Grilled stuff, frozen chicken breasts, and other healthy eating tips

[Rick Nebiolo]

ED: Edited title since the thread started out about the Foreman but is really all about healthy eating and especially grilled frozen chicken breasts.

I gained about ten pounds since this incredible Asian fresh bread & pastry place opened right next door. After I finish the Green Tea bread on my counter and the remaining contents of my boxed wine (Black Box Brand Merlot, good stuff) I need to go back to a low carb diet so I look good and healthy when I visit my family back East in six weeks (don’t want Mom and Dad to think I’m slipping so they worry about me even though I am slipping). I eat healthy at the card clubs (except Hollywood Park) but my off days are killing me.

First, I’m getting a George Forman grill for low fat grilling of meat and veggies. The new ones have removable plates for easier cleaning so I’ll go that way. This one (http://tinyurl.com/35ggo8) from Target looks about right (and it may be cheaper at Wal-Mart I know but shopping at Target is more fun). I realize El D has ”baller version” (http://tinyurl.com/2v27hd) but I’ll never cook waffles or need all those parts and I’m not a “baller” anyway.

I plan on shopping at Trader Joe’s but when it comes to meat and veggies it’s going to have to be mostly frozen items that don’t spoil; I only have time to shop once a week or so because TJ’s is twenty minutes away and closes before I finish my poker day.

I’ve read and participated in astroglide’s great finds at trader joe’s (http://tinyurl.com/322ejx) thread but what I need to concentrate on in this thread is frozen meat (mostly fish or chicken) or veggies that can be thawed quickly and cooks well using the Forman Grill (or grill combined with microwave). No carb condiment or spice recommendations are also appreciated.

I realize this sort of overlaps the ongoing bachelor food thread but I’m hoping to focus on this stuff which is essentially a low fat, low carb version of bachelor food. If you are a bachelor (or separated as in my case) you really need to stay thin. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[ImsaKidd]

I just go to the "regular" grocery store and buy steaks there. Usually run like $4 for a nice sized one.

TJ's meat is overpriced IIRC. I love their white cheddar macaroni for a side dish though.

[IggyWH]

I really dig the KC Masterpiece BBQ Seasoning (http://www.kcmasterpiece.com/season_bbq.html) as it does chicken goooooooood. Marinating a chicken breast in some no fat/low cal italian dressing works great also.

[AZK]

Their meat isn't that overpriced for organic/free range. I've started ordering my beef online, but I still buy their chicken/turkey. I hardly use the forman now except for steak. I cook 4-5 lbs of chicken breasts every sunday for the week and I cook the ground turkey in a pan that is normally good for 3-4 meals. Rick Give it a shot. The forman isn't everything, the cleanup/cook quality can't be justified for chicken breasts. I've never cooked veggies on it. I have the G5 too....only use it for steak mostly and hamburgers. I buy a lot of the frozen fish at TJs too, mostly pan sear that or broil as well. I wouldn't use the forman for it. Have you tried their wild canned alaskan salmon, also very good.

Sorry for the incoherence of this post...just got back from a nice 12 hour session at the library.

[AZK]

[ QUOTE ]
I realize this sort of overlaps the ongoing bachelor food thread but I’m hoping to focus on this stuff which is essentially a low fat, low carb version of bachelor food. If you are a bachelor (or separated as in my case) you really need to stay thin.

[/ QUOTE ]

Also not to harp since we sort of got into in the kyleb thread in oot...but you don't want low carb low fat. You want high protein, high good natural fat, no processed carbs, normal amount of clean carbs (fruit/veggie). Try and get out of the low carb concept - it's a fallacy.

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I realize this sort of overlaps the ongoing bachelor food thread but I’m hoping to focus on this stuff which is essentially a low fat, low carb version of bachelor food. If you are a bachelor (or separated as in my case) you really need to stay thin.

