I have been working on my eating habits and while I am getting there, I still seem to eat bad when I do not have much time. I have never been much of a vegestable eater but I am working on that as well, however, most of my veggies are can food since I do not know how to cook veggies. What are some of the favorite/easiest meals to prepare that are healthy and tasty? Breakfast, lunch, and dinner…
Thanks,
I put broccoli and carrots in a small bowl with water in the bottom, cever with plastic wrap and put in the Microwave for X minutes. X is how crispy you like them. I doesn’t get easier.
If you’re a costco member, you can get bags of organic stir fry that is very easy to cook. Just throw it in a pan and cook for about 5 minutes. I like to add tofu and server over rice.
Veggies are pretty easy to cook…one suggestion is to cut up a lot of veggies (or use the costco ones) and put them in a pan with a bit of stock (veggie, chicken) and put the lid on to steam. You can also add a bit of flavour by using spices…I like to sprinkle Cajun spice over the top while they are steaming. There are lots of good quality organic stir fry sauces that you can buy. You can use these to cook the veggies and eat with rice. You could also add some chicken or meat into the stir fry (cook before the veggies) just make sure that you have a lot more veggies than meat
#1, stay away from processed foods like white bread and “enriched” pasta. Go “whole wheat” on all breads and pastas, because “whole wheat” provides complex carbs, vitamins, etc. Don’t buy “wheat” bread, because it’s just white bread with molasses in it.
I don’t know where you live, but if you’re in a place where you can get a George Foreman Grill, do so. That little thing makes it soooo easy to cook chicken/turkey breasts and Ahi steaks… A rice maker is a must too: you buy the big bags of raw rice that are on the bottom shelf of the grocery store in the “Asian Foods” section. The prices of those pieces of equipment vary with size, but they’re well worth it. (Get some good Teriyaki sauce and other marindades for your bird/fish.)
Whole wheat pasta. Get it at “non-mainstream” grocery stores. Rice pasta too.
Yams, sweet potatos (aside: I now find myself in a Dan Quayle moment… Potatos? Potatoes? No “e” looks better), potatos. Wash the thing well, and, if you’re short on time, microwave for about, I don’t know, seven or eight minutes?
Low- or non-fat cottage cheese. Lots of protein, good carbs.
Fruit!
Breakfast: oatmeal, Wheaties, dairy. Ever try hot rice with a little milk and cinnamon? Yum.
Google “recipie” and “health.” There’s a lot out there.
Greg
GJB - I notice you really don’t like white bread and non-whole-wheat pasta. Is is because of the glycemic index?
Here is a good article about food choices.
It probably has more to do with the low nutrient density in white bread and processed pasta. There is virtually no fiber in white bread, very little vitamins, and few complex carbs. Basically has the same nutrition value of cardboard, except cardboard has more fiber!
I don’t know where you live, but if you’re in a place where you can get a George Foreman Grill, do so.
You reminded me I have one. I stopped using it because I don’t like to clean it.
Once or twice a week I broil six pieces of chicken–the Costco boneless breasts. They come frozen. Throw away the aluminum foil, and there is nothing to clean.
Then I have that with the steamed vegetables I mentioned above. I also get bags of diced potatoes. They do not add fat or anything. Theoretically, I think you are supposed to pan fry them for breakfast, but I don’t fry them, I put them in the microwave. I do add a little catsup.
Now you have the protein–chicken; the carbs–potatoes; and more carbs–the vegetables. Fat always finds its own way in each day.
I eat on paper plates. When I am done, I just need to wash the fork and knife.
advice from a reformed eater:
-if you are able to, go to the grocery store one time a week to buy fresh fruit and vegetables
-but whatever looks good–with a short amount of time in doing this, you’ll be able to really recognize what’s good and what’s not: and buy alot. it’s amazing how quickly they go when you start eating them
-come home and wash your vegetables and chop them up. put them into sealable plastic storage bags and refridgerate them (in other words, when you want something quick, they’re ready to go. if you are in a hurry and they’re not ready, it’s easy to grab chips or anything quick. a quick vegetable and egg white scramble takes less than 4 minutes. if you want to know how I do this pm me.)
-you can also cut up your fruit and have that ready as well. cantaloupe, pineapple, and watermelon are very effective like this.
-In general, the way I prepare vegetables in by sautee. Olive oil heated up, just toss your vegetables in and sprinkly sea salt on them along with black pepper. let them “sear”, and they will have browning on the edges. Make sure the skillet is hot so that they sear not steam. After 3 minutes of cooking they are ready. This technique works well for mushrooms, spinach, green peppers, zuchinni and squash, onions, asparagus, etc. Also, the more you eat the more you will like it and you might actually start to crave vegetables. Some vegetables are delicious on their own–cucumber and tomatos especially, although seared cucumbers are a recent discovery of mine and they are delicious peeled and sauteed.
-Have a protein and perhaps a complex carbohydrate to eat with it and you’ve got an excellent meal.
*the other suggestion I have is to hard boil a dozen eggs and have them in the refridgerator in a sealed plastic storage bag (keep them sealed up because they do have a boiled egg smell and you don’t want that infultrating your other foods). they are excellent to have when you’re in a hurry…they will be very nutritous and keep you from eating “junk”. You can even sautee up some vegetables and slice up the egg white and put it on top. grind a little parmigano on top and it’s delicious and very good for you.
this will take less than 4 minutes.
-also the reason why I suggest sealable big plastic bags is because they take up less room in the fridge. plus, they are disposable or washable. personally I hate tupperwear and plastic bags are a fantastic alternative.
Bon appetite!
*is virtually no fiber in *white bread
very true
also true, but who cares. I don’t eat bread for the vitamin content
and few complex carbs
sorry to say that is completely wrong