Healthy eating - how?

CharlieRabbit01

Fire_Fox wrote: »

No really they are not, processed reformed rubbish: the nutrients are under the skin of the potato. To be honest you may as well eat table sugar as eat those potato products, they will behave much the same in the body. Look again at your diet: how many foods look the same as when they came off the plant or animal, how many are mucked about with? The only natural things I can see are some of the chicken, veg (one to two servings which is less than the national average) and a splash of milk.

To explain when i think chips i normally buy oven chips which when looking at the nutritional information on the packets its not that different.

Smiles and waffles don't count as potato they could towards your maximum 10% daily calories as fat added/ sugar added junk. If you are eating dessert AND cereal AND occasional crisps you are way exceeding the guidelines, I wouldn't be surprised if over half your diet is in this category instead of a tenth. Potato is jackets, boiled new potatoes in their skin, wedges and so on.

I can't really cut out breakfast and its not normally sugary, usually high in fibre. Last nights "dessert" was a strip of dark chocolate (4 or 5 squares).

By occasional crisps I mean really occasionally, I have bought any crisps in a month and the last time I had a packet was 2 weeks ago.

The meal above was just a sample, I'll have boiled potatoes 2 or 3 times a week. (in their skins), and if my supermarket has them i'll also roast some sweet potato.

There is no evidence microwaving is bad for you, it's what people put in the microwave that is the problem and how long they cook for in some cases, it's great for lightly steaming veg or heating through leftovers beans and so on. I can find 'evidence' on the internet that Obama is a shapeshifting alien and the earth is actually flat, that doesn't make it fact.

Agreed, generally I have no need to use it.

Nor are starchy carbs all bad for you: in fact if you cut back hard on these without substantially increasing nuts and seeds you are likely not to eat enough minerals. Just eat a wider variety of whole carbs, wheat no more than once a day. Beans and lentils are so nutritious, canned are super fast, dried red or yellow lentils don't need soaking just cook from raw.

Chicken breast is really not that nutritious, don't rely on that - have some dark turkey, lean steak mince, organ meats like liver, fish or eggs. A lot of people who are not that keen on fish will eat canned pilchards or mackerel mashed (include some of the crumbly bones) with low fat soft cheese to make a pate. You are barely eating any dairy, given you are eating plenty of sugar and all your carbs are processed, no fish and few veg I would be worried about the state of your bones long term - that is a pro inflammatory, stress inducing diet.

Unfortunately I cannot help the lack of dairy in my diet.

I cannot not stand fish and would ideally like to eat something instead of that.

I think saying I eat no veg is a bit harsh most meals will consist of 1 and half carrots, half a broccoli and a handful of peas/green beans or similar.

does anyone have any meal examples?

CharlieRabbit01

last weeks food diary:

Mon -

shreddies (plain) splash milk

tea - white (dairy alternative milk) no sugar

tea - black no sugar

Whole grain ham sandwich (2 small slices of bread, olivio spread)

tea - white (dairy alternative milk) no sugar

tea - white (dairy alternative milk) no sugar

homemade stir fry - mixed veg, sauce with rice noodles

pineapple

weak sugar free squash

tues -

shreddies (plain) splash milk

tea - white (dairy alternative milk) no sugar

tea - black no sugar

poached egg - 1 small slice toasted seeded bread (olivio spread)

tea - white (goats milk) no sugar

tea - white (goats milk) no sugar

Margharita Pizza (goats cheese and tomato)

quarter left over easter egg

weak sugar free squash

wed -

pain au chocolate (late for work had to buy from refectory)

tea - white (goats milk) no sugar

tea - black no sugar

2 small slices seeded bread ham sandwich (olivio spread)

half an apple

tea - white (dairy alternative milk) no sugar

tea - white (dairy alternative milk) no sugar

Balti curry - homemade with cup of rice

soya yoghurt

weak sugar free squash

thurs -

shreddies (plain) splash goats milk

tea - white (goats milk) no sugar

tea - black no sugar

3 crumpets (olivio spread)

tea - white (goats milk) no sugar

tea - white (goats milk) no sugar

pasta - tomato and basil sauce

4 squares 80% cocoa chocolate

weak sugar free squash

Fri -

plain porridge (goats milk)

tea - white (goats milk) no sugar

tea - black no sugar

2 small slices seeded bread cheese and ham toasted sandwich

tea - white (dairy alternative milk) no sugar

tea - white (dairy alternative milk) no sugar

mexican chicken homemade (peppers 3 colours, red onion, tomatoes, corgette) boiled potatoes

slice homemade low sugar apple pie

weak sugar free squash

sat -

plain porridge (goats milk)

tea - white (goats milk) no sugar

beans and sausages on 2 small rounds seeded bread

tea - white (goats milk) no sugar

marinated chicken, 2 waffles, carrots, broccoli, sugar snaps and sweetcorn

slice homemade low sugar apple pie

weak sugar free squash

sun -

no breakfast

tea - white (goats milk) no sugar

roast lamb, mint gravy, carrots, peas, broccoli, green beans, roast potatoes (in skins) roasted tomato and sweet potato (in skin)

tea - white (goats milk) no sugar

scrambled egg on 1 round toast (olivio spread)

weak sugar free squash

heartbreak_star

Hmm...the beef stew I made last night had:

Equivalent of 2 sliced steaks
2 handfuls of frozen diced onions
3 pellets of frozen spinach
a handful of frozen "mixed veg" (I hate carrots and peas, but OH likes them)
a handful of frozen sliced peppers
a handful of frozen sweetcorn
500ml stock (made from cube)
pinch of mild chilli
pinch of garlic salt
pinch of black pepper
1tsp Marmite
1 can chopped tomatoes

Chucked in a pan on low heat and ignored for an hour except for an occasional stir. I was naughty and made some mash to go with it, and it was delicious - but usually I just eat it in a bowl on its own with no extra carbs. Took about 5mins to prepare, I love my freezer

Fire Fox - can you make that soft cheese pate with tuna? It sounds lovely!

