Favorite healthy foods?

raelionheart

I'm always interested in the idea of eating healthier, but I don't know how to prepare tasty and nutritious meals.  I want to know what your "go-to" healthy meals and snacks are.  What do you keep on hand at home to make sure there's always something good to eat?

Sometimes I read fitness blogs and they talk about all these crazy foods they eat, some of this stuff I've never even heard of and would not know where to buy it.

anna.oskar

Here are the meals and snacks that I can always whip up as i keep the supplies on hand.

Grilled sirloin (i marinate a bunch of different ways)
Grilled chicken breasts (preferred with a soy-garlic, or BBQ marinade)
Oven "fried" cod (faux fried in the oven)
Ground turkey for burgers.

roasted, grilled, or steamed veggies (potatoes, carrots, corn, broccoli, beans)
steamed rice, quinoa, or a blend of both

berries (for use in smoothies, on cereal, in oatmeal, or just to eat)
apples and citrus (clementines and grapefruit)
spinach (for in smoothies, added to sauces, or in a salad)
cottage cheese
yogurt
oatmeal
egg beaters (for pancakes, scrambles, fried whites, waffles, egg bakes)
cheese

J&K10910

Chicken breast, extra lean ground beef or sirloin, fish, fresh and frozen veggies (carrots, spinach, green leaf lettuce, tomatos, cucumber, potatoes, whatever you like) fruits (apples, oranges, clementines, bananas, pineapple, etc), avocado, nuts, nut butter (peanut butter, almond butter), oats, brown rice, greek yogurt, honey, tea.

You don't need expensive, hard to find, fancy food like you're reading about.

ShelbyGT21

Ditto what PP's said. All great advice. My little trick lately, beacuse I'm bad at making healthier choices over sweets, is when the clementines are on sale, lately for 4.99 a box around here, I'll buy a couple and snack on those. They last me forever!

raelionheart

Thanks ladies.  It's rough because I'm usually all by myself which means I don't always feel motivated to cook a whole meal and also means that if I buy too much fresh food it may spoil before I can finish it.

I think I'll start by buying small amounts of fruit and veggies at a time.  I pass a grocery store every day on the way home from work, so I can also pick up more.  I don't know when I got to be such a picky eater.

J&K10910

An awesome solution to living alone is to cook things that can be frozen in larger quantities.  Freeze a bunch right away, then you don't waste, and you'll quick, easy, healthy meals in the freezer when you don't feel like cooking.

Or, what I did a lot when I was living alone was cook up a bunch of chicken breasts on the weekend, and use them throughout the week for salads, wraps, on their own qith some quick steamed veggies or a baked potato on the side, etc.  But I can eat the same thing over and over without getting bored with it, so you might not be like me in that respect.

enewsome2

I usually roast a whole chicken in the crockpot on Monday, and use the leftovers for salads and sandwiches throughout the week.

Also, smoothies are yummy and healthy. I make a "green smoothie" with froz mango, peach, banana & spinach. I know it sounds gross, but it is really good! Just add a bit of water, juice, or soymilk and blend.

Fancy foods are overated. It is impossible for most people to afford or find those things. For me, the most important thing is to make healthier eating more "convenient" or I'll stray... lol

