Healthy Eating Tips & Recipes

[UNC41]

Do as much grocery shopping as you can around the outside of the store. Food there is generally healthier than what is in the isles.

Salads for lunch! We typically cook up a large portion of meat with dinner on Sunday night and then use what we don't eat in salads throughout the week. Mixing the meat and dressing up each week really helps eating salad all the time from getting old. We cooked up a pound and a half of ground turkey last night for tacos, which means taco salads all week! Taco salad weeks are the best weeks.

[jjr4884]

Originally Posted by kmh1234

Agreed. I work out and don't eat horrible, but just eat way too big of meals. Anyone have any suggestions on cutting back on meal size?

Drink more water, its the healthiest way for you to control your appetite. It took me a couple weeks, but i now drink at least 100oz of water a day and i am very satisfied with the smaller meals I've been eating.

[UNC41]

Originally Posted by jjr4884

Always been conscious of eating healthy and for the first time in my life, I started a diet plan (Advocare 24 day challenge) in early Jan and I got to say, something that strict is exactly what I needed to get back on track with eating healthy (most of the time) and not going out to dinner as much as I usually do. December was a bad month for me, went out a lot, had a glass or two of wine (at least) more nights than others. Granted, its the holidays, fuck it... but I needed to snap out of it quick and the results were great.

Ate like a horse and lost 17lbs in that 24 day time frame from Jan 6th to Jan 30th. Just ate healthy and went to the gym about 4-5 times a week. Didn't do a crazy amount of cardio, I was lifting as well, which isn't as effective as cardio for losing weight, so that 17lbs could have been a couple more if I did strictly cardio. Regardless, healthy eating and moderate exercise did the job, and I'm still keeping it up.

One common misconception is that eating healthy costs a lot. It doesn't, or at least it doesn't have to unless you think you need to go to Whole Foods to eat healthy. I did a lot of chicken dishes and i made them super healthy. Most of my dishes came out to a 3:1:1 ratio of protein:carbs:fat, few examples below. Everything was cooked in bulk then divided into equal portions.

Shephards Pie - 3lb chicken breast shredded, 1.5lb 93% ground beef, 1 can of corn, and a pureed head of cauliflower (potato substitute.) Mix it all together, add black pepper and hot sauce to your liking, delicious healthy dish. One of my portions was in the low 400 calorie range, with 60g of protein and about 15g of fat and carbs.

Another dish with 3lb shredded chicken. What I do it bake it covered in the oven for about 40 min at 375 in a pyrex dish, shred and let it sit in its own juices so it doesn't dry out. Cover when done until you are ready to make your dish. In another pan, I had 2 large sweet potatoes cubed and roasted (well done, not burnt, but very golden brown and crispy.) In a tall pot, I sauteed some garlic and braised a head of kale and some spinach. Kale goes in first, then spinach, since the kale takes longer. Once everything is done, you've guessed it. Mix it all together. When everything is mixed, I add a couple teaspoons of sesame seeds and a nice drizzled of roasted sesame oil, gives a really nice flavor to the entire dish. Very simple, super tasty too.

Last recipe - Sautee garlic and oil with a little ground beef, add two cans of Pastene Kitchen Ready crushed tomatoes, cook for at least an hour stirring occasionally so it doesn't burn on the bottom. Yep, more shredded chicken, add it right in there and cook this as long as possible since the tomatoes will only taste better the longer you cook it. After an hour or so, you can keep it at a simmer, you don't need to cook the shit out of it for THAT long, but if you have the time to have it simmer on the stove for a couple hours, great. So after the chicken is added and it simmers for however long, you can add some rice to it. I usually boil up a 1/2 cup of black wild rice and then just add it in. This is optional, sometimes i do sometimes i don't.

And for the record, all of these dishes yield about 7-8 servings, and each dish doesn't cost more then $20 to make. Thats about $2.50 a meal which is extremely reasonable if you ask me.