Charlie - do you leave the skins on potatoes when you boil them? I admire your eating boiled potatoes, I hate them haha . I'd also suggest eggs for breakfast - carbs can make you sleepy first thing.

HBS x

CharlieRabbit01

heartbreak_star wrote: »

Hmm...the beef stew I made last night had:

Equivalent of 2 sliced steaks
2 handfuls of frozen diced onions
3 pellets of frozen spinach
a handful of frozen "mixed veg" (I hate carrots and peas, but OH likes them)
a handful of frozen sliced peppers
a handful of frozen sweetcorn
500ml stock (made from cube)
pinch of mild chilli
pinch of garlic salt
pinch of black pepper
1tsp Marmite
1 can chopped tomatoes

Chucked in a pan on low heat and ignored for an hour except for an occasional stir. I was naughty and made some mash to go with it, and it was delicious - but usually I just eat it in a bowl on its own with no extra carbs. Took about 5mins to prepare, I love my freezer

Fire Fox - can you make that soft cheese pate with tuna? It sounds lovely!

Charlie - do you leave the skins on potatoes when you boil them? I admire your eating boiled potatoes, I hate them haha . I'd also suggest eggs for breakfast - carbs can make you sleepy first thing.

HBS x

are frozen veggies as good as fresh?

I've not been able to buy much frozen stuff or make and freeze any meals because our freezer is basically the size on an ice box, once the peas are in there and a box of fish and or chicken thats it no room for the ice cube tray!

But my new place which i get the keys to on friday! :T has a full size freezer its one of those double ones with the fridge on top, so I'll be able to make things and freeze them.

I'm not keen on the boiled potatoes and yes keep the skins on, but OH likes them with his fish so to make my life easier I'll have them too but only 3 with a bit of cracked black pepper and then I load up on more veg instead.

I try not to eat too many eggs since I already have dietry problems with my lactose intollerance I find eggs make it worse.

CharlieRabbit01

My diet now is a lot better than when i lived on my own. That is a little secret that I hardly tell anyone.

Sugar_Puff

I have been healthy eating for about 2 months now and feel so much better, it is a bit hard trying to pick the right things to eat all the time. Getting use to it takes a bit of time at first but you get there! You do some times get bored of all the same stuff always looking for new ideas on what to have.

CharlieRabbit01

Yeah i feel a lot better since I changed from my living on my own diet and cutting out lactose.

I just find eating such a chore, if I could get away with not eating I would but obviously I realise I can't do that so I eat the minimum.

And now I'm looking for some inspiration.

heartbreak_star

You probably find eating a chore because when you had a rubbish diet you didn't have tasty food - I'm not being evil, it's what happened to me

I was always known as "the girl who wouldn't eat veg" because I don't like turnips, carrots, iceberg lettuce or peas...then I discovered onions, chillis, peppers, sweetcorn, broccoli, canned tomatoes, spinach, rocket, watercress...etc etc. It's just finding what you like and playing about with it.

Yay for frozen veg - I would NEVER eat anything if I couldn't buy the ready-sliced beef and veg from Sainsbobs Frozen stuff is fine as long as you check the ingredients and it doesn't have a million preservatives added - it's literally just frozen.

Stews and things are good too as you don't chuck away the water the veg is boiled in so a bit of extra goodness stays there. Also, when I do stir-fries, I'm a great fan of dumping the rice in when it's cooked too and stirring it all around for a minute or so - I love brown rice but it's even better when it soaks up the flavour from the veg and meat.

Anyone who knew me at uni would never believe the meals I serve up now. I was the girl who lived on tomato soup with rice in (I still have it as a winter warmer - but the rice is brown and the soup is home-made now) and pasta (I now don't eat pasta) and people were scared to let me cook for them. If I can do it, anyone can

(Oh, and baking I still do - but I can't eat the results as I don't eat grains!)

HBS x

CharlieRabbit01

Yeah maybe, hence looking for some inspiration.

I was the same, my brother is a lot worse you could count on your fingers the kind of foods he will eat.

When I lived on my own my basic diet was:

no breakfast

instead had 2 biscuits with my morning cuppa in the office, drank about 8 cups of tea a day (no sugar) regular milk.

Usually a cheese and pineapple sandwich for lunch on white bread no butter.

Then either plain boiled pasta for dinner (yes on its own) or pasta with campbells meatballs or stir in sauce.

frozen ready meals.

I'd normally have a full sunday roast as I'd be round my ex bf's parents house most sundays.

Once in a while I'd make a sausage casserole and freeze it into little portions.

Rowan9

Hi
Good for you looking for healthy changes.
Maybe a handful of frozen veg cooked with every evening meal and also some fruit during the day? That would be something do-able that wouldn't involve too much change right away.
I often cook things for a few nights or else freeze some for an easy meal another night. I also make huge pots of veggie soup and have soup most evening before main course. Gets the veg into you and you just have to put the effort in every few days. The effort just involves chopping veg etc but you could put it in the pot in chunks and then blitz, or you could use chopped frozen veg.
Good luck with this - I agree that you will feel better for it.