Anyone have healthy dinner ideas for a hungry husband??

 

   Im tryin to change my ways of cookin- (which i love to cook)- but my husband doesnt like all the barely there meals. He works all the time so dinner time is our big meal of the day and he wants substance! I want it healthy for him too though!

   Anyone have some great tasting ideas- i would appreciate it!!

Catelli WholeWheat and Flax Pasta . . .  lots of carbs - but whatever.   Pair that with frozen peas in a nice toomato basil sauce . . . add some grilled chicken, or salmon, or lean grilled beef  . . .  there you go. 

Yesterday , my lunch consisted of 1 serving of pasta, 2 servings of classico tomato basil, a cup of frozen peas, 1/2 can tuna . . .  Really healthy, good protein, just about 20 g of fibre, tomatos are VERY healthy for you (especially men.)

 

THere are a ton of options out there for guys who want a big filling meal.  Veggies really fill you up and can have very little calories depending on the ones chosen.

Chicken Breasts done in the slowcooker with no fat cream of mushroom and cream of celery -  spooned over Rice (Brown is best.)   side of steamed brocolli or other veggies.

Salmon done in oven with a soy sauce and brown sugar / pepper topping - delicious.

try going to johnstonefitness.com - register for the forums (free) go to the recipes section - search.   Maybe even post the same question - there are a lot of big eaters there. 

Here is a great idea and takes literally less than 1/2 hour to prepare. I love it and I even had my husband fooled.

It is tofurkey sausages (seasoned with sundried tomatoes) It already comes like that from the store. Some brown rice pasta (very satisfying without the heaviness of regular flour pasta) and some spaghetti sauce (organic or whatever kind you like), just that the organic doesn't seem to have as much salt.  Slice the sausages like you would see them in a restaurant meal, brown them slightly with some (and I mean a tiny amount of) sunflower oil. Mix cooked pasta, sauce and sausages together and voila.. a super tasty meal that is low in fat and super delicious... oh ya, make a salad to go with it.. ha haha.. :)  Hope you try it... :)

Turkey Fajitas.  Either buy seasoned turkey meat or get white meat turkey at the grocery and season it up with lime, chili, cumin, as you like it (or you can google a recipe).  Brown some onions in a pan, then add green peppers till just done.  Remove veggies, brown turkey and cook till liquid evaporates off.  Add back in veggies and toss.

  Server over warmed torilla with low fat cheddar cheese, salsa, low or no fat sour cream, and your hubby ( and you) won't even realize this is a "good for you" dinner.  My non dieting hubby loves it when I make this meal.

 

  Those al sound like wonderful recipes i think l will definetly have to try them! Thanks 

Original Post by shauna_182:

 

   Im tryin to change my ways of cookin- (which i love to cook)- but my husband doesnt like all the barely there meals. He works all the time so dinner time is our big meal of the day and he wants substance! I want it healthy for him too though!

   Anyone have some great tasting ideas- i would appreciate it!!

 List some of what you're making and I can give ideas on how to make them more filling.

 

  I just started the diet a couple days ago so really im interested in new ways of using fish and chix and any lean meats- cause he has to have meat!!!

 

I don't understand the dilemma. Really all you need to do is serve him more of whatever you're making.

You describe him as being tired of "barely there" meals. What is a barely there meal? 

just no soups and salads as entrees or one item meals he likes his potatoes aka fillers - i just need some new improved ways of cooking- i always cook baked chix which we love but i dont want that 7 days a week u know. I need some healthier ways to make food. I just dont want to get bored w/ some food. I know how to cook but i must not know the best ways to keep the cals down. R there some sauces that r low cal w/ alot of taste? What r ways to make fish fuller- seasoning ideas??-

Ms Dash has some really good seasonings that are also lower in sodium.  Fat free italian dressing is a pretty good marinade for chicken.  Stir fry is always a good way to get the veggies and can use chicken lean beef or fish, just keep oil to  minimum (I actually don't use any, but a teaspoon or two is okay) put over rice or pasta.  I like steamed veggies and a sweet potato (plain) with fish.  Does your husband need to lose weight or are you just trying to cook healthier?

healthier and he wants to lose 10- 15 lbs but its mostly for my knowledge on just better for u foods

For fish I use lemon pepper or cajun seasoning, then usually make sweet potatoes, and broccoli or squash on the side.

You can still eat red meat, just choose leaner cuts of beef (Sirloin, eye round, top blade, 93/7 ground beef) and leaner cuts of lamb (shoulder chops).

You can still make sides like potatoes, or rice, or lentils, among others. Also try different veggies, with different spice combos and cooking methods (sauteeing, steaming, grilling). 

