WHAT is healthy food? (vegetables, mayo, gluten, protein)

[k374]

Since I think most people who eat Chinese or Mexican take out for dinner would like to make a positive change in their diets but do not have the first clue as to WHAT exactly they should be eating let us hear some suggestions....

WHAT are you eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner that you think constitutes a healthy diet? Where are you getting this or are you cooking it yourself?

[stepka]

As close to the way that God made it as possible. No to GMO's, artificial sweeteners, no to most sugary stuff, and esp HFCS, no to margarine and cottonseed oil (crisco) and anything out of a box or bag. And NO SODA!

To eat healthy I try to eat more veggies, more fiber, 1-2 pieces of fruit a day, no more than 1 cup of coffee with a little dab of 1/2 & 1/2. I've never been a big meat eater but I try to be aware of protein and I find that I have to cook a whole lot more. I make homemade sauerkraut and try to eat a bit of that every day. I don't buy low fat stuff though and try to keep sugar consumption down, though when I do eat it, I try to make sure it's something I baked myself. I eat oatmeal or Fage yogurt for breakfast pretty much. Getting into green tea these days. I never liked the taste but I like the way it makes me feel. Oh, and I'm thinking about eliminating gluten for 6 weeks to see if it clears my mind any--I've noticed that I get pretty fuzzy after lunch if I eat a sandwich.

[LittleDolphin]

The answer to your question could be as easy as foods that are healthy & nutritious are in their natural state, simple, and are as little processed as possible. For example, if you read the ingredient list for fresh spinach, it's "spinach." For oatmeal, it's "oatmeal." The fewest ingredients, the more healthy it is for you. More stuff in it, including chemicals you cannot pronounce? Not so healthy to eat.

Me, I eat oatmeal and other whole grain cereals, sweetened with honey, and have a piece of in-season fruit for breakfast. On top of the cereal I'll put some walnuts and raisin. Sometimes a one egg veggie omelet, a piece of whole grain bread, piece of fruit.

Lunch? Home-made soup, chili, home-made (sometimes with a bit of beef, usually not), home-made tuna salad mixed with celery, onion and with honey mustard instead of mayo, on a whole grain bread with tomato and lettuce or spinach. Maye a small green salad on the side or some grapes. Or a veggie wrap with left-over veggies from the night before with maybe a slice of low-fat cheese.

Dinner is very variable--from pasta (whole grain) with a vegetarian tomato sauce, or tonight we had Greek chicken (skinless chicken thighs marinated in lemon, garlic, bay leaves and olive oil), along with a baked sweet potato. I use a lot of beans, barley, lentils, brown rice, and lots of seasonings in my dishes and use vegetables and fruits in-season.

Experiment with dark greens you might not use now: kale, collard, mustard and such--highly nutritious and easy, very easy to steam. Serve with a squeeze of lemon and yum!

The main thing is: keep it simple, keep it natural and choose foods with the fewest ingredients and you'll be eating in a healthy, nutritious manner.

Hope this helps...

[LittleDolphin]

Added to above...there are few--or no, IMO, fast-food or regular restaurants (other than vegetarian/organic), that do not load their foods with flavor enhancers (MSG), sodium and a laundry list of many other chemical preservatives. You've really got to prepare your own food from scratch and read every label to know what you're eating.

Sometimes, I will get a small Subway sandwich and really load on the veggies--maybe add some turkey breast, and have oil/vinegar for the dressing. Maybe not a perfect lunch, but at least I'm getting lots of veggies. I skip the chips and soft drink and cookie and drink water.

[fibonacci]

A couple of rules of thumb (not perfect):

-Raw foods that do not come from any package

-Foods with lots of color (deep green, red, orange, yellow, blue)

-Again, unprocessed foods. Shop around the sides of the grocery store and try hard not to buy anything in the middle

-Researchers are finding more and more evidence that foods with saturated fats like cheese, milk, butter etc. really aren't that bad at all for you, in fact what they've been telling the public for the past 30 years has been dead wrong. Trans fats, which are found in stuff like shortenings and margarine are far, far worse. Of course the government will never admit to the fact that the advice they gave to people to avoid saturated fats and head for things like margarine actually was far worse and ended up killing thousands of people.

