Healthy eating tips, anyone?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’ve always been–um–fluffy, and in the past four years (since getting married and going back to school), I’ve gotten even fluffier, as has my husband. I attribute this to three things, not necessarily in this order: genes/metabolism, sedentary lifestyle, and bad eating habits (especially eating out). The first one I can’t do anything about, and the second one is a topic for another thread. What I want from my fellow dopers are quick tips on eating healthier.

For instance, my mom recently gave us one of those serving trays for veggies (or crudités, if you prefer), the kind with the bowl in the middle for dip and several compartments for different kinds of vegetables. I had the bright idea to keep it out and filled with baby carrots, broccoli florets, etc., so that we can get our RDA of vegetables. (I love 'em, but convenience often wins out and I don’t eat enough.) So far, that’s working quite well. (It’s only been a few days, but it’s so easy that I know I’ll keep it up.)

For the dip, I was going to make ranch with fat-free sour cream. It was okay, but not great. Mr. ev had the idea to blend up some cottage cheese, add a bit of the fat-free mixture, and a little more ranch powder. That was so yummy that 1% cottage cheese has now made it onto my permanent grocery list. (For those who want to try this: it’s important to add a little fat-free sour cream to the mixture to get that little “tang” that you wouldn’t otherwise get.)

Anyway, any quick (or even not-so-quick) tips for upping the intake of good stuff and reducing the intake of bad stuff (especially sweet stuff and fatty takeout) will be much appreciated.

2

One thing you should keep in mind is that not all fats are created equal. While trans-fatty acids are about as bad as they come, omega 3 fatty acids are really good for you.

Check out this website for a bunch of information. It’s geared towards strength athletes, but there’s good stuff for the average person on there.

3

Ooh, yeah, good thought, ultrafilter. I generally try to avoid the trans fats but probably should also think about ways to up my intake of the omega 3 fatty acids. Now if only I can think of ways to easily work flax seed into my diet …

Nice website, BTW.

4

Flax pancakes are pretty popular. You might also want to make a point of eating fish regularly. The omega 3 acids in fish aren’t quite the same as those in flax seed, and I’ve heard (no cite) that they might be better for you.

Fish oil is also cheaper and easier to keep than flax oil, so there’s another option.

5

I tried a spoonful of flaxseed oil - GAG! I now buy capsules and take them every day. They’re very helpful for keeping joints nicely lubed, too. I’ve been working with a trainer for about 3 months and one huge difference in my diet was cutting way back on carbs, eating high protein and medium fat. Ice cream is not only okay, but encouraged. Not eating a half gallon at a time, of course. Moderate exercise is also suggested. I got quite sedentary over the winter. It IS quite wet in western Washington . . . you might also talk with a nutritionist - they would most likely be able to tailor your diet to your specific needs. My sincere best wishes, too.

6

Blenders/food processor are your friends. (A non-reactive (e.g. glass, etc.) bowl, a whisk and lotsa arm-action will substitute nicely.) Low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt and buttermilk–powdered or fresh–can make some kick-ass basics. The buttermilk adds a depth and tang suavity of the components lack. Cut with a little good olive oil if you want, just for luxury.

Thin it with lemon juice, squeeze in some fresh garlic–GREAT for you*–sprinkle in some herbs and you’re good to go. (Dill is great.) Drizzle over broiled fish or mounds of fresh lettuce, shredded carrots, slivers of zucchini, summer squash, garden tomatoes—pure bliss.

Or thin with white wine vinegar, then add chunks of good blue cheese–whisk, whisk, whisk–then drizzle over salad, slices of cold roast beef (deli stuff will do), chunk drained tuna…wing it!

  • to help offset dire garlic breath, munch a few sprigs of parsley.

Or make the basic cottage cheese/yogurt/buttermilk base. Finely grate some cucumber and set to drain. (The stuff will exude amazing amounts of water.) Squeeze gently (more water) then add to the mixture. Blend in some fresh squeezed garlic and blend in mint or herb of preference to taste. Dried is fine, just go easy at first and give the flavor time to develop. Scoop it up with fresh veggies, dollop on top of grilled meat/fish…improvise!