lsvensson

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_getting-shape_favorite-healthy-foods?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:238Discussion:b98e6078-2bd0-4f78-a307-45e034e68fe8Post:75fa5aae-0a51-4f2e-a0bb-04ba33277ff4">Re: Favorite healthy foods?</a>:
[QUOTE]A<strong>n awesome solution to living alone is to cook things that can be frozen in larger quantities.  Freeze a bunch right away, then you don't waste, and you'll quick, easy, healthy meals in the freezer when you don't feel like cooking. </strong>Or, what I did a lot when I was living alone was cook up a bunch of chicken breasts on the weekend, and use them throughout the week for salads, wraps, on their own qith some quick steamed veggies or a baked potato on the side, etc.  But I can eat the same thing over and over without getting bored with it, so you might not be like me in that respect.
Posted by J&K10910[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>Two works: crock pot (or maybe that's one word, but still...).  You can make a ton of great things in a crock pot/slow cooker and them freeze them in portions for the week.  Invest in a good set of microwave/freezer safe food storage containers.  I like the Rubbermaid Premier series, and I honestly think that having them allows me to eat better because I can store so many portion-controlled packages of the food I make.</div><div>
</div><div>Also, I have a ton of favorite healthy foods that PPs mentioned, so in the meantime I'll share my two new discoveries this week: quinoa with spinach and feta (I added a bunch of onions too-- you could add chicken for some extra protein--recipe <a href="http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=319999" rel="nofollow">here</a>) and multi-grain Wasa crackers.  The latter of which really tastes like cardboard, but gives me something to alleviate my oral fixation I get midway through the afternoon when I start getting bored at work.</div><div>
</div><div>Hm, maybe I didn't really "sell" that last recommendation, but try them, they're good for a snack.

</div>

sarita86

Have you tried Cauliflower crust pizza? I know it sounds crazy but definitely hits the spot when your in the mood for a pizza. Choose more veggies for toppings and it's amazing! I love it. 

entropicbeauty

I always have veggies around the house so I'm reminded to eat them (I hate letting food spoil so I am of the mindset "Have to eat the broccoli before it goes bad!"), and I think the biggest thing is just cooking as often as possible.

I like what PP said about making enough for the week and freezing portions. FI and I do this sometimes when we cook a big meal like a stew or soup that has like 10 portions to it to begin with.

For snacks, I keep lower calorie granola bars (usually protein enriched) and yogurt in my apartment at all times because they are not only portion controlled but also mildly healthy for me.

RussoWill

Every day for lunch I have
http://www.food.com/recipe/italian-lentil-and-barley-soup-81047

don't feel pressured to eat all fresh veggies- you can get the same nutritional benefits from frozen- and they're usually cheaper!
Frozen stiry fry veggies with cut up chicken breast (20 minutes tops to cook, just dump it all in and add seasonings)
1 bag frozen mixed veggies, 1 can reduced fat cream of ___, 1 diced potato, 1 diced onion, 2 cubed chcken breasts , seasoning, cover with unrolled crescent rolls (can do reduced fat). Bake at 375 for 50 min. Easy chicken pot pie- lunch/ dinner for a few day.

buy whichever fruits are in season/ on sale. Cut up/ prepare veggies as soon as you get home from the store so they are ready to go when you need a snack. Carrots, cauliflower, snap peas, broccoli, and bell peppers are all great with hummus

You don't have to eat expensive foods to eat healthy foods. Hope this helps!

calliopeia2013

I always keep the following staples in the kitchen:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the freezer
Low-mercury fish (trout, tilapia, etc.) in the freezer
brown rice, quinoa, and sweet potatoes for starches

I also buy whatever lean beef or pork sorts of things are on sale at the grocery.

I try and keep fresh veggies around that can be mixed with any of them- spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes in season, broccoli, etc.  And salad greens of some sort.

And then I always try to have fresh fruit, lowfat cheese, and protein-y nuts (almonds, pistachios) around for snacking if I get hungry between meals.  Oatmeal, quinoa, or greek yogurt for breakfast, or just a piece of fruit.

Also, thanks lsvensson for the quinoa recipe you posted above- I just bought a HUGE bag of it at Costco and and am now looking for new recipes to try.  And that one looks delicious!!! 

brij2006

Here are my go-to meals for each meal. Also, keep in mind to prep things on the weekends, and plan your meals out. It helps you to be accountable.  I also live by the Biggest Loser recipe cookbooks. Especially when I lived by myself. Almost all of them have recipes for 1-2 servings, and they also have a cookbook for individuals that is very helpful!

