Seeing as i'm almost 1 year post op and have met my goal weight you'd think i'd know what to eat. Nope. I'm trying to stay on a budget and I'm looking for meals to cook that I can have leftovers that won't go bad. I'm so tired of wasting money bc I never get to the left overs. I'm always at work and sometimes I'm not even hungry. But I NEED to eat. I'm also a VERY picky eater which makes meals even harder for me to find. I love chicken but since getting the lapband, no matter how perfect I eat it, It never ends well for me. I just want to eat and it be quick to make and can last a while. :/ :/

Why can't you eat chicken? If you take small bites and chew to an applesauce consistency it should be OK with your band.

But, there are many recipes for chili using ground turkey or ground chicken. I also like to use chicken tenderloins and don't overcook them or they get dry. Chili made with turkey or chicken is so good. So many things you can add to it. Green chili's, southwest frozen mix with black Beans, numerous vegetables and even ground pork works.

I also buy shredded rotisserie chicken from costco. There's a lot of it so it's a good idea to break it down into 2-4 bags and just pull them out of the freezer as you need them. They make great enchiladas that will keep for up to one week. Or, chicken salad, good for 5 days. Or, chicken alfredo over spaghetti squash.

Have you given some thought to making food one day of the week, pack it in containers by portion, date & freeze. Pop in the microwave? When we fix steak, I make some rare so that when reheating, it's not over cooked. There are some precooked meats you can buy at the grocery store, bake a small sweet potato in the micro, a small ind. size veggie portion, dinner can be ready in 10 min.

Beans by themselves or in a soup, lentil soup, breakfast for dinner... Turkey or roast beef roll ups with cheese and lettuce. Just tossing out a few easy things I do for myself. When I need extra protein, a whey protein shake.

Even restaurant meals, pack leftovers in individual containers. Since you rant eating as much, splurge on better smaller cuts of meat, pork, turkey, crab, shrimp etc.. Feeling lazy, I eat a single serving container of Greek yogurt. Multi vitamin, minerals, etc.. Good luck, and happy cooking!