# Healthy Food Ideas



## barkingloud78

Okay so I am just now setting up life insurance and it got me thinking about the need to eat healthier. I think I'll be healthy enough for the A+ rating, but maybe not forever. The challenge I'm finding is that eating healthy takes substantial thought and creativity, when you're not used to focusing on it. Lunch is the main challenge, I try to get out of the office to clear my head, and when going out to eat it seems there are very few "healthy" options, that can be had quickly. 

So two questions: 

#1 - anyone have some killer dinner ideas that are healthy and could be put into a normal dinner rotation

#2 - what healthy lunches do you eat 'out'


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## salgy

i was asked a similar question on another thread... this was my reply: 

while this isn't really my area of expertise, there are a few tricks i have learned that can cut way down on fat & calories in a recipe...

- chose lean cuts of meat at the store (anything with the word 'loin' in it, regardless of the animal)
- all seafood & poultry is lower in saturated fats than red meats (and, yes, pork is a red meat)
- buy low-fat or non-fat versions of dairy products
- substitute evaporated skim (or fat free) milk for heavy cream in recipes (especially cream of _____ soups)
- broiling, roasting, baking or steaming are the healthiest cooking methods
- substitute 2 egg whites for each whole egg in recipes
- substitute applesauce for oil in baking recipes
- a great substitute for mayonnaise? puree firm tofu in a food processor... use this in place of mayo in dressings & sauces for sandwiches

if you remember the above, it might take some of the "challenge" out of healthy eating...


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## smujd

Lunch is difficult if you don't "brown bag" it. The key is research. You will likely be shocked how caloric many lunch foods are. Sandwiches and salads you thought were low calorie will clock in at 600+ calories (Panera is a huge offender). Subway has many low calorie options--order a 6 inch ham and turkey with cheese and all the veggies and you're looking at ~350 calories. Moving up the quality scale, it's hard to go wrong with grilled chicken and fresh or steamed veggies. With salads, be mindful of the toppings and type and quantity of dressing (you can easily find a salad with as many calories as a hamburger).


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## imabsolutelyunique

I bring lunchbox to my office, and it's full of vegetables. I love lots of vegetables and fruits, and I think that the reason why I don't get fat no matter how hard I overeat, but I'm not sure because I don't get any thinner either no matter how equally hard I tried to control my diet...

So vegetables and fruits.


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## Shaver

To amplify comments previously made by other members:

It is a difficult task to obtain any truly healthy comestibles from a purveyor, be they *ugh* fast food outlets or fancy restaurants. Healthy options, when offered, are merely 'healthy' by comparison to the remaining items available on the menu. 

Eat vegetables and plenty of them. I am given to the toothsome delight of a bleeding steak rather occasionally but a substantial proportion of my diet is fresh vegetables.

Never eat processed food. Not only the transparently unhealthy choice of 'ready meals' but also, for example, breakfast cereals which market themselves as being healthy - but this is a very questionable position indeed. Even pre-prepared salads have lost 90% of their vitality by the time you purchase them.

Home made meals freshly prepared from the basic ingredients is the only guarantee of healthiness.

Think of food perhaps as you would shoes or clothes - most of the product out there is pure garbage that you wouldn't insult your body by wearing. The big difference being that you make your body (more importantly your brain) out of the food which you consume, it's even more important to get it right than it is one's tailoring. 

FWIW I speak as someone who has been closely aligned with some of the most senior dietitians in the UK for nearly a decade.


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## Howard

I try to eat healthy. I used to buy my lunch cause it got quite expensive so now I just make a sandwich buy small bag of chips and an orange/apple juice and there you go.


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## phyrpowr

"Men's Health" magazine always has lots of good stuff for regular guys, i.e., lives that don't allow six hours of working out each day. One of their sections is "Eat This, Not That" which compares fast food meals, prepared and canned stuff for calories, sodium and the like, and I think there's a book of it out.


