I’m looking for foods that are not only healthy for you to eat but actually taste good, but so far I’m not having much luck.
Various types of fruit are purportedly healthy for you, and most people enjoy fresh fruit. And fish has omega-3 fatty acids, which are healthful, and it also tastes good when prepared properly. But that’s about all that I can think of right now. But most of the foods that I like would be considered unhealthy.
Do you know of any other foods that are both healthy and good-tasting?
I think part of the problem is that you are only considering individual foods. There are probably ways of approximating some of the dishes you like in ways that are healthier than the traditional ways (e.g., vegetarian lasagne rather than the meat-heavy version). I’d suggest picking up one of the healthy eating magazines that are out there. “Eating Light” and “Vegetarian Times” are two well-produced examples that come to mind. They tend to show attractive ways of preparing healthy food.
Chicken. Turkey. Eggs. Beans. Spinach. Peas. Carrots. Beef, if you don’t eat it 3 times a day. I can go on and on. Pretty much any whole food that you don’t batter and deep-fry, or cover in some sugary syrup.
Besides which, you really need to determine what “healthy” means to you. I avoid pretty much all carb-heavy foods. So, for me, I would not say that potatoes, rice, other grains, etc., are healthy. Others, who are following a low-fat regimen, might do perfectly well with whole-grain bread, oatmeal, etc.
You won’t get much of a definitive answer here, mainly b/c many people have many different tastes. In short, though, try to eat your food as fresh and unaltered as possible, and avoid the deep-frying and added sugar. That’s about it.
Keep in mind that a lot of what makes a given food unhealthy is preparation: frying in oil, overloading with salt, etc. That said, the following foods can be prepared to be very healthy:
Beans/lentils, white meat poultry, lean beef, whole-grain bread (not white), whole-grain pasta, brown rice, various vegetables.
Also, you can make certain substitutions to mimic the taste of unhealthy preparation. Examples would be using Butter Buds, or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spray (not spread), for simulated butter flavor; Splenda or Sweet ‘n’ Low for simulated sugar; salt substitute or Ms. Dash-type seasonings in place of salt.
What types of foods do you consider to taste “good”? Maybe we can take this over to Cafe Society and get you some recipes or alternative products to approximate those dishes.
For instance, I just bought some vegetarian meatballs this weekend called “Vegetinos”. They were really tasty, though slightly high in salt.
I was just looking for some general suggestions to point me in the right direction. I think I have about the same food preferences that most Americans have- I seem to like foods that are fatty, greasy, salty, sugary, etc.- stuff that’s bad for you.
It seems like every food product that they modify to make it healthier ends up tasting worse than it did to begin with. ‘Low salt’ always tastes worse than salted, and the same goes for ‘fat-free’, ‘diet’, ‘low-fat’, ‘sugar-free’, ‘1% fat’, etc. And almost every time I hear that they discovered something is bad for you, it’s usually a food that I like. Why is this?
My framework for “healthy food” means low-fat, low-cholesterol, high fiber stuff with a big button on fresh veggies and fruits for vitamins and minerals. When we do meat, it’s lean and usually grilled or baked.
A frequent dish here is pasta primavera. Starting with a storebought red sauce and a can of diced tomatoes, we’ll throw in chopped onion, celery, green bell pepper (red or yellow if they’re cheap,) and garlic. Whatever other fresh veggies we have on hand (cauliflower, snap peas, carrots, banana pepper) go into the pot. If the fresh side is thin, we can harvest the freezer. Fresh ground pepper and a variety of herbs go in, too. That simmers for a while, and we’ll pick a pasta. We keep a variety of pastas so we don’t get bored. We usually make too much, and we put the excess in serving size Pyrex dishes that we can nuke later for lunch.
So, what’s the score? The only fat is in the sauce, and that’s not a lot. No cholesterol. Most fresh veggies are high in fiber and vitamins. The tomatoes and the cauliflower contain chemicals that some researchers say are hostile to cancer. The science about garlic is hard to nail down, but it’s reputed to be good for your cholesterol numbers.
That’s because the food companies and restaurants tend to go overboard and because (for food you get at the grocery store), the labeling rules are a tad too strict in places.
I wouldn’t worry too much about salt unless your blood pressure is high. The recent research I’ve read is that, if you have a bad gene, salt is bad; otherwise it has little impact.
I get really pissed when I go to restaurants, because everything is either soaked in grease or painfully low-fat. Trying to reduce fat while enjoying the food you eat can be a real challenge. Look for things you enjoy that aren’t breaded or deep fried. Bacon is also something to watch out for, but if you really love it, try using it with a light hand. I always ask for my baked potato with the fixin’s on the side so I can control how much I put on.
One way to improve how healthy you eat is to not eat unless you really, really want something. Try to not eat if you aren’t hungry, and if you do eat when you aren’t hungry, make sure it is something you are going to really enjoy - then concentrate on the food, rather than eating thoughtlessly while you are doing something else. Concentrate really hard on how much you are enjoying the food you eat, and you may find that a lot of food is not as appetizing as you thought it was.
We’re conditioned to enjoy fat, which is a big flavor-enhancer. And many of us retain our childhood preference for sweet things into adult life. Result: too much fat and sugar, obese people suing fast-food chains (wtf???), etc.
Avoid foods that are processed or that come ready prepared in packages. Buy fresh produce - potatos, tomatoes, greens, zuchini, etc etc etc. Season them with various combinations of spices/herbs (cumin, cinnamon, ginger, chili, oregano, dill, blah blah, depending on the recipe). Result: tasty, healthy, low-fat food
Smoothies! (one frozen banana, fruit of choice, apple juice, blend)
I just ate at a 5-star hotel and enjoyed something called “salmon in mango sauce” - unbelievable! With roasted red bell peppers, wild field greens, a slice of swiss cheese and some sort of black-eye pea salad. All good and good for you.
I make a yummy tostada at home with corn shell, beans, cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado and a tad bit of sour cream. (Hey, you need a little fat to keep your coat shiny.)