Its oh so quiet Shh Shh

[PINJOHN]

Anyone got some healthy recipes that are also somewhat cheap? Next month I have to start losing 75 pounds and I'm not all that recipe savvy. My mom thinks I need to eat nothing but plain salad for 6 months. That is not going to happen.

make sure you go on at least two diets Chantel,.... as you don't get near enough to eat on just one

[Stefan-A]

Why not try a low-carb diet. I know a few people who have had some success with it.

Eating healthy and eating cheap tend to be mutually exclusive, unfortunately.

[EasternGirl]

I want snow gosh dangit!!! Chantel...Stefan's suggestion is a good one...but I know it is difficult to buy a bunch of healthy food on a limited income. Try replacing white flour items with whole grain to lower carbs. I buy whole-grain pasta...you can buy a lot of that for pretty cheap. Instead of eating spaghetti sauce on it, I eat butter substitutes like "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter"...(healthier and lower calorie than butter but still tastes good) and parmesan shaker cheese on it. I also buy flour tortillas...not as carb filled as bread, and you can buy whole grain...and make wraps with chicken and veggies and a little low-fat ranch dressing. I also buy whole-grain bread instead of white. Eggs are good...full of protein, no carbs...egg whites are even better for you. Make egg white scrambles with veggies. These are all pretty inexpensive ways to eat healthy and cut back on carbs.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I agree on the cutting out carbs thing. It does work! Also, Eat things that are high in fiber, this will help keep you feeling full! Fresh fruit... blueberries, pomegranate, mangos, and pineapple being some of my favorites. You can even go for canned fruits but check the labels, don't buy the ones in light or heavy syrup, they have sugar added. You want the ones that are purely in juice and water. The moment they added sugar to already-sweet fruit it makes it an unhealthy snack... If you are going for nutritious, pick fruits like those that are colorful on the inside. The more color a fruit has inside the better it is! I'd avoid things like apples and pears for that reason. If you have a sweet tooth I find plopping some grapes into a bowl of chobani vanilla yogurt and sprinkling some granola on top is very satisfying! I do that and stick into the freezer for a few hours before I eat it. Also, lean cuts of meat, especially venison, and fishes are good... meats like these are filling and you can't picture yourself sitting in front of the tv popping bits of steak into your mouth all night! While anything carb-based, you can. Another snack that I love that's not terrible is celery with low fat cream cheese or laughing cow cheese wedges. The celery is very filling and the only calories you even get are from the cheese. Even making small switches in your daily life, such as avoiding all products containing high fructose corn syrup, and choosing natural sugars if you want something tasty and sweet (instead of a piece of candy, have some dried fruit) Making switches like these is easier for some than others... it's easy for me because I absolutely LOVE fresh and dried fruit, raw vegetables... and a lot of weird stuff no one else in my family will touch. Also watch what you drink, you'd be surprised at how many calories you can cut by doing so! Replace anything sugary with water, but still enjoy a glass of orange or apple or grape juice in the AM or some milk with dinner... just check the labels on any juices you buy and make sure they are actually plain juice and not sugar water. During the day I snack on a lot of various things.... I particularly love prunes and dried figs. I can't stress this enough... read the labels on every single item you buy and DO NOT go shopping hungry.

You could also try the south beach diet! I did it once and it does work. The first two weeks ARE hard though, because it cuts you off of sugar and carbs completely! But once you hit phase 2, it gets much better!

[Stefan-A]

you can't picture yourself sitting in front of the tv popping bits of steak into your mouth all night!

By sheer coincidence, I bought about half a kg of reindeer jerky earlier this week. I also occasionally buy fried vendace or fry some baltic herring as snacks. Great snacks.

[EasternGirl]

Shannon's suggestions are great. I like berries and melon in low-fat cottage cheese and light yogurt...or like Shannon said, greek yogurt is great...very high in protein and low in fat...fills you up. I like to put berries in it for a snack or for breakfast. I have recently been trying to get back to eating healthy and low carbs...so for dessert or a sweet snack, I will have fresh fruit with cottage cheese or just a bowl of fruit with Stevia sprinkled on it. Stevia is a natural sweetener...it is made from a plant. You can use it to replace sugar and it isn't bad for you like aspartame. You can buy it in most grocery stores now. I also bought some dried banana chips...and I have been eating them instead of chips when I want to snack in front of the t.v. or computer.

I like teriyaki turkey or beef jerky...

[Stefan-A]

isn't bad for you like aspartame

Aspartame isn't bad for you.

Aspartame controversy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

I freaking LOVE jerky.. I could eat that stuff ALL day. mmmmmmm. And yes I almost forgot about cottage cheese! That's another good one! I buy the 2% kind. Another delicious snack that I freaking LOVE.... take triscuit crackers and fat free cream cheese. Spread some cream cheese onto the cracker and cut up a piece of artichoke heart and put a sliver on each cracker. OMG it's so good! Or if you don't have time for that... just take 4 triscuits and one slice of cheese... fold it into quarters and they fit perfectly onto the crackers! And yes, blueberries in yogurt is sooooo good. I am huge into blueberries. During my pregnancy, in the summer when they were cheap, I was eating a pint container of blueberries every. single. day. (and also 2 or 3 kiwis, 1/4 a pineapple, grapes and blackberries but that's besides the point) Try doing that in the winter though, you will go broke -.-

My favorite foods are as follows:

1.) Fresh boiled artichoke. Not kidding! I loooooove them. I boil those suckers and scrape the meat off each leaf with my teeth, and then the heart! ooooo it's heaven. Especially with a tad of melted butter (actually we use I cant beleive its not butter)
2.) Crab legs
3.) about 5 different fruit tie for this spot. Blueberries, blackberries, kiwis, mangos, pineapple, and pomegranate. That's 6 but you get the idea.
4.) Chobani strawberry yogurt. I literally hoard that stuff. I buy the quart size so I don't go broke since the little cups are like $1 EACH.

[guidofatherof5]

Shannon I do believe you are drooling. I know I am.

[EasternGirl]

Oh, don't get me started on crab legs. I, no joke, closed down an all you can crab leg feast at Red Lobster when I was nine months pregnant with my son. I can eat those things like nobody's business! I have been buying them at my seafood counter lately when I can afford them.

Thanks Stefan, for that link. I was actually unaware that they had debunked the claims that it was unhealthy. Good to know.