Lowfat meals

[marsupial]

I just got back from vacation and I don't even want to step on the scale. I was doing so well before I left, but I totally porked the whole time I was there. I need some ideas for some healthy, lowfat/lowcal meals. Ones that are quick and easy to make are preferred. I cook fairly healthy meals, in that they are balanced, contain fresh vegetables and whole grains, but they aren't always lowfat.

TIA my little fitday friends.

[il Padrino Ute]

I just got back from vacation and I don't even want to step on the scale. I was doing so well before I left, but I totally porked the whole time I was there. I need some ideas for some healthy, lowfat/lowcal meals. Ones that are quick and easy to make are preferred. I cook fairly healthy meals, in that they are balanced, contain fresh vegetables and whole grains, but they aren't always lowfat.

TIA my little fitday friends.

Black licorice has no fat.

[marsupial]

Black licorice has no fat.

And I ate plenty of it while playing Mormon bridge with the danimal clan at Lake Tahoe.

[il Padrino Ute]

And I ate plenty of it while playing Mormon bridge with the danimal clan at Lake Tahoe.

Well, in that case, you're probably ready for something else, eh?

I got nothin'. Licorice is my only suggestion.

[TripletDaddy]

I don't have any specific recipes to share, but tips that have helped me thus far:

Eat breakfast every day
Eat every few hours
Snack on fresh fruit
Drink lots of water
Abolish junk from your house. If you don't want to be tempted, don't stock candy, cookies, etc. Replace it with fruit. Learn to crave natural sugars. Pop some edamame instead of cookies.

I know these are not big secrets, but I have a feeling most people aren't doing the basics. If you are eating every few hours, you aren't going to pig out at any one meal. And if you are drinking lots of water and snacking on a few pieces of fruit a day, you will be less hungry at mealtime.

The problem with fad diets or specific recipes is that once you go somewhere (like a vacation) and don't have your recipes, you fall back into bad habits. Losing weight via proper diet is a lifestyle change. It does take some adjustment, as our bodies are used to being gorged with calories. But once you do, you are smooth sailing. You can do it!

[marsupial]

I don't have any specific recipes to share, but tips that have helped me thus far:

Eat breakfast every day
Eat every few hours
Snack on fresh fruit
Drink lots of water
Abolish junk from your house. If you don't want to be tempted, don't stock candy, cookies, etc. Replace it with fruit. Learn to crave natural sugars. Pop some edamame instead of cookies.

I know these are not big secrets, but I have a feeling most people aren't doing the basics. If you are eating every few hours, you aren't going to pig out at any one meal. And if you are drinking lots of water and snacking on a few pieces of fruit a day, you will be less hungry at mealtime.

The problem with fad diets or specific recipes is that once you go somewhere (like a vacation) and don't have your recipes, you fall back into bad habits. Losing weight via proper diet is a lifestyle change. It does take some adjustment, as our bodies are used to being gorged with calories. But once you do, you are smooth sailing. You can do it!

Thanks. I pretty much do all of the things you mentioned. But I am a social eater, so family reunions and other parties are major pitfalls. What I really want is some healthy dinner ideas.

[Solon]

Thanks. I pretty much do all of the things you mentioned. But I am a social eater, so family reunions and other parties are major pitfalls. What I really want is some healthy dinner ideas.

marsupial, your little "pity me I ate too much" plea isn't going to work on me, since I've read about your crazy workout habits. We eat a ton of vegetable salad at my house in the summertime: tomatoes, green/red/orange peppers, mushrooms, carrots, cucumbers and a tiny bit of cheese (mozzarella is best, IMO). Throw in some ham if you want a little more protein.

For dressing, a little homemade vinaigrette (heavy on the vinegar for me) and plenty of basil or whatever herbs you like sprinkled throughout.

Very few calories and very tasty, but all those fresh vegetables can get a little pricey (thank goodness for the Amish).

[cowboy]

Thanks. I pretty much do all of the things you mentioned. But I am a social eater, so family reunions and other parties are major pitfalls. What I really want is some healthy dinner ideas.

You really just need to eat more beef. Eating lean steak will take away lots of cravings and it will help me afford to pay for my daughter's braces.

[Pheidippides]

You really just need to eat more beef. Eating lean steak will take away lots of cravings and it will help me afford to pay for my daughter's braces.