[/ QUOTE ]

Also not to harp since we sort of got into in the kyleb thread in oot...but you don't want low carb low fat. You want high protein, high good natural fat, no processed carbs, normal amount of clean carbs (fruit/veggie). Try and get out of the low carb concept - it's a fallacy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree. Atkins is OK for short bursts but your diet above is tops. But when that bread place opened next door I sort of broke down and added fast food to the mix. Ordering two Whopper Juniors minus cheese and discarding one roll isn't keeping a good diet.

I do try to mostly order fish and chicken at the card clubs without bread or potato and lots of fruit, salad, and veggies. Usually is easy to stick to with the mostly decent LA card club food.

~ Rick

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
I just go to the "regular" grocery store and buy steaks there. Usually run like $4 for a nice sized one.

TJ's meat is overpriced IIRC. I love their white cheddar macaroni for a side dish though.

[/ QUOTE ]

I try to avoid cooking red meat at home since you get so much outside. Last year for leaner meat I cooked a big turkey or so bachelor style every ten days or so but that was when I was playing online more and had the time.

White cheddar cheese and macaroni might be tasty but it's just got to be a caloric, dietetic catastrophe. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

~ Rick

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
I cook 4-5 lbs of chicken breasts every sunday for the week and I cook the ground turkey in a pan that is normally good for 3-4 meals. Rick Give it a shot.

[/ QUOTE ]
That sounds like the ticket. I have a very large, high quality pan ideal for chicken. I've just never used it since the work to eat ratio is too high when you're by yourself and get to eat for free at work. But if I learned a few recipies (without using flour or bread crumbs) I could cook a week's worth at once and use the cold stuff warmed up with some sort of sauce (sauce might be mustard out of a bottle) and for chicken salad (which I love when it's made from real good ingredients).


[ QUOTE ]
The forman isn't everything, the cleanup/cook quality can't be justified for chicken breasts. I've never cooked veggies on it. I have the G5 too....only use it for steak mostly and hamburgers. I buy a lot of the frozen fish at TJs too, mostly pan sear that or broil as well. I wouldn't use the forman for it. Have you tried their wild canned alaskan salmon, also very good.

[/ QUOTE ]
Well a few years back I bought some frozen fish from TJ's and I guess it sat in the freezer for a while because I was eating lots of fish at the clubs. When I did cook the fish (salmon and halibut I think) it wasn't good but I wasn't motivated to really learn. Fish is terrible left over and it's that old work to eat ratio. I'll stick to chicken for now.

[ QUOTE ]
Sorry for the incoherence of this post...just got back from a nice 12 hour session at the library.

[/ QUOTE ]
I played the latest I ever played last night. Then today I was worn out and got a sudden "gotta buy a gadget buzz" hence this thread.

~ Rick

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
I really dig the KC Masterpiece BBQ Seasoning (http://www.kcmasterpiece.com/season_bbq.html) as it does chicken goooooooood. Marinating a chicken breast in some no fat/low cal italian dressing works great also.

[/ QUOTE ]

Finging good bottled seasoning sounds great. And I wonder if you can defrost chicken by mariniating it in the fridge in dressing? Or perhaps I can find a chicken that will jump out of my fridge and cook itself!

~ Rick

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I really dig the KC Masterpiece BBQ Seasoning (http://www.kcmasterpiece.com/season_bbq.html) as it does chicken goooooooood. Marinating a chicken breast in some no fat/low cal italian dressing works great also.

[/ QUOTE ]

Finging good bottled seasoning sounds great. And I wonder if you can defrost chicken by mariniating it in the fridge in dressing? Or perhaps I can find a chicken that will jump out of my fridge and cook itself!

~ Rick

[/ QUOTE ]

What I do (if I remember) is to take a chicken breast out the freezer and leave it on the counter on a plate before I go to bed. Then when I get up in the morning before I leave for work, I marinate and throw it in the fridge. That way it's thawed out first and then gets to marinate for 10 hours or so.