Breakfast:
Option #1: Whole wheat english muffin with sausage patty or turkey bacon, and 1 egg white pan fried (no butter). I make the bacon or sausage on Sunday so I can pull it out of the fridge and heat it up throughout the week. The egg white takes about 2 minutes in a pan, and I toast the English muffin.

Option #2: Honey Bunches of Oats  or Kashi Go Lean cereal. Yeah, there are some mornings I'm just not going to make it out the door in time. These are good quick ones that still keep you feeling full for a long time.

Lunch:
Option #1: Soup and salad! I like something warm for lunch, but don't want to eat a whole meal at my desk. Soup: Campbells Select Harvest soup. Salad: Anything I throw together, with 1 Tbsp of dressing. Sometimes I will even do regular dressing, because I hate the tartness of fat free. Load it up with some yummy veggies, and you won't dread eating it.

Option #2: Wrap. Cook up some marinated chicken breasts at the beginning of the week, and pre-slice them so you can easily put this together for lunch.  Load it up with some vegetables, and my newest favorite is to put sliced avacado on it to give moisture.

Mid-afternoon snack: Orange or snack bag of light butter popcorn.

Dinner:
Option #1: Stir-Fry. I buy the frozen bag of stir-fry veggies with sauce at Aldi's. Then add a chicken breast or 2, and saute it. I do not add any oil to this, and cook it in my non-stick pan so I don't have to. This will also double as lunches for a few days or dinner a couple of nights in 1 week.

Option #2: Chicken Parmesan. Bake 1 chicken breast in the oven with a little bit of Mrs. Dash chicken seasoning. Then towards the last 5 minutes of cooking, spread a little bit of marinara sauce on top of it, and top it with a slice of mozarella cheese.  Serve over whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce (I make the bIggest loser Main Event Marinara sauce). Very low in sodium, and loaded with flavor.

Also buy some veggies and pre-cut them and place them into snack bags. I keep 2 baggies of carrots and celery with hummus in the fridge at work in case I'm having a snack attack. I will also keep these in my fridge at home in case we're running around at night and won't have dinner till late. Raw green beans have also become a new favorite too. They are sweet and crunchy.

Hope this helps.

raelionheart

Haha, right....planning.  That's what I really should do.  I've always had the bad habit of eating whatever I feel like whenever I feel like.  I wait until I'm really hungry before deciding what to make.  And if I don't see something in the cupboard that looks appetizing I just won't eat until I find something I like.

I've actually thought of cooking up chicken breast ahead of time for the week.  Don't know why I never kept it up.  I better get to the grocery store.

lls31

For breakfast, I usually go with oatmeal because it's quick and easy.

For lunch, I like hummus.  I put it on a whole grain deli flat - sometimes by itself, sometimes with cucumbers or roasted red peppers.

For dinner, I usually stick with chicken of some sort (usually marinated and baked, sometimes in a crock pot with vegetable broth and some veggies).  Chicken is my entree of choice because there are so many ways you can cook it and so many ways you can eat the leftovers.  If we decide to have a taco night, I'll use ground chicken in place of ground beef (ground turkey is also a great alternative to ground beef but I don't eat turkey).  I love veggies, so I make a lot of those as well (usually steamed).  Also, brown rice.  Nothing particularly exciting, but it's all very easy to make.  I also love salmon and tilapia, but I haven't yet mastered the art of cooking it.  

On nights I decide to get fancy, I have several Ellie Krieger cookbooks that I absolutely love.  I've tried many of her recipes and haven't yet found one that I didn't like.  There is a snow pea and radish salad in one of her cookbooks that I LOVE.

For snacks, I like carrots with a little bit of low fat dip just to give it a little flavor.  I also keep a box of Wheat Thins in my desk at work.  Fruit is always a good choice as well.

We don't keep any junk food in the house.  I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but ice cream is my weakness.  If we had it in our freezer, I would eat it every day.  We also don't keep any soda in the house.

I also don't use butter or mayo on anything, and I also very rarely use cheese.  I think this is more of a personal preference than a healthy eating choice though.