Hi Jim, it is a bit of a minefield, isn't it. Mainly the sugary food substitutes are for those who are going through withdrawals, to help them cope with all the nasty things some go through. Plus they are a great way of coping with those times that you are maybe invited to a BBQ, or other family occasion, when you can take your own 'stuff' with you, 'cos you know there will only be food you're not allowed to eat. Except, of course, all those lovely snags, chops & steaks!! Yum.
If you want basic savoury meals, try Taste.com Just watch out, using David's book, for the things they add that aren't the best choices, like onions & carrot, I used to add heaps, but now have cut back on them, but the flavour is still there, plus I love cooking one-pot meals, less washing up & no lost nutrition, & basically you can add in any vegies with your beef or chicken.
Also good to have at home are lentils, (dried) chick peas and 3 bean mix (canned, already cooked, just drain & rinse). Barley is good too. All you need is a small handful of the lentils & barley. You can rinse them first if you like. These things all help to thicken your stew. Invest in a large heavy based pot, when you see a sale on. A non-stick interior is always good for washing up, but don't use metal inside it. You can grill chops, sausages,. steak, and lightly sear chicken breast, just season with salt & pepper. Have with steamed veg, or do a stir fry.
But I always spend a lot on veg when I go shopping, I love cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, brussells sprouts, zuchinis, as well as the usual veg, pumpkin sweet potato & I always have mushrooms in the fridge.
A few tips for keeping your veg fresh.....If you wrap your veg up in kitchen paper, then put in the bin in the fridge, they will keep for ages. Just keep an eye on them & maybe change the kitchen paper if it gets damp. I also keep celery in there too, always chop off the base & separate the stalks, then wash, line a plastic bag with kitchen paper, then wrap the whole thing up loosley, without drying it. It will keep nice & crisp like that for ages.
I hope suggestions like this were what you were looking for, Jim. Taste.com has all kinds of foods there, and it's fun to look through the recipes for a while. They also have tips, it's a really good site for people who are not so au fait or confident with cooking.
Good luck with it all. If you have any questions at all about cooking, there is a whole heap of lovely people here, and over on the Sweet Poison forum, too, who are just dying to help you out!!
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