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
What I do (if I remember) is to take a chicken breast out the freezer and leave it on the counter on a plate before I go to bed. Then when I get up in the morning before I leave for work, I marinate and throw it in the fridge. That way it's thawed out first and then gets to marinate for 10 hours or so.

[/ QUOTE ]

Wouldn't that get the chicken dangerously warm on the outside?

~ Rick

[nineinchal]

Chocolate donuts

[AZK]

Rick,

You can use any combo of marinades - lawry's are especially good. I stopped using these cause they contain HFCS. But if the difference between using and not is eating out fast food or eating the chicken, bring on the marinades. It's gotten to the point where I just look at the food I cook as energy, so I can eat the same thing and not care, when I go out to eat (i.e. nice restaurants - I indulge and I am much more critical of food quality/taste)...if you do happen to care about what you eat and get sick of eating the same thing everyday then normally what I do is cook the 4 lbs, eat that first dinner fresh (so the chicken is tastes good), and then the rest of the week I may do different things with it, for instance, cut a breast or 2 up and make chicken salad, cut a breast up and put it over a salad, cut one up and stir fry with veggies, microwave with cheese on top (cook up some broccoli as a side use a lot of cheddar, mix it around, fantastic)...

As for marinades...

soy + garlic
olive oil, salt, pepper

...gotta run, i'll write more later.

[bonds]

Sorry for the thread hijack ... AZK, I can't be the only one who'd like to see an entire thread on your experiences with cutting the [censored] out of your diet...

[AZK]

wasn't as extreme for me as it is for others...I was never much of a sweets person, so soda/desert/candy isn't an issue for me. The carb kick was very difficult at first, but now I don't think about it too much. Really trying to cut down on the alcohol though...it's amazing how even a little bit of it really [censored] everything up.

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
You can use any combo of marinades - lawry's are especially good. I stopped using these cause they contain HFCS. But if the difference between using and not is eating out fast food or eating the chicken, bring on the marinades.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've never left the house for fast food. My problem days are the ones where I don't go to one of the card clubs that serve good food or go to Hollywood Park, where I often don't play in comped games (their 5/10 400NL is not comped) and the food is bad. Also on my day off I've gotten terrible with bread with that darn new bread store. I ate my last slice this morning.

Fast food attacks when I'm on the road on a day off. These places are everywhere and once I started eating bread again I figured I could start eating burgers in a bun again (although I do avoid cheese and mayo with burgers, I believe cheese on meat is way overrated anyway).


[ QUOTE ]
It's gotten to the point where I just look at the food I cook as energy, so I can eat the same thing and not care, when I go out to eat (i.e. nice restaurants - I indulge and I am much more critical of food quality/taste)...if you do happen to care about what you eat and get sick of eating the same thing everyday then normally what I do is cook the 4 lbs, eat that first dinner fresh (so the chicken is tastes good), and then the rest of the week I may do different things with it, for instance, cut a breast or 2 up and make chicken salad, cut a breast up and put it over a salad, cut one up and stir fry with veggies

[/ QUOTE ]
When I was eating lighter last year I cooked full size turkeys as mentioned before. I just hate store bought turkey from the deli, even good brands like Boar's Head (plus it's expensive). I can then do all sorts of good stuff with the leftover turkey. My variety comes when I eat at the clubs. Last night I had a great Orange Roughy at Hawaiian Gardens with a chopped salad, green vegetables, no bun or rice or potato, and some sort of Sushi appetizer (when I go low carb I would drop the sushi appetizer).

Anyway, because I no longer am at home for long stretches this year I'll go to chicken, something I've hardly ever cooked (and never well). I'd love to learn to make first class stir fry or chicken salad with leftovers. I'd never get sick of that.


[ QUOTE ]
microwave with cheese on top (cook up some broccoli as a side use a lot of cheddar, mix it around, fantastic)...

