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Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,009
Registered: ‎06-09-2014

Re: Healthy or (almost healthy) Meals

@SilleeMee get out! How cool!
Valued Contributor
Posts: 1,157
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Healthy or (almost healthy) Meals

I used to basically do the same thing Laura...need to do it again.  I think I'll add Brussel Sprouts in place of the peppers.  

 

SilleeMee...now that's one I haven't done!!  Going to try it. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 35,597
Registered: ‎05-22-2016

Re: Healthy or (almost healthy) Meals

@DiAnne,

No mess! No crumbs, no nothing! 

 

If  decide you don't care for the sweet potato toast then let them dry out overnight on counter then give them to your pooch. They love them! Kind of soft, chewy treat.Woman Happy

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,009
Registered: ‎06-09-2014

Re: Healthy or (almost healthy) Meals

[ Edited ]

My tips to share for today:

 

A quick shake I make from time to time in my VItamix (or any blender will do) is a frozen banana milkshake.  

 

If your supermarket sells a bag of the almost bad bananas, get it and then peel each one, half it, and store it in a ziploc bag.  Toss it in your freezer and they keep a long time.  Your banana doesn't have to be frozen but your drink will be colder if you do.  And you don't have to like bananas.  I'm not really a fan of them.  They just make the drink naturally sweet.

 

1 cup milk (I use unsweetened original almond)

1 frozen banana

 

Add anything you like to it to get the flavor you want.  Some examples:

 

1 teaspoon of cocoa powder if you want chocolate

(this is the baking kind with no sugar you can find in the baking aisle, it's about 10 calories)

 

1 splash of flavored extract like vanilla, mint, almond, etc...

(again I use the real thing not imitations also found in the baking aisle)

 

 

1 cup or so of any other frozen or fresh fruit you like

(frozen is cheaper and easier to find this time of year.  Raspberries, cherries and blackberries work well with the other ingredients if you are combining)

 

1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter or half cup or so of unsalted peanuts

I find if I use the peanuts and then blend it and sit it in the refrigerator for a bit, I get a peanut butter or peanut butter chocolate if I added the cocoa powder soft serve.  You can probably do this right away by adding ice to the Vitamix if you want to but I like to sip a bit of PB shake (it's really thick) and then let the rest sit overnight and have it for dessert the next day or a few hours later.    

 

You can also sneak in your greens, unflavored yogurt for probiotics, chia seeds or any other good for you thing that you won't eat on your own but are fine masking in something else.  You may have to adjust your ingredient amounts to make sure whatever you add doesn't overpower the other tastes or the shake doesn't get too thick.  Just play around with what you like and make any combination or consistency that works for you.   

 

I'm taking one of my meals from last night tossed with a bit of salsa for lunch today and my always with me Lara bars.

 

If you are looking to substitute a candy bar, certain varieties of the Lara bar are excellent and you know every ingredient that's there.  I stay away from any of the ones with chocolate chips or extra sugar.  

 

My personal favorites are Lemon, Apple Pie, Peanut Butter Cookie, and Cashew.  Target also sells holiday flavored ones.  I have a couple boxes of Gingerbread right now which are Dates, Raisins, Almonds, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon mixed together.  

 

They are a good choice if you find you like the taste of one (I like some better than others) and they are just pure fruit and nuts.  Nothing at all added if you stick with the no chocolate chip ones. They can get junky just like anything else so read the labels of the one you're considering eating if you're trying to get rid of any added sugar.  I normally find them for a $1 a bar in my supermarket or Target has the best variety of flavors in a box for about $5.  

 

 

    

 

 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,579
Registered: ‎03-11-2010

Re: Healthy or (almost healthy) Meals


@Laura14 wrote:

My tips to share for today:

 

A quick shake I make from time to time in my VItamix (or any blender will do) is a frozen banana milkshake.  

 

If your supermarket sells a bag of the almost bad bananas, get it and then peel each one, half it, and store it in a ziploc bag.  Toss it in your freezer and they keep a long time.  Your banana doesn't have to be frozen but your drink will be colder if you do.  And you don't have to like bananas.  I'm not really a fan of them.  They just make the drink naturally sweet.

 

1 cup milk (I use unsweetened original almond)

1 frozen banana

 

Add anything you like to it to get the flavor you want.  Some examples:

 

1 teaspoon of cocoa powder if you want chocolate

(this is the baking kind with no sugar you can find in the baking aisle, it's about 10 calories)

 

1 splash of flavored extract like vanilla, mint, almond, etc...

(again I use the real thing not imitations also found in the baking aisle)

 

 

1 cup or so of any other frozen or fresh fruit you like

(frozen is cheaper and easier to find this time of year.  Raspberries, cherries and blackberries work well with the other ingredients if you are combining)

 

1-2 tablespoons of peanut butter or half cup or so of unsalted peanuts

I find if I use the peanuts and then blend it and sit it in the refrigerator for a bit, I get a peanut butter or peanut butter chocolate if I added the cocoa powder soft serve.  You can probably do this right away by adding ice to the Vitamix if you want to but I like to sip a bit of PB shake (it's really thick) and then let the rest sit overnight and have it for dessert the next day or a few hours later.    

 

You can also sneak in your greens, unflavored yogurt for probiotics, chia seeds or any other good for you thing that you won't eat on your own but are fine masking in something else.  You may have to adjust your ingredient amounts to make sure whatever you add doesn't overpower the other tastes or the shake doesn't get too thick.  Just play around with what you like and make any combination or consistency that works for you.   

 

I'm taking one of my meals from last night tossed with a bit of salsa for lunch today and my always with me Lara bars.

