Healthy Food Recipes (Help)
 

I have been an avid dieter (for the most part) for about a year and a half now. I have recently fallen off these past three moths. So now, I am looking into getting back to my usually clean eating. However, I am not looking forward the same ole shit day after day. Which mostly consists of egg whites, protein bars, protein shacks, chicken, tuna, lean ground meat, and lean turkey meat?

So, what I am looking for is help with new clean eating recipes. Now that I finally have the little woman taking here health seriously, I can get here to cook for me again. I am personally looking for good body building foods that have a decent amount of calories, good carbs, and high in protein. I am also looking for recipes that help cut fat, as that is what my g/f's goal is. So if anybody knows of any really good books or websites that can help me it would be much appreciated. Or if anyone has, some they would like to share that would be great too.

One more thing I am also wondering if a clean diet and lots of straight up whey protein are good enough for building bulk. This is what I have always done and have always received decent results from. What other supplements besides creatine would you suggest that will not cost me an arm and a leg every month.

Throw in a decent Multivitamin and some fish oil as both of those will help and are cheap. Also I would buy a casein based protein to drink before bed. Look into a Milk Protein Isolate, Muscle Milk (little pricey but damn is it good) or Optimum Nutrition 100% Casein.

For recipes, I look around and see if I have any good bookmarks. The best cookbook I have ever found though is John Berardi's Gourmet Nutrition, although George Stella's Living Low Carb and the South Beach diet both have good recipes in them as well (depending on your needs).

Lean ground beef can go a long way. Spaghetti, for instance. Spaghetti sauce has virtually no fat, while noodles tend to have around 7 grams of protein and merely 1 gram of fat per serving. Chili, plain ol' burgers if you prepare them correctly, etc.

Also, you can buy Asian vegetable stirfry at the supermarket, then toss in some chicken with it.

sup wise i have had very good gains with muscle milk. the retail price may seem high. but their are plenty of guys wow sell it online cheap. i think i paid around $16- for a 2(.5)lb container.

recipe wise i make all my food for the week on sundays. it just make it easier. the meal i eat every day before i train is great and has alot of good benefits. i buy tilapia from costco in frozen bags (sometime i go fresh but the frozen is usually much bigger) i rub eat piece with alittle chili powder, garlic powder and powdered ginger. i put all the fish into tin foil that i rap like a pillow. i put the fish in the frige about a half hour later i'll take lemon juice , lime juice and water all equal parts-you want to use enough liquid so all of the fish is in some, but you don't need to go crazy. pour it in with the fish (make sure you wrap the fish well so as not to have anything leak, i'll wrap it with an extra layer or 2 after after i put the juice in) you can let it sit for alittle while. or just throw it on a pre heated grill, flip it every 5 minutes it take 20-25 minutes to cook 5 or more pieces. you can also just put the rub on and pour the juice in and throw it on the grill, comes out about the same. i close the grill cover while cooking.

then i steam some mixed veggies with asplash of olive oil(usaully peas, corn carrots) and make rice (use brown or white, they both have the same carb benefits. people say brown just has most nutrients.

serving wise i'll take disposible rubbermaid they are the size of like a lean cuiseine and fill it with some rice, the veg and fish and freeze it. then you can nuke them 2-2:30 minutes shake it and then put them in for another 2-2.5 minutes. comes out perfect every time. lots of protien about 25grams good carbs. no fat (expect for the tiny amount from steaming the veggies) and tastes great.

This is my family's favorite. I use the light cream cheese, never tried Fat Free. You must use the Rotel or it's just not the same. I love to use a lot of cayenne. If you want to freeze this do it BEFORE you add the cream cheese. I think I found the recipe on an Atkins site but I don't remember-so don't know who to give credit to.


Creamy Chicken Mexicana

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 oz cream cheese cut into slices for easier melting
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
cayenne pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 can Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies

Wash & pat dry chicken breasts.
Sprinkle both sides of chicken with seasonings.
Put oil in non-stick skillet & cook chicken, covered with lid, on medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes per side, until juices run clear.
Decrease heat to low-medium and add Rotel.
Allow chicken to simmer, covered, for another 8-10 minutes.
Add cream cheese and stir until melted.
Continue to simmer on low and watch carefully as it thickens, about another 5 minutes.
Serve chicken with Rotel sauce spooned on top.


Approximately 3 carbs per serving.

Also any of the Zone Diet recipes are great! That diet is a good diet to look at and closely resembles that which I recommend in my own.

Here's a good full meal for you. :) MMM... Good!

Roasted Tomato Sauce

There is no sense in making a small batch of
tomato sauce, as it takes hours and freezes
well; I roast a 20-pound case of tomatoes at
a time at the restaurant and about half that
at home.

10 lbs. ripe or, even better, overripe
tomatoes (I like the “Early Girl” variety)
4 sliced red onions
2 bulbs sliced fennel
1 bunch basil
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper
Handful of salt
1 cup olive oil
2 cups white wine
2 Tbsp. capers
2 Tbsp. pitted olives, torn into quarters
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Core the
tomatoes and cut in half, put them in a
roasting pan, season with salt, add bay leaf
and basil, stem and all. Scatter with sliced
onions and fennel, add crushed red pepper,
season again with salt, drizzle with olive
oil, and put in oven. Check every half hour
and shake the pan to settle the juices. After
two hours or so, the onions and fennel
should be nice and caramelized; at that
point, stir the pan and add the wine.

