[bobthecockroach]

Originally Posted by OiBoyz

This is how I "stir fry". Which is probably more like steaming. But it works, and you don't miss the oil.

When I bake using mixes, cake mix, etc. I substitute the oil with applesauce in the same amount. Then the only fat is what is naturally in the eggs. You don't notice the difference. I don't know if you could do that with muffins or not.

Simplest solution if you have to be low-fat: Don't eat baked goods.

Fresh fruit with low-fat plain yogurt makes a tasty dessert or a tasty breakfast.

[Art]

Originally Posted by bobthecockroach

If you take your narrowest, tallest pot, put an inch or so of boiling water in the bottom, put your veggies in, and put a lid on top you can basically achieve steaming without any special equipment. Works especially well for broccoli left in big pieces.

*shrug* I spent $10 on my Mom's steamer, and it is amazing. I'm sure your way works quite well.

[normajean777]

Thanks everyone so far for your responses. I have yet to steam some vegetables but hopefully I'll try that tomorrow or the next day. Do you add seasoning during or after, or not at all?

Although because this doesn't let me eat very much meat (like a small chicken breast a day or so), is there any way to get more protein without increasing the fat content? Eggs were a little to much when I tried them.

[normajean777]

Originally Posted by bobthecockroach

What might be helpful is if we knew what kind of food you normally eat/like. Also, what is available in your area. Any ethnic groceries or Whole Foods type places?

I'm not a big fan of any ethnic food, but yes there are plenty of whole foods stuff, really I have access to everything, and many things are closeby. I'd say my main staple was potatoes and beef, but now my potatoes have to be prepared different, and I can't really have any beef.

[OiBoyz]

Originally Posted by normajean777

I'm not a big fan of any ethnic food,

ANY? Wow, that cuts a pretty wide swath...

I like baked potatoes with a little lemon juice, salt and pepper.

For added protein you can add beans, or really any legumes. Certain combinations are supposed to work well for making complete proteins. You could probably get that information on a good vegetarian site. In fact, I'd check some of those out for recipies.

[bobthecockroach]

Originally Posted by normajean777

I'm not a big fan of any ethnic food, but yes there are plenty of whole foods stuff, really I have access to everything, and many things are closeby. I'd say my main staple was potatoes and beef, but now my potatoes have to be prepared different, and I can't really have any beef.

First, for protein, your best bets are grains and beans. A chicken breast (or similar portion of meat) gives you almost all your protein for the day anyway, though, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

For some delicious potatoes with no fat, dice them, "saute" them in a little liquid until they just start getting tender, then add an equal portion mushrooms, chopped the same size as the potatoes. Season with salt and copious amounts of pepper. The combination really brings out the earthiness of the potatoes.

Here's another way I've done potatoes: http://www.christianguitar.org/forum...1/#post3583292

[bobthecockroach]

Some other simple combinations. Cook by throwing together in a pan and applying heat.

- Green beans and tomatoes
- Potatoes and kale
- Butternut squash and sweet potatoes (roasting will be your best bet here)
- Mushrooms and onions
- Carrots and cauliflower

But again, I emphasize that it's important to redefine what a "meal" is. Take any two combinations above and throw them on a plate. That's a meal. A meal doesn't have to be a centerpiece with sides. It can just be two (or even one) tasty things together in equal quantities. It can just be a big salad. Or a salad and a hot vegetable. Or a plate full of raw veggies. Or a salad and a handful of grapes. If you don't think that could be filling, then just eat more of it. When you're eating veggies, there's basically no limit on how much you can eat. A pound of mushrooms has like 80 calories and no fat. A pound of tomatoes has even less than that. A pound of spinach has probably no calories and enough vitamins and minerals to last you a week. (That and no one could possibly eat a pound of spinach.)

[OiBoyz]

Originally Posted by Art

*shrug* I spent $10 on my Mom's steamer, and it is amazing. I'm sure your way works quite well.

You can get those steamer baskt thingies at yard sales or thrift stores for next to nothing.

[Ted Logan]

Originally Posted by bobthecockroach

First, for protein, your best bets are grains and beans. A chicken breast (or similar portion of meat) gives you almost all your protein for the day anyway, though, so I wouldn't worry too much about that.

For some delicious potatoes with no fat, dice them, "saute" them in a little liquid until they just start getting tender, then add an equal portion mushrooms, chopped the same size as the potatoes. Season with salt and copious amounts of pepper. The combination really brings out the earthiness of the potatoes.

Here's another way I've done potatoes: http://www.christianguitar.org/forum...1/#post3583292

Not everyone can efficiently digest vegetable proteins - soy, for example, causes SERIOUS problems for me.

Bodybuilders and power lifters require more protein in their diets than most people, so over the decades they've been at the forefront of figuring out how to get it into their bodies. They've come up with 4 basic ways to get lean, whole proteins from whole foods:

-Egg whites
-Low/no fat milk
-Chicken/turkey breasts
-Fish

So, for example, a can of tuna has 100 calories, 2 grams of fat, 0 sugar, and 22 grams of protein (and it costs less than a dollar). You can eat the whole can plain (which is hard to do until you get used to it, but I used to do it every day), or you can toss it in a salad (mixed greens complement the flavor best) with a low-fat dressing. Tuna + fat free ranch, right in the can, makes a VERY quick, passable tuna salad.

And don't discount the value of milk for protein. A glass of skim milk (or milk on cereal) in the morning not only provides protein, but studies have indicated that people who drink milk with breakfast lose more fat than those who don't. A glass of milk has something like 8 grams of protein.

As for chicken, a chicken breast will have somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 grams of protein.

[bobthecockroach]

There's a heck of a lot more types of vegetable protein than soy. Spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, lentils, brussel sprouts, black beans, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, oats, and wheat all have good amounts of protein, and are all significantly different plants (or not even plants in the case of mushrooms). If you eat all those things regularly, in addition to the occasional chicken or fish, I don't think you even need to think about protein (unless you're a body builder, but I'm assuming the OP is not). If you aren't eating a wide variety of whole foods as the main component of your diet though, then all bets are off. But then the problem is your overall diet, not your protein intake.

There's just no reason to worry about protein specifically if you eat lean meat regularly and eat mostly whole foods.

[Ted Logan]

Granted.

[Art]

Originally Posted by OiBoyz

You can get those steamer baskt thingies at yard sales or thrift stores for next to nothing.

Yes. But that's not the steamer I got my Mom.

[Pre-Ex-Girlfriend]

Originally Posted by normajean777

Although because this doesn't let me eat very much meat (like a small chicken breast a day or so), is there any way to get more protein without increasing the fat content? Eggs were a little to much when I tried them.

You got me curious, so I consulted my Nutrition textbook about proteins. Here's some of what I found useful:

The recommended daily allowance for healthy adults is 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. (A 3 oz. chicken breast has 27 grams of complete protein, so Daniel is right, one normal sized chicken breast will give you a good amount of your protein for the day. )

Complete proteins (ones that contain all the essential amino acids) can be found in animal products (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy). Proteins found in plant foods contain a lower concentration of essential amino acids, so they are called incomplete proteins. When certain plant foods are eaten in combination over the course of the day, they make up for what each other lacks, and so they are called complementary proteins.

Some plant proteins are complete, such as amaranth, quinoa, and soy proteins.

Some low/no fat sources of protein: lentils, whole wheat pasta, broccoli, low/no fat cottage cheese, low/no fat yogurt.