I swear I've learned a lot in six months. My mom passed away then and I miss her. My son and I had to move in and rent a room from my aunt. Are cooking facilities are limited to the microwave and I'm having a hard time cooking healthy stuff with a microwave. I'm getting a little tired of salads and sandwiches and want to spice things up. I can really only cook when my aunt is at work so I'm not in her way. I want to move but it's going be awhile. My son has special needs and I'm working on my special education credential. Any good ideas for microwave cooking? I'm getting bored of frozen microwavable food and need ideas. I dug a skillet out of storage and can use that when she is away at work.

Stephanie

I'm not sure what your exact finances are,but you could try the microwavable steam bags by glad or the other company I am blanking on. They steam up most veggies fairly well. As far as meats...eh,I havent found much that microwaves well.

have you tried googling easy,healthy microwavable meals?

W~

Does the microwave have the option to adjust the power? 50% power is a great way to heat up something like bread that you don't want to get stiff. Ditto the steaming bags for the micro. Also if you have any extra cash a small camping stove might help with grilling meats. You can do alot of casseroles in the microwave too. I think anything with a sauce is going to come out better that without in the mocrowave. I've never tried it but I've heard you can do a meatloaf (ground turkey if you prefer) in a ring shape and it will cook fairly evenly. If that doesn't sound appealing meatballs should work fine. One year when I was growing up our oven broke on Thanksgiving and my mom baked a whole turkey in the microwave and I swear it was still fantastic! For baked goods, try adding oatmeal to some recipes.

This is my favorite quick snack in the micro:
Spinach/Artichoke Dip
8 oz. frozen chopped spinach/chopped artichoke hearts (I make one of each kind at once to have some variety and then freeze the rest)
1 tsp. of freshly grated Parmesean cheese
1/4 cup lite mayonnaise
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese
pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a casserole dish, cover with saran and microwave until bubbly. Makes approximately 4 servings.

Serve with Stacey's Parmesean Garlic and Herb Pita Chips (Target sells them - they are delish!). One serving is 140 calories but it's 14 chips and I never even eat that many. All of the Stacey's pita or bagel chips are perfect for snack cravings. I just recently discovered them and have fallen in love.


Here are some more recipes I just looked up:

BREADED CHICKEN BREASTS (MICROWAVE)

4 chicken breast halves, boneless and skinnless
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 c. low fat ranch-style salad dressing
1/4 c. wheat or rye breadcrumbs
crushed red/black pepper to taste

Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and onion powder. Spread each side of breasts with dressing, and dredge in bread crumbs. Arrange chicken with thickest portion to outside in a shallow 10-inch round baking dish. Cove with wax paper.
Microwave at High 15 minutes or until chicken is tender, giving dish a quarter turn at 5-minute intervals. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.


CHICKEN TERIYAKI - MICROWAVE (LOW
CALORIE)

1/3 c. Chablis dry white wine
1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp. unsweetened pineapple juice
2 tbsp. honey
4 chicken breasts, boned and skinned
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts, sliced
1 tbsp. water
2 1/2 tsp. corn starch

Combine wine, soy sauce, pineapple and honey. Rinse chicken. Place in 11 x 7 x 2-inch glass dish. Pour sauce over chicken. Cover. Marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours.
Top with chestnuts. Microwave on HIGH for 8 to 10 minutes. Rearrange chicken after 5 minutes.

Remove chicken; keep warm. Combine water and corn starch. Add to marinade.

Microwave 2 to 4 minutes until thickened.

Serve with 1/2 cup cooked rice per serving.

Serves 4.


Red Snapper.

Take a Red Snapper fillet and put it in your microwave dish. Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle a little Cajun seasoning. Cook for four minutes on full power. Season with salt and pepper and leave to stand for a couple of minutes. This is then ready to be served. One of the quickest and easiest ways to serve this great tasting fish.

wow your aunt wont let you use the stove.

I wouldn't use a camping stove in the house.. Especially if it is propane or the older Coleman fuel.. What I would suggest though is buy a small George Foreman grill. They are great to grill veggies on, or chicken or fish..