Cowboy, if I have learned one thing in all my study and research into diet and nutrition, it is that a small, lean piece of beef is about as perfect as it gets. I am still a fan and will continue to pay for your family's cosmetic needs.

[cowboy]

You really just need to eat more beef. Eating lean steak will take away lots of cravings and it will help me afford to pay for my daughter's braces.

I can't believe I really wrote that.

[ERCougar]

My wife does most of the everyday cooking and has a ton of great low-fat healthy recipes. But she refuses to post here.

So I'll cover for her.
Chicken Fajitas
1-2 lbs chicken breasts (I'm sure beef would be better, but we haven't tried that yet... ). Cut in strips. Marinate in: 1/2 c italian dressing (my wife uses fat-free here and it tastes good, but I'm against fat-free italian dressing on principle), 1 T brown sugar, 1 1/2 t minced garlic, 2 t. salt, juice of 2 limes. After marinating, drain off juices and throw the strips on a hot (really hot) skillet and cook the chicken. In the meantime, cut up an onion and a bell pepper and whatever else you want to put in the mix. Remove chicken strips and cook onion and pepper. At end of cooking, re-add chicken strips, and you're done. I think it's worth the calories to eat this on the Tortillaland tortillas, but you can cut further here by eating on whole-wheat or low-carb tortillas.

www.ourbestbites.com (surfah's friend, I think) has a bunch of really good healthy recipes too. They include nutritional info on most of their recipes. Check out their white bean chicken chili and black bean soup recipes. Both really good and really healthy. Some other healthy ones we've done are the Lemon-Herb Zucchini Fettucine and Spinach-Feta Pasta. There's enough other stuff in there that the pasta's not bad and for the second one, we've used whole-wheat pasta and it still is really good.

[marsupial]

marsupial, your little "pity me I ate too much" plea isn't going to work on me, since I've read about your crazy workout habits. We eat a ton of vegetable salad at my house in the summertime: tomatoes, green/red/orange peppers, mushrooms, carrots, cucumbers and a tiny bit of cheese (mozzarella is best, IMO). Throw in some ham if you want a little more protein.

For dressing, a little homemade vinaigrette (heavy on the vinegar for me) and plenty of basil or whatever herbs you like sprinkled throughout.

Very few calories and very tasty, but all those fresh vegetables can get a little pricey (thank goodness for the Amish).

Trust me, I know how to really pack it in. I do exercise pretty hard and consistently, so that helps a little. But somewhere underneath my layers of too much ice cream and pizza is a hard little body waiting to come out.

Your salad sounds good. Thanks.

[marsupial]

My wife does most of the everyday cooking and has a ton of great low-fat healthy recipes. But she refuses to post here.

So I'll cover for her.
Chicken Fajitas
1-2 lbs chicken breasts (I'm sure beef would be better, but we haven't tried that yet... ). Cut in strips. Marinate in: 1/2 c italian dressing (my wife uses fat-free here and it tastes good, but I'm against fat-free italian dressing on principle), 1 T brown sugar, 1 1/2 t minced garlic, 2 t. salt, juice of 2 limes. After marinating, drain off juices and throw the strips on a hot (really hot) skillet and cook the chicken. In the meantime, cut up an onion and a bell pepper and whatever else you want to put in the mix. Remove chicken strips and cook onion and pepper. At end of cooking, re-add chicken strips, and you're done. I think it's worth the calories to eat this on the Tortillaland tortillas, but you can cut further here by eating on whole-wheat or low-carb tortillas.

www.ourbestbites.com (surfah's friend, I think) has a bunch of really good healthy recipes too. They include nutritional info on most of their recipes. Check out their white bean chicken chili and black bean soup recipes. Both really good and really healthy. Some other healthy ones we've done are the Lemon-Herb Zucchini Fettucine and Spinach-Feta Pasta. There's enough other stuff in there that the pasta's not bad and for the second one, we've used whole-wheat pasta and it still is really good.

Sounds yummy. I also like the site. Their steak and mango salad looks great. And it would help cowboy out with his orthodontic responsibilities.

[marsupial]

Cowboy, if I have learned one thing in all my study and research into diet and nutrition, it is that a small, lean piece of beef is about as perfect as it gets. I am still a fan and will continue to pay for your family's cosmetic needs.

Once I read in Runner's World that red meat is good for runners because we need the iron. That is my excuse every time I indulge in a good steak.