Bored with meals! Suggestions needed!!!

Calling all WLS friends! I am bored with my meals and drinks. Tired of cheese sticks, peanut butter crackers, turkey and ham slices. I've found myself reverting back to old habits. Especially tired of diet koolaid and diet iced tea w/lemon. I know how to fix the problem mentally but need some new meal ideas. Over the past few days I've found myself grabbing french fries and a diet coke for lunch then popping a Resin or Bit-O-Honey for a sweet treat in the afternoons. These are the bad habits that got me 100 pounds overweight in the first place. HELP!!! Looking for suggestions for quick on the go lunches, yummy snacks that fill the need for a sweet treat, and interesting suppers. Luv y'all!!! You are super friends! Peggy B.

Hi, Peggy! We're surgery twins - I had Lap RNY on 10/25/05. Here's some of my regular snackies and meals: Snackies: - apple w/ 1-2 tbsp. peanut butter - banana w/ 1-2 tbsp. peanut butter - 1-2 oz .beef jerky - multi-grain wheat thins w/ low-fat cheese - yogurt w/ 1-2 tbsp. low-fat granola (for crunch and texture) - 4 oz. cottage cheese mixed with cut-up strawberries and sugar-free strawberry preserves - fat-free Pringles (can't eat too many because of the Olestra, but satisifies the need for an occasional salty snack and has 70 calories per 15 chips) - love, love, love my non-fat decaf lattes - good source of protein and liquid! Meals (mostly lunch-related info): - open-face sandwich w/ lean turkey or ham, plus low-fat cheese; add thinly sliced onion, cucumber, leaf lettuce, etc. for more "crunch" - Chunky healthy request soups (lots of good options here) - egg salad, tuna salad or chicken salad on toast (or regular bread if no toaster available) I often eat leftovers for lunch, which usually includes a lean protein and a veggie. I try to think of that when I'm planning dinners, then I don't have to worry about what to make for lunch the next day. In terms of beverages, I drink Propel with calcium, in addition to lots of water. It comes in mixed berry, mango and mandarin orange flavors. In addition to being tasty, it gives you 20% of your daily requirement of calcium, plus a bunch of B vitamins. A tasty, healthy alternative to water and koolaid. It has 20 calories in a 16 ounce bottle, so I limit myself to 1-2 per day. Good luck finding some new things to add to your menu. I'm starting to get bored with my same old routine, so have also been looking for some new stuff to try. Hopefully we'll both be successful! Kellie

Well, I went shopping today and bought a few extra things that I've hidden away from my three teenagers who inhale everything as soon as I walk through the door usually. I bought deli ham and cajun turkey sandwich meats, pre-cooked shrimp to stirfry at lunch, pecans to munch on inbetween meals, yogurt, ff pringles, etc. I also found some really good egg rolls that have 8 or 10 grams of protien in them. I popped one in the microwave tonight for supper. Really good for a quicky! Thanks for the suggestions! If I come across anything good I'll send it your way. Peggy B.

My nutritionist gave me some good recipes for snacks, they are all 200 calories mix-and match snacks: 1 low-fat nutri grain waffle or kashi waffle with 1 tbsp peanut butter topped with 1/2 banana and sugar free maple syrup. 1 slice of whole wheat bread with 1 oz reduced fat cfheese and 2-3 slices of tomato. toast in toaster oven. 1/2 cup part skim milk ricotta cheese mixed with 1 splenda (nutrasweet causes MS). Sprinkle with cinnamon and 1 tsp almonds. 2 oz whole wheat pita with 1 tbsp hummus. top an 8" whole wheat tortilla with 1/4 cup fat free refried beans, 1/4 cup shredded low fat cheese and 1 tbsp salsa. Microwave for 15-20 seconds and roll. 1 apple with 1tbsp peanut butter. 4 oz light yogurt topped with 1 tbsp chopped nuts 1 egg, 1oz reduced fat cheese on 1/2 oat bran english muffin. 1 cup strawberries or blueberries and 1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese topped with 1 tsp sunflower seeds. Sweeten wtih splenda if desired. Dinner sometimes I have fish, green beans and 1/2 sweet potato or 3 oz of steak, 1/2 cup mashed potatos and a 1/2 cup veggies. I made the other night low fat egg plant parmigana. Instead of frying the eggplant I baked it and it was delicious. Made it using fat free ricotta cheese instead of using mozzarella cheese, it was interesting. I go out to eat somtimes and order a regular meal and take home leftovers. I have enough for 3 more meals. I eat chinese food. I do beef or chicken with pea pods ( no salt), brown rice and chicken teriyaki. I eat about 4 bites of each and again have leftovers. Or i'll order an appetizer if it is protein of some sort and have that as my meal or I just do a salad with chicken. I love Applebees grilled chicken salad or Unos chicken salad. Hope this helps some. Lisa J. in Mass

WOW!! Thanks for your great suggestions! I'm going to print those out and post them in my kitchen as a reminder. My two favorite breakfasts: 1) A piece of whole wheat toast spread with almond butter, plus a glass of milk (usually in the form of a homemade nonfat cafe latte) 2) Small bowl of Go Lean cereal, with added sliced almonds and wheat germ, and milk of course A few lunches I eat pretty regularly: 1) A can of garbanzo beans or black beans, mixed with a can of corn and a can of tuna, add some low-fat salad dressing. If you're feeling fancy, add chopped onions, parsley, veggies, cooked meat instead of the tuna, whatever sounds good. This is usually enough for 2-3 meals and is very satisfying. 2) Tuna salad on whole wheat, loaded with protein 3) Canned sardines on crackers Dinners are a family meal, my kids are picky eaters, so end up making at least 2, sometimes 3 different meals to satisfy everyone. Good luck!! Sheryl

Hello Peggy~ I know how you feel with the cheese sticks and peanut butter! They are boring that's for sure. Here's what I eat~ Snacks~ Peanut butter chocolate protein ball (2) a handful of peanuts/cashews/almonds...whatever I have on hand Meals~ I sometimes do meatballs with spaghetti sauce and parmesan cheese..high in protein and tastes good and filling ~tyson has flavored chicken strips that are pre-cooked and I sometimes take a few pieces of that and it will thaw out by the time I'm ready to eat it..I really like the southwestern style strips (chicken breast) ~homemade chili ~or if I want pizza, we get the reduced fat biscuits and make a little one for me out of the dough and load it up with meat and veggies ~special K has meal replacement bars that taste prettty good too and I don't dump on them ~yogurt (carb control) ~make a homemade omlette with eggwhites and my most favorite which lasts me three days..is a naked queso burrito from Qdoba. it has all the fixings of a regular burrito without the tortilla. I don't know about you but I can't really handle breads or carbs! For sweet tooths...I get the sugar free jell-o pudding with a little bit of light cool whip For my salt fix..I'll have a few of those fat free pringles and that usually does the trick. If you want something a little different to drink...walmart brand has Apple and a Cranberry flavored drinks without sugar..it tastes really good and it feel like you're drinking juice and not cool-aid!! I also love Dasani flavored waters..grape and rasberry are really good! Good luck!! Bridgett