I've recently been assigned to cook for an ill family member a few nights a week and need some ideas of what to cook. They need a complete overhaul of their dietary habits because they are used to the following: red meat, whole milk, cheese - both as an ingredient and snack - , ice cream, peanut butter, etc. I like to think that I am a very good cook, but for a task as daunting as this, I need some help. In addition to what's mentioned in the thread title, I need to be able to make a lot of it for multiple meals and not break my wallet on ingredients. Any help at all is appreciated. Also, since this is the Hangout... in before real advice.
Veggie Burgers. They might cost a bit more than ground meat or real frozen burgers, but they're full of protein and very low in fat. Plus, just pop em in the microwave for two minutes and voila, an easy and very satisfying lunch. I was so scared of "fake" burgers until I tried them, and now I swear by them for light eating/weight maintenance. I recommend the Gardenburger brand portobello burgers.
Get a electric grill. Chicken, fish, and shrimp are all very healthy grill items. Find different seasonings so you don't have the same thing over and over again.
-Chicken teriyaki with brown rice and steamed veggies -Grilled salmon with brown rice and steamed veggies -Grilled chicken breast with whatever spices/seasonsing with mashed potatoes made with red potatoes, skim milk, low fat butter and asparagus -Grilled chicken breast sandwiches, oven baked fries I don't see a problem with them continuing to eat red meat. Just get a leaner cut like top sirloin or fillet mignon etc.
Not sure about their opinion of Chinese hot pot, or any variations of it. Get an electric pot. Put some water and soup stock. Then just add whatever vegetable, thinly sliced meat, or seafood in it. Serve with dipping sauce. It's healthy for sure. But the taste might be lacking.
Here's something I've been doing lately: Dice a potato, bring to a boil and let simmer for 10-15 minutes. In the meantime, heat up a can of turkey chili (I get it with beans). When its all done, throw some of that potato into a bowl, heap some chili on top of it, and add chopped onions and low fat cheese. The whole process takes 20 minutes tops and is low in fat. I also rinse and drain the potato after dicing to get rid of some of the starch. Good s**t right there. You can also make a good, low-fat omelette using one egg (I get the eggs from Egg-Land's Best) and two eggs worth of Egg Beaters. Throw in some ham or turkey, chopped veggies and low-fat cheese. Cook with Smart Balance instead of real butter.
I just bought the Gardenburger mushroom burger the other day. I actually cook it over a flame/sauce pan to give it crispness.
Cube/strip some chicken breast and saute in EVOO and Cavender's Greek seasoning (the seasoning choice of Rocketman Tex). Substitute lean pork chops as an alternative.
definitely get a electric grill of some sort. it just makes things easier. I really don't have measurements or exacts to this recipe. It's just something i tried when i got tired of just eating cold canned tuna. get a few cans of tuna or salmon couple of egg whites or if you don't care you can use the yolks. finely chopped up yellow onions, bell peppers or whatever you like. season lighty if you feel the need Mix it all together into patties then if you like sweet you can crush reduced fat wheat thins or if you like salty, you can crush reduced fat wheat saltines and coat the patties. then throw on the electric grill till they brown. they're cheap & packed with protein.
One way to save money on Gardenburgers: in the bulk bins at Whole Foods - type stores, you may find "Nature's Burger" mix. Just reconstitute it 1:1 with boiling water, shape into patties, and fry in a little olive oil (no comment on "EVOO" - I don't care to know where that olive oil has or hasn't been, hehe). The following suggestions are what I've been using: not sure how well they work for an ill family member because at this rate I'm going to start eating spices straight out of the jar and washing them down with Tabasco, but you can always make milder versions, or some other people here might could benefit from this as well. Veggie or otherwise lean fajitas: cook zucchini, squash, onions, & mushrooms in a skillet with olive oil and fajita seasoning. Lean chicken can go in there too. The squash may need to cook first or separately as it gets juicy/messy. Use wheat tortillas if you can stand it, and fat free sour cream. Stir-fry: just use the appropriate frozen or fresh vegetable mix with white chicken or tofu. Use a small amount of oil at first and later add in garlic, onion powder, and ginger to taste, chili powder if you dare, and a bottled stir-fry sauce; serve over brown rice. Baked fish fillets: just what it says. Mix up mandarin oranges, cucumber, dill, and vinegar and serve it over tilapia to make it more interesting. Pasta/baked ziti: use bottled pasta sauce, a lot of fat free cottage cheese, and whole wheat pasta. (a secret... if you just cook the whole thing about 50 minutes, mostly covered, and make sure there's already plenty of sauce in it, you don't have to pre-cook the pasta) Also mushrooms and/or frozen spinach. If you can afford some skim milk mozzarella in the mix or on top, it improves things. There are more complex ideas as well: I found an interesting book called the Veganomicon, with lots of vegan recipes. Even if the rest of us aren't vegan, doesn't mean we can't eat that way sometimes to be healthier.
One thing that is tasty, healthy and easy is are grilled vegetables. Asparagus, brocolli, bell pepers and zucchini work really well on the grill. There are two ways I like to prepare them. 1. Cut the vegetables into large pieces. Brush them with olive oil and dust them with sea salt and pepper for taste. You can also spritz them with lemon juice. Put the vegetables on the grill and grill them until they start to char a little. Make sure to turn the pieces over. 2. Cut the vegetables into large pieces brush them with sesame oil, soy sauce and with sriracha hot sauce to taste. If you want you can also sprinkle some sesame seeds on them. Put the vegetables on the grill and grill them until they start to char a little. Make sure to turn the pieces over. If you don't have a barbecue or don't like cooking on a grill you can also oven roast vegetables too.
I'm not much of a chef but this is one of the reasons why I have a GF... This takes less than 10 minutes if you know how to chop fast. Tuna Salad: Ingredients * 2 (6 ounce) cans tuna * 2 celery ribs, finely chopped * 1 red onion, finely chopped * 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (more or less to suit your taste) * 1 tablespoon mustard * 1 tablespoon relish * lemon juice * 1 tspn. curry powder * pepper and salt to taste (optional) Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl or container and mix around with a wooden spoon. Let sit for at least 1 hour before serving. You can eat it on crackers, with a salad, on a sandwich with tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce. I don't know if its THAT healthy but I'm sure it is healthier than anything grilled or fried.
possibly the quickest snack you can make old fashion quaker oatmeal (1 g sugar) (not the flavored packets 12g sugar) your choice of fat free yogurt. (this is where you'll get sugar ) mix. eat protein and complex carbs
