i never thought i would say this, but i dont know what to eat!

[mommytoethan 1]

it has now been 5 weeks since my surgery. i was cleared at 4 weeks to start eating normal foods. however, i dont know what to eat! LOL

i've been sticking with lunchmeat, chili, tuna, chicken salad and cheeses. those have been my staples since 2 weeks out. and i'm SICK of them.

i never thought i would say that i didn't know what to eat. i'm working on changing my thought process toward foods. yes, i know i could just run to taco bell and grab a taco or something, but i really want to make good food choices.

i really know what i should be eating, but i guess i find it hard since i DONT feel like eating.... so strange.

so help me out - what are some of your favorite things to eat? or a favorite recipe? i prefer chicken over beef or pork if that helps.

thanks all!

[Tiffykins 673]

I love my George Foreman 360 grill and crock pot. If you'd like, I can toss some of my tried and true recipes with the tweaks that I've made to increase the Protein, cut the fat, and carbs. I just don't want to inundate you with stuff that you may not be interested in eating.

Also, if you'd like me to share let me know if anything is an absolute "no go". Certain flavors, or any specific type of food. For example, if you don't like Asian food, or if you don't like mushrooms etc etc. I can definitely help you out.

For me, the George Foreman grill makes chicken perfectly moist, and I am able to eat it more comfortable than I am baked, pan seared, or from an outdoor grill.

[texashopeful 0]

I would love to have some of those recipies as well. Everything I have tried to add in has made me hurt. I have NO appatite(sorry about spelling)! I don't want to eat. I too am so sick of lunch meat, tuna, eggs, chicken salad, etc. I have tried meatloaf which was good, and fish (not a huge fan of that anyway). I had a grilled chicken drumstick from KFC without skin, and that was GREAT! How did you figure out how to exclude more carbs, etc from your food (other than the obvious...no noodles, potatoes, etc)? What kind of sauce do you use that isn't super high in carbs, sugar, fat, etc?

[educationrulz 18]

There are some great recipes on the recipe forum here on VST. I made the ricotta bake and it's GREAT! My eyes want to eat the whole pan but of course my tummy says no-go. I added jar spaghetti sauce and mozerella to the top of mine for some extra flavor.

I actually use some fast food to my advantage. I love Wendy's chili. Chick-fil-a strips have been a life saver because they're so moist I can eat them without a lot of drama - well, I can eat 1/2 of a large one. I also go to Taco Bell and get one of the steak strips chalupa and eat the meat, sauce and cheese out of that. The meat is very moist and easy to eat. I sometimes eat a tiny bit of the breaded part. I know fast food is a slippery slope so I do have to watch myself there, but it's nice to have some options for when I don't have the time or desire to cook.

I do plan to do more cooking when the amount I can eat stabalizes. Right now, most of what I cook gets tossed because my daughter doesn't eat that much. It's kind of frustrating to me right now so I avoid cooking alot.

[Tiffykins 673]

I would love to have some of those recipies as well. Everything I have tried to add in has made me hurt. I have NO appatite(sorry about spelling)! I don't want to eat. I too am so sick of lunch meat, tuna, eggs, chicken salad, etc. I have tried meatloaf which was good, and fish (not a huge fan of that anyway). I had a grilled chicken drumstick from KFC without skin, and that was GREAT! How did you figure out how to exclude more carbs, etc from your food (other than the obvious...no noodles, potatoes, etc)? What kind of sauce do you use that isn't super high in carbs, sugar, fat, etc?

Greek yogurt in place of anything that calls for sour cream to cut carbs and fat.

All the cream of Soups are offered in 98% reduced fat/sodium, I use these often.

I've posted several recipes in the recipe forum here as well.

All you have to do is get creative, and really break down a recipe. If it calls for ground beef, substitute ground turkey or chicken. I prefer ground chicken, and some deli counters in supermarkets will ground boneless/skinless chicken breasts or thighs for free if you ask.

I do eat a lot of beef if we do not have venison. We only get venison occasionally because my husband hasn't gone hunting in years. But, we do get it (typically from his family), I live on venison because it is so lean. You can buy bison/buffalo. To me, it's a bit sweeter than beef, but it is the leanest of all red meats. It's expensive, but it's worth it.

I do eat Pasta, rice, potatoes at this point, but for any of these recipes, just make the meat portion, and decrease the broths by 1/4 to 1/3 of what the recipe calls for due to not having the starches or grains.

Staples that I have on hand at all times.