Not so fast. Strength training can be just as, if not more, effective at helping people lose weight as cardio.

[Beefsteak1138]

Originally Posted by jjr4884

Drink more water, its the healthiest way for you to control your appetite. It took me a couple weeks, but i now drink at least 100oz of water a day and i am very satisfied with the smaller meals I've been eating.

This 100%, already on my third bottle of water today. Also, don't let yourself get too hungry, eat every 2-3 hours.

[jjr4884]

Originally Posted by UNC41

Not so fast. Strength training can be just as, if not more, effective at helping people lose weight as cardio.

Generally speaking. I know certain exercises and intensity can burn far more calories than cardio, but based off of my daily routines, cardio would have been better for me than the weight lifting I was doing.

[cazzie34]

Don't skip breakfast. I do far too often and come lunch time I'm putting away like a 1,000 calories because I'm so hungry.

[Tiduwho]

Originally Posted by cruscott35

Weigh what your eating and track it. I used to think a serving of chicken was a whole breast, turns out its about half. Eat until you're no longer hungry, not until you're full.

Also, give your stomach 5 to 10 extra minutes towards the end of your meal before grabbing seconds. There is a delay in when your stomach stops sending the I'm hungry signal to your brain.

Sometimes you think you are still hungry and then 10 minutes later you realize you ate just fine and didn't actually need more food.

[jjr4884]

Originally Posted by KevinTH5

Vitamin Water is also no good

This. No offense to anyone here, but most folks who drink zero calorie flavored anything probably just don't know better enough, however the artificial "natural" sweeteners and whatever else they put in there to make it taste "good" is not good for you. Your body doesn't know how to metabolize it and eventually takes a toll on your metabolism.

I feel lucky that i was never a big soda person and have always thoroughly enjoyed water.

[jjr4884]

Originally Posted by cazzie34

Don't skip breakfast. I do far too often and come lunch time I'm putting away like a 1,000 calories because I'm so hungry.

This as well. I used to have no appetite for breakfast, eat a late morning snack, then between lunch and dinner I used to eat a pretty good amount. A good phrase to live by... Eat like a king for breakfast, a queen for lunch, and a princess for dinner. Sounds silly, but as the day goes on, you really should be taking in less food, especially carbs.

Took me a couple weeks, but I have a pretty healthy appetite for breakfast now and it tapers off through the day with little to no "starving" feeling with the snacks/water I drink.

Also

Tuna (in oil) stuffed cherry peppers is one of my go to snack, delicious. Make sure you get good italian canned tuna.

Almonds dipped in hummus is pretty damn good too.

[neumdogg]

Obviously people hate to hear this, but cut down your alcohol intake. Booze will make you fat very quickly.

When using My Fitness Pal, I always make sure to include alcohol in my calorie count. That can be a real eye opener to many.

[jjr4884]

Originally Posted by Tiduwho

Also, give your stomach 5 to 10 extra minutes towards the end of your meal before grabbing seconds. There is a delay in when your stomach stops sending the I'm hungry signal to your brain.

Sometimes you think you are still hungry and then 10 minutes later you realize you ate just fine and didn't actually need more food.

Agreed 100%. Before every meal I'll try to drink at least 12oz of water first, then I have been trying to eat slowly that way by the time I am done, I already have that full feeling (hopefully.)

[cazzie34]

Originally Posted by neumdogg

Obviously people hate to hear this, but cut down your alcohol intake. Booze will make you fat very quickly.

When using My Fitness Pal, I always make sure to include alcohol in my calorie count. That can be a real eye opener to many.

Vodka becomes your friend as everything else doesn't seem worth all the calories.

[dmbman32]

Here are some random tips I can contribute:

-Bread is not the devil, and anyone who completely cuts out bread/carbs is doing themselves a disservice. As long as whatever you have is 100% whole wheat, and you don't have 3 sandwiches a day, you'll be fine. You need the whole grains & fiber.

