Tasty, clean meals

[AngelaP]

For the educated crowd.....Dinner time is my diet downfall. I come home stressed and exhausted from work, in no mood to cook, and I usually reach for the first quick thing for dinner and 99% of the time, its not anything "good for me."

What is your favorite clean meal that would be easy to make?

:9

 

[boydjess]

I have posted several recipes at http://www.fitnessvideofanatics.com/recipes/keep.fit
I am not sure if they would meet your needs but it would be worth it to check it out. I am anxious to hear what others have to say as well. I am always looking for new things to try out. I am home with two young kids and dinner time ALWAYS seems to be crazy around here. I would love more ideas that are easy.

 

[nancy324]

Angela-

I hear you loud and clear!!

I've been on these message boards now for a while and I've learned a lot, but still don't know what "clean eating" is.

I just keep my fridge stocked with those bags of fresh salad that you buy in the store and add canned tuna or those handy Perdue bags of chicken to the salad. Sometimes I add Goya beans or extra vegetables like mushrooms,peas, radishes, scallions, carrots, olives or anything else I'm in the mood for if I feel like taking a few extra minutes and adding them to the salad.

I can eat salad 6 nights a week and never get tired of it. I have no idea if this is clean eating or not, but it's instantaneous, requires no cooking, low-fat, nutritious, very satisfying and I love it. What else is there?

I'm editing to say: don't forget to add fresh dill!! My favorite dressing is balsamic vinegrette.

 

[juliee]

I had trouble eating nutritiously when I was juggling three jobs. When I got home, I was HUNGRY & went straight for the convenience foods. A solution that worked for me was to write down a menu so I didn't have to think when I got home. I just looked at the menu on the refrigerator door & knew what I was supposed to eat. I also got a better balance of nutrients when I planned my menus weekly.

I also found it helpful when I made batches of soup to freeze single servings in yogurt cups. Each day when I ate one, I'd move another from the freezer to the frig to thaw for the next day. Or taking a frozen one in my lunch worked when I didn't have access to a refrigerator at work; it would thaw by lunch without going bad. (By the way, my soups tend to be lentil or bean and rarely have meat, which could go bad more quickly.) If I made 2-3 batches one weekend a month, then I spent less time in the kitchen and could get some variety of flavors.

Another strategy: drinking a glass of milk (calcium bonus) gives me an instant feeling of fullness, which buys me some time to prepare a meal or stop my stomach from growling while I wait for my husband to get home.

I hope one of these ideas is something you can use!

juliee

 

[KS]

I agree with the suggestion for freezing soups. If I make up a pot of vegetarian chili, I always freeze some. Soups with potatoes in them don't work great, although you can minimize this problem by using a waxier potato such as a red one or Yukon Gold.
Another very quick and tasty meal is a pita pizza. I put a mixture of Ragu/tomato paste, oregano, and shredded mozzarella w/ some toppings such as banana pepper rings or green peppers. I also make them with fresh spinach, tomato slices, garlic powder and a few slices of swiss and some shredded mozzarella. This is very yummy, but pile on the spinach. I don't like to spend money on the pre-cleaned and chopped lettuce, but I definitely think it is worth it to get the bags of spinach that are clean. I buy bags of Pita bread cheap at my local mideastern market and freeze them.

 

[twink20164]

I am really really busy working full time and taking three classes a week. I try and prepare a weeks worth of food on Sunday so i always have food ready. My meals are pretty boring during the week but it doesen't bother me to eat the same thing everyday. I think good meals are:

chicken breast, brown rice and salad
turkey burgers
egg beaters with black beans, low fat shredded cheese and salsa in a corn tortilla (my favorite) and only like 300 calories.

Just make sure you have a protein, carb and fat at every meal.

 

[AngelaP]

Thanks to everyone for the great ideas! I'm definitely going to check out the recipes! I guess its just going to be a matter of getting organized and planning ahead. Kind of like setting up a "rotation" like we do for our workouts! :7

 

[Janick]

I work full time and have a young child home, plus a long stressful commute. I consider that we eat pretty nutritious meals 90% of the time (we rarely buy convenience food aside the occasional campbell's cream of chicken or mushroom soup as a base for recipes). The secret is planning VERY well. I think it's important to find recipes that you can quickly make during the week, and keeping anything more elaborate for weekends.

One ressource that I've found very useful as far as meal planning is the cooking books Cooking for the rushed. They are foolproof: ie anyone who's a klutz in the kitchen can cook with this book. The recipes are not always super healthy, but they are complete meals with protein, starch and vegetable. When my hubby is responsible for cooking (and he's a klutz), he always uses this book.

 

[defietz]

I have found a cookbook by pillsbury that is titled Fast & Healthy Cookbook--and its wonderful.

Lots of great, fast and easy recipes that dont require alot of strange items. I swear by it, and my family has really enjoyed them too.

Just a quick note on eating "clean"--I have found to stay to the perimiter (sp?) of your grocery store--avoid the middle if possible and if the item has a "nutritional label", chances are it should be used sparingly.

Good luck
Jayne

 

[Cruncholi]

Hi!
I always make two dishes over and over again--fahitas and stir fry. they are pretty quick and easy, not so bad for you and yummy. Here's the fahita recipie.

Fahitas

Saute a sliced onion, pepper (green, red, yellow, or orange), 3 cloves garlic, and one tablespoon chili powder in olive oil.

Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of prepared salsa, pre-cooked sliced chicken, beef, or shrimp (I do this ahead of time-I buy a big package of chicken or beef and cook it all on my GF Grill, then slice and freeze until you need it), a can of any kind of beans you like, and a 1/2 to 3/4 cup of precooked brown rice (again, I make a batch in my rice cooker and save the leftovers).

Place some low-fat sour cream and shredded cheese in a whole wheat tortilla shell, fill will the mixture, and roll it up--then EAT. Yum.