Wild Planet Canned Tuna

What to get: many cans of tuna, Wild Planet

Where to get it: Pavilions,healthfood stores, online

Why we approve: tuna is a satisfying and rich source of protein. This little can is 5 oz and packs around 30 grams for hardly 200 calories. Which means your fat loss diet will love it. Which means you can have it often. It's not fishy. It's sustainably caught. The can is BPA free. There is no extra oil or extra water in it. It packs omega 3s. Best of all - it's not fishy. The same company makes amazing sardines, however, they ARE fishy (well, they are sardines). Another thing about those sardines - you can get them for about 3 dollars. Same sardines at healthfood store - 8 dollars. Just saying. Check prices online before you put a can of golden anything in your basket. For 8 dollars you can have a grassfed steak.

Preparation: open the can and chop on top of salad, or mix with avocado (my favorite way).

Variations: In most grab and go scenarios, you will need to eat this fast. Squeeze lemon and season with pepper and salt, spread on seaweed, enjoy in salad, or if you eat wraps and sandwiches, use that as a filling. If you have more time, you can make tuna cakes or casseroles. It's that awesome.

Pros: no cooking, tons of protein, delicious.

Cons: you don't like fish? You are afraid of too much mercury?

Enjoy and let us know what you think on Facebook!

A Quick Meal of Chicken, Guacamole, and Corn Salad

Often times, people forget that dinner is just ingredients, put together on a plate. Mom used to make chicken, veggies, and a starch. It had no fancy name, and it was always a different combination. You don't always have to have a 'dish.' Remember that dinner can also be just have a few tasty foods.

A Quick Meal of Chicken, Guacamole, and Corn Salad

What to get: Roasted or Deli Chicken from the supermarket (Pavilions, in this case), Calavo Guacamole, Spicy Corn Salsa or other deli salad.

Where to get it: Pavilions, Vons, Ralph's and other supermarkets.

Most supermarkets have a deli section, where they sell some sort of roasted, baked, or rotisserie chicken. Check the ingredients, to be sure there are no (or few) bad guys!

While you're in the deli section, pick up some sort of salad. I chose roasted corn salsa, in this case, but it's more like a corn side dish than salsa. It was pretty good stuff!

Grab some Calavo's Guacamole (near the bagged salad greens) and you're good to go.

 Guacamole Ingredients: Hass Avocados, Tomato, Onion,

Jalapeno Pepper, Serrano Pepper, Cilantro, Garlic, Salt.

Why we approve: Chicken is a healthy source of protein and fat, and when it's not fried, you're usually pretty safe. Avocado is a great source of healthy fat and fiber, and corn salsa (or salad) is a starch that's pretty rare to overeat. Corn doesn't have all than many calories, and it's rarely something you binge on.


Preparation: Put it all on a plate, and serve. I also made a side salad, because I my daughter asked for it, and the dressing was simply guacamole, thinned with a little water and white vinegar.

Variations: This would make a great salad if you had a bed of greens. Thin the guacamole with a little water and/or vinegar to make a dressing, and then toss everything together!

If they don't have guacamole already made, you could easily make your own or simply eat half a ripe avocado with your meal.

Pros: Easy, and variations are available at virtually EVERY grocery store.

Cons: If you don't get there early, the chickens might be gone, since they are pretty popular. The other prepared meats (meatloaf, meatballs, ribs, etc.) tend to be FILLED with bad guys, so beware.

Rosemary ham

What to get: Trader Joe's Rosemary Ham
Where to get it: Trader Joes cold section

Most supermarkets have a deli section, where you can grab some cold cuts if on the go.It's fast, delicious and convenient and as close to packing some meat from home as it gets.

Why we approve: it's convenient, ready to eat and high in protein. Other than ''natural flavor'', which we will never be able to determine the nature of, it is pretty clean of bad guys and it's an acceptable snack. The rosemary really gives it a nice touch!

Preparation: just open the packet and enjoy

Variations: If you are low carbing, serve it with some avocado and nuts of cheese for extra calories, and maybe some veggies on the side. Otherwise, you can roll it up in a tortilla wrap or use it in a sandwich. I have shown my low carb version above. That ham would be pretty good in an omelet, too!