Some of the microwavable prepackaged meals should be having some great sales.. (Like healthy choice and lean cuisine.) Hormel makes some that do not need to be refrigerated. I remember seeing a couple of them that didn't look too bad calorie wise.. They are great for portion control. Another inexpensive brand of frozen food entrees in the diet genre... is put out be Michelina.. The lighter entrees...are called "Lean Gourmet"... They are pretty tasty.. Stouffers has a couple healthy ones in the Red Box.. (They make Lean Cuisine too).. In the Red Box ones.. I really like the pepper steak and I've been told the stuffed peppers one is good. Both counts on those are very reasonable and could be comparable to a low fat meal. My husband loves the Lean Cuisine pizzas.. The boxes have a crisper feature.. (they are great for quick weekend lunches.. or busy weeknights) Sometimes they have great sales on these.. But they can at least give you some variety if your ability to cook is limited.

If you are that restricted at your aunts house.. I'd think it might be worthwhile to look into other options for housing. If you are on a limited income and have a dependent you might qualify for assistance or subsidized housing.

I am looking into assistance. There is a 49 month waiting list for housing. We are on it. I will graduate school in June with my Special Education Credential. I already know where I'll be working starting next school year. It just getting to next August is my challenge and I'm working on that and at that point I can starting looking into other options. I really have decided to lose the weight. It's comming off slowly. Today, my mom would have been 65. First birthday without her. Her morbid obesity was listed as a cause of death. It was too late for her when she started to change. It is not too late for me.

Stephanie

Wow! Then the quest to lose really has hit home for you in a very meaningful way.. Best of luck with all that you are dealing with.. Being a mother to a special needs child, finishing your education, pursuing a career and having to live in a situation that sounds a bit stressful is quite daunting to handle all at the same time (not to mention the grief of losing your mom!). Hang in there.. and keep up the good attitude. Plugging along at a steady pace will ensure that you meet all your goals. You sound like you have a determination to persevere and be successful. I'm sure you will if you can keep up the positive outlook inspite of occasional set backs. Don't ever give up!

I would agree with other suggestions such as the steam bags and george foreman. Between the microwave and little grill, you can create endless healthy meals.

I don't know if you have a Trader Joes near you, but they have frozen bags of brown rice, and you just cut a corner for steam, then nuke it for 3 min. We have that, steamed veggies and chicken a la george foreman at least once a week.

The best part, meals take about 15 min to prepare at most.

Good luck! It sounds like you have a lot going on in your life, so the fact that you are putting your health on the list should be commended.

I love my fruites,
I tend to eat 1-2 nectarines, in the morning. MMM nectarines

What about a toaster oven? They are relatively inexpensive, take up little space and would give you more options, especially for meats. You could bake or broil meats. Chicken or fish with some dry seasonings, pork loin chops, you could even broil burgers and dogs, veggie patties, etc...

R

I love making this! I use fat free Italian- there is absolutely no taste difference in that and the full fat version... and I just marinate it over night and then put the whole 8 X 8 pan in the oven and bake until done. I also don't add anything to mine like butter or anything, but all in all I love this recipe!

Hi, the name's Julie and I'm a freshman in college. I am not majorly overweight or anything, but I know there is a definite need for improvement in my eating and excercising habits, or I will be in a lot of trouble in years to come.

My question is this:

As a commuter at my college, I usually bring my own lunch from home. It is far to expensive to buy from the dining hall or snack shop. What are some good, packable lunches for me to bring? I have been living on things like lean cuisine, which, even though they have less fat, still have a ton of sodium. What is a healthier alternative? I know sandwiches are great, and I do those sometimes, but I can not have the same thing every day. I'm a person who needs a lot of variety, and would like to find many things to pull from.

Also, are there any convenience foods that really are okay? Any pre-packaged, frozen, or canned meals that really can help? I know they're okay every once in a while, but is there a single one that has benefits? I'm new to convenience food, and am not sure what's out there.

There is also a subway near my school, so I do go there some times...mmm...can you say Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki? Yum!

All tips will be greatly appreciated. My main focus is actually on consuming less sodium than I do now, but low-fat/low calorie stuff is also always good.

One more thing, the only "dietary" foods I can not have are sugar-free foods. I have epilepsy and am not allowed to consume artificial sweeteners.

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

I like whole grain, flaxseed waffles with some microwaved blueberries or strawberries and a drizzle of real maple syrup. No corn syrup fake stuff. I also like burritos on occasion. One half of a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon is good too. By the way, egg yolks are good for you, and contain a number of beneficial vitamins and antioxidants that can prevent age-related blindness. The cholesterol in whole eggs does not raise blood cholesterol. You can verify this by searching the web.

