Food Ideas ? Food Preparation ? What Do You Do ? HELP !

[Babybell]

I am on my 2nd week deviation free & i am struggling a bit with what i could have in advance, all i have been really eating is chicken/salad consisting of (onion,cucumber,lettuce & tomato).

I have also had chicken in foil with tomato,onion,zucchini,mushroom a few times aswell. Really, thats all I have rotated..and I can feel the gag reflexes starting up from looking at the SAME old food, then I wanna just gag more knowing that i have months of doing this yet. What am i to do ? I struggled getting through dinner tonight & I just didnt finish it all.

I have looked at ALOT of the recipes, but the only thing i like from the protien section is really only chicken, beef, veal. I dont mind SOME fish, is Basa ok to eat on cohens ? I dunno, I want this soo bad...but i am really finding it hard with the vegies & protien. Crispbreads/Yoghurt/ Fruit that part to me is EASY EASY...it's just lunch & dinner ?

Is it just me or does it feel like you are literally living at the supermarket ? In order to have 'fresh' ALL THE TIME, it's got to be eaten fast.

Cohens Is so good though, I love the way it works & how rapid it can be, but I really really need a helping hand with preparation ideas..??

Would love to hear what people do on here ? are you strong and eat the same thing ? do you follow the recipes that are only on here & rotate them over a period of time ? Do you cook your meals twice a day ?? hmm

Sorry about all the questions, but this is what i am really really stuck on & this is what i keep questioning to myself, thought I need to jump on and just ask all you guys of what your little routine consists of to keep you on track !?

THANKS xo

[Laura77]

Hey! Well I make things like risolls and stuff them with about half of my veg allowance, and when I make them for dinner I make another lot for lunch the next day, tonight I have lasagne, and also one for lunch tomorrow... I've made of the past few weeks, beef strogonoff, chicken stuffed with asparagus, chicken kiev, ummm the risolls and lasagne, ummm chicken and veg soup, beef and chicken stir frys, chicken nuggets, crumbed steak, crumbed chicken... I totally understand getting sick of the same stuff!! I mix it up as much as I can!

[Future Yummy Mummy]

I buy a big pile of meat/fish, then divide into portions and freeze.

I have some Cohens stuff but some stuff I've adapted from what I normally eat. In the last week, for example, I've had grilled fish with veg, steak with grilled asparagus, prawn curry, chilli con carne (kind of!), chicken curry, greek salad, a couple of lots of chicken and cauli soup, chicken burgers, beef goulash.

[jlou]

Hi Babybell

I just saw that we started around the same weight and have a similar goal weight

I started out doing some recipes from the book but we went camping for a month and I got in the habit of salad with pan fried steak, chicken or fish. I put some herbs (ones which are rough like rosemary) on the chicken so it makes it a bit crispy - you could use crispbread too but I liketo save them for inbetween meals!)

I have also been cooking my chicken in advance and freezing it so I can just put it in my lunch bag in the fridge the night before and it is defrosted by lunchtime - saves preparation etc!

Do you like cheese??

[Melly076]

hey laura.. how were the chicken nuggets?

[Laura77]

soooooooooooooooooo good!!!!!!!

[shuki]

if you like cheese the cheese and vege lasagne in the book is yummy. And my other one i look forward to is Feta with greek salad - i smear the feta on the crisp bread.
i also cover everything with chilli flakes (within limits) as i need the burst of flavour.
Having done other 'diets before my husband and i decided this time I could not afford to get caught in a rut and eat the same thing all the time (as i had on them) as i would get bored and give up - prooved time and time again.
So I am forcing myself to try different recepies even if they don't appeal (well within reason)

[Gremlin]

Babybell - I cook in batches and freeze, so that I'm not having to shop every other day and know I'll always have a meal in the freezer ready to heat if I'm too busy to cook.

I cook allsorts of different things - chilli chicken veg soup, savoury mince, mexican steak dish (diced steak, tomato, onion, capsicum all cooked in mexican spice mix), chicken nuggets (I make different seasonings so I don't get bored - ginger and garlic, taco chilli, curry, etc) and an amazinngggg chicken curry with 9 different spices and cauliflower...etc etc.

I spent about 4hrs in the kitchen last sunday and managed to prepare 10 lunches and 10 dinners to freeze. As well as mini bags of blanched vegies to freeze for my breakkie allowance - so I just have to reheat a bag of asparagus or cauliflower to go with my egg each morning. I also boil 4 eggs at a time, then keep them in the fridge. And I stew and freeze apples, so I always have snacks I can heat up if I have no fresh fruit.

It might seem like a pain in the butt on the day you're doing it, but it saves soooo much time and stress, and I waste less food too. I just put on my ipod and get it done...and I started to enjoy experiment with combinations and spices.

I'm started week 16 next week, and I've never feel bored and I never dread lunch/dinner!

[carrieanne_c]

I am a freezer as well! I saw your pics Gremlin, why do you have that blank look on your face?.lol

[Mum Chum]

Originally Posted by Gremlin

Babybell - I cook in batches and freeze, so that I'm not having to shop every other day and know I'll always have a meal in the freezer ready to heat if I'm too busy to cook.

Question - Do you cook 1 big batch then divide it up or do you do all individual serves? I'm afraid if I do 1 batch the ratio of protein/veg won't be quite right.

[Shanara]

Mum,

You must cook each one seperately. You are right about the ratios not being correct if you do it in one batch.

Shanara

[Sez]

I find it hard when im at work to mix things up with my meals. Because I dont have cooking facilities and I cook my meat on a sandwich press and steam my vegies in the microwave, I do find it difficult at times not to deviate (due to the fact im eating the same thing day in day out for 9 days!!).

When I'm at home i love cooking up onion, tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, garlic & chilli (within my limits of course) and a little bit of olive oil and my meat allowance. I absolutely love this as it is simple but has good flavour.

[Gremlin]

MC - I cook it all seperately, but I chop all the vegies and meat up first then grab and weigh each meal and cook in a seperate pot/pan. You get good at having 3 or 4 going at once heh

[Shanara]

Hi Sez.

You might find it better to cook in batches and then freeze them. You can use the microwave to reheat, I find if I take something out of the freezer in the morning - it will be defrosted by lunch usually.

Shanara

[Sez]

Hey Shanara

I have thought about doing that for work, but the freezer in my room will fit 2 containers in it and thats it! I dont trust leaving it in the work fridge, as little munchkins will eat it!

[Mum Chum]

Originally Posted by Sez

I dont trust leaving it in the work fridge, as little munchkins will eat it!

What about having a little "lunch" esky, and keep it with your handbag or whatever you take to work. People shouldn't eat what isn't theirs anyway but obviously they do. (Keep it under cover)

[Sez]

Originally Posted by Mum Chum

What about having a little "lunch" esky, and keep it with your handbag or whatever you take to work. People shouldn't eat what isn't theirs anyway but obviously they do. (Keep it under cover)

Its ok when im at work during the day, no one will touch my lunch as I sit in plain view of the fridge.

Its just when the nightshift crews are on that I fear they will eat my lunch! Where I work is about 40k's from our camp so if people forget their lunch they will hunt in the freezers for whatever they can get!

I sound like im making excuses, but if you worked in the mining industry you would understand!

I just stick to the plain when im on site!