needing food ideas

photomeg · Tue Jul 03, 2007 11:24 pm

I went on SB two months ago, and stopped after a week and a half. I had already lost 8 pounds but I was starving. I need some ideas for foods to eat. I was eating eggs, cheese sticks, jello, turkey burgers and salads. I just couldn't eat the same things day after day after day. Excuses? Probably. But when you're someone who is overweight b/c you love food, its hard to eat the same 5 things over and over. Yes, I've read the book. But I find the recipes to be a bit much when I'm just cooking for myself. I need simple things. Any suggestions?

ladybugnessa · Tue Jul 03, 2007 11:31 pm

oh please I wish i could eat alone. I hate having to cook for a family too.

i only rotate my dinner menus but

you need more veggies than salad the veggies alone will keep it interesting

there's chicken
there's pork
there's fish
there's london broil
there's lean beef
there's tofu
so many options.

do you have a skillet
do you have a grill either indoor or outdoor
and a pot
with those things you can make anything

for example tonite i sauteed in a pan snap peas, onions red peppers mushrooms and a salmon burger... (and for P2 I added Orzo)....

oh yum! one pan and simple.

Mandy1982 · Wed Jul 04, 2007 12:15 am

I eat the same thing for breakfast everyday. 2 eggs, small low sodium V8, and coffee. I will add a slice of bacon to that occassionally but rarely.

For lunch it is either tuna with a tiny bit of mayo stuffed in 1/2 a ww pita with lettuce, tomato, onion, celery, and a side of whatever veggies I had left over from the night before -or- a large salad of mixed greens with green peppers, red onion, 10-15 dry roasted peanuts, low fat feta cheese, 1 slice of ff ham, and 2 Tbs of homemade balsamic dressing. If my husband is home and preparing lunch, I'll have an open faced cooked pastrami sandwhich on rye with lf cheese and a tiny bit of mustard.

Dinner is the meal that changes the most. Tonight we had chicken stir fry over 1/2 cup cooked brown rice. I found the stir fry sauce recipe in the food forum here. Last night was beachy chili with lf cheddar cheese and 1/2 slice if rye bread. Again I found the chili recipe on this board. The night before that was baked salmon with a huge plate of steamed plain broccoli and 1/2 cup cooked brown rice.

Snacks are easy. :)

PaigeT · Thu Jul 05, 2007 3:52 pm

I live by myself, too. The easiest thing to do is make the recipes and freeze leftovers (for much later use) or use them as lunches for the following day. I don't see how eating 1 extra day of leftovers is overkill.

Also, it's not hard to cut most recipes in half. For instance, last night I made the Shrimp & Celery Salad (from the Quick & Easy Cookbook) It called for a 1.5 pounds of shrimp, I knew I would not be eating that much of the stuff, so I halved the recipe and it came out great. I had some for dinner last night (w/RyKrisp crackers) and plan to have some tonight as well.

You have to be willing to work at it.

A-Rod · Thu Jul 05, 2007 6:16 pm

if you're going to stick with this, you're going to have to put in enough effort to create meals that you don't get sick of. "enough effort" is a relative term - depends how much variety you need.

freezing is probably a good option for you - that way you can make batches of food [less expensive] and rotate things so you don't get tired of them. things like soups and chili are good for that. i have a lot of individual-size containers that i put in the freezer and take out as needed.

switch up your salads. if you have a variety of protein sources, you can just throw in whatever sounds good. keeping cold cuts, tuna, chicken breasts, and ground turkey or beef on hand is key. keep a variety of veggies that you can eat raw in salads or for snacks with dip, stir-fry, roast, grill, etc.

if you make a few portions of dinner, you'll have leftovers throughout the week. any of the dishes in the recipe sticky or SB cookbooks are great for that. stewing something in a crockpot [lean beef or pork roast, whole chicken, etc.] and doing several variations throughout the week is good - have pulled pork one night, mexican salad for lunch the next day, and put it in stir fry another night, for example.

there are lots of options - if you're tired of eating the same thing, might just be time to get creative!

tyin'aknot · Sun Jul 08, 2007 11:51 am

Hi - Check out the book "The Carbohydrate Addict's No Cravings Cookbook" by Drs. Rachel and Richard Heller. I just discovered it from my local library, and I love it so much, I'm going to buy it and actually USE it!

It's got about 200 recipes in it, all designed for just one or two servings each. The really nice thing is the recipes are organized according to what foods you are CRAVING. So, if you are dying for some Chinese food, you'll find "Nearly Nine Dragons Lemon Shrimp" and Tibetan Stir-Fry and Citrus Salmon.

Here are all of the different cravings catagories: Barbecue Bounty, Cheese-Filled Treats, Chinese Delights, Comfort Food, Cool and Refreshing, Crunchy Satisfaction, exotic Pleasures, Hearty Feasts, Italian Indulgences, Japanese Jewels, Non-Meat Cuisin, Quick Fixes, Smooth and Creamy, Spicy Hot Satisfaction and Tangy Temptations.