Pros: easy to grab and eat right out of the bag when in a hurry

Cons: as usual, there is natural flavor in it (^&^%%#!!)

 

Stagg Vegetable Garden Four Bean Chili

No matter how hard you look, a decent canned chili is hard to find. They might taste great, but check the labels, as they tend to filled with things you don't want to eat! 

I looked long and hard at the supermarket until I found a can of chili that met MealSurvivor standards. Actually, I found two, but one tasted terrible!

This one tastes good and has decent ingredients, but don't make the mistake of thinking that other Stagg's are similar in quality. Not so, as most cans of Stagg had soy and/or soybean oil, plus other things that make me shudder when I say them. ;)

Stagg Vegetable Garden Four Bean Chili

Stagg Vegetable Garden Four Bean Chili

What to get: A can of Stagg Vegetable Garden Four Bean Chili

Where to get it: Most supermarkets (I get this at Pavilions or Vons).

Why we approve: Chili is filling, and a meal in itself. Few questionable ingredients (Natural Butter Flavor?).

Ingredients: Water, Tomatoes, Beans, Black Beans, Kidney Beans, Corn, Tomato Paste, White Beans, Chili Seasoning (spices. Paprika. Sugar. Salt. Flavoring), Dehydrated Onions, Dehydrated Carrots, Modified Cornstarch, Jalapefio Peppers (contains Salt, Vinegar), Cornmeal, Salt, Onion Powder, Dehydrated Bell Peppers, Dehydrated Tomatoes, Spices, Garuc Powder, Natural Butter Flavor.

Nutrition: Calories, 200 per serving (can contains two servings), Total Fat 1.1g, Sodium 890mg, Carbohydrates 37.0g, Fiber 8.1g, Sugars 8.9g, Protein 10.0g

Preparation: It's a can of chili. Open it and heat it. I eat big meals, so I ate the whole can, plus some cheese.

Variations: Top with cheese, avocado, or sour cream, because it's really low in fat.

Cons: A little salty for some, and too low in fat to be satisfying for some.

Pros: Easy to keep in the office, filling, and contains no animal protein or gluten.

 

Do Not Eat!

Most of us have good, solid mental lists of foods that are good for us, but the "bad foods" escape us.

Are there truly bad foods? Sure, foods like transfats (most shortening and many margarines) have no place in our diets AT ALL.

Here's a reminder of our MealSurvivor "Bad Guy" foods. Put it memory or print it off and take it with you when you shop. Either way, avoid or minimize these "bad guys!"

Bad Guys

There are ingredients in our foods that prevent us from being at our optimal health, weight or performance levels. You may see these as ingredients on boxes and labels, items on restaurant menus, or you may encounter them as single items at the grocery store, either way, stay away.

YOU WANT TO COMPLETELY AVOID:

CORN OIL

SOYBEAN OIL

VEGETABLE OIL
SEED OILS (SUNFLOWER, SAFFLOWER, ETC.)
MARGARINE

SHORTENING

HYDROGENATED FATS

TRANS FATS

NON DAIRY CREAMER

HIGH SODIUM FOODS

YOU WANT TO MINIMIZE:

SUGAR AND SWEETS

HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

SODA AND JUICE

FANCY COFFEE DRINKS

ALCOHOL

HEAVILY PROCESSED PACKAGED FOODS

DEEP FRIED/BREADED FOODS

SALAD DRESSING

SOY PRODUCTS
SESAME SEED OIL (when sprinkled as a seasoning, it's ok)

PROCESSED GRAINS

We did try to keep the list short and easily remembered, but if you see one we left off, let us know in the comments or drop us a line here.

Spinach, poached egg and cheese - 5 minutes to your plate

What to get: a bag of organic spinach, eggs, butter, cheddar cheese
Where to get it: your local supermarket or Trader Joes

5 minutes to a yummy dinner

I love tossing a few fresh ingredients in a pan and getting a delicious dinner in a matter of minutes. Sometimes Roland feels like having some meat, and I prefer to eat a lighter dinner, and last night was one of those nights. This meal also makes great breakfast, or a delicious stuffing for a lunch wrap or breakfast burrito. 