-I just flat-out don't like most vegetables, so I try to incorporate a piece of fruit every day (usually an apple or strawberries).

-SUGAR is the devil. Not fat, not carbs. Sugar. Granted, I still eat WAY too much dessert, but excluding that, remove sugar whenever you can. Last year, I stopped drinking soda, orange juice, and cut back on sauces (ketchup & BBQ). I also created a mandate of at least 1 day a week with zero desert. From those things ALONE, I eliminated approx. 350 GRAMS OF SUGAR A MONTH. That is an insane amount I consumed with very little thought. I didn't weigh myself during that change, but I could tell I lost a little bit of fat.

-Even though I work out like a demon, the rule of thumb is this: If person #1 works out like crazy but doesn't eat that well, and person #2 doesn't work out a lot, but is a really healthy eater, person #2 will always come out on top. I'm about to turn 30, and the SAD reality is that, it truly does start with diet. You don't need to be Johnny Vegan or anything, but what you should do is really dissect EVERYTHING you put into your body. Every single thing. You'd be amazed at the calories/sugar/etc. that sneak up on you. Of course, the issue with doing that is you realize there are so few foods left to eat that are truly healthy for you. But it shouldn't be about doing everything right. It should be about picking a handful of really healthy traits, and sticking with them for life.

[dmbman32]

Also, I found this years ago, and it's great. It goes with my theory of picking a handful of good traits, and sticking with them. If you look at this, and consistently consume a number of these foods, you're probably in good shape (no pun intended)

http://www.absdiet.com/uof/absdiet/w...l/power12.html

[chadizzy1]

Originally Posted by jjr4884

This. No offense to anyone here, but most folks who drink zero calorie flavored anything probably just don't know better enough, however the artificial "natural" sweeteners and whatever else they put in there to make it taste "good" is not good for you. Your body doesn't know how to metabolize it and eventually takes a toll on your metabolism.

I feel lucky that i was never a big soda person and have always thoroughly enjoyed water.

I don't enjoy water and I try to avoid soda. If I knew of a healthier alternative I would be all over it. I know some people do those water additives but those have a bunch of sugar too, I hear

I drink water daily, but would like to add flavor

[laura22]

for what it's worth (and probably obvious), but being fit (having more muscle) increases your BMR
so if an overweight person and a fit person are both sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day, the fit person is burning more calories during that 8 hours of being sedentary

im kind of a cardio junkie but doing even a small amount of strength training is important for everyone... especially as you age. it will make life a lot easier. once you hit ~45 you start to lose 1% of muscle mass every year. that means if you aren't exercising, when you hit age 85 you will have lost 40% of muscle. that's insane

and when i say strength training i'm not talking about doing crazy crossfit workouts until exhaustion

just fifteen minutes of 5-10 lbs, a few times a week will do so much for your body down the road

[jjr4884]

Originally Posted by dmbman32

Here are some random tips I can contribute:

-Bread is not the devil, and anyone who completely cuts out bread/carbs is doing themselves a disservice. As long as whatever you have is 100% whole wheat, and you don't have 3 sandwiches a day, you'll be fine. You need the whole grains & fiber.

-I just flat-out don't like most vegetables, so I try to incorporate a piece of fruit every day (usually an apple or strawberries).

-SUGAR is the devil. Not fat, not carbs. Sugar. Granted, I still eat WAY too much dessert, but excluding that, remove sugar whenever you can. Last year, I stopped drinking soda, orange juice, and cut back on sauces (ketchup & BBQ). I also created a mandate of at least 1 day a week with zero desert. From those things ALONE, I eliminated approx. 350 GRAMS OF SUGAR A MONTH. That is an insane amount I consumed with very little thought. I didn't weigh myself during that change, but I could tell I lost a little bit of fat.