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## Canadian

With me, before I moved back home (and sleep till 11AM due to my work schedule) I had trouble with breakfast. Often it was half a bottle of energy drink, maybe, or merely a bottle of sparkling water. I found that if I had a tiny snack before work, it would tide me over till 11AM where my friends and I met for lunch in the cafeteria.

Lunch was a no-brainer. The company cafeteria served good food, lots of it and inexpensive. Supper was quite often bacon, a can of pasta or something microwaved. Basically it wasn't super good, but I bought stuff I wanted to eat.

Now, in place of breakfast, I get a Booster Juice (smoothie) and around 3PM go out for a snack. Not as healthy as I'd like, but at least I'm not downing 2 big cans of Monster like I used to, before noon.

Tom


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## JerseyJohn

I'm retired, so I don't have any suggestions about eating out, since I only eat out when I've planned to. But here are my diet rules FWIW: 

Eat a balanced diet - not low carb, low fat, high protein or other fads. 
No sugar, sweets, sweetened drinks, fruit juice, white bread or white rice.
Choose low fat foods, then deliberately add a measured amount of mono- or poly-unsaturated fat back in.
Eat 3 or 4 equal sized meals - e.g., don't skimp on breakfast and load up at dinner.

Here's my typical day:

Breakfast: corn flakes, raisins, walnuts, skim milk (all of the fat comes from the walnuts)
Lunch: veggie burger, 1/4 avocado on a whole grain "sandwich round" (almost all of the fat comes from the avocado)
Snack: pineapple smoothie with skim milk, plus 1/4 cup of pistachios (all of the fat comes from the pistachios)
Dinner: grilled shrimp and polenta (fat from olive oil on the shrimp and 1/2 tbsp. olive oil in the polenta); 2 oz cocktail.

Virtually all of the fat in my diet comes from olive oil, nuts, avocados, seeds and other stuff like peanut butter and high-percentage chocolate. I've dropped from a BMI around 30 to about 22 and my cholesterol has dropped 40 points since I've been eating like this, so I think it's pretty healthy.


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## forni

Health is the result of many things - it is of course nutrition, it is exercise, a balanced lifestyle, no drugs, genetics too. 
Apart from the latter, you can influence everything. Nutrition should be balanced, it is a question of what you eat and how much of it. Generally, you should not deny yourself everything though - if you want to eat an ice cream - go for it. Doing sports also makes you fit and balances out work life. It can also ease your mind. Depending on your job, try to live a rhythm which is as regular as possible.


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## WouldaShoulda

Don't sweat it.

You know what they say about food;

If it doesn't kill you, it only makes you stronger!!


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## barkingloud78

Thank you for all the responses. Many great ideas here. The 'substitute apple sauce for oil' in recipes I've never heard of, I am definitely going to try that. There was also some eye opening info about things I "think" are healthy, like the large glass of cranberry juice I had earlier, which has tons of sugar I'm sure. I am quite active, I'll burn off pounds playing sports a couple days a week, but I'm still concerned about the future, there are people out there who are not overweight and 'look' healthy that are having heart attacks, etc, these days. Food is so mental, just like everything else I guess. It's the late night snack / boredom snack that I think probably is the worst for me, totally unnecessary eating, eating just for the fun of it, and almost always it's chips and dip, or ice cream etc. Thanks for the info and motivation gentleman.


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## Snow Hill Pond

Check out Jamie Oliver's 30 Minute Meal series from Channel 4. While in London flipping through channels, I came across his show and was impressed with his version of stuffed Cypriot Chicken with pan-fried cherry tomatoes and asparagus. 

At home, I used skinless chicken, and thought the meal was very delicious. Although I have no idea of the calories involved, I was impressed with the use of fresh ingredients and the fact that the whole meal can be made in a very short amount of time. 

Also the stuffing recipe is ripe for variation. For example, I added spinach to the recipe and it turned out wonderfully.


