We tried this and rather liked it. It seems like a nice alternative to brown rice–something different and interesting. I’m also going to try the spinach sandwich, but right now I’m trying to do no complex carbs at all for 2 weeks, just to jump start the new year. 4 days now, and it hasn’t been as hard as I thought. The first day was hell, though. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh yay - I’m so glad you liked it! It’s one of our favorites, but I’m weird – I actually like it cold for breakfast. 
I’m probably going to try your soup recipe this weekend. It’s soup weather here in L.A. for a change. Brrrrrrrr.
Another comment regarding the “boredom eating” issue: In my personal experience, this was often an attempt to get sensory stimulation; this is similar to the patterns you see where people will eat, say, a lot of lousy chocolate but only need a little good chocolate because it’s more satisfying.
So you could have a couple options to address situations like this:
(a) Find low-cal, high-stimulation food. In my case, I bought a jar of Old Bay seasoning, and would lick the tip of my finger, stick in the jar to get some spice stuck on it, lick it off, repeat a few times. That took the edge off the craving.
(b) Find some other method of healthful sensory stimulation, such as taking a walk or something. (It would have to be active–reading or watching TV wouldn’t do it.)
Really easy, really cheap Chili that’ll feed you for a couple days and is easy to reheat.
1# lean beef (like the 93 or 94% fat free)
2 cans tomato sauce
2 cans kidney beans (light or dark)
1 packet taco seasoning
1/4 cup chopped onion
Throw the beef and onions in a pot and brown the beef (no need to drain it since there is pretty much no fat).
Add everything else and let simmer for a while till hot.
Keep leftovers in the pot and store in fridge.
Spoon some in a bowl and reheat in microwave at anytime.
(You can even keep a pack of fat-free shredded cheddar in the fridge to sprinkle on top)
Heh. I read the thread and was wondering about soda. Isn’t that like 10-15% of your grocery budget right there, going toward a food item with zero nutritional value (besides straight-up calories, which you already have too much of)? Get rid of it! On such a tight budget, an extra $10 a week can buy a significant amount of healthful alternatives.
Consider putting part of that $10 toward buying some different herbal teas, and try brewing and icing them, so there’s something flavorful and cold to drink in the fridge. It should be cheaper than soda, and it’ll be non-caloric. After you’ve tried a variety, you can choose your favorites and keep them stocked.
We go through tremendous quantities of unsweetened lemon-lime seltzer water at our house. It’s a significant expense (probably $5 a week), but it satisfies a desire for a high-stimulation drink.
What other empty calories show up on your grocery list?
Daniel
I heard this on NPR this morning:
Gut Reaction: Overeating Can Impair Body Function
I thought of this thread when I heard it. The link is to the transcript and there’s an audio link on the page. Might be worth a listen.
Can you stand any more advice?
I hate veggies too. A trick I use is to make something unhealthy that I do like (cheese soup, cheesy rice, cheesy pasta - you get the idea) and after its made, mix in an equal amount of frozen veggies like broccoli or spinach or something not too obtrusive. So, if you’ve got, say a 900-calorie pot of something unhealthy, which you usually divide into three 300 calorie servings, you can then have a 1000-calorie pot of something you can divide into six 170 calorie servings.
A good no-soda, no artificial sweetener drink is fruit water. Get as big a pitcher as you can fit in your fridge. Fill it up with water and slice up whatever is on sale at the produce department. I’ve used oranges, lemons, limes, strawberries, pineapple, etc. Drop 'em in and put it in the fridge. By the next day, you’ve got yummy, slightly sweet, refreshing water. The great thing is, when it’s empty, you can just refill it, and use the same pieces of fruit for a week or so.