IMO joyful, enlightened moderation is the key. Good ingredients, cunningly combined and well-anticipated, are so damned good they more than satisfy. It’s a simple cuisine of appreciation, and far more satisfying than heavy fast food gorges.

Veb

7

As I’ve demonstrated on this board before, I am no nutritionist.

Nevertheless, I’m fairly trim and seem to be healthy.

You already know about skippin’ the chips. Skip the dip, as well.

My snack foods are baby carrots, olives and pickles. No chips, pretzels, cookies, etc. ever make it to my home. I do commiserate with several pears, nectarines and plums during the week, when I need a little even-keel sugar (usually breakfast).

Anyway, a little help from an acknowledged know-little.

8

I’ll attempt to paraphrase a famous French philosopher:

“If you wish to avoid any feelings of disappointment during your day, begin each morning by eating a live toad.”

After the live toad, rice cakes will feel so right.

9

[ul]
[li]Stay away from the wrong kinds of carbs I.E. candy, sugars, breads, pastas, and white rice[/li][li]each time you have an urge to drink soda, drink water instead[/li][li]each time you have a craving for junk food, each something healthy[/li][li]remember that it’s ok to each small healthy snacks in between meals if you get hungry[/li][li]exercise daily (maybe even just an hour walk every night will help you lose weight)[/li][li]Eat plenty of good carbs such as fruits[/li][li]and as someone else said, research which foods have high trans-fat in them and don’t eat those.[/li][/ul]

10

Drink water or iced tea instead of soda.

Graham crackers instead of cookies/candy.

No fast food! If you must, go to a sub shop and order something vegetarian with no sauce.

Fruit is definitely your friend.

Try to stay away from snacks between meals.

Toss the chips or anything really greasy or salty. (As an aside here, I feel that pretzels are far better than chips, if you must eat something salty. Ever compare the back of the bag to any chip bag?)

Throw away the sugary cereals. Eat Special K with strawberries (yum!) or a small bowl of granola.

Leftovers are your friend.

Switch to ground turkey or ground chicken. With the right spices it’s hard to notice the difference.

Cut down on the fatty red meats. Eat pork or poultry and definitely buy tons of fish.

You’d be surprised at how filling gumbo/stew/ratatouille is, and how low cal it can be, too :wink:

A good tip: Don’t start the diet right away. Make a list of everything you eat on one day while not on a diet. Be honest, here, you’re not trying to win any prizes by eating right! Go through the list and check off things you ate while you weren’t hungry, or things like soda and chips that could be substituted easily.

I think you will be surprised at what you find, and how easily you can fix those obvious dietary flaws.

Oh, and exercise three times a week, too :slight_smile:

11

  • never drink your calories (orange juice? Eat an orange instead…will satisfy you)

  • choose the browns over the whites: brown breads, brown rices are more fibrous, break down more slowly and don’t spike insulin as much

12

they say that the darker fruits are healthier for you, as well as whole grain bread.

13

I have been on a low-glycemic diet for the past 3 months. I’m not overweight, but I’m 42 and I know how hard it is to keep the ounds under control when you hit “that age” and decided I’m going to try to eat healthier. Carbs are OK as long as they are whole grain.

 No white carbs- white bread, potatoes, corn, etc.  Once you learn what is OK and what isn't, it's not too difficult.  I do have to take my reading glasses shopping now, though, so I can read the labels on everything!  Restaurant meals are a littel difficult, because I try to eat vegetarian when we go out, and most veg entrees involve white pasta.  So I've had to get either seafood with veggies or salad (hold the crutons!).  

 I have lost a few pounds, which is amazing, because I hurt my back a few weeks after starting the diet and have not been able to excercise at all, except for a pass around the block with the dog twice a day, and I used to run several times a week.
14

K.I.S.S. piece of advice - learn to manage your portions. Buy a scale and use your measuring cups to met the actual serving suggestions on your products.

