (toaster oven would work) and bake until the meat is done. The last time I did this I used squash, brussel sprouts and onions and it turned out great.
I'm no cook, either, but have to say kudos to you for being motivated enough to work on your dient under these circumstances. No oven?! No crockpot?! Do you have a pressure cooker or toaster oven?
Thanks for the help everybody! Hmm I'll try the hand methods suggested for seperating out the eggs. Maybe practice will make perfect. Hmm I dont live near any military bases. I'm very remote.
Im looking forward to trying out the recipes already. I've never had egg drop soup, it sounds really interesting.
I have to say I have NEVER seen a crock pot in japan ever. I really don't think they're sold here.
I need very basic diet recipes without diet ingredients
I have some problems that are making it hard for me to find diet recipes:
Luckily, once I find things I like I tend to stick to them. My poor boyfriend probably eat the same 7 dinners every week simply because that's all I know how to or am willing to make 