 

If you are looking to substitute a candy bar, certain varieties of the Lara bar are excellent and you know every ingredient that's there.  I stay away from any of the ones with chocolate chips or extra sugar.  

 

My personal favorites are Lemon, Apple Pie, Peanut Butter Cookie, and Cashew.  Target also sells holiday flavored ones.  I have a couple boxes of Gingerbread right now which are Dates, Raisins, Almonds, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon mixed together.  

 

They are a good choice if you find you like the taste of one (I like some better than others) and they are just pure fruit and nuts.  Nothing at all added if you stick with the no chocolate chip ones. They can get junky just like anything else so read the labels of the one you're considering eating if you're trying to get rid of any added sugar.  I normally find them for a $1 a bar in my supermarket or Target has the best variety of flavors in a box for about $5.  

 

 

    

 

 


I make this exact shake and also love Lara Bars. Great minds think a like!!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,009
Registered: ‎06-09-2014

Re: Healthy or (almost healthy) Meals

Last night I did pasta (I personally use Ronzoni with the garden vegetables mixed in it) and a spinach cheese cream sauce I made myself.

 

Unless you make your own, store bought spaghetti sauce has a lot of sugar in it.  And if you are going with OTC cheese sauces, double that and the fat.  

 

You can buy pure tomato paste or tomato sauce and make your own traditional like Italians do.  I personally love Hunt's pure tomato sauce in a resealable box and go from there when I'm living up to my Sicilian DNA.  

 

But, if you want a lighter cream sauce with cheese that's not cream and no butter, I whip up the following good for you option.

 

In a blender, add:

 

1 cup of milk

(I use unsweetened almond milk)

 

1 cup cooked spinach or can be frozen if you are using a Vitamix  

(to cook the spinach, grab a box from the freezer section, throw it in a covered dish, and microwave according to directions, usually about 6-8 minutes)

 

Teaspoon of cornstarch

(can use more to thicken if you are using regular milk or just want a thicker consistency)

 

1 cup shredded cheese

(I do use the store bought bag kind as long as it's real cheese but obviously you could do the 100% real thing)

 

Spice as you like and/or add in other vegetables like onions, garlic, to taste

 

You can also add in a bit of bouillon cube if you want a bit more flavor or substitute another vegetable like broccoli or even peas, cauliflower, carrots, etc....if spinach is not your thing.  Again, go with what YOU like and will eat.  That's the key to being successful and sticking with it.  

 

Let it blend and pour over your pasta.  If you have a regular blender, you may want to heat it up after you are done to get it hot.

 

Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top if you want ( I shred the real thing in my Vitamix and keep it in my refrigerator) and there you go!

 

You can also eat this as a soup.  It's pretty close to the broccoli cheese recipe that is in the Vitamix book.  I used some of this for the pasta as a cream sauce and then took the rest to work the next day for a lunch soup.

 

I've also mixed it into rice and also my turkey and vegetable mix.  You can throw it over potatoes, chicken, other vegetables, etc...  If you are someone who just loves cream sauces, this will make your life a lot easier because it makes a lot of other things taste better.

 

Again, fast, easy, and you have leftovers to prep another meal or two and one blender container to rinse out.  Just up the ingredients if you want more.  It keeps pretty well in the fridge and it's one of my favorites to have on hand.  

 

 

 

 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,597
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Healthy or (almost healthy) Meals

OP,   While have changed what we eat, I also changed how I cook it.  Plastic wrap , aluminum and plastic containers can leach chemicals and make you ill, especially when heated.   I have been collecting. Glass and Pyrex to replace Tupperware, snapware at my house.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,009
Registered: ‎06-09-2014

Re: Healthy or (almost healthy) Meals

[ Edited ]

@esmeraldagooch wrote:

OP,   While have changed what we eat, I also changed how I cook it.  Plastic wrap , aluminum and plastic containers can leach chemicals and make you ill, especially when heated.   I have been collecting. Glass and Pyrex to replace Tupperware, snapware at my house.


@esmeraldagooch  Have not heard of aluminum being a problem so thanks!  I usually use foil when I bake or broil to save me the cleanup.

 

I actually have glass bowls on my list to buy.  I don't cook in the microwave except for the vegetables which are normally in their own steam bags or the potatoes in plastic wrap.  

 

I personally don't make myself nuts over every science report and glass is sometimes way inconvenient and heavy when you are taking your lunch to work everyday.  The ones I do use have claims that they are the better for you kind and I never have anything in the microwave for more than 6-8 minutes at most.  

 

Great advice if you are someone who wants to look out for that kind of stuff or has a sensitivity to it and has the time and/or convenience to put it into practice in your kitchen.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,009
Registered: ‎06-09-2014

Re: Healthy or (almost healthy) Meals

[ Edited ]

Today for lunch, turkey salad sandwich from the leftover holiday turkey.  I use hummus instead of mayonnaise.  

 

There are all kinds of hummus which is just blended cannellini beans.  It is packed with protein.  Find one you like and substitute that for mayo which is fine every once in a blue moon but really not that great for you.  

 

Plain mustard also works and is great for you if you can take the strength of it in a salad.  Read the labels with mustard.  Some of them have added honey aka sugar and other things which you may not want.

 

Greek or plain yogurt and/or cottage cheese are also some things people suggest instead.  I don't care for either but you might if hummus is not your thing. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,720
Registered: ‎10-01-2013

Re: Healthy or (almost healthy) Meals

Loved reading all of the ideas posted here. I am looking for healthy meals also, that are easy to prepare and have ingredients that are easy to find. TIA.