If he still isn't happy, tell him he can make his own food. 

How do u make your squash- i know with some i've grilled it up - but im not sure of more methods- i did bake acorn squash with syrup- like take home chef on tv did- but that prob wasnt the healthiest lol- dont know anything about lentils??

 and ya i know he wont make his food- lol he to lazy for that- but ya w/ 2 kids sometimes its hard to make things that arent just easy.

And i have always used the same seaonin- onion powder, garlic powder, seosoning salt, and pepper- sometimes i use italian season and lemon pepper but other then that not much so that also y i wanted input

 

thanks

For squash, I grill it, steam it in the microwave, or fry it in olive oil.

If he's too lazy to make his own food, then he's not really hungry  

I would go to recipes (at top of page) then choose main dish (on left hand side) and tag all that sound good.  These are recipes that people have entered and calories are listed, as well as directions.  Try to pick out several different things that also have some common ingredients, that way if you don't like one of the dishes you can still use some ingredients for a different dish.

lol- oh i know he just a whiner- he loves everything i make but i think i will have to sneak him that lean HB and lean meats - he goes grocery shop w/ me though so ya he sees what i make.   but i will just remind him that the grease is going to have to leave or he goin to have to make his own food! LOL  i bet i know what he will pick

I also have a hungry husband....it can be done. For dinner tonight we had a roasted pork tenderloin with a baked potato, 1/2 tomato, steamed veggies. I had  1/2 sweet potato instead of the white potato, more fiber and better for you. Try to fix hubby protein for breakfast, maybe a couple of eggs or just egg whites and a little deli ham and a  piece of fruit instead of bread.  If he is working hard all day he needs to eat until satisfied and not full !  Lots of water helps also.  For chicken saute in skillet add some bell peppers, onions and a can of diced tomatoes or salsa for something different.  Soups with lots of veggies are good with beans, beans have a lot of protein.  Good luck, you can do it !

My mom used to make this all the time and it was so simple. The great thing is that it is made individually so you can make yours low fat and low calorie while not having to modify his at all. It is chicken parmesan.

Take two sheets of foil and place a chicken breast on each one (thawed of course). Add pasta or tomato sauce, sliced zucchini and then shredded mozzerella. In that order. Close the foil packets and put on the grill. Sorry, can't remember how long she left it on but it wasn't too long. And if you don't have a grill, Im pretty sure you could make it in the oven just as easily. My parents always served it with noodles but you could alwasy use brown rice or just add more veggies to make it healthier.

Last night we made our own chicken nuggets, unthaw chicken, coat them in seasoned bread crumbs and bake. We also made potato wedges....take a medium potato slice it the long way into 6 pieces or so. Chop up some tomato, onions, green onion. Mix it together add some garlic, oregano..whatever seasonings you'd like. Top the potatos and you're good to go. Don't forget to spray the pan down. They are soooo yummy.

Hi, I'm in the same situation. We've found that a side salad (even if it's small but interesting, a couple of olives on it or a bit of feta) fills out the plate (& belly) in a nice looking and healthy way. Sneaking in non-fat sour cream or even yogurt in recipes that call for sour cream makes a big difference to the calorie count. Also have discovered TVP - textured vegetable protein which is a dried soy product you just rehydrate with warm water and I use it half and half with any of my recipes that use ground beef. Still very filling but so much better for you! I get mine at Bulk Barn. Some people totally substitute it for their ground meat but I haven't got quite that severe yet.

I might be a little crazy but my family loves pizza and my son loves to help make pizza so I had to find something that would please everybody, be quick and easy, and still be somewhat healthy... The idea behind this is just to change it up every now and then so we can have something other than chicken, fish, meatless meals.

Flat out - Italian flat wraps - these things are 90 cals and good for many things

Mozzarella Cheese - Sargento has a fat free skim milk cheese that is pretty good.

Healthy choice pasta sauce - works like a sweet sauce for the pizza

Any veggies that you want to top the pizza with

Turkey Pepperoni - nobody can tell the difference when it's cooked and is healthier than the norm.

 This thing is pretty easy to prepare, I just pre-heat the oven to 350 and lightly brush the wraps with some olive oil.  Place the wraps directly on the oven rack for about 2 minutes (this makes sure the wrap is firm and doesn't get soggy when you add your toppings).  Add whatever veggies you want and try to stick to a half a cup of cheese on each pie if you can.  Put them back on the oven rack for about 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

All in all this takes about 15 minutes including prep time and is a healthy alternative to frozen pizzas.  They are about 200 calories per pizza (without the pepperoni) just calculate a few more calories if you add the pepperoni.  And believe me they are pretty filling.