This is a super simple recipe for 1  :) To feed more, simply double, triple, etc, the suggested amounts:

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh spinach
1 tbsp butter
1 egg
1 oz cheddar cheese
pepper to taste

To make, place the leaves with a few tbsp of water in a pan, and let them cook until the leaves have wilted. Add the butter, season with the pepper and stir. Add the cheddar cheese in small pieces, crack the egg on top and cover with a lid. Let it cook until the white has hardened completely.

Move to a plate, let it cool off and enjoy!

Kefir on the go

What to get: a bottle of plain Kefir
Where to get it: your local supermarket or Trader Joe's

This is the Lifeway brand, which has a nice zing to it!

What is it? a yogurt-type drink, result of natural fermentation


Why we approve: Kefir is an ancient fermented drink that provides protein, fats, carbohydrate and a modest amount of calories. One cup has 10-14 grams of protein depending on the brand and the thickness. Another really really cool thing is that due to the activity of the bacteria that turn milk into kefir, most lactose is almost entirely eliminated and it can be consumed even if you don't tolerate dairy very well.

Preparation: this is the ultimate on the go dairy product. Just open the cap, pour in a glass or enjoy directly from the bottle. Why share?

TIP: always buy full fat or reduced fat versions, stay away from non fat / zero fat.

make your own flavors with real ingredients at home, do not fall for the gazillion flavors at the store. get plain and upgrade it yourself.

 Variations:  I like Kefir on its own, but you can enhance the flavor by mixing it with fruit. Blend it with strawberries, blueberries or pomegranate. Yes, you can buy it flavored at the store, BUT that comes at the price of sweeteners and additives. No thank you! For a complete meal on the go you can pair some kefir with a fruit and nut bar, or a handful of nuts.

Trader Joes Kefir is very smooth and good for beginners. It's not too sour

Pros: tastes good, great source of protein, healthy for your digestive and immune system

Cons: can be a bit expensive, and some varieties may be way too sour; for some people just Kefir may not be enough of a meal, unless they combine it with other foods

Enjoy and be healthy!

Voskos Greek Yogurt + a strawberry parfait idea

What to get: a small box of Voskos plain greek yogurt, strawberries, stevia and vanilla from your pantry
Where to get it: your local supermarket chain

Why we approve: A serving of this yogurt provides a whooping 23 grams of protein. This particular one was low -fat, but feel free to go for a full fat version. The portion is self limiting. That means no going back to the tub to get second helpings and sabotage yourself. The ingredients are natural and there are no nasty thickeners and fillers.

Preparation: You can eat Greek yogurt on its own, with a handful of nuts or fruit, or use it to make dessert like I did. To make strawberry parfait, mix the yogurt with a few drops of vanilla extract and a small pinch of stevia. Beat it well until it mixes thoroughly. Top with strawberries.

Variations:You can use Greek yogurt to substitute for sour cream in your regular recipes, or you can use it to dip veggies and fruit. I sometimes throw it in a blender with some fruit and spices and make a smooth dessert. Peaches, bananas, pineapple, and berries, all work very very well!

Pros: This particular kind of Greek yogurt is very smooth and it's not bitter or tart like other varieties.

Cons: It can be more expensive than making your own at home. To do that, just place regular plain yogurt in a cheese cloth and let it strain for a few hours. 

 

Light string cheese

What to get: a package of light mozzarella string cheese
Where to get it: your local supermarket; we get ours at Target (Market Pantry) or Safeway

Why we approve: String cheese is just cheese packaged in a way you can take it with you where you go. It's the ultimate way to confront the drive through! At 8 grams of protein per serving it's a blessing for the active and busy person. The light version is a great choice if you are dieting, but please feel free to go full fat if you can allow the extra calories.

Preparation: Just tear open a packet and take out the string cheese. That's all.

Variations: You can have these as your main protein source, choosing 3-4 or 5 with lunch, or use them as a snack eating 1 or 2. Add them to 1-2 oz of nuts, or have them alongside a banana to build a complete meal. Here are our favorite combinations: string cheeese + walnuts + raisins; string cheese + almonds + banana, string cheese + 1/2 avocado + bell pepper; string cheese + apple.