Continue roasting for another hour to
concentrate the flavors a bit. Once I feel
satisfied with the sweet roasted flavor of
the tomato and carmelization of the
vegetables, I take them out of the oven.

My favorite way to puree the sauce is in
a food mill, but a blender or electric food
processor is fine. Then pass the sauce
through a fine strainer to remove all the
seeds and skins, pressing all the juices
through using the bottom of a ladle. Discard
the skins and seeds, taste for seasoning,
and your sauce is ready. Refrigerate or
freeze what you want to save for later.

For the polpettes, heat about a cup and a
half of the tomato sauce and add the capers
and olives. Divide the hot tomato sauce
onto four plates, put four polpettes on
each plate, sprinkle with chopped parsley,
and serve hot.

Spicy Albacore Polpettes with Tomato Sauce, Olives, & Capers

1 lb. fresh albacore
1 medium onion, diced small
1 tsp. fresh jalapeño, diced fine
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts, chopped
2 Tbsp. currants
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup milk
Salt and black pepper
Flour for coating
Olive oil for frying

Boil one cup of water and add currants to
soften for about 10 minutes; then drain
and cool. Soak the breadcrumbs in the
milk; stir every few minutes so the bread
soaks up all the milk. Over medium heat,
sauté the onions, jalapeño, and oregano in
the olive oil until soft but not browned;
season with salt and pepper. Once cooked,
put the onion mixture into a large mixing
bowl and chill. Dice the Albacore as finely
as you can. This is easiest when it’s cold:
first slice it thinly, cut the slices into strips,
and then mince (dice into the smallest
pieces you can make). By the time you are
done cutting the fish, the onions and
currants should be cool enough to mix
together. Put the albacore and chopped
pine nuts in the mixing bowl with the onion
mixture , season again with salt and pepper,
and mix. Add the breadcrumbs and mix
vigorously to form a sort of emulsified
dough. This can all be done in advance and
put in the refrigerator.

When you are ready to eat, heat about
half an inch of oil in a sauté pan over
medium heat. Form the albacore mixture
into balls, about as big around as a silver
dollar, or a little bit more than one ounce
each. You should have 16 balls (polpettes).
Roll the polpettes in a little bit of flour to
coat them evenly and then drop them into
the hot oil. You want a nice golden color,
so make sure the oil does not get too hot.
Roll the polpettes around to brown all
sides, about 4 minutes. Remove them from
the oil using tongs or a slotted spoon and
place on a paper towel to absorb excess
oil.

Serve hot on a plate of tomato sauce.

Arugula Salad

Spicy Albacore Polpette with
Tomato Sauce, Olives, and
Capers ... continued
1 lb. arugula, washed and dried
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Pepper

In Italy, this type of very simple preparation
is typical for a side salad. It cleanses the
palate, and the slight bitterness of the
arugula contrasts nicely with the sweetness
of the tomato and the richness of the
albacore. Right before eating, simply toss
the arugula with the olive oil, sprinkle with
salt and pepper, and serve in the center of
the table. In place of bread you can use
forkfuls of greens to mop up the tomato
sauce from your plate.

Here is as an alternative to the 'granola' bars.
I get all my ingredients at Whole Foods-especially the sesame seeds (see below recipe for health benefits of sesame seeds).


Recipe for: Energy Bars

¼ C. sesame seeds
1 ½ C. oatmeal
¼ C. bran cereal crushed
½ C. raisins
½ C. coconut, not sweetend
1 C. peanut butter
½ C. honey
1 Tbl. Molasses

Combine all ingredients and press into 8x8 pan. Chill and cut into small pieces.


*Not only are sesame seeds a very good source of manganese and copper, they are also a good source of calcium, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, vitamin B1, zinc and dietary fiber. In addition to these important nutrients, sesame seeds contain two unique substances: sesamin and sesamolin. Both of these substances belong to a group of special beneficial fibers called lignans, and have been shown to have a cholesterol-lowering effect in humans, and to prevent high pressure and increase vitamin E supplies in animals. Sesamin has also been found to protect the liver from oxidative damage

Until your system gets used to eating raw oatmeal-try tiny portions.

I do something rather similar for my lunches at work. I buy a ton of chicken when I can find it on sale and cook it all. Then I throw it in tupperware containers with a bunch of frozen veggies and a sauce (hot sauce, teriyaki, alfredo, etc). I just aim for the sauce to be low sugar, fat isn't a concern since this is typically a Protein & Fat meal since I won't be working out for a while.

Then I stick these in the freezer and I can just grab one on the way to work or when I get home, etc. I have no excuse not to eat a healthy meal.

I wouldn't call those sauces healthy by any standard. Especially the alfredo being very high in cals and sodium. Most of the fat that is in it comes from saturated and/or partially hydrogenated oils(very bad!!!).

Try to eat as close to nature as possible. If you do that you will see amazing results and feel even better. :)

I make the alfredo sauce, so it's all milk and cheese with some spices. The other ones I find without as much of that kind of stuff as possible.