On December 30, 2012 at 9:53 AM Pacific Time, bob-h wrote:

Has anybody tried the Atkins meals that are out?  I just  had the crustless  chicken pot pie and it was actually pretty good. I would like to hear from some of the vets on whether this would be an acceptable choice once in a while. I don't mean to eat these every day but on occasion to mix things up a little. They have 22g protein, 5 net carbs, no sugar added and are 330 calories. Made with chicken breast,broccoli,cauliflower florets with spinach and julienne carrots.  Frisco, Elina, Ruggie?  Some help please. Thanks. Bob.  

It sounds good, although a bit calorie dense.  

If a serving is 330 calories, and you've got 22g protein and 2g net carbs (3 are fiber), that means you've got 22 grams of fat at 200 calories.  So your dish is kinda 1/2 fat, and 1/2 protein... I like my ratio (during weight loss) to be at least 3/4 protein, 1/4 fat.  I suppose that's ok if you're making it fit into your daily calorie budget and getting all your protein in as well.  

Of course, if it's crustless chicken pot pie, isn't that really just chicken stew?  If so, you can make an even leaner version of that pretty easy.

Hope this helps!

Thanks Ruggie. My big problem is I don't do veggies very good. Hell, l didn't get fat by sucking on a green bean. I was thinking about doing these maybe once a week just to mix things up a little and actually get some veggies in. I have no problem with the protein, just can't seem to get past green things.   

Do you like any veggies at all?

I can do corn,tomatoes, green/red peppers, carrots , some cauliflower,some broccoli . Mostly carbs but I can eat those.  I don't mind the green beans and peas if they are in soups. But to eat just a green bean or peas ain't going to happen. Bob

So pass on the corn and carrots for now, but peppers and broccoli are pretty good!  There are tons of things you can do with broccoli.  

You know - I used to think that I hated green beans?  It was because I only had crappy green beans growing up.  Cheap, canned green beans.  Who knew how long they were in the can?  My family would open them up and them boil them for half an hour, until they were bitter and mushy.   I had no idea that parboiling fresh green beans from the produce section tasted 100 times better than the overcooked can stuff!  

If you like carrots, parsnips may be something you enjoy.

Also, brussel sprouts if you like broccoli - don't boil the crap out of them - roast them!  Cut in half and wash, dry, season with fresh cracked pepper, sea salt, and balsamic vinegar and olive oil, then roast them in the oven.  They come out crunchy and delicious, no bitterness.  

Good luck!

Thank you Ruggie.  I will give the Brussels sprouts a try. I have heard they are like cabbage and I can eat that. Bob

I found this recipe for Broccoflower with Spicy Italian Sausage. It is delicious, but I love broccoli. If you can't find broccoflower (not sold in my area), I just used broccoli.

Broccoflower with Spicy Italian Sausage

Ingredients

• 1 pound Spicy Italian Sausage
• 1 whole Broccoflower
• 1 cup Finely Diced Red Bell Pepper
• ½ cups Chopped Fresh Parsley

Preparation Instructions

Begin heating a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

Remove the casing from the spicy Italian sausage. Brown the sausage in the pan, using a fork or spatula to break the sausage into pieces.

While the sausage is cooking, cut up broccoflower into smaller florets, and place in an 8×8 glass dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and heat for 4 minutes on high in the microwave. (Alternatively, you can steam the broccoflower for a few minutes making sure not to overcook.) Place the steamed broccoflower in a food processor and pulse until approximately the size of rice. (Do this in multiple batches if necessary.)

Once the sausage is completely browned, add the “riced” broccoflower to the pan and stir while cooking for 5-10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the diced red bell pepper and chopped parsley. Serve warm.

I saw those things at the store... the preservatives and additives scared me off. It's junk, frankly. I order from barigoodfood.com for quick frozen meals. The shipping isn't cheap, but I order a bunch at a time - it's all natural and there's no additives.

I'm turning into a bit of a food snob though. I've been trying to eat as clean as I can with not so much junk in my food.

Thanks for the link! I love how they offer there entrees as "regular" and "pureed"! Sounds like a great alternative if you can't cook and freeze yourself.

$21.95 for shipping, I understand the reason, but it still hurts!