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I don't know as much about carbs, though I know that Ninjapoodles does. She used to post to this thread but hasn't in a while. Some ideas . . . . salads with lean meats like chicken breast. Add lots of veggies that you enjoy, including some new ones that you wouldn't normally have on your salad, but that would give you more vitamins and keep the meals interesting. Going vegetarian for some of your meals will save you not only fat and calories but will also save you money without the expense of the meat. Watch for sales on chicken and fish and stock up in your freezer. Divide them up into portions so that you can pull out only what you need. When I buy the bigger packs, I'll cook one meal and often boil or bake the rest of it for use in salads or soups. Black beans can be combined with diced zucchini (when you have too much of it in the summer!) and seasonings and make a tasty burrito filling
I love using unexpected sides. One of our favorites is quinoa, a South American grain-like food that is considered to be a complete protein and thus is good for vegetarians and vegans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa and
http://www.quinoa.net/181.html It's getting more common and therefore the price is coming down some. I usually get mine at Trader Joe's but recently saw it at Costco. If it's gotten to Costco, then it's definitely getting more common!
I'll often make use of leftovers in my cooking to create other dishes. If I cook up a whole chicken in the crockpot, it might make a meal of chicken the first day, and the leftover chicken added to soup, salad, or Mexican food another day. The broth formed in the pot is strained, refrigerated, and skimmed of fat, then made into soup a couple of days later. And, like Monica is doing for dinner tonight, we try to schedule a leftover day each week so that nothing is wasted and money is saved.