Finally Debt Free After 34 Years, But Still Need to Live Frugally

EssexHebridean

Finally_Solvent wrote: »

I know you mentioned buying some of the Co-op 'deals' but I often looked at them when I was really strapped for cash but passed on them because they are often filling without having much nutritional value, sometimes being unhealthy such as Alphabites or whatever they're called. It was very rare that even more than a couple of the items in the deal were what I'd call healthy and it was cheaper and healthier to buy something else instead. Price can't always be the over-riding reason for buying food.

Nothing particularly "unhealthy" about alphabites and similar products if they are eaten only occasionally, oven baked and in sensible portions. Sure a baked potato in its jacket would be a better choice nutritionally assuming it wasn't loaded with butter and the skin was eaten, but it would become boring quite fast if we ate that 3 - 4 times a week as our carb option, so a degree of "mixing it up" particularly where there are children in the house can help with compromise around nutritionally dense and less dense foods where picky appetites are at play. Sadly for a lot of people price DOES have to be their over-riding consideration when it comes to purchasing food - and for a lot of households striking a balance between nutrition, and foods that a child will actually eat (Because if that is refused, there is no money to provide a more palatable alternative) can be a minefield. I feel really strongly that we desperately need to get away from demonising particular foods (or indeed food groups) as it's leading to a lot of people growing up with horrendous relationships with food, which is by far the most "unhealthy" thing in the longer term.

jwil says it well - that the components of things like the co-op frozen deal can be used as part of a meal where there are more nutritionally dense items alongside - and where to an extent the "carb" element does indeed need to be a filler. Personally I LOVE an occasional oven chip or similar - the chunkier, and crispier, the better !

HairyHandofDartmoor

Thank you all . I agree that eating alphabites, etc, occasionally won't do any harm as long as that isn't all you eat. A little bit of what you fancy won't hurt you as long as you eat mainly healthy foods.

I don't think my diet is particularly unhealthy (I never eat alphabites or even chips myself because I don't like them) as for years I have eaten pasta, rice or baked potatoes on a daily basis accompanied by quorn or soya which tend to be high in protein and low in fat. The only unhealthy part of my diet was not enough vegetables and too many diet cokes, both of which have now been addressed.

DH has a family history of diatetes so genetics are against him ( he has chips or alphabites twice a week as a treat as he loves stuff like that).

HairyHandofDartmoor

Yesterday at school was fine although I felt very cold all day and realised my coat was too thin. I managed to shrink my only wool cardigan at the weekend so only have cotton cardigans now which aren't warm enough. I washed my winter jacket yesterday for the first time (I only bought it last winter) and it has developed pale patches on it . As I followed the washing instructions to the letter I'm very fed up about this. I can still wear it but it won't look smart any more. It's still drying as it's thick.

Today I kept myself warm in the playground by the brilliant wheeze of wearing two coats :rotfl:. I wore my usual spring jacket with my fleece jacket underneath. I felt just right and much warmer than yesterday. Along with my cashmere fingerless gloves I felt quite snug (apart from my face and fingertips). We had snow on Dartmoor yesterday so it is unusually cold.

I still feel a bit fuzzy headed and tired because of my cold so I'm glad to be home in the warm. I'm going to give up on my assignment this week and catch up with it when my cold has gone.

I hope everyone is having a good Thursday . I can't believe another week is nearly over!

[Deleted User]

EssexHebridean wrote: »

Nothing particularly "unhealthy" about alphabites and similar products if they are eaten only occasionally, oven baked and in sensible portions. Sure a baked potato in its jacket would be a better choice nutritionally assuming it wasn't loaded with butter and the skin was eaten, but it would become boring quite fast if we ate that 3 - 4 times a week as our carb option, so a degree of "mixing it up" particularly where there are children in the house can help with compromise around nutritionally dense and less dense foods where picky appetites are at play. Sadly for a lot of people price DOES have to be their over-riding consideration when it comes to purchasing food - and for a lot of households striking a balance between nutrition, and foods that a child will actually eat (Because if that is refused, there is no money to provide a more palatable alternative) can be a minefield. I feel really strongly that we desperately need to get away from demonising particular foods (or indeed food groups) as it's leading to a lot of people growing up with horrendous relationships with food, which is by far the most "unhealthy" thing in the longer term.

jwil says it well - that the components of things like the co-op frozen deal can be used as part of a meal where there are more nutritionally dense items alongside - and where to an extent the "carb" element does indeed need to be a filler. Personally I LOVE an occasional oven chip or similar - the chunkier, and crispier, the better !