[CAVA1990]

Here's my normal day:

Breakfast: Eggs and veggies sauteed in butter
Lunch: Salad of lettuce, tomato, red pepper, green onions, meat and/or cheese and a full fat dressing
Snack: Handful of almonds
Dinner: Meat and two kinds of vegetable with some melted butter or olive oil
Dessert: Berries or half a peach with a couple tablespoons of cream or half and half
Drinks: Black coffee or water only. Red wine on occasion.
Natural or artificial sweeteners: None
Exercise: At least 30 minutes

[RD5050]

Here are the healthy foods I typically eat/drink every day:

• Turkey Breast - 98% fat free packaged deli meat
• Tuna Fish in water
• Chicken Breast - boneless/skinless
• Whole Grain Cereals (Raisin Bran, Shredded Wheat, etc)
• Whole Grain Pasta and pasta sauces
• Fat Free Yogurt
• Fat Free Cottage Cheese
• Almonds
• Whole Grain Bread
• Brown Rice and sometimes white rice
• Vegetables (carrots, bell peppers, spinach, onions, tomatoes, romaine lettuce, celery)
• Fat Free Milk
• Peanut Butter
• Fruit (bananas, pears, apples, peaches, plums, watermellon, strawberries, blackberries, grapefruit, oranges, mangoes, grapes)
• Nutrition Bars (balance bar, cliff bar, etc)
• Fat Free salad dressings and low-fat mayo
• Fruit Juice (100% apple juice, orange juice)
• Egg Whites

Here is what I NEVER eat or drink:

• Fast Food - I never go into these places anymore.
• Mexican Food - too much fat and sodium. But I do have salsa on occasion.
• Candy
• Cakes and Pies
• Ice Cream
• Potato Chips
• Butter
• Red Meats (steak, hamburger, etc)
• Most Cheese
• Soda
• Pizza
• TV Dinners and most other packaged foods
• All other foods high in processed sugar, sodium and/or fat
• Foods high in cholesterol
• Foods containing a lot of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
• Bread using "enriched flour" as the main ingredient
• Deep fried foods like french fries and fried chicken. I do enjoy an occasional stir-fry of vegetables and chicken using a little oil to grease the pan.

Most meals are prepared at home, but when I do go out to eat, it will be to somewhere where they sell mostly salads and pastas.

I also pack healthy food to take with me (sandwiches, fruit, yogurt cups, etc.) on most days I go out.

I eat around 6 times a day, and keep my meals in small to moderate sizes (200 - 500 calories each) depending on on my level of exercise that day. I eat now to maintain my current healthy weight - not to diet or lose more weight.

[Kim in FL]

Stay away from all fast food joints. Stay away from deli's meats..full of sodium and nitrates..not good at all. If you want turkey breast..buy just the breat and roast it yourself, cut into portions and freeze it. So much better for you than any deli meat out there.

Stay from all low fat and fat free salad dressings and condiments. When they take out the fat, they replace it with sodium and sugar. You don't NEED mayo or salad dressing. Use yellow mustard and vinager.

Learn to read the labels of food you're buying..watch the fat, sugar and sodium contents. Also learn what the portion of that food item is and eat only that. some ppl feel that whole grain is good ( and it is) but a serving size is one cup cooked.....most ppl eat three.

[RD5050]

Originally Posted by Kim in FL

Stay away from all fast food joints. Stay away from deli's meats..full of sodium and nitrates..not good at all. If you want turkey breast..buy just the breat and roast it yourself, cut into portions and freeze it. So much better for you than any deli meat out there.

Stay from all low fat and fat free salad dressings and condiments. When they take out the fat, they replace it with sodium and sugar. You don't NEED mayo or salad dressing. Use yellow mustard and vinager.

Learn to read the labels of food you're buying..watch the fat, sugar and sodium contents. Also learn what the portion of that food item is and eat only that. some ppl feel that whole grain is good ( and it is) but a serving size is one cup cooked.....most ppl eat three.

As long as you are aware of the sodium content of your foods, you are fine.

No need to completely eliminate fat free dressings and mayo. Just use minimal amounts such as serving label recommends (1tbsp - 2 tbsp).

For example, one serving of Kraft Fat Free Thousand Island Dressing has 260mg of sodium, which is only 11% of RDA per day.

Another example, one serving of Best Foods Low Fat Mayo has 130mg of sodium, which is only 5% of RDA per day.

I find it much easier to eat a salad bowl full of mixed vegetables when it has a little dressing on it for added flavor.

I agree with portion sizes, and people should eat one serving as the food label indicates.

As for packaged meats, I agree that buying fresh breast meat and cooking it yourself is healthier, but not as convenient. I don't want to always have to cook foods, which is why I buy Zacky Farms Sliced White Turkey. It's ingredients are White Turkey, Turkey Breast, Turkey Broth, Corn Starch, Modified Food Starch, Salt Dextrose, Postassium Lactate, Sodium Phosphate and Sodium Diacetate. This pre-sliced lunch meat will last a month in my refrigerator thanks to the added preservatives.

[Kim in FL]

Originally Posted by RD5050

As for packaged meats, I agree that buying whole breast meat is better, but not as convenient. I don't want to always have to cook foods, which is why I buy Zacky Farms Sliced White Turkey. It's ingredients are White Turkey, Turkey Breast, Turkey Broth, Corn Starch, Modified Food Starch, Salt Dextrose, Postassium Lactate, Sodium Phosphate and Sodium Diacetate. This lunch meat will last a month in my refrigerator thanks to the added preservatives.

Why in the world would you eat that crap? The fact that it stays fresh for a month is disturbing.