Happy Sunday, everyone!

This morning I hit my 30lb loss mark! So far, so good. I've been sticking to a fairly "safe" plan food-wise, and feel that it is time or me to branch out a bit.

By "safe", I mean predictable. I am not a cook. I loathe cooking. So, I've really only been cooking at the evening meal. My dinners, therefore, are pretty nutritious. Lean proteins and vegetables most nights.

My breakfast, lunch and snacks, on the other hand.....um.....blah..

I have no appetite in the morning, so I stick w/some yougurt and a piece of whole grain toast. Snack is usually some cottage cheese and lunch consists of a sandwhich and fruit, or a bowl of soup and fruit.

I am now ready to branch out and start adding some more nutrient-rich food throughout my day.

I get about 3 servings of veggies and 2-3 servings of fruit a day. I'd like to up the veggie servings a bit, but aside from dinnertime, veggies never seem to "belong" on my plate (logically I know this isn't true).

Can you ladies give me some ideas on how to make my breakfasts and lunches more nutritious? Remember, I don't like to cook, so I''m looking for really EASY suggestions. I'd like to take some of the focus off the scale in this journey and put it on nourishing my body.

TIA!

Congratulations on the 30 pounds!

Do you like hummus? Roasted garlic is my favorite and a few tablespoons of it with a whole wheat pita and some vegetable sticks for dipping can make a great and easy lunch. No preparation beyond warming up the pita and cutting it and the veggies.

ooh i like hummus too. the plain one. i snack a lot on nutrigrain bread with a tbsp of peanut butter too!

I don't know if this is too much "cooking: but for breakfast I like to chop up some red pepper, onion and mushrooms and fry it with a teaspoon of olive oil--then I mix an egg with a little water, beat it with a fork and porr it over the veggies. I call it an omelete, but it probably isn't!

If you like a low fat bread (like rye)--a slice of low fat cheese (like swiss) and tomato and onion make a wonderful breakfast or snack. A big pot of veggie soup is wonderful, too. (You say you eat soups at lunch. That's great!)

My favourite lunch is a wrap spread with a tablespoon of hummus, with spinach, a slice of roast turkey breast or chicken or ham, (1 oz), shredded carrots (I make up a bunch and just keep it on hand in the fridge) cucumbers, red or green pepper strips, and mushrooms.

A really good way to get "enough" fruits and veggies is to imagine your plat--1/4 protein, 1/4 grain and 1/2 veggies.

hope that helps

I chop us tomatoes and cucumbers sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and basil and munch on them as a snack.

I make fajitas for lunch. Stir fry peppers and onions in a little olive oil. Add frozen chicken strips or shrimp if you want and roll up in a tortilla. I still get that "sandwich" feel for lunch with a lot more veg then I would tuck into a cold sandwich.

You could add a Tbs. of peanut butter and ground flaxseed to your toast in the mornings. The protein is gonna really set you right for the day.

Lunch. I like the grilled chicken breast that are cooked and ready to go. I also like Campbells soups--there is a variety that is 100 calories for the entire huge can. You could even put the chicken into the soups. I would think whole foods all the way too--boiled eggs, veggies, anything you can eat raw since you don't like to cook. I also love edamame. MMmm. Tuna would be an excellent choice--On a bed of spinach would be incredible.

It needn't be complicated. No reason to make it so unless you want it to be. I am a foodie and love cooking and experimenting. You can do the same though by just throwing together random things. I also love raw almonds, black olives, dried fruits in moderation, dark high-quality chocolate, etc. All so good and good for you too!

Smart smart -- you're being successful and adding in changes as you go! Congrats!!

Here are some simple ideas for any time of day. Some have already been suggested.

- 1 tbsp peanut butter and either an apple or a banana.
- 1 sl whole grain bread with peanut butter, cinnamon, and 1/2 banana. Toast the bread, or not!
- oatmeal with raisins or dried blueberries
- veggies and hummus
- did you know you can scramble an egg in the microwave? Add some roasted peppers!
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1616...224200,00.html

- 1/2 ounce of cheese and crackers
- Nuts and dried fruit. I like to combine almonds or pecans and dried cranberries. I have to carefully portion this out -- it's easy to go overboard!
- throw some veggies and a little olive oil on a sheet pan and roast them in the oven
- baked sweet potato
- baked apple or pear (in microwave -- add some cinnamon and a pinch of brown sugar.)

I also do a lot of "batch cooking" -- like a batch of chili, or "skillet lasagna" which I portion up for meals for later in the week. Then I have healthy meals, but don't have to cook every night.

well...I can't say that your meals are bad because they are similar to mine!
Breakfast has been either cereal w/ skim milk or oatmeal sometimes with fruit. Lunch is a tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread. I have been adding some cuts of onion to my sandwich. On school days I pack a peanut butter sandwich and put a banana in it. Snacks are things like yuna or kashi bars, fruits, yogurt or cheese & crackers.
Can you make veggie soup or chili? I love both and sometimes have chili for dinner. I find I hate certain veggies alone (like carrots or tomatoes) but once in a home made soup I love them!

Thanks for all the suggestions, ladies. I've written many of them down as I'm heading grocery shopping on Tuesday. I'm definitely going to have to try oven roasting some veggies. That sounds really yummy.

I'm also going to take my time in the produce section and see what jumps out at me as options I hadn't considered.

I love this site!

I like to "steam" veggies in the microwave and top them with reduced fat or fat free cheese and a little garlic powder or garlic salt or basil.

I take broccoli, carrots, celery, onion, green beans, asparagus or whatever veggies I have on hand and slice them up in small pieces, put them in a large bowl with about 1/4 cup of water over them and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, top with the low cal cheese and microwave again for 1 or 2 minutes, enough to melt the cheese and then put the spices on top and I have a nice big serving of tasty warm seasoned veggies.

Good luck in your produce section. Next time I go to the grocery I want to get some zuchini and some squash, have not had either in a long time.

Breakfast - quick (works on the go too!)

1/2 whole grain english muffin - toasted, with 1 tbs peanut butter and a slice of apple

make a low sugar oatmeal (or better yet, steel-cut with some cinnamon and splenda) and put into a styrofoam cup for the trip

berries with low-fat/low cal vanilla yogurt

low-cal protein shake (vanilla) with 1/2 banana

<these are my staple breakfasts>