Hey all,

I haven't really dieted before. Mostly my weight fluctuates with whatever schedule I happen to be on at the time. Currently I leave the house at 4:30 AM to go to work and I arrive back home about 6:30 PM, give or take. Mostly, I just eat whatever is quick and easy.

What I'm looking for are recipes that are simple and easy and don't require bizzare ingredients and an hour of prep time. I'm not really interested in making raspberry infused mahi mahi with mango salsa. I'm not saying I want my food to taste like cardboard. I'd just like my food to be a little more... well, average.

Besides that, I have no idea of what healthy is. It's so confusing I normally give up. Eat fruit even through it's full of sugar, eat lean meat with cholesterol, eat sweet potatoes with who knows what. I don't understand. It's a mystery to me. All I know is I don't wanna eat grilled chicken and broccoli for the rest of my life.

If at all possible, can someone suggest where I can find simple, quick recipes with readily available ingredients? I don't have alot of spare time and I'd like to make use of what I can.

Thanks

Here are a few of my go-to easy meals. I also recommend the American Heart Association Quick and Easy Cookbook. Everything in it is easy peasy.

Fish
You can't beat fresh fish for easy. You just rinse it off, season it with salt and pepper and lemon juice and stick in the broiler for 5 to 10 minutes, until it flakes easily with a fork. If you want to get a little wild, serve it with salsa or chutney on top.

You can also make a quick marinade out of 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp ground ginger, and 1 tsp minced garlic (from a bottle is fine). Marinate the fish for about half an hour.

Pork Tenderloin
Another meal that is easy peasy is pre-seasoned pork tenderloin. You can get all sorts of flavors from barbeque to lemon pepper. You just pop it in the oven for 45 minutes, slide and eat.

Meatloaf
Meatloaf is also easy and there are literally hundreds of variations, from good old American-style to more exotic versions; recipes that call for ground beef, ground turkey, and/or ground pork; easy to hard. Try searching on meat loaf on CookingLight.com. One of my favorite recipes is Asian Style Meat Loaves.

Chili
Another go-to meal for me is chili. Again, hundreds of recipes and variations. Try a search on CookingLight.com. My standard recipe is from BHG.com:

Chili
1 1/4 lbs lean ground beef
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
28 oz canned tomatoes
8 oz canned tomato sauce
1-2 tsp dried basil
1-3 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp pepper
15 oz canned beans (pinto, black, kidney, or a mix)

Saute beef with onion, peppers, and garlic until beef is cooked. Drain fat if necessary. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Makes 4 servings at about 365 calories per serving.

Chicken
Marinated chicken is also super easy. Try marinating it in a low-calorie Vinaigrette or Italian salad dressing. There are also numerous marinades you can buy. Then just bake or broil the chicken.

I also like chicken with salsa, guacamole, or chutney on top of it.

If you want something different, here is an easy chicken recipe (it has easy right in the name):

Easy Chicken Adobo
1 tsp olive oil
24 oz chicken
2 tsp minced garlic
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tsp whole peppercorns (or 1/4 tsp ground pepper)
1 bay leaf

Saute chicken in olive oil until light browned. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer covered for about 20 minutes. Remove cover and simmer for another 15-20 minutes, until sauce is thickened. Remove bay leaf before eating. Makes 4 servings at about 235 calories per serving.