Meal ideas for a single person on a diet

[Lucio]

Ok, I'm coming to the middle phase of my weight loss now, I'm at a size that I'm happy with and looks good so I need to try and step away from the ready meals at least a couple of times a week.

So, what simple recipie ideas do people have that meet the following criteria

1) Won't produce more than 2 meals (generally so I can eat 1, save one for work the next day)
2) Are protein rich, as I'm trying to build muscle now.
3) Are reasonably low calorie (approx 600-800kCal per serving)


I've got my basics sorted, in the form of chopped tomatoes, veggies, meat + different spice combinations = different meals (e.g. curry, chilli, spag bol, etc) but I'm wondering what else is out there to try.

[Ferral]

I've been having a grilled chicken breast or lean pork steak and 2 packs of the microwavable birdseye steam veg. Usually have a plain veg one and one that has the brocoli & rice in it. Veg is just short on 200 cals and burns slow with having the little bit of rice in.

The meat I usually just chuck a bit of five spice on the meat or whatever I fancy, but I make sure it is dry not sauce based.

Another good one with the veg side of things is root veg mash, turnip, carrot and a small potato, little bit of salt & pepper for taste.

Biggest Loser cook books are great for meal ideas, get them for a few pound on ebay or Amazon.

[G4Z]

stir fry ftw

[format]

Carrots and celery julienne with homemade hummus and a leafy salad makes for a nice light lunch.

[MadduckUK]

tinned carrots/peas/new potatoes are a godsend, one of those with a squeeze of sauce will fill you up till the next meal wile giving sod all calories. a couple of slices of wafer thin chicken can be added if you feel the need.

[Lucio]

tinned carrots/peas/new potatoes are a godsend, one of those with a squeeze of sauce will fill you up till the next meal wile giving sod all calories. a couple of slices of wafer thin chicken can be added if you feel the need.

Don't need snack ideas I've been really lucky in that I rarely get any snack cravings that aren't beer related

[[GSV]Trig]

Grilled chicken, no skin, red/green peppers, spring onions, pasta, baby tomatoes etc, stick it in a pot in the fridge at work and just graze during the working day, add to that a box with appes/bananas n a portion of fruit/nut mix in it, green tea and your probably onto a winner.

[Zak33]

tinned carrots/peas/new potatoes are a godsend,

Man.... those are SALT central..... uber salt.

[MadduckUK]

Man.... those are SALT central..... uber salt.

dont think i have any peas at the mo, but carrots are .2g salt and potatoes have just trace amounts perhaps your thinking of "in brine" or something, but these are in water

[Butcher]

dont think i have any peas at the mo, but carrots are .2g salt and potatoes have just trace amounts perhaps your thinking of "in brine" or something, but these are in water

There's some added salt there as carrots don't have more than a trace of sodium naturally. A lot of tinned veg are full of sugar to boot.
Tinned veg never seem to taste as nice as fresh or frozen to me anyway.

[tiggerai]

Do you have a decent freezer? only cooking 2 meals at a time can work out quite expensive... I find cooking for 4 and freezing 3 is a good bet (if you're having it for lunch, take it out in the morning and it'll keep nicely cool till lunch)

I find the fajita mixes and things like that are good - or try your own... Spices aren't fattening as far as I know.

Curries can be made with reduced fat coconut milk and watered down a bit with skimmed milk etc. or leave out the sauce and have dry meat in spices.

I like chilli con carne (v proteiny)

[chaplin]

Mm some good tips here. I need to start eating healthier meals.

[Clingy]

I have never eaten ready cooked meals. For me it was getting flavour in and fat out of meals which is quite hard. I dont eat meat anyway, but do eat fish. I cook/eat a lot of authentic indian food, so none of your Anglo-Indian Balti something in a goo. Dry vegetables with spices (check out Madhur Jaffrey). Yep low fat coconut milk has been a favourite for Thai style dishes. Many protein rich foods are accompanied by lots of fat, which give the flavour. OK so pulses like chick peas will be vegetable fat, but it's still fat. You start to build favourite foods that have much flavour and little fat...as a treat I'll have some grilled low(er) fat Halumi...not ideal.

I found the transition from losing weight to maintaining a constant weight very difficult. At first I couldn't stop losing weight when I wanted to, then it would start to go back....getting a balance is tricky, but one thing for sure, it's a permanent way of life now. Being single helps. It's tricky for me being around family that "like their food".

Good luck

[myaccount_123]

Ok, I'm coming to the middle phase of my weight loss now, I'm at a size that I'm happy with and looks good so I need to try and step away from the ready meals at least a couple of times a week.

So, what simple recipie ideas do people have that meet the following criteria

1) Won't produce more than 2 meals (generally so I can eat 1, save one for work the next day)
2) Are protein rich, as I'm trying to build muscle now.
3) Are reasonably low calorie (approx 600-800kCal per serving)


I've got my basics sorted, in the form of chopped tomatoes, veggies, meat + different spice combinations = different meals (e.g. curry, chilli, spag bol, etc) but I'm wondering what else is out there to try.

I eat a jacket potatoe, beans and cottage cheese with some grated cheddar. it is reason ably low calories, yet gives enough energy to work out in the gym. The cottage cheese has loads of protein as well.

[nudda]

cottage cheese is a no no for me

[Top_gun]

Learn to cook a variety of food. I tend to cook: fish twice a week, chicken twice a week, beef and lamb for the rest of the days. Pasta, rice, potatoes, chips and sweet potatoes for carbohydrates. Plenty of fresh & frozen vegetables.

Personally, I tend to stay away from ready made meals as they're not healthy in terms of health and costs.