Easy and Healthy Recipe Ideas

[foxyhorn]

My husband and I put on a few pounds over the holidays and we want to start eating healthy. Any ideas for some quick and easy low-cal recipes? I haven't been cooking very long so I need something simple with a short ingredient list.

 

[austintexas]

Try cookinglight.com. My wife and I try a couple new recipes a month and several have become regulars on our menu. Good stuff.

Their feta stuffed chicken is great

 

[HornOnTheBayou]

I second Cooking Light. I think 75% of my wife's recipes come from there and they are delicious.

 

[foxyhorn]

Thank you so much. Since I have been married I have been getting a lot of recipes from kraftfoods.com. While easy and tasty, for the most part they are definitely healthy.

 

[Smurfette]

Two easy things that aren't too bad for you:

1: Don't know what to call this:
Smash up some whole wheat ritz crackers and add taco seasoning.(add more for spicier chicken, less to just give it a kick.) Press chicken breasts in so that they're "breaded"-- you can do egg or oil to make it stick more if you want, but we find it's not necessary for flavor. Back @ 3:50 for about 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

2: Provelone chicken:
Press both sides of a chicken breast into seasoned bread crumbs. Sprinkle fresh parsley on top-- but any kind of italian herbs will do. Bake at 350 until chicken is about 10 minutes from being done, so just a little pink in the middle. Take it out of the oven and put a slice of provelone cheese on top. On top of the cheese spoon melted butter with herbs, (I like to use a lot of fresh parsley, but, any italian herbs will do.) Finish cooking the chicken, it will be done with the cheese starts to brown.

I like to use the provelone chicken recipie for dinner parties b/c it's very good, easy to make, and always seems to impress people. You could cut out the butter one top to make it more healthy.

A couple more:

Mashed sweet potatoes:
Peel and cube sweet potatoes. Boil until cooked. Drain water. Add milk, margarine or butter, Splenda or Brown Sugar, nutmeg, cinnimon if you're feeling jiggy, etc. Mash them. These are a great alternative to mashed potatoes, and they taste similar to "sweet potato casserole"

Stuffed Zucchini:
Cut Zuchs in half long way, and again across the middle. (you should have 4 peices.) "Core" the center-- leaving a little "shell". Chop up the center part you took out, and sautee in with corn and herbs. WHile you're sauteeing the middle part, bake the shells in the oven-- 5-10 minutes. Take the shells out of the oven and fill w/ the sauteed mixture. Top w/ cheese and back until cheese is melted.

Hope those help

 

[YChang]

Like Miso soup? Having a bowl with dinner can help you cut down on portions and help you feel full faster.

For 2:
1 tbl or 2 depending on how salty you want it. Miso paste from asian grocery store or I guess Central Market
1 can chicken broth (low sodium)
1 cup water
1 or 1/2 block of silken (Japanese) tofu, cut into bite size blocks. Chinese tofu is too firm for this soup unless you like the firmer texture.
1/4 cup dry seaweed again from asian grocery store/central market.

Bring liquid to boil
add miso paste till disolved...turn down heat to medium
Add tofu
Add seaweed
Let the flavors mix for a few min...and that's it.

 

[3_yard-out]

Migas with egg beaters, and low fat/no fat cheese are pretty easy, pretty comparable to the real thing and fairly healthy.

 

[DeadHeadHorn]

I really love the recipes from The Moosewood Restaurant Simple Suppers: Fresh Ideas For the Weeknight Table .

It's a pescetarian cookbook with tons of great recipes that are all pretty light and healthy.

 

[jadedscenester]

my stepmom got me and my wife a subscription to cooking light for christmas. she also sent us home with about 5 pounds of cookies, candy, cheese, pie, and another 5 pounds of ham.

my guess is their december issue had a list of ways to avoid gaining holiday weight.

 

[TXHookem]

Tons of good recipes at Men's Health:
The Link

 

[Continental Op]

Lots of good stuff at www.eatbetteramerica.com as well.

 

[EllCee]

Here's one that I make quite a bit. Low calorie, healthy, full of protein.

Buy one of those pre-packaged pork tenderloins that have the marinade in the bag. I think the brand is John Morrell - I get them at HEB.

Take fresh jalapeno slices and fresh garlic (diced). You can do it two ways. Either blend it, and inject it into the pork loin at about one inch intervals, or make slit in the top of the pork loin every inch or so, and put one jalapeno slice and a pinch of garlic in there. I bought an injector recently and you save some of the moisture that way, but cutting is just fine.

Then throw it on the grill. About 10 minutes per side. With about 5 minutes left, baste the whole thing with Raspberry-Chipotle salsa (they have it at HEB). Cook for another 5 minutes and let the sauce harden/crystallize, and take the loin out.

Serve it with brown or wild rice. Really healthy, really good. Takes about 30 minutes. One tenderloin is probably is worth about 4-8 servings - I throw a bunch in ziplocs and bring them to work.

 

[Bevo5]

You can really improve your diet with how you cook your food..not just what you cook. Use a spray (Pam etc.) instead of olive oil...use fake butter (tastes pretty much the same to me now)...use whole grain breads.

Also..cook with frozen chicken tenders. Go buy a huge bag. They have less fat then chicken breasts, and just as much protien.

The wife and I will eat the chicken tenders a few times a week..cooked all different ways. Two favorites are a stir-fry with broccoli and onions. Then we'll cut up some red potatoes and bake them (home fries). Spray a little pam on them to really get them crisp.

Another favorite is to use some light breading on the chicken and bake them. Then cook up some potatoes and add a little 1% milk and fake butter..mash them up -- pretty good mashed potatoes at that point. We'll usually throw in some broccoli or asparagus.

One more thing -- sugar free pudding snacks. And lots of fruit....I've gotten to where a pudding snack..and an orange..really helps the sweet tooth.

Take a look at what you are cooking and try to figure out ways to rip calories out of it. Using wheat pasta, for instance, will pretty much taste the same and is a little better for you. It all adds up though. Taking 500 calories our of your daily intake is enough to lose a pound a week without increasing your workout routine. Of course, if you fit in a good 500cal workout on top of that..well..you do the math.

Also -- a good turkey chili goes a long way.

 

[EllCee]

I am eating one of those Red Auerbach pizzas from the Men's Health recipes linked above. Thing is ******* outstanding.

 

[DeadHeadHorn]

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[Bevo5]

We use Earth balance as well...we read labels like it's our job..

 

[Mack Tripper]

Smart Balance is another good butter substitute.

 

[spystud13]

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[ImissWallyPryor]

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[foxyhorn]

Thanks for the tip on Uncle Ben's brown rice. My husband and I are trying to cut down on our consumption of white starches.


Here is a healthy and EASY recipe my mom taught. Grill a chicken breast and spoon some tomato sauce on top. Sprinkle with mozarella cheese and broil until cheese melts. Viola! Easy and healthy chicken parmasean without the breading.

 

[Campus Loop(y)]

Try this site on for size.
The Link

It is chock full of ideas, info, recipes and anything else you may want to know. And it is not worthless since it has pictures.

It is my homepage. They change the spotlight item every week.