[/ QUOTE ]
I can eat most veggies without sauces. I do like green stuff (no carrots which are in fact sweet) although I do get bad urine odor with asparagus (about 40% of the population gets this although it's harmless). What I can't do is find time to keep fresh veggies on hand and fresh. I'll try the frozen and maybe get a pan that is the right shape for stir fry.


[ QUOTE ]
As for marinades...

soy + garlic
olive oil, salt, pepper

...gotta run, i'll write more later.

[/ QUOTE ]

Those sound good. The big thing is I want to avoid cooking with flour or bread crumbs.

Thanks for your help.

~ Rick

[nyc999]

Since this thread has deviated from frozen foods, Men's Health put out an article on 50 different ways to prepare boneless/skinless chicken, they're all pretty easy/quick and you might find it useful:

Article (http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=nutrition&categ ory=food.for.fitness&conitem=a06a99edbbbd201099edb bbd2010cfe793cd____)

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
wasn't as extreme for me as it is for others...I was never much of a sweets person, so soda/desert/candy isn't an issue for me. The carb kick was very difficult at first, but now I don't think about it too much. Really trying to cut down on the alcohol though...it's amazing how even a little bit of it really [censored] everything up.

[/ QUOTE ]

I rarely eat sweets even when I'm not dieting. Somehow it got firmly set in my mind at a young age that it's empty energy. I also never eat snack food that comes in a package (e.g., chips or Twinkies).

When I lost 25 pounds on low carb Atkins (from 202 to 177 at 6' 1" tall) I still had a martini with the gf twice a week because I don't think that had sugar in it. I'd like to go a month without any alcohol and see what happens. I stayed at 177 to 183 (my ideal weight) for a long time but shot up to 195 in the last few months. Bread and burgers really pack it on.

I'll be getting a new car next year. I intend to enforce a rule that I never eat in my auto. In my current car I could survive a week on the crumbs underneath and behind the seat /images/graemlins/grin.gif

~ Rick

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
Chocolate donuts

[/ QUOTE ]

My best friend would in fact eat that fried.

~ Rick

[AZK]

Rick,

For the casinos/road trips where the only option is fast food... PACK YOUR LUNCH. I normally steam veggies at night for dinner in excess so I can take them for lunch the next day. I also recommend some snack food for when you get hungry... larabars, jerky, nuts...

[lapoker17]

[ QUOTE ]

Rick,

For the casinos/road trips where the only option is fast food... PACK YOUR LUNCH. I normally steam veggies at night for dinner in excess so I can take them for lunch the next day. I also recommend some snack food for when you get hungry... larabars, jerky, nuts...

[/ QUOTE ]

wow ari - i'm proud of you.

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
Since this thread has deviated from frozen foods, Men's Health put out an article on 50 different ways to prepare boneless/skinless chicken, they're all pretty easy/quick and you might find it useful:

Article (http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=nutrition&categ ory=food.for.fitness&conitem=a06a99edbbbd201099edb bbd2010cfe793cd____)

[/ QUOTE ]

Great link. Thanks.

~ Rick

[DonkeyKongSr]

I just grilled a TJ's frozen buffalo burger patty in a George Foreman for lunch. Lower fat and higher protein content than beef. It tasted pretty good on a TJ's wheat bun with grilled TJ's frozen peppers trio and some mustard.

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
Rick,

For the casinos/road trips where the only option is fast food... PACK YOUR LUNCH. I normally steam veggies at night for dinner in excess so I can take them for lunch the next day. I also recommend some snack food for when you get hungry... larabars, jerky, nuts...

[/ QUOTE ]

You can eat good fast food, such as grilled chicken breast sandwiches and salads. You just need to cut out the fat bastard part of those such as no cheese/bacon/mayo/bbq sauce on the chicken breast sandwich and getting it on wheat and sticking to low/no fat & low cal dressings for your salad.