All recipes are 6 grams or less carbs per serving, and require NO artifical sweetner. Although the book is not put out by SB, nearly all of the recipes seem to follow the same basics, including pushing fresh veggies and ingredients.

ladybugnessa · Sun Jul 08, 2007 12:12 pm

yes but what is the fat content?

tyin'aknot · Sun Jul 08, 2007 12:18 pm

At a glance, mostly olive oil, very little butter. Nothing with Trans fat. Check to see if your local library has this book and check it out! I tend to "collect" cookbooks more than actually use them, but this is one I want to buy to use. And I can tell by the condition of this library book, other readers actually used it too (lots of spills and marks).

ladybugnessa · Sun Jul 08, 2007 12:22 pm

maybe it's me but my red flags go up any time someone mentions low-carb or carb busters... they just are not in the true Spirit of SBD...

cheekymo · Sun Jul 08, 2007 1:15 pm

photomeg wrote: I went on SB two months ago, and stopped after a week and a half. I had already lost 8 pounds but I was starving. I need some ideas for foods to eat. I was eating eggs, cheese sticks, jello, turkey burgers and salads. I just couldn't eat the same things day after day after day. Excuses? Probably. But when you're someone who is overweight b/c you love food, its hard to eat the same 5 things over and over. Yes, I've read the book. But I find the recipes to be a bit much when I'm just cooking for myself. I need simple things. Any suggestions?

Just wanted to chime in here to the original question -

I LOVE cooking things that I can store in the fridge, and then use for lunch/dinner for the next couple of days, or freeze and use a few weeks later! It makes my life so much easier. I live by myself, have lived by myself for a few years now. I'm also a student/part-time employee/extra-curricular activities freak, so I tend to be short on time. Spending a couple of hours cooking on Sundays and getting things ready for the week is my usual routine, and really pays off - I get healthy meals all week, it's CHEAPER, it saves tons of time during the week - and best of all, it's fun! I love to cook. You might not be the same, but I think you'll find that if you try out a few new recipes, you'll really enjoy them. If you're not experienced with cooking, start with things like soups and stews, and variations on grilled meats/veggies - they are very difficult to mess up, and you can usually make substitutions pretty successfully.

You really do need to cook more to make this way of eating work for you, or be ok with being bored...I know which one I'd rather do...

alaskagrown · Tue Jul 10, 2007 3:09 am

Hey Tyin'

That cookbook sounds awesome!

I, too, am a total cookbook slut - I'll borrow ideas from just about anywhere and just tweak them to fit my WOE.

I'm going to try and find it in my library tomorrow.

Thanks :D

Dylan · Tue Jul 10, 2007 5:02 am

I was actually at a street fair this weekend and there was a booth that was giving away free used books (they had an overstock of donated books) and I picked up a copy of "The Carbohydrate Addict's Cookbook." It looks really good and easy!

Nessa, most of the recipes are definitely SB-friendly. Lots of uses of spices, vegetables, and meat (many of the meats are lean, but I plan on substituting lean meats in the veal recipes). One or two recipes call for heavy cream, but I'll just avoid those, and use LF cheese instead of the regular stuff. It definitely seems like a good cookbook for novice cooks like myself.

lovielareau · Tue Jul 10, 2007 10:34 am

you may also want to try The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less

hubby and i have been using it a lot from day 1 and everything has been delicious so far! it labels everything by phase as well, so it is easy to plan your meals out.

Smurlene · Mon Aug 06, 2007 12:50 am

I am in the process of a divorce and have been living alone for three months. While I get a little lonely once in awhile, I LOVE cooking for one. I go to the market every other day for the freshest ingredients I can find, and I love making a dish that works for 2 or more meals, so I can zap it on days that I work over or feel a little tired. Here are some examples:

I buy a three pack of chicken breasts and pan fry them in olive oil. I then serve one with dinner (veggies and a grain), cut one up into small chunks for a stir fry, and slice the other one in strips for salad. I have chicken every other day for meals.

I buy a big piece of flank steak (London broil if it is on sale) and broil it. I have a fourth of it with dinner that night (with some asparagus and maybe some penne pasta with herbs) and the other fourths: cold on a sandwhich, on top of a salad, and with green beans and sweet potatoes.

Like most folks on the Beach, I also eat a lot of beans. I keep around several cans to add to everything: salads, stir frys, pasta, etc.

I hope this helps. I think one of the big assets of this WOE is the variety of foods! I am rarely ever hungry and if I am, then it is my own fault. There is just so much to eat.

Patches · Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:41 am

I am just finishing my first week of Phase 2. The other night, I really wanted pizza, so I had it, the SBD way-- I looked in the fridge and saw the whole wheat pita bread I bought at Trader Joe's... grabbed a jar of spaghetti sauce from the cupboard, put a couple of table spoons of that on the pita, then added low fat shredded mozzarella and some turkey pepperoni. Put it in the toaster oven for a couple of minutes and that was it. Totally SBD and quick to make. I am cooking for just myself, too, and I find it easier-- you just have to be creative with what you have at hand.

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