I need easy healthy food ideas!

[CarinaMarina]

Inspired by another thread where I empathised very much with the OP's simple eating habits and reluctance to change, I thought I'd ask for some ideas.

I am 48, menopausal and overweight. I want to change, but I am super lazy, hooked on sugar, always distracted by work and lack any cooking expertise, so things need to be dead simple and quick. I also have IBS which flares up with too much fibre (fruit and veg), certain nuts, and I can't eat eggs or onions at all.

BUT I do enjoy fruit and veg in moderation, I am happy to do a bit of preparation, and I really really like "one pot" easy dishes (except soup, not fond of the texture ) and roasted veg. I did see a suggestion somewhere of chopped veg roasted with olive oil and salt, that was appealing although I feel like it would need something with it like a sprinkle of cheese or a sauce.

I just have no creativity or skill at all when it comes to food, I'm stuck in my ways and eat all the wrong starchy processed rubbish because its convenient. What can I make that's simple and doesn't involve eggs or soup?!

I like celery and philadelphia. Avocado on toast. Soup. Beans on toast. Tuna and sweet corn on a jacket potato.

Salmon fillet topped with Cajun seasoning, bung it in the oven for 20 mins & serve with new pots & a handful of mange tout.

Follow with one of these high protein pots to stop you craving something sweet to finish.
www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/product/lindahls-kvarg-raspberry-150g

We chop 3 different coloured peppers, mushrooms and onions (but you could leave those out) and mix in a small amount of olive oil then sprinkle with curry powder and roast then serve with a couple of low fat quality sausages and a small jacket potato.

This is very easy www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/oven-baked-leek-bacon-risotto?page=1 I don’t even put the soft cheese and lemon in. It does me & DH 2 meals each.

There are loads of recipes on bbc good food
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/collection/healthy-dinner-recipes

Have you tried simplycook for inspiration and ideas?

Stirfries are my easy go to
Falafels with a bit of salad, hummus and flatbread
Pasta with rocket pesto

Do you like chickpeas, lentils? Very easy to do stews with those.

The veg you mentioned: a sheet tray packed with chopped peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, garclic, courgettes etc. With sausages/ grilled fish.

I find it’s not so much the cooking that’s hard but it does require quite good planning. Totally worth it though!

Baked potato with tuna/ cheese / beans
Slow cooked stews (make in the morning and slow cook for a few hours)

Salmon teriyaki
Lasagne - can also be veggie aka lentil Bolognese or sweet potato, courgette and pepper lasagne
Sweet potato/potato/ chicken/ chickpea curry
Spinach and ricotta tomato pasta (rolled in lasagne sheets
Chili con/sin carne
Courgetti pasta with Bolognese sauce
One dish salmon + potatoes + peas + cream
Gnocchi with mushrooms + broccoli/spinach/courgette snow peas.
Fried/ baked sea bass with mash and veg as a side.
Bangers and mash with peas / snow peas, I'm sure other veg works.
Creamy leek pasta

I posted something similar on another food thread. Most of these dishes will be 2-4 portions but then you can freeze them and not worry about cooking another day?

Can the onion be in the dish as a whole for flavour and then be taken out?

Salmon with pesto and baked broccoli with green beans...my fave meal

I'll list stuff I eat in case any of it works!!

Roasted veg with feta and merchant gourmet pesto grains
As above minus the grains but in a wrap with some pesto
Salads with grains, with feta or roasted chicken or grilled halloumi
Jacket potatoes with various fillings
Noodle type things like pork mince stir fried with some veg and a sauce
Beef stew with mash
Meatballs with a tomato sauce with pasta or mash and veg
Chicken tikka in a lettuce wrap with cucumber and mint sauce

Green beans or tenderstem brocolli with crushed garlic, olive oil and sea salt is fantastic roasted for about 20 mins at gas 6.

Following for ideas. I'm v similar!

Sometimes I think it helps if you can break down some of the hurdles. Right now, you've got to up your cooking skills and choose new healthy meals and that's a lot to take on all at once.

Could you try a meal kit subscription for a bit, like Hello Fresh? They can be a little pricey but you can switch between opening offers for a number of kits. There are plenty of healthy options, you just have to make sure you select those meals.

The easiest healthy meals I do are just some grilled meat or fish (find a few pre-mixed seasonings you like for flavour), one of those microwave rice/grain pouches, and 2 roasted veg as the sides. Not much thinking, but balanced and gives you all you need.