I used to get grilled chicken ceaser salads from Wendy's all the time. Cutting out their dressing (I'd bring my own no fat Ceaser) and croutons, it's 190 calories & 5 grams of fat.

I'd also eat Chick-fil-A chargrilled chicken sandwiches 270 cal & 3.5 grams of fat. Easily the best tasting grilled chicken sandwich you can get at a fast food place IMO.

I must say though, I am addicted to any kind of chicken, especially grilled chicken. I have ate it everyday for 45+ days in a row before and not once got sick of it. Most of the time, it was prepared the same way too.

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
You can eat good fast food, such as grilled chicken breast sandwiches and salads. You just need to cut out the fat bastard part of those such as no cheese/bacon/mayo/bbq sauce on the chicken breast sandwich and getting it on wheat and sticking to low/no fat & low cal dressings for your salad.

[/ QUOTE ]
Sort of "off chicken topic" but one time I ordered "in" at a Burger King and while I was waiting read the wall chart with the calorie and fat count of all the sandwhiches and ingredients. If you take a Whopper with cheese and subtract the cheese and the mayo based dressing you went from about 740 calories to 420 calories and cut the fat my more than half. Since then I always ditch the mayo and have come to like burgers a lot better without cheese.


[ QUOTE ]
I used to get grilled chicken ceaser salads from Wendy's all the time. Cutting out their dressing (I'd bring my own no fat Ceaser) and croutons, it's 190 calories & 5 grams of fat.

[/ QUOTE ]
Most of my fast food eating is done while driving fast; that's why I thought it's called "fast food". I'm not sure I could eat a salad while driving a stick shift. /images/graemlins/grin.gif


[ QUOTE ]
I'd also eat Chick-fil-A chargrilled chicken sandwiches 270 cal & 3.5 grams of fat. Easily the best tasting grilled chicken sandwich you can get at a fast food place IMO.

I must say though, I am addicted to any kind of chicken, especially grilled chicken. I have ate it everyday for 45+ days in a row before and not once got sick of it. Most of the time, it was prepared the same way too.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm the same way. I can eat something I like repeatedly. On the LiveAtBike webcast I must have been seen eating the Persian chicken kabobs about fifteen times in a row.

~ Rick

[El Diablo]

Iggy,

"bbq sauce" - What's wrong with BBQ sauce? Not very many calories at all, just a few extra carbs.

[pokerraja]

I also follow a regimented low carb lifestyle. I'm an avid recreational bodybuilder, I follow a cyclical ketogenic diet,(ckd). You can google if you want more info. Basically low carb, high clean fats, moderate protein throughout the week, and then carb loading or refeeds during the weekend. It's basically a diet of give and take and it really keeps me tight, and most importantly happy. I get to eat thai food and pizza on the weekends!

A few suggestions I wanted to add. I eat alot of chicken breast. I buy the frozen bulk bags from sams club. I keep them frozen and use them as needed. I have found to defrost them, I just stick them in my microwave and actually heat them on a regular setting, not defrost (defrosting too slow)for 2-3 minutes. They come out completely defrsoted. Im very easy going and usually just put some salt, pepper and red pepper seeds and broil them. Sometimes I use some emmeril chicken seasoning salt that I have. My main point is that cooking in the microwave for a few minutes equals defrosting.

Also, many grocery stores (whole foods, Hillers, trader joes?) have already cooked and seasoned Rotissiere Chickens for very cheap, like $5.00 or less with coupon. On weekends I usually buy 2-3 for the week. I eat alot of chicken. What I do is break them off the bone and throw them in tupperware containers, put them in the fridge and eat them throughout the week. You can do so much with them and they taste great. Throw them on salads, add mayo & pickles and make chicken salads, or just eat them with franks red hot. I also make sandwiches with them using Trader Joes low carb wraps (these are great btw), add cheddar cheese, olives, sprouts, lettuce and ranch dressing. So, if you like chicken, I would give these a try they are good.

