The Healthy Meals Thread

[CrystalCastles]

Hi LS, its been a while.

 

I moved out of my parents' house a month ago. I'm trying to establish a healthy meal plan. So far I think I might be succeeding but I'm not sure since I haven't consulted anyone. I'm wondering if there's any improvements to be made to my meal plan.

 

So far I have been eating the following:

 

For breakfast, its oatmeal (plain), with a teaspoon of brown sugar, handful of walnuts and some homo milk. I eat that with herbal tea or black tea, and 2 mandarin oranges. I also eat one vitamin D tablet and one vitamin C tablet.

 

For lunch I eat pasta (unfortunately white) with either tomato sauce or alfredo. I also eat one apple, one pear, either a small container of raw baby carrots or a quarter of a bell pepper, and two or three mandarin oranges. Sometimes I also eat a salad with olive oil, a bit of salt and lemon juice. For dessert I eat all natural yoghurt with fruit on the bottom, sweetened with honey (2 small cups).

 

For dinner usually I make scrambled egg with all natural chicken or turkey cold cuts with a cup of random vegetables mixed in, or sometimes apple. I eat that with salad (prepared in the same way as lunch) or two or three mandarin oranges.

 

Every day, for dessert, I also eat chocolate, 72% dark, a few squares. I also drink a lot of tea.

 

Is there anything above to be improved upon? I have been eating all this every day for a month. The pasta I need to cut out since its refined but besides brown rice my Walmart doesn't sell any other whole grains surprisingly. I'm also wondering if that level of fruit consumption is healthy since fruit has a lot of sugar (depending on the glycemic index). I'm only 23 but I don't want to get fat and unhealthy later when I'm old. I hate what people on here write in the fat threads and I don't want to be in that position eventually. I'm also trying to incorporate more meat into my diet but I don't really have any good ideas (still need to browse some recipes). I only eat fish and chicken so that is somewhat limiting. Any suggestions? What kind of meal plans do you guys have?

[Emilia]

It doesn't make difference what type of pasta it is, you need to eat potatoes and rice instead. Try honey with porridge instead of sugar. You have a lot of sugar in your diet in the fruit. Eat more vegetables instead.

[CrystalCastles]

It doesn't make difference what type of pasta it is, you need to eat potatoes and rice instead. Try honey with porridge instead of sugar. You have a lot of sugar in your diet in the fruit. Eat more vegetables instead.

 

Why potatoes? Isn't that high in carbs? Why does it not matter what kind of pasta?

 

Also, I have been eating more pears and apples because those have a lower glycemic index so shouldn't those be better?

 

Sorry, I'm not doubting your advice, I'm just curious.

[Emilia]

You can doubt as much as you like, it's the internet. Pasta has a lot of starch, potatoes not as much and richer in fibre

 

Fruit is full of fructose which is a form of sugar

[Haydn]

10 beers, large Kebab (With chilli sauce)

 

Once or twice a week....

 

Sorted.

[CrystalCastles]

You can doubt as much as you like, it's the internet. Pasta has a lot of starch, potatoes not as much and richer in fibre

 

Fruit is full of fructose which is a form of sugar

 

But fruit also has fiber in it. Apples and pears have a lower glycemic index than things like watermelon and grapes and they have fiber in them that makes the sugar be released a lot slower than fruit juice in comparison, for example, which goes straight to the blood.

 

I personally really hate potatoes but I like brown rice, its got a very nice nutty flavour. I can cook that, its nice with vegetables mixed in. Thanks for the suggestions Emilia!

 

10 beers, large Kebab (With chilli sauce)

 

Once or twice a week....

 

Sorted.

 

Haha 10 beers? I can't even handle one beer. I have such a low alcohol tolerance, I'm tipsy after just one.

[basil67]

My thoughts on your diet is that there doesn't seem to be much variety and it's rather bland. And without variety, are you likely to go crazy and dump it? I know I would! I'd be inclined to have at least a couple of dozen different meals. And yes, you could probably cut back on your fruit intake.

 

Two of my current healthy favourites: seared salmon fillet with a salsa of avocado, corn (cut from a freshly cooked cob), tomato, coriander (cilantro) and lime juice.

 

Home made baked beans: Quick Boston Baked Beans Recipe - Taste.com.au I like them on toasted Turkish bread.