Thanks, and to jwil too:)

I wasn't demonising foods, just saying that a lot of the items in the deals are not particularly nutritious. I appreciate they are not going to be anyone's staple diet and a little of what you fancy does no one any harm. I'm a glutton for mashed potato with a big handful of grated cheese stirred in so it's not a case of me being holier than thou:rotfl:

I tend to read all the nutritional info on packets etc when shopping, always have done maybe to an unnecessary extent:o, and a lot of the type of things in the deals are low in nutrition and high in fat/sugar/salt. and the list of what's added is often surprisingly long:(, That's all I was saying. OK to keep in the freezer to fill up a gap now and then. Our children are grown up with homes and families of their own now so we don't have children to feed any more and as two adults we don't need/like a lot of the stuff in the deals. I had to find the most economical way of feeding us and when the children were still at home it usually meant home-cooking. We still had home made burgers and oven chips now and then. The children loved fish fingers and DH still does so we had/have them occasionally too. I think we were very lucky with our 4 children, none of them were picky eaters and apart from brussels sprouts for 2 of them and maybe cauliflower for another one they'd eat anything that was served up to them:j. I'm no food snob, I'd be upset if I thought anyone thinks I am:o

EssexHebridean

The demonising foods thing certainly wasn't aimed at your post FS - it's more of a general thing that describing foods as "unhealthy" or as so many people do "bad" is really starting to cause issues, and it's a drum that needs banging! (And you didn't come across as a food snob either!)

The lists of "additives" is an interesting one too - in a lot of cases those additives are actually perfectly normal things just given their "Chemical names" - for example I wonder how many people who try to use only "pure" skincare items would run screaming from seeing Dihydrogen monoxide contained in the ingredients list? (Yes - that's water, for anyone who's just decided it doesn't sound too nice.) On the flip side of that lots of things that would some years ago have been described simply by their "E" numbers are now given longer but just as scary sounding names instead - as the perception is that people avoid E numbers. Same ingredients, just called something different.

I try to avoid over analysing but equally rarely buy "pre-made" products really - exceptions are indeed fish fingers (fish finger sarnie - can there BE a better guilty pleasure?!) (Actually, your mashed potato and cheese is running it pretty close...!)

GP's (particularly) making patients feel as though they are "to blame" for their own ailments is leading to an increasing market for people marketing "food as medicine" too - another thing which is beginning to cause a problem as people then start to feel as though if their diet has "caused" their illness, then they should also be able to cure it that way too - rather than taking medication.

It's a fascinating subject and I'd urge anyone to read more about it - but for now, I'll stop hijacking HH's thread...! rofl

HairyHandofDartmoor

Food and eating is certainly a bit of a minefield recently with lots of conflicting advice from doctors, nutritionists, the media, etc. It's no wonder so many people don't know what is healthy and what isn't.

I personally think about how foods make my body feel. Which is why I avoid alcohol and eat very little sugar. Having said that a small amount of alcohol and a small amount of sugar don't make me feel bad, but if I drink a whole bottle of wine and eat a family bar of chocolate then my body feels very bad indeed :eek:. So everything in moderation is a good guide. I like to keep things simple .

beanielou

I love a Co-op deal.
I am skint & that's how it is sometimes.

jwil

EssexHebridean wrote: »

The demonising foods thing certainly wasn't aimed at your post FS - it's more of a general thing that describing foods as "unhealthy" or as so many people do "bad" is really starting to cause issues, and it's a drum that needs banging! (And you didn't come across as a food snob either!)

The lists of "additives" is an interesting one too - in a lot of cases those additives are actually perfectly normal things just given their "Chemical names" - for example I wonder how many people who try to use only "pure" skincare items would run screaming from seeing Dihydrogen monoxide contained in the ingredients list? (Yes - that's water, for anyone who's just decided it doesn't sound too nice.) On the flip side of that lots of things that would some years ago have been described simply by their "E" numbers are now given longer but just as scary sounding names instead - as the perception is that people avoid E numbers. Same ingredients, just called something different.

I try to avoid over analysing but equally rarely buy "pre-made" products really - exceptions are indeed fish fingers (fish finger sarnie - can there BE a better guilty pleasure?!) (Actually, your mashed potato and cheese is running it pretty close...!)

GP's (particularly) making patients feel as though they are "to blame" for their own ailments is leading to an increasing market for people marketing "food as medicine" too - another thing which is beginning to cause a problem as people then start to feel as though if their diet has "caused" their illness, then they should also be able to cure it that way too - rather than taking medication.

It's a fascinating subject and I'd urge anyone to read more about it - but for now, I'll stop hijacking HH's thread...! rofl

I think your posts on this have been fascinating. I'd definitely like to know more.

Willowtree222

Happy weekend. Enjoy your saunter if you are out on one. x

doingitanyway

Happy Saturday saunter