Pros: Really, the only reason you want this is convenience and portability and it has both!

Cons: It is wrapped in plastic wrap and we want to minimize our exposure to wrapped packaged products. As with other meal survivor items, this is your alternative when you have no time at all. There are brands like THIS ONE, who claim that their string cheese is packaged in a BPA free wrap.

Enjoy!

Bumble Bee Premium Wild Pink Salmon Packets

What to get: a packet of Bumble Bee Wild Pink Salmon
Where to get it: your local supermarket chain

Why we approve: It's ridiculously convenient to open a packet of salmon and eat it. This salmon is a name brand so it can be found virtually anywhere and for under 4 dollars you get a pretty good serving. The whole packet has almost 30 grams of protein and only 120 calories, which leaves you a lot of space to combine it with other things. 

Preparation: Just open the packet and place the meat on top of your salad, inside a wrap or on your plate. 

Variations: You can make a salad: choose your base: lettuce, spinach or arugula, add the salmon on top, and then finish with a handful of nuts, seeds, or some Parmesan cheese. In the picture below I mixed romaine hearts, one packet pink salmon, 1 oz cheddar cheese, topped it with sundried tomatoes and made a quick dressing from 1 tbsp mustard and 1 tbsp sour cream with a touch of lemon. You can also make a wrap, using some cheese slices and sprouts, or you can just enjoy the salmon with some baby carrots on the side. For paleo minded folk, salmon would be great with a handful of nuts.

Pros: very quick way to get protein, low in calories. Great if you are on a fat loss diet. Extremely satisfying for the calories it contains. Good source of Omega 3s.
Cons: you have to mix it with something to make a complete meal. It's fast if you just add nuts or string cheese, slower if you choose to do a salad or sandwich.

Let me know how you salmon :)

Dennison's 98% Fat Free Turkey Chili with Beans

Sometimes I'm so hungry when shopping that the prospect of cooking when I get home is hard to take. Chili is one thing that's quick and satisfying for me, but it's not always easy to find one that both tastes good and uses healthy ingredients.

I spent a long time in the chili aisle, staring at the shelves of chili. Don't let the relatively healthy list of ingredients lull you into a false sense of chili security. Nearly all of the name brand chili cans on the shelves had many of the "bad guys" that we've warned about before. Most had soy, soybean, corn and vegetable oils, added wheat gluten, and all sorts of mysterious artificial ingredients. Always read the labels carefully.


What to get:  Dennison's 98% Fat Free Turkey Chili with Beans

Where to get it:  Your grocery store. I got this can at Pavilions, but I have seen it at Ralphs and Albertsons, too.

Why we approve:  Protein and fiber, with few added bad guys make for a good bowl of chili. We don't specifically approve of foods that are nearly fat free, but that does mean that there are few of the bad fats that are so popular in modern day processed foods (again, see the bad guys). Also, because it's low fat, it means you are free to add fats that you approve of in the form of garnishes or toppings. Read on...

Preparation:  We prefer a saucepan to the microwave, but do what you will!

Variations:  Top with sour cream, cheese, guacamole or avocado for the fat that you need in your diet. I'm a guy, so I ate the whole can, topped with about 130 calories of cheese and sour cream. The bowl plus toppings weighed in at about 550 calories, 16g fat, 60g carbs, 14g fiber, and 40g of protein.

Pros:  Available at your normal, everyday supermarket and even some convenience stores. It has that great chili taste that you might have grown up with, reasonable calories, and a decent amount of protein. Low fat means you get to add your own fats, which are going to be tastier and healthier than anything they were likely to put in the can at the plant. There are lots of beans if you like that. The whole can is the perfect size meal for many guys.

Cons: Women might find one serving to be pretty small (it's only 3/4 cup, after all). Even though the taste was a pro, it's also a con; some people won't care for that canned chili taste. Low fat seems to have encouraged a lot of carbs. They have to put something in those cans to take up space, and in this case it was lots of beans.