[basil67]

You can doubt as much as you like, it's the internet. Pasta has a lot of starch, potatoes not as much and richer in fibre

 

Fruit is full of fructose which is a form of sugar

 

Potatoes also haven't been processed. The closer a food is to it's natural form, the healthier it is.

[Satu]

For snacking, real Scottish Oat Cakes.

 

They are great for a light lunch with your favourite toppings.

 

Avocado on oat cakes is yummy.

[CrystalCastles]

My thoughts on your diet is that there doesn't seem to be much variety and it's rather bland. And without variety, are you likely to go crazy and dump it? I know I would! I'd be inclined to have at least a couple of dozen different meals. And yes, you could probably cut back on your fruit intake.

 

Two of my current healthy favourites: seared salmon fillet with a salsa of avocado, corn (cut from a freshly cooked cob), tomato, coriander (cilantro) and lime juice.

 

Home made baked beans: Quick Boston Baked Beans Recipe - Taste.com.au I like them on toasted Turkish bread.

 

Hm, well I've been at it for a month and I haven't dumped anything yet. I don't actually like a lot of seasoning in my food and I like fresh fruits and vegetables. I also mix up a lot of different vegetables in my salads and omlets. Sometimes its celery, sometimes its pepper, sometimes its apple also. Most of the variety comes from the fruits/vegetables. I don't actually like grains very much. I also eat my eggs with mustard which is my favourite condiment.

 

Beans! I can't believe I forgot about beans. I really like beans, they taste great!

 

I just don't have a lot of time to cook, that's the problem. I need to be able to make things fast.

 

For snacking, real Scottish Oat Cakes.

 

They are great for a light lunch with your favourite toppings.

 

Avocado on oat cakes is yummy.

 

Oh yeah! I eat avocado on Ryvita crispbread which I really like. My favourite ones have sesame seeds on them.

[Emilia]

But fruit also has fiber in it. Apples and pears have a lower glycemic index than things like watermelon and grapes and they have fiber in them that makes the sugar be released a lot slower than fruit juice in comparison, for example, which goes straight to the blood.

 

I personally really hate potatoes but I like brown rice, its got a very nice nutty flavour. I can cook that, its nice with vegetables mixed in. Thanks for the suggestions Emilia!

Vegetables have lots of fibre but far less sugar. A lot of fruit nowdays especially has high sugar content because that's what people like.

[hasaquestion]

If you want a pasta substitute then use a mandoline or peeler to make zucchini pasta. That what I do and it works like a charm.

[CrystalCastles]

Vegetables have lots of fibre but far less sugar. A lot of fruit nowdays especially has high sugar content because that's what people like.

 

I thought it depended on the fruit?

 

I agree with you, especially with things like my mandarin oranges. But the pears I buy are Anjou and they're not very sweet, and the apples I buy are Ambrosia. I'm thinking, I can restrict fruit to only say, breakfast and lunch. And for dinner, not eat any fruit. I think cutting out fruit entirely is bad because oranges for example have vitamin C in them (plus I really like fruit), but I can definitely limit my fruit intake. I just really like snacking, so fruit is very convenient for that. But I can cut veggies up for that purpose as well.

 

I talked to my colleague who was obese and was heading towards diabetes until his doctor made suggestions and he changed his diet. He said that some fruit has a low glycemic index and you don't need to avoid or limit it. Those would be things like apples, pears and grapefruit. This is because they are high in fiber and low in sugar so the sugar is released slowly. Grapes, mangoes, watermelon and the like are to be avoided/limited, because they have a lot of sugar and are low in fiber.

 

I just see a lot of obese people with diabetes and I am scared I'm heading down that path. I know my diet is pretty restrictive but I want to be a healthy person and the best time to start doing that is when I am young.

[CrystalCastles]

If you want a pasta substitute then use a mandoline or peeler to make zucchini pasta. That what I do and it works like a charm.

 

Zucchini pasta looks splendid! Thanks for the tip!

[Emilia]

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/opinion/sunday/breeding-the-nutrition-out-of-our-food.html?pagewanted=all&referer=&_r=0

 

Article about how nutrition has been bread out of fruit and veg and sugar in

[losangelena]

Hi LS, its been a while.

 

I moved out of my parents' house a month ago. I'm trying to establish a healthy meal plan. So far I think I might be succeeding but I'm not sure since I haven't consulted anyone. I'm wondering if there's any improvements to be made to my meal plan.