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## jazz008

Thanks for the share Snow Hill Pond. In matters of eating healthy, storage ideas play a big part in keeping the food's nutritious content. With regard to this, I always make sure that my fridge is working fine for better storage. A couple of weeks ago I was really excited when I got my brand new fridge. It may have been under bad circumstances, but I was still able to get the fridge. I got a payday loan to help pay for it after my old one broke unexpectedly. I could not afford to pay the repairman that did nothing and buy the brand new fridge, so I had to get quick cash. :icon_smile_big:


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## FJW

All good advice...

I've found that moderation and smaller portions have worked for me.

And since not many of us are lumberjacks anymore there's no reason to eat like one!


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## drlivingston

I ate at Ruth's Chris last night so I am not eligible to offer advice for another 48 hrs.


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## Snow Hill Pond

jazz008 said:


> Thanks for the share Snow Hill Pond. In matters of eating healthy, storage ideas play a big part in keeping the food's nutritious content. With regard to this, I always make sure that my fridge is working fine for better storage. A couple of weeks ago I was really excited when I got my brand new fridge. It may have been under bad circumstances, but I was still able to get the fridge. I got a payday loan to help pay for it after my old one broke unexpectedly. I could not afford to pay the repairman that did nothing and buy the brand new fridge, so I had to get quick cash. :icon_smile_big:


You're welcome and sorry to hear about the fridge.

Did you try the Cypriot Chicken recipe? If you haven't, give it a go when you get a chance. It really is easy and delicious.


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## wrwhiteknight

WouldaShoulda: "You know what they say about food; If it doesn't kill you, it only makes you stronger!!" 

(Pretty sure nobody says this.)

Shaver: "Never eat processed food. Not only the transparently unhealthy choice of 'ready meals' but also, for example, breakfast cereals which market themselves as being healthy - but this is a very questionable position indeed. Even pre-prepared salads have lost 90% of their vitality by the time you purchase them.

Home made meals freshly prepared from the basic ingredients is the only guarantee of healthiness."

(This is the ticket.)

My wife is a Naturopathic Doctor, so eating healthy is simply normal for us. The main thing I find people confused about is around the concept of "dieting". The word dieting simply means something like "as pertaining to your diet", so what people mean by it is often different. 

When I say my diet, I DO mean what I am eating, I DO NOT mean how much. Changing what you eat in order to be healthy is very different from changing what you eat in order to lose weight (though many of the changes can be similar).

As Shaver said, the most important thing to look for is unprocessed foods. It is better to eat no meat than to eat bad meat, and this is coming from a meat lover. 

A good baseline for a healthy diet is to think of what your sophisticated cave man would have had access to, and just stick with that. If you feel inclined, this diet is called the Paleo(lithic) diet. Think lots and lots and lots of leafy greens, good meats, and absolutely nothing processed.

If you are thinking about a major change to your regime, the best way to start is to undertake a detoxification protocol (very painful but beneficial) under the supervision of a licensed practitioner (NOT anything with diuretics and ephedrines etc. or coming out of a box at the drug store), and then to begin your new diet thereafter.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: if you are contemplating changing your diet, only make realistic changes that you honestly believe you will be able to maintain over time. People often try and take on too much at once, so just deal with the fires that are raging out of control and ignore everything else that is just smoking.


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## salgy

Shaver said:


> Never eat processed food. Not only the transparently unhealthy choice of 'ready meals' but also, for example, breakfast cereals which market themselves as being healthy - but this is a very questionable position indeed. Even pre-prepared salads have lost 90% of their vitality by the time you purchase them.





wrwhiteknight said:


> As Shaver said, the most important thing to look for is unprocessed foods. It is better to eat no meat than to eat bad meat, and this is coming from a meat lover.