-Even though I work out like a demon, the rule of thumb is this: If person #1 works out like crazy but doesn't eat that well, and person #2 doesn't work out a lot, but is a really healthy eater, person #2 will always come out on top. I'm about to turn 30, and the SAD reality is that, it truly does start with diet. You don't need to be Johnny Vegan or anything, but what you should do is really dissect EVERYTHING you put into your body. Every single thing. You'd be amazed at the calories/sugar/etc. that sneak up on you. Of course, the issue with doing that is you realize there are so few foods left to eat that are truly healthy for you. But it shouldn't be about doing everything right. It should be about picking a handful of really healthy traits, and sticking with them for life.

Solid post. Bread isn't the best thing for you, but anything in moderation is not harmful. You want to avoid white flour more often than not. I think if people were familiar with high glycemic index foods they would have a better understanding of how carbs and sugar can be a good or bad thing for you.

Very accurate with the one who exercises and eats like shit compared to the person that eats healthy and doesn't exercise. Being healthy is 80% what you eat, 20% what you do at the gym. No evidence proving that, but a pretty common saying. What you eat is much much more important than what physical activity you do.

[dmbman32]

Originally Posted by jjr4884

Very accurate with the one who exercises and eats like shit compared to the person that eats healthy and doesn't exercise. Being healthy is 80% what you eat, 20% what you do at the gym. No evidence proving that, but a pretty common saying. What you eat is much much more important than what physical activity you do.

Thanks.

It's a number's game, pure and simple. If you go to the gym & burn 600 calories vs. eating an unhealthy meal with 1,600 calories, which of those are you more likely to do all the time? 600 calories requires a hell of a lot of effort, so you can't repeat that every single day. Eating 1,600 calories is nothing.

[fridge112887]

Putting my dietetics degree to use:

Eat more fat (healthy fat)!

[jjr4884]

Originally Posted by dmbman32

Also, I found this years ago, and it's great. It goes with my theory of picking a handful of good traits, and sticking with them. If you look at this, and consistently consume a number of these foods, you're probably in good shape (no pun intended)

http://www.absdiet.com/uof/absdiet/w...l/power12.html

All good carbs, sugars, etc. I dont' eat enough beans, I really should start because with a little finesse, you can make them taste AMAZING. Putting a roasted piece of chicken or fish on top, and you have a pretty awesome meal. Also, lentils are very very good for you as well.

Olive oil as well is one of the best oils you can have when you compare it to refined processed oils. I'm a huge salad person and I only use good olive oil for it.

Originally Posted by chadizzy1

I don't enjoy water and I try to avoid soda. If I knew of a healthier alternative I would be all over it. I know some people do those water additives but those have a bunch of sugar too, I hear

I drink water daily, but would like to add flavor

Well then I wish I could help you but I can't rofl. Eat/drink something that is disgusting for a week, then switch back to water. You'll enjoy it more haha!

[jjr4884]

Originally Posted by fridge112887

Putting my dietetics degree to use:

Eat more fat (healthy fat)!

Eat ribeyes instead of filet.
Pork belly instead of tenderloin.
Chilean sea bass instead of cod.

Am I on the right track?

On another note, I really wish there was a place around me that butchered bison, venison, etc. I've been eating less red meat for obvious reasons, but I would love to be able to have the convenience of getting a nice game steak once a week as a beef alternative.

There is something about pre-packaged red meat that I just don't like, idk. Like the grass fed australian beef that they have in the meat dept, all set, no thanks.

[WidespreadMule3]

Originally Posted by cazzie34

Don't skip breakfast. I do far too often and come lunch time I'm putting away like a 1,000 calories because I'm so hungry.

Completely agree. I usually do a bowl of plain oats with some raisins thrown in. It holds me super full until about noon every day. Also the carbs really help get my energy for the day going. Not to mention it helps your heart function so much better when you eat breakfast.

