Here it is! My first meal post, this one is more of a meal idea (with instructions) than a specific recipe. It comes in several varieties with a basic core of 3 things: Chicken, Vegetable of choice, and potatoes:
Lower carb potatoes! Yes, that is right folks... they DO exist! I will be discussing the product further, but for now I will give you the name : Tasteful Selections Honey Gold Potatoes
Tasteful Selection Products Page (I will be posting soon about their wonderful customer service!). A serving of these potatoes is 148 grams 90 cals, 0 g fat, 0g cholesterol, 20mg Sodium, 16g Carb , 3g Fiber, 2g Sugar, 3g Protein.
The cleanest chicken I can get my hands on is HarvestLand individually wrapped boneless skinless chicken breasts. (I prefer it this way, much easier to take one or two portions out at a time).
Harvestland Chicken most of the breasts are just at 4oz give or take an oz or two (Always measure on a food scale if counting calories, a lesson we will also talk about in the future) If you are able to get your hands on a lesser processed, organic chicken breast that better fits your means and/or budget than by all means, please do! Please click the link for the nutrition information.
Then of course the vegetable of your choice, some of my favorites are broccoli, zucchini (courgette), yellow summer squash, baby broccoli, asparagus, Brussels's Sprouts, fresh green beans..... your choices are endless, depending on your tastes and availability.
This go to meal is called "Ugh, I don't feel like cooking, but I want to eat healthy and not think." It takes 30-45 minutes, depending on your ability to prepare it and how best your oven works. In the summer to cut back on the heat produced in my house, I use my favorite machine.... the ultimate toaster oven (I like to think of mine as an adult version of the easy bake oven, it has bake, toast, warm, defrost, and convection bake settings. If anyone is interested in the brand and specs, let me know in the comments).
Anyway here are the basics for fast preparation and cleanup of this meal, it gets baked together at the same time, and my pans get lined with aluminum foil.
Preheat your oven to 375 Degrees
I also enjoy sprinkling spices in this order; a good layer of Garlic Powder (make sure its unsalted to keep your sodium down), a sprinkle of pepper, a good layer of onion powder, a layer of paprika or smoked paprika, one more sprinkle of garlic powder, and then a quick spray of Olive oil cooking spray on top for a crispy "crust". All you need to do is put it in the pan lined with foil for easy cleanup, no need to spray the pan.
Then line a cookie sheet or oven pan with foil, give it a very quick and even spray of olive oil cooking spray, lay your choice of veggie out evenly, preferably not on top of each other, then give the tops a quick and even spray of the olive oil spray (I choose not to count the calories in quick sprays, that choice is up to you). Then season as you like, I love garlic powder, or just a small amount of salt and pepper, onion powder.... again the choice is up to you!
Then after you have measured out your serving of the Honey gold, cut them into slices, do the same above foil and spray method as the veggies, after the potatoes are laid out (again preferably not on top of each other if you can fit it), give the tops a quick and even spray. My go to topping is dried rosemary (oh I LOVE!), a pinch of salt (or leave it out if you need to keep low sodium, things like Mrs. Dash, would work just fine), and pepper. Sometimes, for a change I switch the rosemary out for dried chives.
Put all the pans into your oven (use the top rack for your chicken, I usually put the veggies next to it, and the potatoes on the bottom rack). Now hopefully you know your oven (if not, get to know it by cooking! Mistakes happen, its all about learning!), but for my basic rental home oven and my toaster oven, I let it go for 40-45 minutes. Depending on the veggie and your oven, check them in about 20-30 minutes. I love my veggies extra crispy, where as some people don't. *cooking times will vary depending on your oven, don't be afraid to experiment!*
Once you have this meal down, you can get it prepared and in the oven to table in the amount of time it would take you to decided on a place to eat out and go get it! Use this as your to go to "lazy meal", its satisfying, filling, and eventually you will be on automatic pilot to make it. Go sit down in front of the tv while it cooks, read a book, or do a short workout!!
*Depending on the portions, veggies, and sauces you decide to use, your meal's nutritional value will vary. I'm usually able to keep my meal below 300 calories and 1 gram of fat!
Here are the potatoes before being put in the oven (these are the fabulous honey golds):
Here are the potatoes right out of the oven with rosemary (again these are the sunrise medley, higher in carb version)
Here is the BBQ Chicken, asparagus, and Sunrise Medley potatoes with rosemary version (these pictures were taken before I realized the lower carb miracle of the Honey Golds):
Here is the BBQ Chicken, garlic broccoli, and The Sunrise Medley version of the listed potatoes (they are higher in calories, and carbs than Honey Gold) flavored with Chives, pepper, and a tiny pinch of salt. As you can see it is Ranger approved (My kitchen manager)!
Here is my other kitchen manager, Marshall, approving the meal. We couldn't leave his approval out, could we??!
I hope this meal idea will help you get started and show you that it is really not that hard to start eating better! Do you have any comments, questions, or suggestions? Please leave it in the comment section, and I will get back to you! Variety is the spice of life, but sometimes you need an easy to go to meal!! Happy healthy cooking!
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