Want to start eating healthily and cooking from scratch - feeling bit rubbish :(

Kitchenbunny

I'm in the same situation with regards to fizzy drinks. I drink waaaaay too many, and each time I try to cut back, I end up with having too late a night and then slipping back into old habits (don't ask me why, but I always feel more tired by drinking coffee - weird). I bought a 500ml bottle of mineral water and now try to fill it up 4 times a day at work - it helps. I also bought a bottle of Value Squash for the times when I need something sweet. And I know that I'll feel better by drinking all that water, and I'll eventually lose weight from not including all that sugar in my diet, but it is hard!

The first dish I made was a savoury mince. 500g mince, a tin of tomatoes, a chopped onion, some chopped garlic (garlic powder works fine for me though) and dried herbs, and simmer it for 20 or so minutes. Then, you've got a great base for loads of dishes - lasagne, spaghetti bolognese, shepherd's pie, chilli con carne, have it with lettuce in a bun for a messy alternative burger and pasta bakes. Add whatever extra veg you like - I always use mushrooms and onion, and ought to use more peppers really. And a dessert I love to get another one of my 5 a day is a banana split, but instead of ice-cream, use low fat yoghurt Or any fruit with low fat natural yoghurt. Simple, and delicious.

Hope that helps, and all the best with the fizzy drinks. I'm thinking of you!

KB x

NJW69

I've just made a huge pan of soup to use up loads of bits of veg and the rest of a ham joint I had. I softened the veg in a little olive oil first with some sage and salt and pepper. The veg were carrots, onion, sprouts, celery, cabbage, swede, sweet potato, parsnip, sweetcorn and then I chopped up the ham and threw it all in. Boiling water and some stock cubes and then cook until all soft and melting together. I mashed it down a bit half way through.

My 18 year old loves it and it means he gets a healthy meal as well as all the rubbish he eats.

izzydogsam

Psykicpup wrote: »

dont try to change the way you eat all in one week - you will fail - then you will feel bad & give up!

if no meals are 'healthy' then just do one day this week or if you say, eat well at the weekends but fall down on week days when you have less time, then maybe add one weekday meal healthier.

ie: if you have a roast on a Sunday you could chuck the leftovers in a slow cooker on Tuesday for a healthy meal & cheap.

after you have got used to doing 1 really healthy day (after a week or 2) add an other day .. & so on until a 'bad food' day is a treat!

remember BABY STEPS! :A

I must remember this!!!! :beer:
I get very downhearted when I 'fall off the wagon' so I really like the idea of aiming for a couple of days a week of healthy eating and then gradually increasing it. It's much more do-able. I always set my sights too high then beat myself up when I don't make it. This has given me food for thought (pardon the pun!:rotfl:)

Thanks very much everyone!

Psykicpup

you can do the same with the fizzy - I had a serious addiction to the stuff- so maybe tomorrow or the day after will be a no fizz day - I recommend going for something completely different like plain water or a savory drink like Bovil..

in a week or two add another day .. I only drink cola with alcohol now as I cant stand it 'straight' lol

ChocClare

They say every journey begins with a first step, and you are doing brilliantly just taking that first step. Go you! :T

Just something to think about with diet fizzy drinks, though:

When you eat or drink something containing sugar, then your body metabolizes the sugar (for better or worse, LOL).

When you eat or drink something containing aspartame or other "diet" sweeteners, your taste buds taste the sweetness and send signals to your body that sugar is on its way. Your body then stands there with its face pressed against the glass, looking at its watch and waiting for the sugar (hope I'm not being too technical here). The sugar doesn't materialise, but your body has all its workforce out waiting for it. The shift leader sees it'll soon have a strike on its hands if the sugar doesn't get here pdq, so it sends out cravings for sugar to your brain.

Result: you have a diet drink, and then have an unaccountable craving for a sticky bun.

If it's the fizz that you like, then Tesco's and Asda each sell 2-litre bottles of value fizzy water (not sure of Asda price but Tesco's is 12p for 2 litres). As others have said, if you mix that half and half with orange juice, you'll nail the sugar craving, get one of your five a day and still get the fizz.

And, if you still want a sticky bun afterwards, then go ahead - at least it's not because you're poisoning your body with aspartame!

Kiwisaver_2

I used to be completely rubbish at having 5+ a day and still get nowhere near that most days, although I am getting a lot better. Buying fresh fruit is a real money waster for me as I feel all virtuous having it in the fruit bowl, BUT that doesn't make me eat it . I prefer 'prepared' stuff and would far rather eat fruit and veg that's all cut up nice, than chomp on an apple or peel an orange to eat. I find if it's been made into something, I am more likely to eat it, so fruit salad is good, with grapes, apples and oranges or anything else you like.

