:thumbup:

I'd love to share some of the staple dishes that are helping you out there that are in the same boat as myself.

What I'm looking for is ideas of meals, and trust me I know everyone is different, but I'd like to know sample breakfasts lunches and dinners that are working good for everyone!

I'm a guy, and need to lose in the neighborhood of 250-275 lbs.

I've been on the trail for about 5.5 months, and am down about 65 lbs. I'm good with that, and have recently started an exercise regimine due to less stress on my back and knees from dropping the first 65 lbs. (started over 500 lbs)

I'll start with a couple examples that work good for ME, hopefully someone else will try them and get a good meal that works for them.

Breakfasts:

Not so hard, I can eat very little in the morning because the band is quite TIGHT.

I have found a 1 egg "omelette" works great.

I add onions and mushrooms for low caloric fillers, and ONE HALF piece of cheese. If i use a whole piece, it clumps and gets stuck! 1/2 a piece of cheese adds flavor and works.

Also, I boil eggs a dozen at a time and keep them in my fridge. In a pinch, so I have a good Protein rich start to my day I grab TWO Eggs and have hard boiled EGG WHITES w/ a lil salt and pepper for Breakfast. Very satisfying for me :-)

Lunches:

I've personally settled on the following:

Small dollar store bought premade Tuna and Chix salad meals. Less than 260 calories, they go down well for me and offer a decent mix of calories vs protein fat and carbs. (not a prot fat carb counter, but I know how to read a label)

Half turkey sandwich with light mayo w/onion and pickles. Just a half, then I can add a yogurt or something to get in some dairy with healthy carbs to add to my diet.

Dinner:

By far the most successful, considering everything to do with the lapband..

Fish and Veggies... since I'm eating small portions, a little butter is used because the fat is needed in your diet and the calories/flavor factor is a GREAT no brainer. Just don't go nuts, that should go without saying.

The fish I cook Blackened!! Its great, and fish is by far the BEST healthy food for making me feel full. Zatarins makes one of the best sprinkle on blackened seasons out there, and you can get it to stick without the butter (fat free Pam) if you so desire!

Another Dinner:

Comes from the "mushy" stage of the lapband process

I still love Fat Free refried Beans mixed with my favorite salsa and a dollup of FULL FAT sour cream to bring it together. Again the fat vs Flavor benefit that using full fat sour cream adds to this dish is WELL WoRTH IT guys!

Those are my best "luck" foods with the lapband, I really hope there are people out there who will share.

I have other Ideas, but if we all post then we can get some good ideas that I'll be we aren't thinking about.

My favorite breakfast:

Cream of wheat with Almond butter (a spoonful) and sliced banana (about 1/3rd of a banana cut into pieces)

If it's too thick, I add some almond milk or just some extra Water.

It keeps me full and tastes so damn good! Just for reference, I've tried alternating in oatmeal and Peanut Butter - just not the same, honestly.

My pretty usual dinner is stir fry (sort of):

Basically I just cook up some tofu or fish (I find them so much easier to cook than chicken for some reason) - Tilapia's my favorite - along with veggies (my usuals are broccoli, onion, mushrooms, and sprouts). Sometimes I'll add Beans in the mix - love butter beans.

I start cooking the tofu a bit earlier than the veggies, with a bit of olive oil. When I add the veggies, I splash in some chicken broth and some water so everything's moist and tasty.

My favorite seasoning for almost anything I make is lemon and garlic, so I use that for flavoring instead of soy sauce or teriyaki. Garlic while I'm cooking, squeezed lemon once it's on the plate. If I'm inclined, sometimes I shave some parmesan on top for a little extra flavor.

Other things I enjoy:

I love lentil Soup. Heat up a bowl with a little extra chicken broth, and throw some pieces of chicken or turkey into it. Yum.

My fav recipe (for when dinner is getting a little bland) is 3-4 chicken breasts, throw them in a crock pot. Add in 1 can of cream of chicken, 1 can of rotel. A little cilantro (sp?). Set on med hi for about 5 hrs. Serve on a bed of brown rice, yummmm!

Don't know if this would work for all banders, I know many have problems getting chicken down. But cooked this way it's very moist and easy for me!

I keep a package of turkey bacon in the refrig at work and nuke 3 strips most mornings for breakfast. I find it to be high protein, simple to cook, doesn't get stuck and tasty breakfast for me.

Low Fat Lasagna. I didn't spell that right.

Low fat ground turkey

low fat or fat free rigotta cheese

tomato sauce

fat free mozz

microwave or oven till hot

yum that is right no noodles.

My favorite meal is actually a cooking method, not a particular food -- my George Foreman Grill. Everything comes out crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. Some of my favorites are salmon, tilapia, cod, chicken, hamburgers, zucchini, broccoli, carrots. Nothing takes more than 10 minutes to cook. It's been a life-saver that's prevented more than one trip out for "fast-food" when I'm tired.

Excellent Idea, I have actually been eye balling a Foreman grill for that EXACT same reason.

No heating of the oven, no pans or anything.

Turn on grill, season stuff and forget it!

I am so glad you posted your thoughts, I appreciate it and will be picking up a Foreman grill again this evening.

thanks Mim

Some of my favs, chicken and rotel.

Crockpot huh, excellent!

This ones a definite winner!!

Frogstar

Cool, Tofu sounds interesting.

Any other Tofu recipes you have to share would also be appreciated, I've not cooked with it before and would love any tips you might have.

Thanks

If anyone has a Fresh & Easy near you, I highly recommend these items...

Pop chips (100% popped potatoe chip). Low fat, low cal, low carb for 22 of them!

Lemon Cilantro Hummus (dip the pop chips in this).

Veggie Chili (very low in fat)

chicken Tortilla Soup (very low in fat)

Veggie Samosa (the serving size for the entire package is 2...low in fat)

sugar free dark chocolate pudding... YUM!

Nosh salad (high in good fats because of the fresh coconut)

Fresh and Easy is my new best friend! There is tons more I could list here...