 

So far I have been eating the following:

 

For breakfast, its oatmeal (plain), with a teaspoon of brown sugar, handful of walnuts and some homo milk. I eat that with herbal tea or black tea, and 2 mandarin oranges. I also eat one vitamin D tablet and one vitamin C tablet.

 

For lunch I eat pasta (unfortunately white) with either tomato sauce or alfredo. I also eat one apple, one pear, either a small container of raw baby carrots or a quarter of a bell pepper, and two or three mandarin oranges. Sometimes I also eat a salad with olive oil, a bit of salt and lemon juice. For dessert I eat all natural yoghurt with fruit on the bottom, sweetened with honey (2 small cups).

 

For dinner usually I make scrambled egg with all natural chicken or turkey cold cuts with a cup of random vegetables mixed in, or sometimes apple. I eat that with salad (prepared in the same way as lunch) or two or three mandarin oranges.

 

Every day, for dessert, I also eat chocolate, 72% dark, a few squares. I also drink a lot of tea.

 

Is there anything above to be improved upon? I have been eating all this every day for a month. The pasta I need to cut out since its refined but besides brown rice my Walmart doesn't sell any other whole grains surprisingly. I'm also wondering if that level of fruit consumption is healthy since fruit has a lot of sugar (depending on the glycemic index). I'm only 23 but I don't want to get fat and unhealthy later when I'm old. I hate what people on here write in the fat threads and I don't want to be in that position eventually. I'm also trying to incorporate more meat into my diet but I don't really have any good ideas (still need to browse some recipes). I only eat fish and chicken so that is somewhat limiting. Any suggestions? What kind of meal plans do you guys have?

 

I think more variety would be good.

 

You may be limited, because of the Walmart situation, but instead of rice, what about grains like quinoa, barley, farro or buckwheat (you can order these online, try Bob's Red Mill). You can buy buckwheat noodles (soba) instead of pasta.

 

I incorporate things like chickpeas (hummus), mushrooms, sweet potatoes, snap peas, zucchini, tomatoes, broccoli, garlic, kale, shallots and the like.

 

Learn different ways of cooking things. A poached egg on top of lightly-sauteed or steamed kale is delicious. You don't have to stick with scrambled eggs. I love roasting broccoli until it's charred in some places. squeeze some lime juice and red pepper, and cut up some radishes over it—so good!

 

What about nuts and seeds (and nut butters)? Pistachios, almonds, cashews, chia, hemp, pepitas, sesame seeds. These are all incredible flavor enhancers as well, and give you more fat if you don't want to eat meat or dairy. Try tofu on occasion, or things like tempeh or seitan. Beef, pork and lamb are not all that "bad," either, as long as you're not scarfing them down every day.

 

Your fruit consumption is maybe a little high, but if it's between a mandarin orange and a handful of Oreos, you're doing OK. I buy plain, full-fat yogurt, and mix in some homemade lemon curd or jam. That has some sugar still, but it's less than like, Yoplait. Try smoothies in the morning, with greens and fruits. I was drinking one a day for a while and my hair and skin were insanely vibrant.

 

Finally, don't be afraid of calories. You sound like you eat well, but you need your calories to come from a variety of sources. Your body needs things like fats and cholesterol, so make sure you're getting enough. I know you want to avoid being overweight, but there's a lot more foods you can be eating for taste and variety that won't cause you to balloon.

 

Ultimately, eating a variety of seasonal foods of all types is healthiest. It's been a month, and maybe you're not tired of your diet yet, but you may be soon.

[losangelena]

Also, buy (or make) things like vegetable and chicken broth, or curry paste. I love making soups, they're so flavorful and filling. Coconut milk is great to use for that, too. Get some cornmeal and make polenta.

 

Make your own granola. That will have WAY less sugar and fat than store-bought will ever have.

 

If you're going to go the chicken/turkey route, try buying fresh and cooking it. Things like cold cuts and sausages (while delicious) have a lot of nitrates in them.

 

 

I could go on, lol. I love cooking!

Edited February 6, 2016 by losangelena

[amaysngrace]

I think you should cut out processed cold cuts and bake your chicken or turkey instead.

 

The less processed the food the better and processed meat especially has been known to cause cancer.

 

But your diet sounds goods otherwise.

[CrystalCastles]

I think you should cut out processed cold cuts and bake your chicken or turkey instead.