Also, those curry kits where you get the spices and base sauce can be great for making an easy meal which you customise with healthy ingredients by choosing to add a lean protein, veg and brown rice on the side.

I follow this woman on insta. I do like cooking but it was often complicated before. Her recipes are easy as everyone loves them. Can adapt for diets etc

annasfamilykitchen.com

Batch cooking is your friend. Freeze things in portions, keep a list on the side of the freezer of what is in there.

You talk about liking roasted veg...for tea tonight I just had pasta with roasted veg, olives, pine nuts and feta. Easy favourite here. I often roast a big tray and use them over a few nights with things like veggie sausages, risotto, tagines, curries etc.

Fab ideas here, thanks v much - and for the insta link!

Sometimes I just need a bit of inspiration.

If you're a healthy eater but lack time and skill, what do you throw together for breakfast, lunch and tea/dinner? On a bad day I'd probably have some cereal for breakfast like cornflakes, toast and butter for lunch, a load of biscuits/chocolate in between to relieve the stress of work and whatever DH cooks for dinner - that could be baked chicken with new potatoes and veg, or fishcakes and veg, or chorizo pasta, or if he can't be arsed/is exhausted /hasn't been shopping, fish and chips or pizza.

I don't often cook because I wfh until way beyond DH getting home, and he's far more organised than me, but I have been known to knock up a chicken casserole if I remember to start on time.

I think I kind of know what to do but I lack confidence...

Pasta Primavera is quick and easy, use any selection of green vegetables.
Salmon baked in a foil parcel is easy and with no washing up, salmon is a very healthy oily fish, but the cooking method will work for any fish of course.
Risotto is a good standby, chicken, mushroom, asparagus & pea. Or for something a bit different a paella made with seafood or with vegetables.

Just to add, I have a few food worries /idiosyncrasies due to emetophobia and a very nasty experience with giardia which gave me horrific eggy sulphur burps - it was after eating salmon, so I don't eat salmon or eggs! Strong tasting spices (cajun spice, curry, chilli, garlic etc) can also develop into eggy burps for me the following day so I go easy on those, and beef mince does the same. It is certainly psychological but its there.

I worry a lot about food hygiene, for example I get a bit weirded out by things like tuna pasta where you chuck cold tuna into hot pasta and just make it warm - that can't be good can it, it tastes delicious but it always bothers me! Same for batch cooking anything with meat content - freezing and reheating causes me some anxiety.

Blimey I think I'm starting to realise why my eating habits are so basic.

Ooh that risotto sounds nice Ada.

Same for batch cooking anything with meat content - freezing and reheating causes me some anxiety.

I’m vegan and is veggie. No meat in our freezer!
How do you get on with lentils and pulses? They freeze and reheat very well.

Breakfast - porridge and berries or banana, yoghurt and fruit, peanut butter on toast

Lunch - usually have salad and cous cous and something or a sandwich with salad and cooked meat in. Try to avoid the sandwich if I had toast for breakfast

Tea - as already listed but sometimes I have a gousto box, tonight is a gousto meal of pork chilli and tortilla chips

Re tuna pasta and similar - you can reassure yourself by heating it - baked in oven, stirred on top of stove - until everything is bubbling hot.

But if you're using tinned tuna, then remember it has been sterilised at high pressure. It's safe to eat cold; heating it gently isn't going to make any pathogens magically appear. So just warm - if that's how you like it - would in fact be fine.

Freezing food, thawing it properly in the fridge and then heating until bubbling hot (or, if you use frozen ready meals, cooking according to instructions on the packet) is also perfectly safe. Millions of people do it every day and survive.

Potato/root veg/leeks - more digestible than onions - baked in cheese sauce.
Sweet potato wedges sprinkled with smoked paprika baked in olive oil in oven. Serve with green veg and (if you eat meat) bacon.
Baked potatoes with mushrooms in sour cream plus salad or any green veg.
Greek cheese and vegetable pies (various recipes).
Aubergine parmigiana
Hot ratatouille (aubergines, peppers, courgettes cooked in tomato sauce) with cooked butter beans added. Sprinkle with parmesan to serve if liked.

Thank you @florascotia2, just the reassurance I need! I didn't know that about tuna.

All these ideas are making me hungry