I liked the honey cinnamon flavor of the Go Lean hot ceral they had, but I can't find it anymore.

I also hate breakfast foods, but I just started eating the Kashi Go Lean Crunch in Honey Almond Flax flavor. This stuff is awesome! I measure a cup out of the box, and eat it dry, like it's a snack food. I feel like I'm being bad, but it's 8 grams of fiber, 9 grams of protein, and 500 mg of omega-3 for the 200 calories. I've had problems feeling full in the past, but this stuff with a cup of tea really does satisfy me till lunchtime.

I like Trader Joes whole wheat english muffins with Strawberry jelly.

I really like Ezekial cereal with LOTS of blackberries and or strawberries in it. (berries from Costco) I put nearly as much fruit as cereal in the bowl. (skim milk)

This is kind of hard; I mostly eat sandwiches at work!

Soups are a good choice, you can find some that are low sodium, or make a big pot yourself, and take it for a few days. Just pay attention to what you put in yours.

To change up sandwiches at work, I'll do a wrap sometimes with a whole grain tortilla, and bring some traditional lunch-box items: apples, yogurt, trail mix, etc. The problem is you have to actually pack a lunch instead of grabbing a box from the freezer, but I do it the night before as part of my 30 min before-bed routine.

There seem to be few choices that are both super convenient and low sodium, so I make a compromise between both and do packaged meals 1 or 2 days a week and pack my lunch the rest of the time.

Hope this helps!

Soups are good. Healthy Choice microwave meals are good, they don't have a lot of sodium. Some days I pack cereal for lunch and just pick up a small carton of milk to go with it. My favorite pack lunch is leftovers from the previous nights dinner. Also Subway is low fat, but lunch meats in general have high sodium content and Subway is no exception. Still better for you than some other fast food options.

R

http://www.laptoplunches.com/ There are some easy and fun ideas on this page, scroll down a little, it's in the second column.

But, they suggest mashing bananas for a spread... that just sounds gross to me. Bananas are just fine the way they come. In the peel, and unmashed. (unless you are six months old of course)

I precook boneless chicken breast once or twice a week to take for lunches. I use a salt-free Italian seasoning. I like to cut up the chicken and wrap it in a wheat pita with some low-fat ranch dressing, lettuce, tomato and onion. I also use the chicken to cut up for salads.

I also will cook up a box of Barilla PLUS pasta, which keeps really well without getting sticky and use a light sauce along with some cut-up chicken. The pasta is also good on a salad to add some good carbs.

I prepack veggies for two or three days in individual containers or baggies. If I'm rushed for time, I'll use frozen veggies with all then mostly thawed by the time I heat them up at lunch.

I also like the precooked brown rice packets at Trader Joes. They cook in the microwave in one minute and have no sodium.

I think it's smart that you are looking to cut your sodium. I have been on a low-sodium 1000-1200mg/day for the past two months, and I feel great.

I've seen it at some Super Walmarts and also at Trader Joes.

I always have a glass of skim milk and a Granny Smith apple for breakfast. I'm addicted to those things... I also found some Weight Watchers Bagels and Muffins that are lower in calories(150 for the bagel, 100 for the muffins) and each has like .5 grams of fat I think. If you use LIGHT I can't believe it's not butter it couldn't be all that bad. Plus there is an alternative to Fat Free cream cheese. I use the one labeled 1/3 less calories. It's inbetween. If you use only half the serving size it won't hurt. I think it's 80 calories for 2 Tbsp and 4.5 grams total fat. It doesn't taste bad at all.

Grill a piece of chicken at home and put it in a baggie. You could either have a grilled chicken sandwich or a salad. There is also some packages of shrimp made for salads, though I am not sure if shrimp is good or bad since I have not looked at the nutrition benefits myself yet(I dont buy it on a regular basis since my husband isn't home enough for me to make dinner, I usually eat leane cuisines). Make some wraps instead of sandwiches.

Some convenient foods.... apples, bananas, etcs. Yogurt. I get that LivActive stuff that helps with digestion and its delicious. They even make snack cheeses now and its yummy too. But its something you'd want to limit to one because it does have 6 grams of fat for one small stick. Though it's only 90 calories so that may make up for it, not sure. I'm new to this nutrition stuff.

Actually, I am looking for the name of the salad dressing that Bob Harper recommended on the Biggest Loser website that he put on his lunch salad every day. I think I was a Dijon flavored Miso. any one know what I am talking about?

