My pre-op, low-carb (20 or less per day) starts tomorrow and I'm scared!! I got some Atkins shakes for breakfast and am planning on salad with boiled eggs, cheddar cheese, and baked chicken for lunch but aside from that I don't know what to eat and I'm on a budget. I'm super busy so quick-fixes are a plus. Ideas please!!

Atkins also has frozen Entrees that are decent, and though they're lower carb, they tend to be higher in fat. Although, it doesn't sound like that's what you'll be counting.

Tuna is good on the go, and lean turkey or hamburger patties with veggies is great for dinner. With carb counting, just focus on lean Proteins and veggies, and you should be fine. Since you're really busy, you can make egg salad and tuna salad, and have it in the fridge ready to go for 2-3 days. Tuna stuffed on celery stalks is pretty good.

My pre-op, low-carb (20 or less per day) starts tomorrow and I'm scared!! I got some Atkins shakes for breakfast and am planning on salad with boiled eggs, cheddar cheese, and baked chicken for lunch but aside from that I don't know what to eat and I'm on a budget. I'm super busy so quick-fixes are a plus. Ideas please!!

I've found it helpful to scramble several eggs and keep them in the refrig for easy heat up. I also like avocado stuffed sweet peppers. You get lots of crunch and it's healthy!

Here is a recipe I've heard is very good. You can probably buy a pre-cooked chicken for it:

Ingredients

• 1- 1½ lbs chicken, cooked anyway you like & chopped (breasts or a mix of breasts & thighs or leftover rotisserie chicken)
  
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  
• 2 green onions, chopped
  
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
  
• 1/3 c mayo, preferably homemade
  
• 1 lime, juiced
  
• salt, to taste
  
• hot sauce or chili garlic sauce, to taste
  

Method

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayo, lime juice, cilantro, salt and chili sauce. Add the chopped chicken, bell pepper and green onion. Mix to combine. Let the salad sit in the fridge, so the flavors can meld, at least 30 minutes. Serve cold.

~hiddn

If you lead a busy life I suggest setting aside a day to cook things that hold well in the fridge for a few days, or even in the freezer... That way, you will always have a meal ready. Try this:

MEATLOAF

2 pounds ground beef

2 eggs

1/4 cup low carb ketchup

1 1/2 teaspoons dry onion flakes

2 teaspoons Seasoning Salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Glaze

Mix all but the glaze in a large bowl until well blended. Line a 9x5" loaf pan with heavy duty foil. Lightly press the meat mixture into the pan; push the sides of the foil up to form a collar to catch any excess grease. Mix the glaze ingredients and spread over the meatloaf. Bake at 425º 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325º and bake about 50 minutes longer or until an instant read thermometer reads between 140 and 150 degrees. Let the meatloaf rest a few minutes before slicing.

Glaze:

1/2 cup low carb ketchup

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons granular Splenda

Makes 8 servings

Can be frozen

This is another low carb favorite of mine. Sometime I substitute the chicken for TILAPIA. It's the only fish dish my mother enjoys. TRY THIS! It doesn't freeze well, but it can stay in fridge for two to three days.

TERRY'S CILANTRO CREAM CHICKEN

4 boneless chicken breasts

3 tablespoons butter

1-2 teaspoons McCormick Rotisserie Chicken seasoning *

3 ounces cream cheese, cubed

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/2 of 1 small lime

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, about 2 big handfuls

While heating the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, liberally season the chicken on both sides with the rotisserie chicken seasoning. Don't bother measuring the seasoning, just use as much as necessary. Brown the chicken on both sides in the hot butter. Remove the chicken from the pan. Add the cream cheese and cream to the drippings in the skillet. Over low heat, whisk to blend well as the cream cheese melts. Whisk in the lime juice and stir in the cilantro. Return the chicken to the pan; cover and simmer 15 minutes, turning after about 7 minutes. When chicken is cooked through, place on serving plates and pour about 1/4 cup of the sauce over each serving. The sauce doesn't reheat well

- but the taste is still fantastic!

I had a 7 oz 4% grilled hamburger with a roasted green chili(and cheese) on it for dinner. You can have many salads with olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinaigrette. Roasted chicken from the grocery store(Costco's is great). Steak, ham, pork chops, salmon, halibut, tuna fish salad. Bacon, turkey sausage, omelets, shrimp.

Google low carb recipes and you'll find 34 million results. Eating low carb is super easy and it really works.

tmf

Thank you all! These ideas should get me through two weeks!