I'm in a rut with food -- sick of things I've been eating, but not sure where to begin with finding other things that I'll like, are healthy, and will agree with my stomach.

I'm cleared for all foods as long as my stomach agrees with them, but I'm trying to avoid white carbs like pasta, rice, and bread (though I will do 100% whole wheat toast now, since it no longer makes me sick, and I've been using FlatOut Light wraps ocassionally). Haven't tried 100%WW pasta yet, because pasta was one of my go-to foods for overeating before, so I'm trying to avoid it as long as I can (though I'm craving it something fierce).

The main problem is that I'm a picky eater. Always have been.

Things I like (among others): chicken, bacon, sausage, turkey, ground beef, ham, tuna, catfish, most fruit, many veggies, corn, potatoes, pasta, sweets (also avoiding other than SF stuff like pudding or protein cheesecakes)

Things I don't (the part that makes this difficult): eggs, steak, most other fish/seafood, mushrooms, onions (I don't mind them if they're cooked in something), peppers, peas

Another problem is money/food waste. I'm on a tight budget, so I'm hesitant to make something new and end up not liking it, thereby wasting money and ingredients on it. I also don't want to make huge batches of things; our deep freezer is already jam-packed full (of mostly things I can't eat -- I live with my mother and sister, who don't eat healthily at all), so I don't really have a lot of room to freeze/save extras. It's also a pain to put a ton of time and effort into making something elaborate when I can only eat a tiny bit of it (though I would do it if it was something I wanted badly enough), especially if it's not something that is good leftover.

As it is, I've been eating a lot of chicken prepared various ways and relying on protein shakes/drinks/bars to get in a good chunk of my protein, which I know is far from ideal.

Any suggestions for recipes that only make a little bit (or are easily scaleable), are fairly easy and inexpensive, and don't rely on eggs? I can eat up to 3/4 of a cup at this stage (in theory, though usually it's closer to 1/2 cup).

Edited April 9, 20188 yr by istytehcrawk

Pinterest is your friend.

But honestly at 1/2c food per meal...what's in a meal? LOL.

I make a grilled protein (fish, chicken, pork) or ground turkey or ground turkey Italian sausage or chicken sausage for 1.75-2oz per meal.

I make a steamed veg and have 0.5oz per meal (and eat the rest for leftovers).

I slice 0.5oz avocado and 0.5oz grape tomato.

LOL.

Meal done with leftovers enough for at least 3-4 meals (and that's just from one chicken breast or big piece of fish) *snort*

I figure I will do that until I'm sick of it and have hopefully lost a crap ton of weight. Once I can have more volume, then I will get tricky with salads and more variety. Right now it's definitely KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) and make it to the "finish line" as quickly as possible without the scenic road trip.

Edited April 9, 20188 yr by FluffyChix

I get what you mean about not bothering to change things up too much or making complex meals when we're eating such small amounts, but I've found that without variety, my brain starts craving things I definitely shouldn't have (like mac and cheese or pizza or a grilled cheese sandwich or brownies or a quesarito from Taco Bell), and I want to avoid that, because I know myself and that's a slippery slope.

This isn't really a recipe, but I've been mixing it up with Stouffers Fit Kitchen microwave meals (they are mostly protein and not super high in sodium) and I get at least two meals out of them. From a cost perspective when they are on sale that turns into ~$1.50 a meal. Plus the knowledge that this is portioned (at least for me) as two meals makes it easier to make sure I don't have too much food available for grazing.

3 minutes ago, aNYCdb said:

This isn't really a recipe, but I've been mixing it up with Stouffers Fit Kitchen microwave meals (they are mostly Protein and not super high in sodium) and I get at least two meals out of them. From a cost perspective when they are on sale that turns into ~$1.50 a meal. Plus the knowledge that this is portioned (at least for me) as two meals makes it easier to make sure I don't have too much food available for grazing.

That's a good idea! I liked some of those before surgery, but they completely slipped my mind as a post-surgery option. Thanks!

28 minutes ago, istytehcrawk said:

I get what you mean about not bothering to change things up too much or making complex meals when we're eating such small amounts, but I've found that without variety, my brain starts craving things I definitely shouldn't have (like mac and cheese or pizza or a grilled cheese sandwich or brownies or a quesarito from Taco Bell), and I want to avoid that, because I know myself and that's a slippery slope.