Hi!

Lots of cultures around the world don't differentiate foods for breakfast. I have a friend (non american born) whose family often had a traditional soup for breakfast.

If you don't like a lot of breakfast foods- don't feel like you HAVE to eat "breakfast" food for breakfast. There is no reason why you can't eat a healthy lunch or dinner food for breakfast instead- as long as the portion is right and it is healthy. Personally, I love this sometimes.

For example let's say you had a healthy dinner with baked chicken and there is some leftover- left over extra chicken is a great breakfast! Eat it with an apple. Or with a little of whatever side you had.

That's a great suggestion. That is what I do, since I tend to prefer the foods I have for dinner and lunch more than traditional breakfast foods. And when I have a day when I aim to workout early, a light dinner type meal in the morning, where I have a bit of brown rice and vegetables with good carbs such as broccoli or cauliflower, is just what I need to fuel up first thing in the morning.

And it's nice and easy when I'm able to heat up most everything pretty quickly.

This recipe for Miso Dressing is posted at wikihow. I don't know if it's the same recipe as Bob's but it looks yummy.

Ingredients:
* 2 Tbsp Miso
* 2 tsp mustard (Dijon is good)
* 1 Tbsp water
* 1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh)
* 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (good quality)
* 1 tsp ginger (fresh), minced
* 1 spring onion (scallion), minced
Steps:
1. Assemble the ingredients.
2. Mix the Miso and mustard together in a ceramic or glass bowl.
3. Add the lemon juice and water. Whisk together.
4. Add the oil slowly. Add some and whisk; add some more and whisk some more. Do this until all the oil is included.
5. Blend the mixture until the ingredients combine.
6. Add the spring onion (scallion) and minced ginger.
7. Whisk very gently to disperse the last ingredients.
8. Drizzle over your favourite salad.
Tips:
* This mixture is suitable for adding some tasty moisture to vegetarian dishes that are a little on the dry side, such as vegetable burgers or reheated nut roasts.
* You can add any fresh herbs of choice if desired; be sure to mince finely.

One of my favorite snacks is sort of like a soft serve icecream. I peel bananas, then break them in half and place in a ziplock bag in the freezer for this recipe.

1 cup of skim milk
1/2 frozen banana
1 teaspoon of cocoa powder
2 ice cubes

place all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. 140 calories

you can add 1 scoop of 100 whey powder to boost your protein intake. 165 calories

I'm not a breakfast person either but if I have to go to the gym in the morning, nothing much gets accomplished if I don't fuel my muscles. If you work out in the afternoon maybe you could "drink" your mornings worth of nutrition in the form of a protein shake. I already posted this in the recipe section but I'll repost it here for you.

1 cup of skim milk
1/2 of a frozen banana
1 scoop of 100% whey protein powder
( for flavor, my fav is optimum nutrition natural chocolate - no artificial sweeteners)
2-3 ice cubes

Put everything in the blender and blend until smooth. about 165 calories

Cereal always works well for me if I'm in a hurry.
Low fat milk and some Grape Nut Flakes or Multi-Grain Cheerios

If I have more time, a couple eggs and a slice of Whole grain toast with a little bit of OJ

Thanks a bunch for all of the replies! With my spring semester starting up, I now have a bunch of good ideas, at least to the point where I'm not being typical and living on Ramen noodles.

And by the way, that website ROCKS!

I'm so glad!

The tiny bits of fake butter are for browning/little bit of flavor.

I did learn an exciting new trick though via the BL Cookbook!

I did not know they now have Ex Virg. Olive Oil in a spray!?

It's found by the crisco and such. That works just as well for the browning/flavor.

I mist each pc. lightly.

Grilled Beef and Avocado Salad with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 17 mins
Total Time: 37 mins

Ingredients
12 ounce(s) beef, flank steak
1/2 cup(s) dressing, Italian, reduced calorie
1/2 teaspoon lime peel
1/4 cup(s) lime juice
2 tablespoon cilantro
1/4 cup(s) onion(s), chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, black ground
6 cup(s) lettuce, mixed greens
2 small tomato(es), red or yellow, cut into wedges
1 small avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and sliced

Recipe Tip: Marinate 24 hours.

Preparation
1. Score both sides of steak in a diamond pattern by making shallow diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals. Place steak in a resealable plastic bag set in a shallow dish. Set aside.

