okay, I"ll start: here's what I've been doing lately with chicken. I like it, but would love advice on variations:

Place chicken breast in roasting pan. Add freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice. A few basil leaves, parsley and sprinkle with Mrs. Dash (my husband already knows about our affair). Cover and bake until chicken cooked through.

I use enough liquid that essentially I'm boiling in the oven, even so, the meat comes out tender, isn't dry or rubbery (see original post), and all the seasonings more or less permeate.

The Meal (which I currently eat six times a day):

6 oz chicken
2 oz steamed sweet potato (previously cooked in the microwave on the "potato" setting with enough water to moisten and mash. I have no idea what that translates to in actual minutes and degrees.)
2 oz steamed asparagus
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp flaxseed oil
garnish with fresh parsley, mint or basil leaves

All of the above goes in a small reclosable freezer bag. I pack 6 of these before bed and refrigerate. Yes, I eat these cold, because flaxseed oil should not be heated, though I could leave that out, heat the meal and drizzle the oil on afterwards. They get carried in a lunch bag with a freezer pack - I also bring along a tupperware and a fork to eat them in throughout the day.

The meals consumed at the end of the day have a kind of pickled taste to them, which I like, because of how long the vinegar has had to soak in.

can you add garlic to your chicken? I add garlic to nearly everything I cook... love the flavour :)

yes, I've used garlic - do you have other seasonings/flavors you like to blend in with it?

Hi -- I'm new here :-) Why is this the only meal you can eat? I know, I'm coming late to the party and should probably already know these things but....

Anyway, nice to meet you!

Hi Yaranaholic!

I'm preparing for my first-ever bodybuilding competition... the contest is July 28. The goal is to maintain as much muscle as possible while reducing bodyfat to low enough levels to display the musculature.

It's quite the balancing act! The right amount of cardio, so much carb and no more, well-timed "cheat" meals, cycles of lifting intensity...

...in fact, one lesson I've learned from all this is that 90% of contest preparation isn't in the gym. It's in the kitchen. Hence my request for advice.

I was hoping, however, that folks might use this thread to share favorite healthy meals that work for them - even if not applicable to my situation.

Ohhhhhh. Gosh, that sounds like quite the challenge! Best of luck to you!!! Since I'm new here, I really don't have any good recipes to suggest yet, but I do like to sprinkle a little Worcesteshire Sauce on just about everything I eat (including my cooked veggies). I don't think it has any calories but adds loads of flavor (although it may be high in salt, I'm not sure). So that's my two cents worth ;-)

Thanks for filling me in and again, good luck!

I came across a book called "The Bachelor's Guide to Ward Off Starvation." The Author is Claraence "Culinary" Culpepper--you can order it through Chapters. The recipes are easy to make and at least moderately healthy, *mostly*. They are written intented for those new at cooking for themselves, like me. Maybe that'll help.

Meh. Sorry about the typo. Clarence "Culinary" Culpepper is the author.