Rutabagas? (Or Steckrüben, as de.wikipedia says) you get them? They were quite common (but not popular) during the war over here. Their advantage is that you they will take the taste of other food you cook them with (but most children still disliked them). See if they are your taste.
Another good and healthy thing to chuck in your salads are chickpeas. For the lazy among us, you can buy cooked chickpeas in a can. Go the chickpea!
Sorry for bad English in last post. I will try more harder next time.
Chickpeas are beans. As are peas.
Promise.
(They’re still a good source of fiber, although one that’s likely to provoke gas, and a good source of protein)
Another single, extremely lazy (when it comes to cooking/food prep) checking in:
Salads:
My local grocery story makes these single serving, pre-packaged salads of different variety (chef, chicken caeser, etc.), and are great for lunches. They are all sealed, and stay fresh for about a week. I usually grab a couple each week to bring for lunch.
Veggies:
Microwaving frozen veggies is a staple for me. The trick I found is to 1) add a good bit of water (which you’ll drain out after, 2) cook for about 3 1/2 min., but 3) cook at a medium setting - don’t use “high”. I think you end up almost boiling the water, and that’s what does the actual cooking.
I also found this microwave steamer deal at the fair (yeah, one of those commercial booths with the ginsu knives), and it works well. It’s basically a plastic bowl and lid, with a plastic tray. You fill the bottom of the bowl with water, put the tray in, and the veggies on the tray. You put the cover on and pop it into the microwave. Again, I’ve found 2 minutes on “medium” works best. I use mine mostly for broccoli.
One of the big changes I’ve made to ween myself off junkfood is to change from chips or cookies as snacks to baby carrots. Not as enjoyable as junk food, but I’ve found them to be a great substitute - crunchy, cool (you keep them refridged), and somewhat sweet. So rather than round out a meal with cookies or chips, try some baby carrots. Maybe start with half cookies (less than you’d normally have) and half carrots.
Approach:
I think one of the keys to changing your diet is to not beat yourself up about not being consistent. That is, you don’t have to switch 100% one day to a healthier diet. I think if you start out thinking in terms of weeks - this week I was “good”, last week I was “not so good”. So you can still eat the stuff you’re used to on the “not so good” weeks. But then feel better on the “good” weeks. As you get more and more accustomed to the healthier food, you’ll start having fewer and fewer “not so good” weeks.
And it’s okay to have “not so good” weeks. The fact that you’ve mixed in some “good” weeks is better than how you used to be. Any changes won’t stick if you aren’t comfortable with them.
I third the recommendation for chickpeas. They cost next to nothing, and if you buy them dried they keep for years. If you can, soak them a night in water and cook them in about 15 minutes. Add a little salt, cumin, and a dressing of mayonaise and yoghurt, and they make a great snack.
I third the recommendation for chickpeas. They cost next to nothing, and if you buy them dried they keep for years. If you can, soak them a night in water, so then it will take only 10 minutes to cook. Let them cool and add a little salt, cumin, and a dressing of mayonaise and yoghurt.
A great snack!
Referring to cormac262–you can also get yourself a saucepan and a steamer insert, and do it on the stovetop. Not as quick, but you don’t have to go searching for the special microwave gadget.