[AZK]

[ QUOTE ]
Iggy,

"bbq sauce" - What's wrong with BBQ sauce? Not very many calories at all, just a few extra carbs.

[/ QUOTE ]

No doubt loaded with HFCS so if your body wasn't already in sky high insulin shock (promoting everything you just ate to be snatched up and stored as fat) from the meal, it certainly is now with a nice extra serving of bbq sauce.

[El Diablo]

poker,

Do you eat the skin in the rotisserie chickens?

As for the chicken breast, try defrosting a couple in the refrigerator (they last fine for a few days) and then marinating them. I usually just prepare them like you do with salt/pepper and some other seasoning, but from time to time I'll marinate in a mustard or soy or whatever sauce and it's a nice change of pace.

[pokerraja]

eld,
I actually i'm of the few who doesn't like skin on chicken or even fish for that matter, I don't like the taste. But with my diet, fat is my friend (energy). I try to get better sources though, like olive oil, fish, nuts etc...

[lippy]

I have a question that doesn't warrant it's own topic and kind of belongs here;

If I buy a 5lb bag of frozen chicken breasts, if I take one out of the freezer and put it in the fridge, how long can I wait before eating it? Is it safe to eat 5-6 days after it came out of the freezer?

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a question that doesn't warrant it's own topic and kind of belongs here;

If I buy a 5lb bag of frozen chicken breasts, if I take one out of the freezer and put it in the fridge, how long can I wait before eating it? Is it safe to eat 5-6 days after it came out of the freezer?

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm starting to think frozen chicken breasts are worth an entire thread; ie. who sells the best, who sells the best bang for the buck chicken, best way to defrost, best ways to cook, easiest way to cook and so on.

~ Rick

[chisness]

Is eating skin rotisserie normal? Skin on fried chicken tastes good, but this is slimy/fatty/bad.

[pokerraja]

[ QUOTE ]
Is eating skin rotisserie normal? Skin on fried chicken tastes good, but this is slimy/fatty/bad.

[/ QUOTE ]

alot of the fat of the chicken is in the skin. i think mostly they keep the skin on the rotisserie is just for better cooking and flavor. my wife does like to eat the skin, and i always give her a nasty look.

[El Diablo]

chis: Skin of a seasoned rotisserie chicken is so so delicious.

Rick: I'm changing the title of this thread.

[AZK]

stretching it - i normally don't eat it past 3 days if i haven't cooked it...but I have had some really violent food poisonings in the past so i am ocd when it comes to that stuff.

[Rick Nebiolo]

[ QUOTE ]
Rick: I'm changing the title of this thread.

[/ QUOTE ]

Cool: Another first time experience for me.

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
Iggy,

"bbq sauce" - What's wrong with BBQ sauce? Not very many calories at all, just a few extra carbs.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nothing wrong with it per say (as long as you're not using a whole bottle) but to me, it's not needed when you have a good tasting chicken breast. I like to cut out things that are not needed.

[IggyWH]

[ QUOTE ]
I have found to defrost them, I just stick them in my microwave and actually heat them on a regular setting, not defrost (defrosting too slow)for 2-3 minutes. They come out completely defrsoted.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think a big problem with advice like this is pretty much every microwave I've ever used in my life was different. I know if I did this with my microwave, the outsides of my chicken would be completely dry (as in overcooked) while the center might still be partially frozen.

For those of you using a Foreman, you want to make sure your chicken is COMPLETELY thawed out, especially for thicker pieces. If not, you'll probably ned up with the outside pretty dark before the middle of the thick part is fully cooked. When it's fully thawed, it'll cook fast enough to not burn your baby.

I stand by the "pull breast out of freezer before bed and leave on counter and when you wake up marinate, cover and put into fridge for cooking come dinner."

[pokerraja]

iggy,
i assumed everyone realizes all microwave times vary. however your advice is still good.