2. In a screw-top jar, combine salad dressing, lime peel, lime juice, and cilantro. Cover and shake well. Pour half of the salad dressing mixture into a small bowl; cover and chill until serving time. Add onion to remaining salad dressing mixture in jar. Cover and shake well; pour mixture over steak in bag. Seal bag; turn to coat steak. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours, turning bag occasionally.

3. Drain beef, discarding marinade. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill steak on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 17 to 21 minutes for medium doneness (160°F), turning once. [Or place steak on the unheated rack of a broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 15 to 18 minutes for medium doneness (160°F), turning once.]

4. To serve, thinly slice beef across grain. Arrange salad greens, tomatoes, and, if desired, avocado on 4 salad plates. Top with beef. Drizzle reserved dressing over individual salads.

Quick Info:
4 Servings
Contains Red Meat
Diabetes-Friendly

Nutritional Info (Per serving):
Calories: 164, Saturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 477mg, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Total Fat: 7g, Carbs: 6g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Protein: 20g
Exchanges: Vegetable: 1, Lean Meat: 2.5, Fat: 1
Carb Choices: 0.5

Source: Everyday-Health

A few months ago I picked up that little mag in the checkout line called Everyday Food (and believe me it wasnt easy-generally I cannot stand Martha Stewart). You guys, this thing is AWESOME. The recipes are well balanced, incorporate seasonal veggis and the ingredient lists are short and mostly stuff you already have "sans" the fresh produce. It doesnt market itself as low fat or healthy per say but usually they are (sometimes you may have to tweek them). For example, yesterday i made this tuna salad which is supposed to go on toasted bagettes, but i put it on a bed of lettuce. It included, a can of white beans, 2 cans of tuna, a tbsp of olive oil, 1/2 cup fresh parsley, 2 squeezed lemons, salt and pepper to season, 4 tablespoons dijon, a green onion, and some diced celery. It is about 200 and something calories a serving, was loaded with protein (something i am trying to get more of). Prep time was like 10 minutes. I love this mag. Some recipes are short single serving ideas like for breakfast a slice of toast with a 1/4 cup ricotta and some slice tomato. Its awesome and I have liked EVERYTHING i have made.

here is my new fav from this months issue
its a tortilla pizza. ( its a 4 serving recipe but I broke it down into a single)
you take an 8 inch whole wheat tortilla, brush on quarter tsp of oilive oil. throw on either fresh diced tomatos or canned, add about 1/4 cup part skim mozzarella, if you have it , add a little sliced romano cheese add some sliced kalamata olives, and sprinkle some red pepper flakes on top. bake at 450 (upper 1/3) for 13 to 15 mintues (rotating halfway through) and when take out top with some fresh basil.

its really good, real food, real fast.


here is the link to the mag homepage
http://www.marthastewart.com/everyday-food?src=footer


PS lots of her reicpes do call for fresh herbs. I just sacked up and bought some small plants. They are doing great and it save me money and time to just go out and chop off what i need.

those recipes sound good......THANKS!!

I've been reading this magazine for years and I love it. The foods are really simple and easy to make. For a while they had a great section called Lunchbox that had a recipe for lunch, there was a Turkey Caesar Sandwich that I make all the time. If you have never picked this up I highly recommend it.

Ok I know Valentines Day is coming up and I know that is a tough Holiday with the Romantic dinner and chocolates and what not so I found some good recipes on Weight Watchers. If you scroll down you will see the Valentines Section! I hope it helps you alot like it helped me!

http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/ssp/index.aspx

*StarKist Pasta Primavera Salad

- 1 - 12 oz. Pouch Tuna

- 3 1/2 c. Steamed Broccoli/Chilled

- 1 c. chopped Red Bell Pepper

- 1 small can of sliced Black or Green Olives

- 3 1/2 c. cooked/chilled Whole Wheat Penne/Other Pasta

- 1 1/2 Tbs. Dried Basil

- 2 1/2 Tbs. chopped Green Onions {tops and all}

- 1 c. creamy Italian or Ranch Dressing

- 6 c. Romaine Salad Greens

- 1/2 c. Fresh Grated Parmesan Cheese

In a bowl, Combine all ingredients except Romaine & Cheese.

MIX well & chill for at least 30 mins.

Divide Romaine Greens amoung 6 plates/As many as you're serving -
Spoon tuna mixture over greens and garnish with cheese.