It's good to remember that some tinned and frozen fruit and veggies can be just as good for you and they do say sometimes can be better. I like tinned pineapple in juice, cos usually a whole fresh one is too much and too expensive and it makes a nice addition to some more 'boring' fruits if you mix it all together.

I keep in my freezer a selection of berries: usually blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and occasionally blackcurrants which I use in various forms, such as mixed with apples in a crumble or fruit cobbler (inspired by Jamie Oliver). Usually I make half of his quantity and that does two of us for two days.

http://www.penguin.co.uk/static/cs/uk/0/minisites/jamieoliver/happydays_recipes_cobler.html

I don't use all the fruits he does :eek:, but it's a good way to empty the fruit bowl from time to time, just use anything you have. I've usually got apples so only need add a handful or two of my berries from the freezer.

I often make muffins and whack a bunch of frozen blueberries.

Almost every recipe (dinner wise) I make is based around, onions, peppers, tomatoes and mushroom, even Sunday breakfast. I usually have grilled cherry tomatoes and field mushrooms with bacon and eggs.

I don't 'like' a lot of green veggies, only because I too was brought up on the boiled the guts out of sludge my mother used to make. However, now I try to make myself like things by making them into things other than boiled veg or cooking them in a different way until I find things I do like. Someone previously mentioned asparagus: well I would never have eaten that slimy old yuck, but now I absolutely adore it roasted in the oven or made into a very simple soup.

Also trying some new things can help, such as the Asian greens; we now quite often have pak choi with our Sunday roast. Just lightly braised in some oil and garlic with a dash of soy sauce. It's so not like boiled cabbage of old and I really enjoy it.

izzydogsam

Hi everyone!

Thank you SO much for all of your ideas - you're an inspiration. I've had a brilliant day today. I made a home-made wrap for lunch with tuna, mayonnaise, red pepper and sweetcorn for today, with enough filling stored up for another of the same tomorrow. I also had an apple and some cherry tomatoes to snack on.

Tonight I have been on a cooking mission :rotfl:. I made chicken curry for tea with mushrooms and onion in, plus I have done a huge batch of cooking for the fridge/freezer of beef casserole with plenty of veg thrown in, chilli and then sausage casserole, again with plenty of veggies thrown in. I really enjoyed cooking - had the music on full blast, had a glass of wine (do grapes count as one of your five day??!!:D), lovely!

I've tried the fruit juice and sparking water today for the first time - it's made me realise just how 'sweet' tasting my normal diet drinks are. @ChocClare, your explanation was wonderful and very enlightening. I haven't eaten any cakes/choc/sweets today at all, and I haven't missed them. So maybe this is the way forward!

Just wanted to say a huge thank you to EVERYONE for their tips - I'm going to keep working on them over the next few weeks. The meal planning will really help - if I batch cook and freeze, I have everything to hand, nothing goes off and there's always something reasonably healthy around to eat when I don't feel like cooking. Just need to keep planning ahead :T.

Another interesting thing about batch cooking and freezing is that I'm reducing my portion sizes, as I want the meals to stretch further. Normally it's 'easier' to just divide what I've made between myself and my partner, when in actual fact it would probably do us three or four single meals .

Anyway, I'm happy, happy, happy!

falady

Oh Izzy - well done! That's brilliant! I'm so pleased you've had a good day :-)

Aubergine is really nice in a curry too - one to try when you fancy it!

Ali xx

ChocClare

Well done, Izzy! You go, girl!

And don't forget: don't beat yourself up if you have a day full of doughnuts, chips and jam occasionally. Doubtless one's body has some intrinsic need for these things, otherwise I for one would not be quite so spherical (actually I can't bear chips, but cheese and biscuits now ...mmmmmm ).

I do honestly think that aspartame has got a lot to answer for. Banish it from your life!!!

marmalize

after quite a few years drinking huuuge quantities of diet coke i suddenly became quite ill..put on weight and was unable to breathe(the only way i can describe it is that my lungs felt like they had been turned to leather..just couldn't take a deep breath)...i got really scared..the diagnosis...Aspartame disease:eek:...within a week of stopping the diet coke i started to feel better(once i got over the crippling withdrawal symptoms):rolleyes:...now i have the fizzy water with various juices added and spend my time trying to locate other drinks that are aspartame free(very few!!)...i am fine till i need to buy a drink when i am out and about..the only thing you can get from shop chillers is ....water!!:mad:

p.s/ if you are happy drinking aspartame laced fizz DO NOT google aspartame....it's really scary and off putting when you get to the bit about it metabolising into methanol and formaldehyde:eek: