What are your favorite lean meals?

[Mike Anderson]

I really like to make egg white omelets:

I use one whole egg, and 3 egg whites. I add two tablespoons of water and wisk it up. I add these ingredients:

- Diced Bell Pepper
- Diced Onion
- Mushrooms
- Green Chile (from a can)

I don't use cheese, or butter. Grill up the stuffing ingredients beforehand in a separate pan on high heat, and season to taste (I use chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt).

For the eggs, I use a nice non-stick pan that I ONLY use for eggs (to keep it "nice"). I condition the pan beforehand by putting in a dab of olive oil, then wiping it out with a paper towel.

Heat the pan on medium heat, then pour in the eggs. After cooking about 1.5-2 minutes, break it loose from the pan and flip it with a deft flick of the wrist. Put in the ingredients on half the omelet (I add some chipotle salsa at this point too), then fold it over. Serve it onto a plate and top with more of the veggies and more salsa.

This tasty meal is packed with protein and has very few calories.

What are your faves?

[Chris W]

Mike,

One of my new favorites is a bit of a side dish my wife made (I'm not much of a cook). I couldn't quote the exact quantity of ingredients, but the base is quinoa. Then she added black beans, red peppers, sliced up avocado and mango. The recipe called for cilantro, but I don't care much for it so she left it out. She served it cold, but I ate it the next day warm and it tasted just as good. We added shrimp to make a Friday Lenten "meatless" dinner out of it.

Chris

[Mike Anderson]

That sounds yummy. I'm not a huge quinoa fan personally, but I could see using lots of other things. Chopped up cucumber or celery would be great zero calorie options, and would give a nice "crunch"!

[Chris W]

Mike, What foods do you typically consume as carbohydrates during your "lean" times? In your omelet example, there doesn't seem to be much in the way of carbohydrates.

[Mike Anderson]

Chris, I don't eat much processed carbs at all, but there are carbs in fruit and vegetables, just not a lot. The omelette, for example is mostly protein, but the salsa has a decent amount of carbs, especially when you smother it like I do

I feel like carbs are so hard to avoid, that I don't need to go out of my way to include them in my diet...I'm going to get them no matter what. When I'm trying to get lean, I'm eating a lot of salad and lean meats, and occasionally lower GI fruit (pears, apples, strawberries, cantaloupe), but carbs are sneaking in from the fruit, veggies, salad dressing, and any condiments I'm garnishing the protein with (teryaki sauce, chutney, curry, salsa, mole, bbq sauces, etc). Starchy veggies like carrots, zucchini and squash have more carbs, and we tend to eat those a lot too...they are very tasty and filling.

Also, on hard training days, I'll have a protein bar and/or fiber one granola bar that has more sugar in it to aid glycogen replenishment and speed recovery. I use fruit for that purpose also...it tastes better and is more filling.

[Chris W]

Mike, Do you have a favorite salsa recipe, or do you just buy one in a jar?

[MarkAnderson]

Apr 23, 2014 4:49:30 GMT -7 Chris W said:

Mike, Do you have a favorite salsa recipe, or do you just buy one in a jar?

I'm not Mike, but I'm addicted to Costco Salsa.  I don't recall the name but its the one with the red label.  It comes in a big plastic bottle, and its basically Pice de Gallo with some kick to it.

[tipton]

I add shredded chicken to my salsa for more protein.  Generally I boil a bunch at once, shred it, then freeze it. 

My favorite is to mix some shredded chicken and chunky salsa, then dump it onto a large bed of spring mix/spinach.  Makes a killer taco-style salad that's surprisingly filling.

[Chris W]

Chicken and Bok Choi Sautee

-2ish chicken breasts chopped up into small pieces
-2 tablespoons of vinegar and 2 of soy sauce
-2 tablespoons of fresh ground ginger
-1 cup of fresh chopped scallions (little green onion-type scallions)
-4 cups of chopped up fresh Bok Choi; greens for the nutrients and kick and stalk for the crunch (reminds me of mustard greens)
-2 cups fresh shiitake mushrooms
-a bit of chicken broth and red pepper flakes

1) Heat a little (2-4 tablespoons) chicken broth in a skillet until it starts to sizzle a bit
2) Add ginger and scallions for about 2 minutes
3) Add chicken and vinegar and soy sauce for 2 minutes
4) add Bok Choy and mushrooms for about another 2-4 minutes
5) add a dash of red pepper flakes if you're crazy

Made it the other night and it turned out pretty well, though I think I put in too much red pepper. Not an original recipe; got it from someone else.

[Chris W]

Lemon Thyme Chicken with Sautéed Vegetables

• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound chicken tenders
• 4 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 medium shallot, sliced
• 1 ½ cups frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 1 ½ cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 medium zucchini
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta

1. Combine 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons garlic, 2 teaspoons thyme, salt and pepper. Add chicken tenders, seal bag and turn to coat
2. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in large skillet, add shallot, remaining garlic, edamame, and tomatoes. Sauté for 4 minutes.
3. Peel and slice zucchini into long ribbons. Add zucchini and remaining lemon juice to skillet and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
4. Transfer to bowl and stir in feta
5. Add remaining oil, remove chicken from marinade and sauté until cooked. Serve with vegetables.


I cooked this last night. It actually gave me a bit of heartburn, but it wasn't too bad. I put in a lot of bell peppers instead of two zucchini because I like them more. Trying out some new foods so that this spring I can eat some lean meals with some flavor and body instead of just plain old salads.

[Chris W]

Moo Shu Vegetables

• 3 teaspoons sesame oil
• 4 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons fresh ginger
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• One 12 ounce bag of shredded mixed vegetables, like rainbow salad or broccoli slaw
• 2 cups mung bean sprouts
• 1 bunch of scallions
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

1. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in skillet, cook eggs and set aside
2. Add 2 teaspoons of oil to skillet and cook ginger and garlic about 1 minute
3. Add shredded vegetables, bean sprouts, scallions, soy sauce and vinegar. Cook about 3 minutes.
4. Add eggs and hoisin sauce, cook about 1-2 minutes.

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp

• ¾ pound jumbo shrimp
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon red chili sauce
• Juice from ½ of a lime

1. Mix all the ingredients for and let marinade for at least 20 minutes
2. Cook it in a skillet

I couldn't find bean sprouts, but my 3 year old daughter saw some "little corns", so we used baby corn and sugar snap peas instead. I also used a lot more shrimp, because I like them and they seem to cook down quite a bit. You may want to get shrimp that is already peeled and deveined to save yourself time.