Question regarding a simple and healthy diet.

[DK736]

Originally Posted by KaraZetterberg153

I don't concur with the chicken. Maybe you should do some research on plant based diets. It's a time-consuming learning curve, to be sure, but well worth the effort.

Chickens are the most abused animals in the planet.

He asked for healthier food choices, not to go vegetarian or vegan. And while some places sadly mistreat their livestock before going to the slaughterhouse, that's very bold of you to assume every farm on the planet abuses their chickens.




Now that we've got that out of the way, try to consume more protein than carbs. Chicken, red meat (not too much of it though), and fish are great sources of protein. Consume fatty fish like salmon; tuna is more lean but also very good. Eggs, dairy (in moderation), nuts, and beans all have protein. Load up on veggies like broccoli, carrots, brussel sprouts, zucchini, asparagus, etc. Try to eat more salads, and go whole grain for breads, and whole wheat for pasta. Also, no more white rice; brown rice is your friend. If you like quinoa, that's another great grain to consume. No sugar!!! Stop using it in your coffee and tea, and try using stevia, or agave nectar. Try to do smaller portions as well. If your dinner is baked chicken, veggies, and brown rice, make sure you're only having 1 cup of rice. You could even do half a cup. Load up on the veggies and try to eat them first, as they will help make you fuller a lot quicker. The carb should be the smallest portion on that plate.



Also, fats (depending on the source) aren't bad for you. Use real butter, olive oil, avocado oil, etc. Speaking of avocados, try incorporating them into your diet. They go great with eggs and have a lot of healthy fats. dark meat chicken isn't bad for you either, as recent studies have finally debunked this. Just take the skin off and you're good to go! Or if yu decide to do a low carb diet, keep the skin on, as the fat from the skin will make up for the lack of carbs from rice or a grain, and will help keep you full. Just don't eat the parts that don't crisp up! *blech*

[riaelise]

My plate consists of half vegetables, one quarter meat, and one quarter starch.

Vegetables provide only short term fullness as they're largely water, but I fill my plate with them because they provide fiber and lots of nutrition for little calories.

As for protein, one doesn't need to go overboard with that either. WE don't have a protein problem in this country - if anything we eat a whole lot of it. I keep my meat portion to 4 oz or less.

I love basmati and exotic white rice, so I eat that but I pair it with beans to make up for its lack of fiber. Beans are cheap and they are good! Now those are filling.

basically if you keep things mealwise balanced, you won't go wrong.