15

I think a combination of NOT going out to eat, and taking an active interest in what you’ll be cooking will save you both calories and money. I’m not a diety person, but my wife is. I do all the cooking, so it has neccessitated my learning what low fat/high flavor options are out there and it has been a very positive experience. I highly recommend what everyone above has said about specific food choices.
If going out to eat is a convenience thing, try getting those salads in a bag and top them off with a grilled chicken breast or other lean meat. As someone else mentioned, ground turkey is a good substitute for ground beef. My kids actually prefer the turkey burgers over ground beef now. There’s plenty of low fat substitutes out there (yogurt, cheese, sour cream, cool whip, etc…), you’ll just have to experiment and find what you like. Trust me, the experimenting can lead to great things in your kitchen.

16

I simply can’t do without butter on my toast. In order to cut the amount of saturated fat, I soften 2 cubes of butter, then whip it with about 1/2-2/3 that amount of olive oil. Put it in the fridge and it will become semi-hard, which makes it easier to spread and you use less of it. It’s still fat, as my Weight Watcher sister points out, but it’s better fat. I’ve also added herbs to the mix.

17

If you’re just starting to do this…I’d recommend not doing anything too drastic right away. If you do, you resent eating healthier… be gradual!

My first step was to stop drinking pop with sugar…now it’s diet coke city. Also, no more fast food other than good ol subway. A good way to make yourself stop is to look at their actual calorie content…sure stopped me!

18

This is good advice for when you’re first learning about your calorie and fat intake. Some “diet” foods actually make the portion size smaller so they can say they have less calories. No one is saying you’re confined to their idea of a serving size, but it’s up to you to remember you’re taking in twice the calories if you have twice as much.

If you’re used to having a “full” plate, switch to smaller plates (I use a salad size plate for dinner). Fill it in the kitchen before you sit down (so you’re not tempted to put more on after you’re finished) and start filling the plate with the veggies first so you don’t conveniently “run out of room” and cheat yourself out of the most nutritious/(usually) least caloric item.

Let yourself have the occasional treat but like mentioned before get a grip on portion sizes. Decide how many calories/fat grams/carbs (whichever you decide to count) you’re willing to spend, put that much in a bowl/plate and put the rest away. Don’t drag the whole bag of chips to the couch or grab the tub of ice cream and a spoon and dig in. Serve yourself, tell yourself “this is my serving” and stick to it.

Recognise that there are some things we just have no willpower over and banish them. For me it was Tostitos “hint of Lime” flavor chips. I could not eat one without eating nearly the entire bag and making myself sick, so now they don’t even come into the house. If you have kids or a husband clamoring for snacks, buy them somenthing that they like but you don’t, haha. Don’t fall into the “money saving” trap either. You know and I know it’s a better value to buy the big 2lb bag of M&Ms and eat a few at a time, but both you and I know I can’t eat “just a few” M&Ms so when I decide I’m going to treat myself to M&Ms I make myself walk up to the drugstore and buy the regular little (ripoff) single-serving bag.

19

Brown-bag your lunches. It’s a lot easier to control what you eat that way. Plus, you’ll save money as well.

Baby-sized carrots are your friend. They’re crunchy, sweet, and portable–a perfect workplace snack.

This is kind of a wierd rule, but it works for me: only eat homemade desserts. I try very hard not to buy cookies, cakes, etc. at the store, but to make them at home instead. Frankly, making cookies is a bit of a pain in the ass, so it makes me think hard about whether or not I really want them. And homemade desserts are so much tastier than the storebought kind.

20

Eating the “right” foods is only a small part of the battle. For me, it’s two simple words. Portion Control.

The vast majority of portions we eat both at home and dining out are simply too damn much. Weigh and measure your intake for a few days and you’ll see what I mean. You don’t have to weigh everything at every meal. Pretty soon you’ll have a good “eye” for what’s right. Then every once in a while, re-measure your portions because we have a tendency to increase them over time.