with this new way of life.

TIA

I have several different varieties of Beans (canned and dry) in my pantry such as garbanzo, kidney, black and pinto beans. They are a great source of Protein and Fiber. I throw then in salads or Soups.

I always have fat free milk, fat free greek style yogurt and low fat cottage cheese in my fridge. Great source of protein and Calcium.

I always have chicken and fish packaged in individual size portions in my freezer (I use a foodsaver to package all my frozen foods). I just pull out a piece of chicken or fish in the morning from the freezer and thaw it in the fridge. It's ready to grill or bake when I get home from work.

I carry a snack size bag of almonds in my purse whenever I am out running errands so I can snack on a few if I get hungry (instead of pulling into a drive-thru and ordering something I will regret later on) :smile:

I have several different varieties of Beans (canned and dry) in my pantry such as garbanzo, kidney, black and pinto beans. They are a great source of Protein and fiber. I throw then in salads or soups.

I always have fat free milk, fat free greek style yogurt and low fat cottage cheese in my fridge. Great source of protein and calcium.

I always have chicken and fish packaged in individual size portions in my freezer (I use a foodsaver to package all my frozen foods). I just pull out a piece of chicken or fish in the morning from the freezer and thaw it in the fridge. It's ready to grill or bake when I get home from work.

I carry a snack size bag of almonds in my purse whenever I am out running errands so I can snack on a few if I get hungry (instead of pulling into a drive-thru and ordering something I will regret later on) :smile:

So no problem with almonds huh? That's great. I can't wait to have my walnuts again.

Fish and chicken Breasts (I grill a bunch in the weekend and freeze small portions for the week)

Beans all kinds

Flavored Tuna (very convenient for a quick lunch)

Protein shakes

Frozen Veggies (indvidual serve steamers are great)

Egg Beaters (High protein no cholesterol)

FF Ham, LF cheese (to doctor up and add protein to the egg beaters)

Canned chili (satisfying convenient protein source and blends well for mushies after a fill)

SF Popsicles and Fudgsicles (satisfy the occasional sweet tooth)

How are you doing Sandra?

Steel Cut Oats...processed less than any other form of oats makes them a power food!

Wild Salmon and a good Foodsavor vacuum sealing machine!

Psyllium Seed Husk for Fiber.

Breakfast, I do a Protein smoothie every day.

1 cup milk, or soy milk, 1 scoop Protein powder, some fresh berries, ice cubes, throw all in the blender! Voila! Delicious.

Lunch: HUUUUUUGE lettuce salad with tons of raw veggies on it. I may even take an hour to eat it.

I swear by Miralax. So many people deal with constipation from the limited amount of food we eat. 1 scoop of it in my morning coffee keeps everything moving normal.

Snacks: apple, 1 of those BIG jumbo pickles, Protein Bar, 1 Carbmaster brand yogart (12 grams protein in it)

My standard fare includes: lowfat cottage cheese in the snack size cups for work. Bumblebee lemon pepper tuna. Seafood. Fresh fruit. cheese, frozen veggies, 1% milk, and salad stuff.

I always have chicken and fish packaged in individual size portions in my freezer (I use a foodsaver to package all my frozen foods). I just pull out a piece of chicken or fish in the morning from the freezer and thaw it in the fridge. It's ready to grill or bake when I get home from work.

Do you weigh your fish? And what piece of chicken do you use for yourself? I really like skinless chicken breast, but I am afraid that will cook too dry.

Fish and chicken Breasts (I grill a bunch in the weekend and freeze small portions for the week)

How do you reheat them once they are thawed to keep them from being too stringy or dry?

Do you weigh your fish? And what piece of chicken do you use for yourself? I really like skinless chicken breast, but I am afraid that will cook too dry.

You can get chicken breasts (Boneless/skinless) that have chicken broth added to them that will not cook up dry at all. I have seen them at Meijer, Kroger and Aldie's (In the US) they aren't packaged like your usual meats they usually come in large ziplock(resealable) bags. and have 6-8 pieces in them.

Not sure if you can find the broth added in the meat counter but it sure would be work looking or asking about.

I can handle the Boneless/Skinless chicken breasts as long as I don't overcook them. Chicken Breast Tenders are fantastic too...they turn out super moist and tender no matter how you cook them. Bonless/Skinless chicken thighs are good too.

I heat them in the microwave on a plate with a casserole lid or a Soup bowl on top to keep the steam in. If necessary, I add chicken broth.

Great thread!! I'm subscribing so I'll have lots of great ideas for when I'm banded.... 5 weeks from today!! =)

You can get chicken breasts (Boneless/skinless) that have chicken broth added to them that will not cook up dry at all. I have seen them at Meijer, Kroger and Aldie's (In the US) they aren't packaged like your usual meats they usually come in large ziplock(resealable) bags. and have 6-8 pieces in them.

Not sure if you can find the broth added in the meat counter but it sure would be work looking or asking about.

I have seen those before. I haven't tried to cook them without some type of sauce on top so I wasn't sure if they would be dry. Thanks for the info.

I can handle the Boneless/Skinless chicken breasts as long as I don't overcook them. Chicken Breast Tenders are fantastic too...they turn out super moist and tender no matter how you cook them. Bonless/Skinless chicken thighs are good too.

I heat them in the microwave on a plate with a casserole lid or a soup bowl on top to keep the steam in. If necessary, I add chicken broth.

I had never thought to try some type of lid in the microwave. I had basically just not been reheating meat in the microwave. I have been eating it room temperature or not eating left overs at all. I am having my band placed VERY soon and have been making my shopping list.

Thanks to both of you for answering my questions.

some of my staples:

FF refried beans

hummus

fresh & frozen veggies

edamame

greek yogurt

cheese - any kind

raw nuts

ostrich jerkee

frozen fish/shrimp

chicken - always for salad or as a meal

brown rice

peanut butter

bananas / fresh fruit

whole grain bread/pasta

Another great way to reheat meat is to wrap in a wet paper towel and micro for a min or so depend on the size and thickness but you can always add more time. I do this all the time.

Do you weigh your fish? And what piece of chicken do you use for yourself? I really like skinless chicken breast, but I am afraid that will cook too dry.

I normally buy wild caught sockeye salmon from costco. It comes already cut up in 5-6 oz portions. When I cook it up I only eat half of the portion for that meal and save the rest for lunch or dinner the next day.

I buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts and haven't had a problem yet with it being too dry. Since being banded I marinade my chicken breast in a little olive oil, lemon juice or balsamic vinegar and spices. That keeps the chicken from drying out when I cook it on my gril panl. I also buy rotisserie chicken which is moist, easy and convenient.