(Guilt Free!)

Stacy's (hickgurltx) Fat-Free - Sugar Free Banana Caramel Muffins

You Need:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 heaping cup of splenda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 egg whites (I use egg beaters - 1/4 C. X2 = 2 lg. eggs)

2 1/2 large bananas, mashed

1/3 cup Sugar Free DaVinci Caramel Syrup

1/4 cup skim milk

Preheat oven to 400°

Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, splenda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; Stir Well; Set Aside.

In a large bowl, using a wire whisk, beat egg whites lightly.
Stir in mashed bananas, syrup and milk.

Gently add flour mixture to bananas and stir until blended.
Spoon into prepared muffin tins, filling each 2/3 full.

Bake for 18minutes, or until center is set.
Cool in pan for 5 minutes.
Remove and cool on a wire rack.

Yields 12 muffins

>>>>>>>>>>

Calories 100

Calories from Fat 0

Total Fat 0 g

Saturated Fat 0 g

Cholesterol 0 mg

Sodium 180 mg

Carbohydrates 25 g

Dietary Fiber 3 g

Sugars 0 g

Protein 4 g

OK so my kiddos and DH and I have done family night for about the last year. Once a week we order pizza and watch a movie. Problem is I cannot stop at one slice of pizza:( So any ideas of other meals that are easy and that the kiddos will really enjoy? Family night is my night off so I prefer not have to cook. lol By the way, the kiddos are 4, 6, 8, and 10. We are planning on being more active on family nights if it ever gets above freezing:)

What do you eat the other nights of the week? Can't you use any meal for family night?

Well if you are a custom to Pizza there is healthy way's to make pizza. I know you said you would prefer not to cook but if it's family night anyhow, pizza making can be fun with the kid's. Do some research on healthy pizza recipes. There are several of them. I believe it was season 3 of BL when they made pizza's. More veggies, bigger pieces of cheese ( keeps you from adding to much) use ground turkey sausage and wheat crust or mulit grain crust. Pizza is fast and easy to make and it will be fun for the kiddo's!

If pizza is a binge food... stay away from it AT ALL COSTS!!! Right now, just like an alcoholic has to give up alcohol... you have to give up the foods that trigger a binge, at least until you have a little more control over what you eat.

Some safe alternatives that take less time than waiting for a pizza to be delivered... broiled fish. Salmon comes freeze dried in a bag from Wal-Mart and tastes as good as fresh, takes about 10 minutes to grill under your broiler or on your BBQ and is perfect for a more healthy lifestyle. Open a bag of lettuce (lol) and you have a fresh, quick and seemingly extravagant meal that costs less and takes less time than pizza delivery. (I know you said you would PREFER to not cook, but this is a healthy lifestyle change... you have to take this seriously if you expect positive results. Doing the same thing over and over, like ordering food, and expecting a different result, is insane.)

You could also throw something in your crock pot early in the day and have something that way. Chicken breasts in a little chicken broth cook until tender in about 5 hours and can be used for taco salad, which my kids always love.

Also, no need to wait for it to get warmer to start being more active on family night... you can all workout together. My kids love to workout with my husband and me. Borrow an exercise or yoga video from the library, move the coffee table out of the way and have an exercise session right in your livingroom. Your kids will be thrilled. No need to find excuses like the weather to put off changing your lifestyle. You can turn it in to a game... exercise charades... lol... see if you can name the action movie by the action moves that also raise your heart rate.

You have plenty of options for food and activity, so no excuses... have fun, eat healthful foods and enjoy your family. That's what life is all about, or at least that's what it should be all about. lol

Make your own. Make a whole wheat crust, use a mixture of low fat cheeses and load it up with vegetables and turkey sausage. Or, order less pizza. My wife and I used to order a medium, now we order a small with a salad.

R

Make (or order in) pizza with whole wheat crust, half the cheese, and lots of vegetables. I buy whole wheat pizza dough at Trader Joe's (for a buck) and make my own sauce (no added salt) and top it with part skim mozzarella cheese, and my latest delicacy: roasted cauliflower (with a little bit of onions and garlic)! YUM! Roasted eggplant is also quite delicious, and don't be afraid of roasted Brussels sprouts. Really!

My mouth is watering just thinking about it...I think I have a leftover slice or 2 in the fridge from Thursday night, our pizza night!

