Diet food is boring.

Posted on June 10, 2015

Diet food that doesn't make you sad or take 45 minutes to prepare is hard to come by, so when I saw a community group started by fellow DietBetter Amy last week, I was ON BOARD. I saw some recipes that looked tasty and needed to grocery shop, so I decided to make them this past weekend.

** EDIT: The Comunity Group is: Recipe Central **

Also, I should note that my current schedule has left me a bit lacking in the dinner department.

I’m a single career mom on a diet, so I get off work at 5, drive through 45 minutes to an hour of traffic, pick up my daughter from pre-school, then it’s another 20 minutes of traffic to the gym, 1-1/2 hours at the gym (depending on my energy level and child’s crankiness), then home, where I feed and bathe my daughter, QT for 30 before bed (books and puzzles some days, David Bowie Labyrinth inspired dance parties other), and by then it’s anywhere between 8:30 and 9 pm before I’m able to think about feeding myself. I might start making my dinner while my daughter is eating, but a lot of times I try to shower in that time.

Anyway, the point is that I was eating a fair amount of salad with chicken or tuna for dinner and getting insanely bored. Also, I notice with diet food (and I know some folks don’t like to call it a diet, but it doesn’t mess with my psyche so I do) that it’s so often COLD if it’s a nice low calorie and nutritious recipe. I like cold food just fine, but warm food makes me feel more full, more satiated, more indulgent. So I’ve been making an effort to food prep on the weekend and pre-pack lots of warm dinners that I could freeze or refrigerate and just pop in the microwave or oven when I walk in and wouldn’t be required to over think servings, calories, cooking, etc. On my food logging app (I use Lose It!, but I think Spark People and My Fitness Pal offer it too) I can type up my recipes (even scan the barcodes on sauces and prepackaged components) and input the servings to calculate the nutrition facts. Then, once the recipe is saved on my recipe list, I can just type it into my daily log and all the info is right there in my calorie count. It’s a bit time intensive to begin, but once the recipes are there it’s easy peasy. And I use the recipes I typed in to re-create what I made before. It works for me.

ANYWAY,

I’m pretty proud of my accomplishments on Saturday. I chopped and cooked and packaged ALL DAY. It probably would have been easier if I planned and prepped more carefully and didn’t have a 3yr old sous chef, but regardless, I accomplished two weeks of homemade, nutritious dinners for around $100. Some will require a side item, but I’m a fresh/frozen veggie or salad on the side kinda girl. The calorie counts I am getting are truly gratifying, too. I’m talking 200-400 calories for main dishes. So some of these I could, feasibly, double a serving if I am still hungry, and some days I am.

I wanted to share some of my foodsie successes with you, because I like when folks share them with ME. Hint. Hint. Nudge. I mean, I can Pinterest with the best of them but I like a nice tried-and-true recipe with hints already attached if I can get one. I will post links to my blog, so you can see them there if you’re into that and you don’t have to if you’re not.

I made the Buffalo Chicken Lettuce wraps, and JUST got around to having some today. And they're GOOD. Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wrap Digression

That picture is ugly, but you get the idea. Food.

Comment Now!

Chrystal M.

06/10/2015 6:14PM

I am going to go check out the group...Sounds great and by the way, way to go on doing all that pre-planning, you have inspired me to check out some new food recipes as I have a tendency to repeat, repeat, repeat. Nice blog post.

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Jocey

06/10/2015 2:58PM

Not that I don't agree or didn't focus on your entire blog post but...David Bowie Labyrinth reference FTW!!!

Sarah G. and bahhhhh like this comment.

bahhhhh

We sure do love some Labyrinth at our house :)

Aimes

06/10/2015 1:49PM

Oh! And more importantly, it’s seriously impressive that you work-out that long after work! You should really pat yourself on the back for that. It’s not easy when you’re tired and/or have a toddler in tow. Go you, go you!

bahhhhh likes this comment.

bahhhhh

Thank you! :) The hardest part about staying that long at the gym is guilt about my poor kid being in daycare after being in daycare all day... But so far she still likes the gym daycare and likes to go. So we're rolling with that while it works!

Aimes

06/10/2015 1:48PM

I love everything about this blog post! Also, it’s entirely possible we’re the same person. I also had buffalo chicken wraps for lunch, have a three year old sous chef and do not follow recipes (because really, where’s the fun in that?). I also heart food. I choose my vacation destinations based on cuisine / really good restaurants (I just found out apparently not everyone does this), when I was a waitress I was considered an expert on helping people order based on their mood and I married a chef. OK, maybe I like food a little too much? Either way, you’re right about the warm food thing – it’s so true. And finding satisfying, delicious food is central to this challenge. I’m so happy you’re on here and providing recipes and feedback. I love all your notes and ideas – thank you!

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bahhhhh

LOL! I hear that so often! This place has a funny way of linking together people with like-minded people. I'm loving the recipe page so much, thank you for starting it! I tend to eat the same thing over and over again and get into ruts until I'm sick to death of those things, and that's when I flail into comfort food. And, I've always been a decent cook, and when food tastes good... it's hard to stop. That said, I'm going to binge eat buffalo chicken wraps for the next three weeks, rest assured. Then I'll figure out the next obsession. So far I've binged and ditched Asian-style chicken lettuce wraps and grilled pork Spring Rolls w/fake noodles, and my constant stand-by lettuce-wrapped hamburgers. I like lettuce wrapping, obviously. Thanks for reading and commenting and recipe-ing!

Les

06/10/2015 1:06PM

Are those them in the picture? They look yummy;)

bahhhhh likes this comment.

bahhhhh

That's them! They were really good.