Hahahaha! I get ya! I get ya! I definitely had to keep home girl down on the farm this weekend cuz I was "having ideas" and "notions." LOL

So ok, if I can't wrangle those ideas. I have plans for them!

Mac n cheese (old)>>sub with cauliflower mac n cheese. For cheese sauce, I cheat (cuz again, we're talking 1/2c totes vol.) and use Tostitos Queso in a jar or anything that is around 2-3g carbs and less than 50 cals per 2-4 tbsp serving. I also can deal with the Classico Lite Asiago Romano Alfredo and use grated parmesan to make an "Italian" version of that.

Pizza (old)>>carb balance or carb sense flour tortilla nuked on a paper towel until very crisp. Top with grated part skim mozz or red fat Sargento's Italian blend and your fave pizza topping. Put under toaster oven until brown and bubbly. Cut into 1/4s and enjoy a whole 1/4 slice ( LOL )

Quesarito (old) Now you're talking real ass work here girl! - So I'd do this only when you have appropriate leftovers: ground taco meat and cooked and seasoned cauli rice. Then I would just make a quesadilla using the carb sense tortilla and fill it with your favorite stuff from the TB version and use the Tostito's Queso and get some TB Hot Sauce from the store. Done! Boom baby! Craving extinguished. Enjoy both bites. hahahahahaaha!

Grilled Cheese Sandwich (old) Use Sarah Lee red carb/cal bread of some other kind. Not really sure what they are since it's been years since I've had them. OR you can use parm, pork rinds, and almond flour to bread slices of zucchini. Spray with olive oil spray. Bake until golden on each side. Top half with part skim mozz and let it melt. Top with the second slice. And serve with a side of the lowest carb/cal marinara! Here's my Fluffy Chix Cook link: http://fluffychixcook.com/crunchy-low-carb-fried-zucchini-grilled-cheese-gluten-free/

Brownies, go to the recipe section and see all the molten choco cake recipes using protein powder, coco, egg whites and Greek yogurt. They nuke in about 40 seconds.

Edited April 9, 20188 yr by FluffyChix

I just saw a recipe today. That looked good. Take chicken tenders with a sliver of cheese and wrap in a slice of bacon. Bake at 350 for 13/14 minutes. Can also use a tomato based dipping sauce if desired.

11 minutes ago, aNYCdb said:

This isn't really a recipe, but I've been mixing it up with Stouffers Fit Kitchen microwave meals (they are mostly Protein and not super high in sodium) and I get at least two meals out of them. From a cost perspective when they are on sale that turns into ~$1.50 a meal. Plus the knowledge that this is portioned (at least for me) as two meals makes it easier to make sure I don't have too much food available for grazing.

That's a great idea!

Even Weight Watcher's and Atkins would have frozen pizza entrees too!

Those are some great ideas, @FluffyChix!

1 minute ago, FluffyChix said:

That's a great idea!

Even Weight Watcher's and Atkins would have frozen pizza Entrees too!

That's a good point I've been using these because I've eaten them before, but I should also look at other brands that are high protein (I would stay away from the WW meals because of the sodium). Has anyone tried the south beach diet meals sold in the supermarket?

Hahaha. This ain't my first rodeo. I've been doing low carb versions of high carb yummy crap for about 18 years.

Oh on the brownies, you can also go buy Quest Protein Bars, cut them into 8 tiny pieces and bake them as cookies. Eat 1 or 2 with a glass of Fairlife milk. You can get choco mint, choco chip, etc. That way you control portions by only baking 1 or 2 at a time.

Just now, aNYCdb said:

That's a good point I've been using these because I've eaten them before, but I should also look at other brands that are high Protein (I would stay away from the WW meals because of the sodium). Has anyone tried the south beach diet meals sold in the supermarket?

Oh wow! Didn't know about the sodium. I never buy that stuff, but as I walk down the isle the names sound very compelling. Almost come-hither! bahahahaaha

3 minutes ago, FluffyChix said:

Oh on the brownies, you can also go buy Quest Protein Bars, cut them into 8 tiny pieces and bake them as Cookies. Eat 1 or 2 with a glass of Fairlife milk. You can get choco mint, choco chip, etc. That way you control portions by only baking 1 or 2 at a time.

I did that occasionally before surgery. Some of the flavors definitely work better than others, but it's been long enough that I don't remember which ones were best, lol.