 

The less processed the food the better and processed meat especially has been known to cause cancer.

 

But your diet sounds goods otherwise.

 

These are the cold cuts I buy:

 

Natural Selections® | Product Types | Maple Leaf Foods

 

You have to scroll down a bit there's quite a few products on that page, but I get the chicken cold cuts. I got sick of them though so I bought chicken breasts instead. I'm thinking of going to the store and getting several cans of beans so that I can cook that with the chicken and a bunch of vegetables in tomato sauce.

 

@losangelena- I love buckwheat. Its a common Russian food and ethnically I'm Russian and I used to eat a lot of that at home. I'm still getting used to this new city and buckwheat is usually sold in euro food stores and there aren't any nearby where I live so I need to do some more exploring. I haven't gone to any stores besides Walmart so far because I've been so busy with work. But that's definitely on my list. I love buckwheat with mushrooms and fried onions.

[amaysngrace]

I'm glad you've switched meats. Remember when buying beans the darker the better.

 

Black beans are awesome.

[newmoon]

your meals are very close to mine actually. minus the added sugar/honey. i assume you're working out? healthy eating and working out need to go together. i also need 'quick meals' so they tend to be non-cooked.

 

i eat very similar throughout the day, but i never eat pasta. i opt for a tuna sandwich instead, so i get some carbs like you would in pasta and then the added benefit of fish/protein. i also substitute oatmeal/blueberries with yogurt/granola in the morning. i stick to lean chicken and salad at night, or have a mixed bean salad instead of chicken. eggs (hard-boiled) are also a good grab and go item. it doesn't sound like you're doing bad, and sometimes eating the same foods day in and day out can help keep you on track. but a bit of variety would help you learn more about other healthy options.

[CrystalCastles]

your meals are very close to mine actually. minus the added sugar/honey. i assume you're working out? healthy eating and working out need to go together. i also need 'quick meals' so they tend to be non-cooked.

 

i eat very similar throughout the day, but i never eat pasta. i opt for a tuna sandwich instead, so i get some carbs like you would in pasta and then the added benefit of fish/protein. i also substitute oatmeal/blueberries with yogurt/granola in the morning. i stick to lean chicken and salad at night, or have a mixed bean salad instead of chicken. eggs (hard-boiled) are also a good grab and go item. it doesn't sound like you're doing bad, and sometimes eating the same foods day in and day out can help keep you on track. but a bit of variety would help you learn more about other healthy options.

 

I think this is good advice. Its hard to operate on a limited budget and time. I'm a grad student on a stipend. I can't go crazy at the store.

 

I'm not eating pasta anymore. I have a little bit of it left for the next few days since I cooked it so I need to finish what I started, but that is the last of it. Last night I cut a chicken breast and cooked it with vegetables and put all of that on avocado. I seasoned it with a little salt and I put mustard on my chicken. It tasted great!

 

I'm going to go out and buy beans and cook them with homemade tomato sauce with chicken. I also found quinoa on amazon.ca for 15$ per kilo which I think is a decent price.

 

The bland comments on my food confuses me. Spices here are very expensive so I can't afford them, even the black pepper. So I'm somewhat limited in that respect.

 

I also read more about fruit last night. To be honest I don't understand why there's such a fuss about it. Sure, fruit these days is sweeter, but does that matter? Does that make the glycemic index irrelevant? I think the glycemic index of fruit is pretty updated, is it not? I mean all I eat is just apples, pears and mandarins. The glycemic index is considered very low for those so I think that means the fruit isn't going to give me diabetes since it doesn't cause a significant surge in insulin levels after a meal. Apples and pears are ~37 and mandarins are a bit higher (but still low, caused by the acid in them). Low is considered 55 or below. My roommates eat frozen dinners, chocolate cake, chips, candy and drink cola on a daily basis. One of them is obese and is pre-diabetic. I think that's very different than a handful of oranges, an apple and a pear a day...

Edited February 7, 2016 by CrystalCastles

[CrystalCastles]

I think more variety would be good.

 

Learn different ways of cooking things. A poached egg on top of lightly-sauteed or steamed kale is delicious. You don't have to stick with scrambled eggs. I love roasting broccoli until it's charred in some places. squeeze some lime juice and red pepper, and cut up some radishes over it—so good!

 

What about nuts and seeds

 

I'm not afraid of calories. I am naturally very thin, I'm borderline underweight actually. But I don't want to get fat later when my metabolism slows down.

