Recipe ideas?

 I am not much of a cook, but since you can have turkey, here is one suggestion. I buy the Honeysuckle Turkey roast at Walmart. It is not very large, so would probably only do your family one meal. I cook it in the crockpot all day with about an inch or so of orange juice in the pot (got that suggestion at some on-line site). It is very tasty (combination really of white and dark meat). It also comes with a packet of gravy that is surprisingly low in calories (see bag for calorie count).

We also use ground turkey for a stir fry. I saute red and green pepper, garlic, onion, a little celery, and mushrooms. Then I add in a 3rd of the package of ground turkey (also Honeysuckle from Walmart). We put this on one corn tortilla (we do not fry it, just microwave a few seconds to soften). Top with salsa and just a little shredded cheese. Pretty low in calories. We used to count it 5 points when we were doing Weight Watchers.

Being here in Australia we have Kangaroo meat i think it is avalible in  stores overseas i know Yuck poor kangaroo But it is High in iron Extreamly Low in Fat less than 2% heaps better than Beef or Lamb No Steroids,No Hormones,No Antibiotics,                    a recipie we use here is

Roo(kangaroo) Steaks put oil (we use olive oil) over both sides season with salt and peper Let sit for at Least 15 minutes  this adds to soften the steak (will melt in mouth) so while sitting you take fry pan add small amount olive oil lightly stir fry some Mushroomes Sliced can add garlic can also add onion if wish, set aside, now add roo steak cook aprox 1-2 minuts then Turn cook as if cooking normal steak to a medium rare do Not over cook then pop the cooked  mushroom in with it ,turn off. this is a simple meat meal can have with mashed potato or salad anything.

A Salad i Like is Tin Green Peas,1red Capsicum (diced), Diced Pineapple, Mix can add a light Dressing if wish.

 

Mama- I have no recipes but I have some advice to offer.
Forget about diets. You have to make a life style change. I did this 19 years ago after I had my last child and I have maintained my weight ever since and I am 50.
Before you start- just write down everything you eat every day for a week or so and add up the calories and fat grams you are eating. I think I have still have the book somewhere and if I come across it I will pass on the name. I think it was simply called the Fat and Calorie Counter. It even has fast food info in it and yes you can eat it from time to time!
The problems with diets are they are so restrictive that you feel denied. You get so unhappy that you go off lock stock & barrel and gain everything plus more back.
OK- you will be amazed and how many calories and fat you are consuming if you honestly write everything down.
That same book gives you guidelines about how many calories and fat you should eat to get to the weight you desire.
Keep writing down what you are eating. For some reason knowing you have to write it down if you put it in your mouth makes you not want to do it.
Another tip- eat what you like but only in the calorie portions you can eat. I am small so all I can have is 1200 cals. a day even though I am not dieting. I also exercise- I do a program on tv, 3 x per week. Getting back to food- I usually don't eat in between meals or after dinner so my tactic is to eat half my calories or less for Breakfast & lunch and leave the rest for dinner. I kind of have to do this because my husband cooks dinner and he refuses to care about fat & calories. It's hard to tell what I am getting. I always treat myself after lunch & dinner with just a couple of Hershey Kisses or something similar. This is my signal that eating is over.
Make a list for yourself of your favorite foods and see what you can do to lighten them up a little. I have gone down to just a tsp. of mayo on a sandwich from a tablespoon and don't miss it. if you spread it on the meat instead of the bread you don't lose the flavor. Whipped butter is less than stick butter. Low Fat sour cream- is good enough that I don't miss full fat. Same with milk. Cheeses tend to be drier when low fat but if you are melting them it's fine. Say away from fat free ricotta- yuck- like plastic flakes- yet the part skim is delicious.
Once you are where you want to be or when you feel you have enough control give yourself free days. Like usually on the weekend I eat what I want but I'm so used to denial and I am so set on maintaining my weight that I do eat what I want but if I can skimp at breakfast and lunch I do. I don't beat myself up if I eat normally though.
There's a good website called Spark People too. It's got calorie counters, recipe ideas, exercises, forums for support etc. It's all free. It even has an RA forum there.

I wish you all the best.

Hi Heather i Believe you call Capsicum  Bell Peper ? in the resipie i'd use the red ones not the green.

but i also stress Diets Not the way to go if you can monitor the amount you eat maby smaller serves and keep a varied diet with all food groups vegies,fruit,grains,and lean meats, also deep cold water fish is supposed to be good a lot of Omega 3.

 

Weary, thanks for the pep talk for all of us. Wish I had your control. I do agree that tracking what you eat is very helpful. We do it with WW points, and just writing down what you eat does make you think about whether or not you want to eat it and count it. I am having lots of difficulty now since I use food to cope and my coping has not been so good these last few weeks. That and I have been tapering off higher doses of Prednisone. So I feel like I am eating all the time. Have the moon face to prove it too! I need to get back to trying to get some exercise, even if only for a few minutes. We had started that (hsb and I) but then I got a virus and had an asthma flare that set me back. It was good to read your words about lifestyle changes. Thanks.

Actually I can only walk about 5 min and that with my brace on my right knee and the cane to help my left hip. But we are going to start again today. I will try 5 min for a couple of days, then up it a minute or 2 if I can. Last fall we were walking 20 min at the mall but I am a long way from that now.

great advice everyone!! I will take it all. I know we have all been in the same boat with the predisone. I don't have as much trouble wanting to eat all the time with it as I did in the beginning. My issue is that even though I am active, I manage a school cafeteria. We are encouraged to try things and / or most days i literally have 2-4 minutes to scarff something down or I will have to go the whole day without eating, which just makes things worse because then i feel starved and will eat just about anything. I will have to make the conscious effort though to make a change, I know it will help with the joints. What is it something like every 1 # adds 5 #'s of pressure on the joints? That's a lot.
Bell Peppers!! Oh ok that makes a lot of sense for the recipe. I keep those on hand. All colors..red, yellow, orange. Has anyone tried the organic yellow carrots. A friend at work got them for me. they are a little more expensive but they are so yummy!! They are the baby ones.
songwriter,
tried the Turkey recipe and i will be making that again!! The kids loved it. ( In fact during dinner they said see mom isn't this good? You don't need to eat all that healthy stuff all the time...ssshhhh!..they will never know haha!)
Take care all, Heather