Picky eater needing new protein ideas!

how do you make cheese crisps? I tried to make them once and they came out horrible.....hard as rocks and unbelievably salty (I used cheddar cheese). Thanks!

If you are using shredded cheese, you should not have that problem. If you are using sliced cheese make sure the slices are very thin. Low fat cheese won't work well either. I use full fat medium cheddar (and you really have to pat the grease after they cook) They taste like gold fish crackers. They are a little salty. Try a different cheese.

I'm also super picky, comes from some traumatic experiences with my Dad force feeding me as a small child. Anything that doesn't smell right or taste right makes me gag, the list is long but most vegetables are on it. It presents a problem for me with a lot of healthy eating, but I eat most meats and dairy without issue, so the protein isn't particularly hard for me.

I keep things like the Oscar Mayer Protein P3 packs around, cheddar cheese slices, greek yogurt, deli meats, eggs, etc. I was raised vegetarian, and have found that some of the protein substitutes I grew up with (Loma Linda brand) are available on Amazon and settle very well on my stomach. Big Franks on bread with mayo are my faves. I also keep snack packs of turkey jerky around. Regular jerky too, but I prefer turkey. And protein powder is great. I have found I like the Genepro the best. There's a lot of controversy around it because of the protein claims, but it's the only one I've found that doesn't significantly alter the texture of the stuff I'm putting it in. So I'll add it to chicken broth/soup/bouillon, and I keep meaning to add it to coffee but I keep forgetting (need to put the canister by the Keurig). I also like beans and lentils, and those can have quite a bit of protein.

I'm finding the trick is to keep trying things and adding to my list of "will eat". My tastes are changing as I go... for several weeks I found milk to be very distasteful, but now it's OK again. I'm finding I prefer mustard to ketchup (or at least a mix) on a lot of things I used to dren*****etchup. I'm liking a few things I didn't before, like greek yogurt.

I also go through love/hate stages with certain foods. Right after surgery I loved unjury chicken broth, but after about 3 days just the smell of it made me gag. Pre op I ate Greek yogurt all the time, but now even though I like it I just cannot bring myself to eat more than occasionally for breakfast or snack. I have always been a big meat eater so that hasn't changed. I am almost 3 months post op so some things like steak or pork chop are harder to eat unless they are very tender..so I keep a lot of ground meat on hand. I use ground chicken for pizza crust. The other day I used ground turkey and an upside down muffin pan to make little taco cups and filled them with refried beans and salsa. I really like meatballs as well and they are easy to make but also easy to find frozen and take out what you need. I make it into casserole of sorts..a few meatballs, spoonful of pizza sauce or marinara, sprinkle of shredded mozzarella..bake till bubbly and brown. Sometimes I will layer in a spoonful or so of ricotta or cottage cheese and it's like lasagna without pasta.I am a huge fan of seafood and eat lots of tuna, shrimp and salmon. To me salmon is best treated simply..sprinkle on lemon pepper and grill. Maybe you would like tilapia or flounder? Season with lemon and herbs, seal in an aluminum foil pouch and bake. Trout is yummy too. Marinated pork tenderloin is good and a few nights ago my husband grilled some turkey breasts. They are by Butterball and come plain or marinated and were so moist and 4oz has about 20g protein. He is the meat market Manager at a grocery store so we try all kinds of stuff..also we live on a small farm and have access to pasture raised chickens, ducks, and pigs. We also process wild game and make our own sausage and things..have you tried venison? Very lean and versatile and good source of protein.

I've heard of other people making pizza crust from chicken. I will have to check that out!

how do you make pizza crust from chicken??? sounds interesting!

http://sassysouthernyankee.com/2014/02/chicken-pizza-crust/

Hopefully the link works..

If you Google chicken crust pizza there are many options, but this one was simple and tasty. My family loved it, there were no leftovers, and they requested I make it again. When the crust was ready I added pizza sauce, pepperoni, bell pepper, mushrooms and mozzarella on top. The topping combinations could be endless but they enjoyed the veggies most since the crust was meaty.

Costco has individual packets of salami and provolone(I think). They are my go to fast protein along with string cheese of course. I am not a big fish lover, but have become one because of Swai. It's a really nice firm, white fish that is mild and packed with protein. I bake it with olive oil and lemon juice, I am fixing that for dinner tonight.

Hm, I will look into the fish. I am willing to try to broaden my selection a little. The way you bake it sounds good!

I love to cook. Its what got me to my heaviest weight, well, that and eating entire large surpreme pizzas lol

I'm constantly cooking still, but I try to make better meals with better ingredients. I just made a smoked meatloaf using ground bison and ground turkey mixed. The worst part would be the bread crumbs in the meat, and brown sugar in the ketchup sauce for the top. I think I'm going to do it again and try halving the bread crumbs, and maybe halving the sugar. Anywho, was delicious. Am tempted to put it into my fitness pal and determine the macros

I'd just play with cooking the same things, differently! Different spices, marinades, etc. Its all still chicken but can be completely different. For example, balsamic glazed chicken thighs grilled, or grilled plain w/ a chimichurri, or maybe use it for tacos el pastor.

Fortunately, my instagram has enough followers that a seasoning company found me and I've become a sponsored cook for them. The spices are all pretty good, some are fantastic. Theyre low sugar low salt which is fantastic for us.

Heres my meatloaf, stuffed with some cheese.