My husband works erratic hours, so he usually eats dinner at work, but we are trying to save money and eat healthier. Here's my dilemma. He has blood sugar problems that he controls by strictly limiting his carb intake. A typical meal for him is meat/ fish and vegetables. He is also kind of picky about his food (he has high faluntin' taste.) I have a baby, so I don't have hours of meal prep time. And since he often works really late, I need ideas for things that won't taste too bad reheated. Can anyone rise to this challenge and give me some ideas?! I don't need recipes- just ideas and I can find the recipe. Some of the staples I make are things like meatballs of various kinds, salade nicoise, pan cooked fish (which doesn't do well made ahead) but I am tired of my staples. :)
Beef stew in the crockpot (add some red wine - either to the pot or in a glass, or both, for his high falutin' taste) - you add whatever vegetables he can have, being cautious w/ carrots, potatoes and peas if these are problem foods.
Do crustless quiche. The combinations of meat, veggies and cheeses really can be endless. All he'll have to do is reheat and it's just as good. And aside from a little flour, there's no carbs!
We also make a chef's salad (green salad with ham, cheese and hardboiled eggs). Can't be reheated, but you can prep all the ingredients and he can just assemble when he's ready.
Meatloaf? Chicken courdon bleu? Chicken burgers?
Make a meatloaf! If you don't go overboard with the breadcrumbs or chili sauce, it is pretty darn low-carb.
Or a chef salad. Or a "chef salad with grilled chicken instead of deli cuts". In other words, a nice garden salad with boiled egg, black olives, nuts of some sort (or pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds or pine nuts)... and sliced grilled chicken breast or the traditional ham/turkey on top. Doesn't even need heating... pair it with full fat ranch dressing and there are VERY few carbs involved...
stir fries reheat very well. veggie/chicken/beef, whatever.
Also bean and cheese burritos on low carb wraps.
Or steak salad. (Put the steak cut up into a ziplock, you can reheat that and then put it right into the salad).
Or grilled chicken salad, same as above.
chicken sausage with peppers and onions.
Kabobs or marinated meat and veggie skewers
crockpot meatloaf
fajitas
minestrone, split pea soup, chili, etc.
Salad greens with shredded chicken, craisins, & feta
Lettuce, chicken, artichoke hearts, & balsamic vinaigette in a tortilla
Is there any way you can do the prep work ahead of time and cook it really quick when he wants it? I think I've heard of wrapping fish in foil with herbs and/or lemon slices then baking it - is that something that can be assembled and left in the fridge for a couple of hours?
I'm not really sure these are low carb, but I hope it helps!
Soups are easy to make and wonderful to reheat. Corn chowder, potato-leek, chili, chinese cabbage and bean, and curried fish are our favs.
Have you switched to wholegrain pastas, breads and rice? They are wonderful ways to eat carbs and keep blood sugar under control.
turkey/swiss roll ups
fajitas
stir-fry with single serve microwave rice.
Stews and soups, anything slow cooked or braised in a dutch oven reheat well or can be kept on a simmer for hours. You can use any meat and veggies with some stock, the variations are endless. Good luck!
Not sure if this will work for you, but it might be worth a shot. I joined the Relish meal planning website. The address is
I love it! A new list of meals comes every Thurs. You also have access to all the past menus. They are divided into groups (like low calorie and kid friendly) and you can also search by ingredients. All the meals take around 30-45 min to cook and they use fresh ingredients. That was a plus for us because we live in Switzerland and can't get a lot of things that "quick and easy" recipes call for (like premade biscuits and campells soup). You choose your meals for the week (there is also an option for making meals to freeze) and then it makes a grocery list for you! I love it and it was well worth the $60 for a years subscription. But also keep in mind that I hate meal planning and making a grocery list :) It really did help me get out of a rut though! Not sure if free sites exist but it mat be worth searching for if you don't want to spend the money. Good luck and happy cooking!
*thai chicken tenders broil in oven or grill (love thai kitchen curry paste as marinade, we double recipe and cook half, throw half in freezer bag for another day).
*crockpot soups & stews (ex veggie lentil soup, roast, minestrone, chili for taco salad, hoppin' john with brown rice)
*quiches with ground nut crust
*spaghetti sauce & spaghetti squash (again double sauce recipe and keep half in freezer for another day)
*rare steak (so when you heat it in microwave it is medium well)
*quick cook stir fry (over brown rice)
Put sliced or frozen veggies in microwaveable container with lid so that it only takes a few minutes to cook for veggie sides. If he can have sweet potatoes just prick it with a fork and throw it in the microwave for a few minutes.
We invested in a rice cooker that cooks wild and brown rice (and keeps it warm even when it is done cooking).
When I was eating lower carb, I found that if I put away portion sized meals into the freezer, it made for some very quick meals. ie: I put a portion of chicken, buffalo, fish etc. into a vacuum seal bag and added my seasonings or marinade etc. depending on what I wanted. They defrost well in a bowl of cool water in about 20 minutes and cook up in less than 10minutes. Since he isnt dieting, he can also do small portions of pasta. Maybe considering making something like penne ahead of time and popping it in the fridge or in freezer packs that he can reheat and add to his meal.
hope that helps you!
do you use a crock pot? i use my religiously. Stephanie O'Dea has a great blog where she used her crockpot everyday and most of her meals are meat and veggies. My whole family loves the 40 clove garlic chicken and the apricot chicken. Also, check out Once a Month Mom.