Marinades

Lawry's Steak and Chop marinade

Lawry's Carribean jerk marinade

Bottles and bottles of zesty italian dressings

Lime juice

Lemon Juice

Dijon Mustard

Soy sauce

Worchestershire sauce

Roasted red peppers (in oil)

Sun dried tomatoes (in oil and the dry variety)

Minced garlic (the prepared kind in the jars, I buy mine at Wal-Mart, and it's a huge plastic bottle)

Onion powder

Chili Powder

Cayenne Powder

Yellow and Red curry

Garlic powder

White/Black pepper

Celery salt

Sage

Italian seasoning (thyme, basil, oregano all in one)

Seasoned Salt

Packet Seasoning

Fajita seasoning

Burrito seasoning

Taco Seasoning

Pot roast packet (if you don't want to add your own seasonings)

Dry onion Soup mix (the mushroom onion and beefy onion are fabulous)

Cream of Mushroom, Celery, Onion, Broccoli, Asparagus, Chicken and Celery(are all the ones you'll find in my pantry all the time)

French Onion condensed soup

Beef consomme (right by the french onion soup)

Broccoli cheddar condensed soup

Shredded cheese, I use the Sargento reduced fat varieties or Helluva good brand which is low fat

I do use canned crab meat to make crab cakes

Frozen salmon, flounder, tilapia filet steaks

Frozen veggies:

Broccoli florets

Green Beans

Peas

Black eyed peas

Dry beans:

Pinto

Black eyed peas

Dreamfield Pasta (low glycemic index, low carb)

Quinoa can be substituted for rice

Barbque sauce and teriyaki sauce (the thick stuff not the marinade)

Meats:

Small chuck roasts

Boneless skinless chicken breast

Ground beef, turkey and chicken

Boneless round bottom steaks

Beef ribs

beef tenderloin

Chicken wing drummettes (I buy the frozen ones)

Oh yeah, and I buy the chicken, beef, veggie bouillion cubes to make my own broth.

Okay, now that y'all know my grocery list, I'll make another post for recipes.

Edit to add: Lemon Pepper, Garlic Pepper, Paprika, Cumin, Cajun and Creole seasoning. Old Bay for seafood, Tony Cachere's for creole and cajun. Also, I have a "meat injector" that I use to marinade all my meats. It's fabulous and guarantees moist, soft meats especially on the George Foreman.

Edited July 22, 2010 by Tiffykins

[Tiffykins 673]

Barbque beef (sub splenda, truvia, or use a low sugar barbque sauce in place of the ketchup, sugar, leave everything else the same) you'll cut carbs and sugar if you do this

Barbecued Beef Recipe - Allrecipes.com

For anything that calls for bread crumbs, substitute Pork rinds. I didn't have fat guidelines and fat is essential in our diets. I didn't eat huge amounts of fats because the portion I ate were so small.

These are fabulous, and freeze well:

Meatball Nirvana Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Get all reduced fat stuff for this one, I use Miracle whip instead of mayo for all my stuff just because we don't eat Mayo in this house.

Crab Stuffed Flounder Recipe - Allrecipes.com

That one above is by far my favorite fish dish I make

I follow the directions except I make the paste, then throw frozen chicken breast (always boneless/skinless) into the crock pot, make a simple broth just enough to cover the breasts, and then mix in the paste. Cook on low for 5 hours or on high for 2-3 until chicken shreds easily.

Chicken Curry I Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Little high on the carbs, but you can cut the honey to half and add some splenda.

Caramelized Baked Chicken Recipe - Allrecipes.com

I cut the corn completely.

Quinoa and Black Beans Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Use all fat free, or reduced fat cheese to cut the fat

Chicken Cordon Bleu I Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Seriously, delicious meatballs, freezes well also.

Cocktail Meatballs Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Cut the crescent rolls and it's pretty much a quiche

Egg and Sausage Casserole Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Oh sinfully yummy

Outrageous Warm Chicken Nacho Dip Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Beef Spinach Hot Dish Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Frozen Spinach is always in my freezer as well.

Tex Mex Black Bean Dip Recipe - Allrecipes.com

[mommytoethan 1]

thanks tiff! i would love to have some reciepes. i have a crock pot, but not a george forman.... we usually just use the outdoor grill. things i like: chicken, mexican food, steaks, anything with lean ground beef or ground turkey. we also like pastas, but right now i'm staying away from them while i'm in my losing phase. thanks again for your help!

[Tiffykins 673]

Here's more:

Slow-Cooked Oriental chicken Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Extra virgin olive oil for all browning on the stovetop. I never use veggie oil. I use the EVOO with Canola oil also.

Grill these on the Foreman grill 7-10 minutes

Marinade for chicken Recipe - Allrecipes.com

EVOO for all marinades as well

Turkey pepperoni and reduced fat cheese cut the fat way down on this one.

Pepperoni Dip I Recipe - Allrecipes.com

I've actually spread this over chicken and popped it in the oven until it's kind of melty. YUM you could also eat it on veggies if you are cleared for veggies.

April's Roasted Red Pepper cheese Ball Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Reduced fat everything again

Chicken (boneless/skinless) 2 breast halves

1 gallon storage ziploc baggie

1/3 bottle of Zesty Italian dressing.

Place everything in baggie, allow to marinade overnight in fridge or minimum of 4 hours.

Grill on Foreman grill. I cut the breasts into tender size strips for even cooking.

2 chicken breasts halves (pounded to 1/4 inch thickness)

1 8oz package of reduced fat cream cheese softened (I prefer the garden veggie flavor, but plain works also)

3Tbsp of pimentos drained and chopped finely

2Tbsp roasted red peppers drained and chopped finely

1 10oz frozen Spinach (thawed and drained of all fluid) you're only going to use half in the recipe. cook the other half and serve as a side dish :thumbup:

Mix all ingredients (except chicken) together in mixing bowl.