I would have to agree with the poster who said to stay away from your "binge" food until you're more in control. I learned that the hard way on Valentines day! (went over my calorie limit by almost 600 calories!!)

I would also have to agree that cooking at home (even though you would prefer not to) is your best defense right now. Eating out can be dangerous unless you know that you are totally in control of your eating.

Either that, or order the pizza for your family and eat something else yourself (if that would be possible). Another idea is to fill yourself before the pizza arrives (with healthy food of course!) so that when the pizza does arrive, your craving will not be as bad. Also you said that you and your family watch tv/movies and order pizza. If you're eating in front of the tv....STOP. You truly won't realize what you're eating until it's too late!

For our family nights, my kids LOVE tacos. I simply make tacos using ground turkey (instead of ground beef) and I only buy the small size of taco shells/tortillas and I don't use them. I make myself a taco "salad" in a bowl so that I'm not adding the calories of the taco shells/tortillas.

Good luck!

You are gonna love ME!

You can still have Pizza Night!

These are a HUGE hit!

There is no need to even want to order out when you can make these!

Tastes better as well--no joke!

Fast-Easy-and the possibilities are endless!

>>>

I use low sodium crushed roma toms{canned} for the sauce and add lots of garlic-oregano-basil-fresh cracked black pepper.

Once it comes to a heavy simmer I cut down to low.

I taste test and add more of each spice.
After that it's perfect..

I keep on low with lid while I work on everything else.

I take 1 green bell pepper and 1 small yellow onion and chopped them both chunky.
{You'll have plenty of leftovers for the next time.}

I drizzle a small skillet w/ex-virg-olive oil and lightly cook the veggies.
(1-2 mins.) I sprinkle in a nice amount of garlic powder on them as well.

They still have their great color.

I use Turkey pepperoni and Canadian bacon as the meat toppings.

Sometimes I'll brown extra lean ground sirloin as well with Italian spices.

I use the Whole wheat - Multi-grain Pita "Rounds" and super lightly spray with ex-vir-olive oil spray and layer:

Sauce
onions/bell peppers
1 oz. mozz cheese
meat
1 oz. mozz cheese

Baked at *325 until cheese melts and very lightly browned.

>Your eyes will tell you 1 will not be enough.

>>OMG it will! These lil babies are filling and super yummo!

I have a nice side salad and man, that's all ya need.

They will be low cal as long as you don't go wild with toppings/gobs of cheese.

These are a staple in our home..

I keep pita rounds in the freezer - keep crushed toms on hand and everything else you need all the time!

Takes 7-8 mins. prep time including gettin' the sauce going.

Takes less than 20 mins total!

Tastes better than take-out pizza I promise.

Another fun and healthy meal is making chicken wraps (or lean ground beef). Use chicken breasts, whole wheat/wraps, cut up a bunch of veggies and put them into little bowls so that everyone can decide what they want, a bit of cheese and some salsa and voila! Its a great meal and everyone usually loves it. Its always fun to put together because you always have some veggies falling out (it can be a little messy but in a cute, silly way). The only caveat is that it takes a while to cut the veggies into little pieces but it can be great if you let your kiddies help (at least the 8 & 10 yr olds, and hubby should be able to cut veggies and you can have the younger ones wash the veggies) so it'll only take about 15-20 minutes and its an awesome bonding experience for you and the little ones. I'm 22 yrs old and some of my fave memories with my mom are of those of us cooking together (well she'd do the hard stuff and my sis and I would make the salad or whatever was easy).


So true! the active version of charades can be fun for children of all ages
In the end, you might not even remember the movies you watched but when you do goofy stuff like this, you'll never forget!

How about Subway? You can load up on veggies on a 6" wheat while they can have whatever they choose in their subs.

My suggestion would be to take the emphasis off of food, and on to fun. When my kids were younger we had game night, and every Sunday night we played games. As they got older we got into those massive jigsaw puzzles, and 3-D puzzles.

Is it absolutely essential that you eat the same as your children? You could order them a pizza and make something else for yourself. If you are trying to change their habits too and don't want them eating pizza weekly, then just make a typical dinner you all like and don't make the food the big deal, make the fun.

If games aren't your style (although I think ALL kids love games!), then make it movie night and rent movies.

There is a lot you can do inside while the weather is bad. You don't have to necessarily do something that involves exercise. Just something that doesn't make food the main focus.

Eat to live...don't live to eat.

An oldie but goodie.