[jordanbball17]

Stir-fries and crockpot soups/stews are my best friends lately. Get a bunch of veggies, brown rice, eggs and stir-fry sauce (high in sodium, but use in small amounts just to get enough flavor). Bam, you have meals for the next several days. I use roasted spaghetti squash as the "noodles" and it actually works well to trick my brain.
Lentil soup with lots of veggies, ham, and a tomato sauce base is excellent. I love to put that over rice and bring it to school.

Like someone else said, it helps having one set day where you do all the cooking for the week. I actually have to end up doing it twice a week because we don't have alot of fridge space.

When I'm craving something carbonated and sweet, I drink the Ice flavored waters from Costco. They are zero calories but have artificial sweeteners, so I only drink 1-2 a week.

I also recently quit coffee and switched over to black tea only. The headache was brutal the first few days, but now I feel so much better in the mornings. Plus I refill my cup 4-5 times with hot water with the same tea bag so I'm automatically upping my water consumption.

[jordanbball17]

And any veggie you eat that you don't peel, you should get organic. Those pesticides are nasty shit.

[jjr4884]

Originally Posted by jordanbball17

I also recently quit coffee and switched over to black tea only. The headache was brutal the first few days, but now I feel so much better in the mornings. Plus I refill my cup 4-5 times with hot water with the same tea bag so I'm automatically upping my water consumption.

When i started the Advocare diet I had to cut coffee out for the first 10 days, and it ended up sticking. I had an iced coffee today, but typically, I will drink an Advocare Spark in the morning and call it a day for anything else with caffeine. I have iced coffee 1-2 times a week now, usually just one on the weekend.

Originally Posted by jordanbball17

And any veggie you eat that you don't peel, you should get organic. Those pesticides are nasty shit.

I typically don't pay much attention to that. I thoroughly clean/rinse all my veggies when i purchase them, I should however do more research on it. There are all natural sprays that you can hit them with before you rinse them as well, right?

[LowEnd_Theory]

Originally Posted by M. Steng

It says "USDA Grade A" on the package so I thought it was good quality. If we're being totally honest, I just don't really care that much about organic vs. nonorganic meats, veggies, and fruits. The potential (but from my knowledge, unsubstantiated) health risks of eating "regular" food don't rise to a level of concern to justify paying double or triple the price for organic, farm-raised, or whatever the latest trend is.

There are a few things for me. The first being, that once I started eating local and/or free range chicken, I could never go back to the "regular" stuff-- even simply for the taste/texture alone (it becomes weird).

I'm not a prick, and if you had me over for dinner and costco chicken was served, I wouldn't blink an eye and I'd eat it-- I'm not one of those people whose super rigid and righteous.

I will say though, that locally sourced/organic/humanely treated animals have become that "regular" and the factory farm costco chicken now seems so "unregular" and "unacceptable" and doesn't feel right to me. And I think this is becoming true for more people who see our fucked up food industry. My point is, this "trend" is not going anywhere because it should be the "regular".

I don't know if you care about supporting animal cruelty, or putting all of the horrible energy that resides in those chickens (not to mention antibiotics/hormones) inside you, but it's something to consider.

I was raised by parents who had and still have no clue about this stuff-- I've come to this point over the last 4-5 years. I used to be ignorant to it and not care, but now that I'm not, I struggle to keep quiet and not try to speak out from a place of compassion, not an I'm-better-than-you type place.

Take 10 minutes out of your day, seriously: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mlh6BDBpA4

[Rebecca De Mornay]

cage free, farm fresh.

little jerry seinfeld is the answer to our egg problems.

[gadflymatt]

Don't eat meat.

[jjr4884]

Originally Posted by Rebecca De Mornay

cage free, farm fresh.

little jerry seinfeld is the answer to our egg problems.

Haha! Little Jerry!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by gadflymatt

Don't eat meat.

[jmkratt]

Good thread.

I've been having good results recently eating something right out of bed in the morning. Cereal, yogurt, whatever. I've found it gets my metabolism going. This and eating small amounts of food every 3 hours or so has helped me drop significant pounds and feel much better throughout the day.