Lay chicken breast on parchment paper

Spoon mixture on half of the chicken breast starting at the widest end.

Roll chicken and secure ends with toothpick

Bake in Preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes on the parchment paper because the cheese mixture gets a little messy and oozy. Remove from oven, melt a small amount of margarine (I use brummel brown, or Best Life or Smart Balance) in the microwave, pour small amount over each breast, sprinkle with reduced fat parmesan or asiago shredded cheese. Return to oven for 10-15 minutes until chicken juices run clear.

Chicken In Sour Cream Recipe - Allrecipes.com

I crock pot this one and sub greek yogurt for the sour cream. Cook on high for 3-4hours, low for 6-8 hours.

I skip the gravy and carrots on this one. Use ground chicken, and add lots of garlic, onion, and cayenne pepper. I add 1/2-3/4 of greek yogurt to the mixture after I add everything in to replace the smoothness of the gravy.

Beefy Potato Volcano Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Always, non-fat plain flavor greek yogurt, oh and we eat this with noodles, and not potatoes.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff II Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Asian Beef Skewers Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Broccoli Hamburger Casserole Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Slow Cooker Salisbury Steak Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Pork rinds for the binders

Also, always read the reviews so you can tweak things to your liking.

Broccoli Chicken Divan Recipe - Allrecipes.com

This sounded so disgusting, but it was a huge hit for the mister and my son. I loved it as well, and tweaked it like crazy. I also only used 1 thing of corn bread.< /span>

Barbeque Beef Casserole Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Teriyaki and pineapple Chicken Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Spaghetti Squash Dip Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Beef Tips and Noodles Recipe - Allrecipes.com

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Satay Recipe - Allrecipes.com

I make several variations of Salisbury steak, and my recipe that I tweaked is on the recipe forum here.

Okay so those are the ones that I think will be good for y'all to get started. I have more and will keep digging through my other favorites sites to find more recipes.

[wannalise 16]

I adore this thread! Thanks Tiff.

[Stacie 1]

Wow, those look great Tiff!

Just wanted to throw out the general idea of chicken in the crockpot, you can find tons of recipes, add salsa, onion Soup mix, cream Soups, BBQ Sauce. My fave was chicken, hot sauce (Franks), cream cheese and shredded cheddar.

Also, rotisserie chicken is so nice and moist. I also ate alot of boneless wings, we have different flavors at some of the groceries up here. Easy and filled me up nicely.

fish and seafood. My first amazing meals was steamed crab legs. Fish is by far the easiest thing to go down for me. I never have any problem and can get a nice size portion in.

It was SO hard for me to get anything in at this stage too. Not hungry ever. No real excitement to cook much of anything when you are not hungry at all!! Good luck!!

[Mommyof4 1]

GREAT post!!! Im in the same boat Im 6 weeks out and I dont feel like eating anything or drinking my Protein. Im so tired of tilapia, eggs....Well thats about all I eat. I am so picky and dont know how to get past that. I heard so many bad things about eating breads, pastas, veggies, chicken breast that Im scared to try anything new. I'd love to have a glass of Iced Tea but heard thats bad too.

Thank you all you really help when Im having a hard time

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

I throw so much food away it's not funny anymore. It looks good in the store, but then when it's time to eat, I look at it and decide I don't want to eat it anymore.

One thing that I do like is chicken salad but I make it with spinach dip that I buy premade.

[schaf921 0]

I am looking for a good chicken salad recipe. I am tired of just mayo, chicken and a little relish. I really like zaxby's chicken salad but cant find a mimicked recipe.

[Globetrotter 1,340]

I am looking for a good chicken salad recipe. I am tired of just mayo, chicken and a little relish. I really like zaxby's chicken salad but cant find a mimicked recipe.

Have you heard of aioli? It's flavored mayo and you can get it in most supermarkets, my favorite is garlic. I have two favorite chicken salad recipes; the first one is shredded chicken, aioli, mustard (your favorite style), garlic salt, & pepper. The second one is tiny dice chicken, regular mayo, lots of fresh cracked black pepper, tiny dice celery, a little crushed walnut, and chopped red grapes, maybe some mustard to taste. It's a modification of Sonoma Chicken Salad and due to the hard ingredients would obviously only be for a person way out from surgery totally cleared for all foods. Me, I'm on day 8 post-op so I'll just go back to sipping my disgusting Protein shakes. =(

Oh! I just thought of something else, lamb is a wonderful source of Protein and if you make a roast of it at home and have leftovers, cold lamb salad instead of chicken could make an interesting change.

[sakmb49 0]

Thank you so much for the ideas and recipes!! I will be home from vacation soon and should have my diet advanced beyond soft solids within a week or so. This is just what I needed. I have the rest of my family to consider as well so these sound great. It is very easy to get stuck in a food rut when you find things that go down easy and keep you feeling full. I know that sitting down and eating cottage cheese while the rest of my family eats a normal meal can't go on forever!!