 

I already mentioned nuts. I mix walnuts into my oatmeal. I also eat cashews, peanuts and pistachios throughout the day.

 

I don't have the time to cook anything fancy, nor do I have the money to buy equipment like egg poaching equipment (which my parents have and it was expensive). I just have a pan and a pot. I can buy some things from the second hand store down the street but my salary is very low and I'm poor. So I can't afford much and I'd rather spend it on food than fancy cooking equipment.

 

I also eat a lot of vegetables with my meals. I make big bowls of salad with kale, spring greens, lettuce, cucumber and pepper. I put olive oil, lemon juice and salt on top. I don't like the pre-made salad dressings, I don't think those are very healthy...

 

Regarding the fruit, see my glycemic index comment. Mandarins and Oreos are worlds apart. The fruit I eat doesn't particularly have a significant effect on raising insulin levels because its either high in fiber or in acid. Oreos are refined so they release the sugar fast, in comparison.

 

You mentioned that I will get tired of my food. I know I don't season it with anything but I read somewhere some types of seasoning cause cancer. I don't really know what seasoning is ok. Dried herbs are expensive here, but I think the bundles of fresh parsley shouldn't be too bad. Also, what are the healthy condiments? I know the mustard I buy is healthy and I read the ingredient labels on everything before I buy it so I know mustard is not bad. Are there any other ones?

[newmoon]

I think this is good advice. Its hard to operate on a limited budget and time. I'm a grad student on a stipend. I can't go crazy at the store.

 

I'm not eating pasta anymore. I have a little bit of it left for the next few days since I cooked it so I need to finish what I started, but that is the last of it. Last night I cut a chicken breast and cooked it with vegetables and put all of that on avocado. I seasoned it with a little salt and I put mustard on my chicken. It tasted great!

 

I'm going to go out and buy beans and cook them with homemade tomato sauce with chicken. I also found quinoa on amazon.ca for 15$ per kilo which I think is a decent price.

 

The bland comments on my food confuses me. Spices here are very expensive so I can't afford them, even the black pepper. So I'm somewhat limited in that respect.

 

I also read more about fruit last night. To be honest I don't understand why there's such a fuss about it. Sure, fruit these days is sweeter, but does that matter? Does that make the glycemic index irrelevant? I think the glycemic index of fruit is pretty updated, is it not? I mean all I eat is just apples, pears and mandarins. The glycemic index is considered very low for those so I think that means the fruit isn't going to give me diabetes since it doesn't cause a significant surge in insulin levels after a meal. Apples and pears are ~37 and mandarins are a bit higher (but still low, caused by the acid in them). Low is considered 55 or below. My roommates eat frozen dinners, chocolate cake, chips, candy and drink cola on a daily basis. One of them is obese and is pre-diabetic. I think that's very different than a handful of oranges, an apple and a pear a day...

 

you might want to check out a diabetes recipe book from the library. i don't have diabetes, but i eat like a diabetic and follow most of their food advice because they care a lot about sugars and gi. i recently checked out a diabetes food idea guide and it helped me get some new healthy ideas. a lot of their meal ideas are non-cooking ones. the fruits they tend to advocate are all berries - especially raspberries and blueberries - and also bananas and citrus fruits, like melons. much of that stuff can be frozen, so you can buy it and store it for use later.

[CrystalCastles]

you might want to check out a diabetes recipe book from the library. i don't have diabetes, but i eat like a diabetic and follow most of their food advice because they care a lot about sugars and gi. i recently checked out a diabetes food idea guide and it helped me get some new healthy ideas. a lot of their meal ideas are non-cooking ones. the fruits they tend to advocate are all berries - especially raspberries and blueberries - and also bananas and citrus fruits, like melons. much of that stuff can be frozen, so you can buy it and store it for use later.

 

I am also moving towards eating like a diabetic. I think cutting the pasta out was the first step.

 

You are very right about the berries. I have a colleague who used to be overweight and heading towards diabetes so his doctor gave him a list of things that he can eat and things to avoid, and he also told me about the glycemic index. He said the things you said in your post. He also said apples and pears are good because the GI is low. He did say that bananas you have to limit or avoid, along with grapes, watermelon and mangoes because they either have too little fiber or are not acidic enough to ensure a low GI.

 

Is the guide online? Can you post a link please?