1 minute ago, istytehcrawk said:

I did that occasionally before surgery. Some of the flavors definitely work better than others, but it's been long enough that I don't remember which ones were best, lol.

Haha me either! I think I may have liked the mint choco and choco chip and Mr. F. only really liked mint brownie? But Atkins has protein bars I'm sure one is brownie, that you could cut into 1 or 2 bite size portions and eat with a glass of Fairlife?

2 hours ago, istytehcrawk said:

I'm in a rut with food -- sick of things I've been eating, but not sure where to begin with finding other things that I'll like, are healthy, and will agree with my stomach.

I'm cleared for all foods as long as my stomach agrees with them, but I'm trying to avoid white carbs like Pasta, rice, and bread (though I will do 100% whole wheat toast now, since it no longer makes me sick, and I've been using FlatOut Light wraps ocassionally). Haven't tried 100%WW pasta yet, because pasta was one of my go-to foods for overeating before, so I'm trying to avoid it as long as I can (though I'm craving it something fierce).

The main problem is that I'm a picky eater. Always have been.

Things I like (among others): chicken, bacon, sausage, turkey, ground beef, ham, tuna, catfish, most fruit, many veggies, corn, potatoes, pasta, sweets (also avoiding other than SF stuff like pudding or Protein cheesecakes)

Things I don't (the part that makes this difficult): eggs, steak, most other fish/seafood, mushrooms, onions (I don't mind them if they're cooked in something), peppers, peas

Another problem is money/food waste. I'm on a tight budget, so I'm hesitant to make something new and end up not liking it, thereby wasting money and ingredients on it. I also don't want to make huge batches of things; our deep freezer is already jam-packed full (of mostly things I can't eat -- I live with my mother and sister, who don't eat healthily at all), so I don't really have a lot of room to freeze/save extras. It's also a pain to put a ton of time and effort into making something elaborate when I can only eat a tiny bit of it (though I would do it if it was something I wanted badly enough), especially if it's not something that is good leftover.

As it is, I've been eating a lot of chicken prepared various ways and relying on protein shakes/drinks/bars to get in a good chunk of my protein, which I know is far from ideal.

Any suggestions for recipes that only make a little bit (or are easily scaleable), are fairly easy and inexpensive, and don't rely on eggs? I can eat up to 3/4 of a cup at this stage (in theory, though usually it's closer to 1/2 cup).

Check my Instagram!

my_tiny_healthy_plate

This post is my life. I just have literally no space to store anything in my freezer but I was also realllly bored with my food. Here’s what I’ve been digging lately:

Ground turkey taco meat with reduced fat cheese and light sour cream — I can get 6 little meals out of one pack of turkey so I’ll eat that for two or three days. (Maybe my favorite meal right now)

Teriyaki chicken and broccoli stir fry, easy peasy and I used .75lbs of chicken. Made six little meals again but that’s easily doable before it goes bad in the refrigerator.

Turkey and bean chili, like 120 calories per serving and sooo protein dense and filling. This one did make a lot. I ended up making room to freeze about half but I just threw out some Halo top ice cream that I didn’t ACTUALLY need.

I keep thin sliced deli meat and have that often with a reduced fat cheese stick or pickles or sometimes both depending on my mood. This is a go to for me that’s easy, takes up minimal space, and you can buy as little or as much meat as you’d like at the deli.

Chicken crust pizza is also my jam. I think I probably make this once a week. It does have an egg mixed into the crust but it’s incredibly protein dense and soooo yummy. One pizza makes three meals for me and I love it hot or cold. If you don’t mind eggs mixed in, I definitely recommend! (10.5 oz canned chicken, 1 egg, 1 oz Parmesan cheese for the crust and then whatever toppings you love)

I find that I was the most frustrated when I was just tired of boring/bland food so I went to multiple grocery stores, looked at sauces and spices available that were relatively low in carbs/fat/calories and then bought a slew of them to spice up what would otherwise be fairly boring food.

I am still constantly working towards my perfect foods. I have definitely wasted my fair share of money as I moved away from liquids to solid food trying to figure it all out but these are the things that have worked best for me so far! You’ll see, I don’t eat a lot of veggies just yet but I’m eight weeks (almost nine) out and I just find that I don’t have the room for them when I could eat something with protein to get me closer to my daily goal!