^ 100% agree... you should always try to purchase your ingredients in as close to their living state as possible... not only have the pre-cut salads lost their nutritional value, as Shaver points out, they are also packed with so many chemical preservatives, they probably do more harm than good...



wrwhiteknight said:


> A good baseline for a healthy diet is to think of what your sophisticated cave man would have had access to, and just stick with that. If you feel inclined, this diet is called the Paleo(lithic) diet. Think lots and lots and lots of leafy greens, good meats, and absolutely nothing processed.


as someone in the food industry, i have to disagree... i have seen most "fad-diets" come & go, and this is the latest craze... imho, that diet is riddled with so many inconsistencies... i think that the "secret" isn't eating like a caveman, it is removing all processed foods, refined sugars and refined oils from your diet... go light on grains & dairy... go heavy on fresh vegetables, fruits and "clean" fish...


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## wrwhiteknight

salgy said:


> as someone in the food industry, i have to disagree... i have seen most "fad-diets" come & go, and this is the latest craze... imho, that diet is riddled with so many inconsistencies... i think that the "secret" isn't eating like a caveman, it is removing all processed foods, refined sugars and refined oils from your diet... go light on grains & dairy... go heavy on fresh vegetables, fruits and "clean" fish...


Actually, I think we agree, and you may have just not read what I said carefully, or I may have stated my point poorly. I did not say that you should _follow_ the paleo diet, I said it is a good _baseline_. I eat pasta, I eat bread, I eat things that come from cans etc. etc. etc., none of this is paleo. However, I build my fairly healthy versions of these non-paleo items on top of a paleo-ish platform


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## salgy

we do agree... i just read the "...and just stick to that" part & jumped to the conclusion that you were advocating the paleo diet... my apologies...


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## wrwhiteknight

No apologies necessary! And, I think that for some people, paleo could work, but my main point was my final one, and I re-read my post and I did not make the paleo point very clearly - your reading of it is entirely understandable -


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## salgy

wrwhiteknight said:


> I think that for some people, paleo could work


_
could_ the paleo diet work, sure, but the dieter needs to really educate themselves on the nutrients/vitamins/minerals/benefits they would not be missing out on by cutting legumes, grains & dairy out of their diets... and be really careful with the choices they make with the suggestion that 38-40% of your intake be protein...

imho, every couple of years these diets get trotted out claiming carbs are the devil & this is just the latest incarnation of the stilman/scarsdale/atkins/zone diets... cutting carbs out has short-term benefits, but after a year or so, you are no better off than you were before you started... there have been very few success stories regarding lo-carb or no-carb dieting...


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## drlivingston

Is it feasible that the fat from the cooking of a beast in prehistoric times could have been collected? And this collected fat heated. Then, say, a piece of poultry "fell" into the heated fat, thereby creating fried poultry. If this is allowed, then I will be a big fan of this "diet."


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## wrwhiteknight

Carbs aren't the devil - highly processed carbs aren't very good for you though. Oranges, Kale, Lettuce, Apples, all of these are carbs - these are clearly quite good for you most of the time.

DrLivingston - yes, I'm pretty sure that your fried chicken is caveman friendly.


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## salgy

drlivingston said:


> Is it feasible that the fat from the cooking of a beast in prehistoric times could have been collected? And this collected fat heated. Then, say, a piece of poultry "fell" into the heated fat, thereby creating fried poultry. If this is allowed, then I will be a big fan of this "diet."





wrwhiteknight said:


> yes, I'm pretty sure that your fried chicken is caveman friendly.


nope... flour & typically buttermilk

drlivingston, sounds like you need the paula dean diet... if you can fry it, you can eat it :biggrin2:


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## Langham

Eat less meat. In fact try to eat about 10% less of everything than you really want to.


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## joyfulbunny

instead of pork, you can substitute it with tofu. and i prefer fish than pork.


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## blue suede shoes

Langham said:


> Eat less meat. In fact try to eat about 10% less of everything than you really want to.


As I have heard from several Chinese, "eat until you are 80% full".


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## coynedj

There has been some great advice here on what to eat - I am eating vegetables much more these days (not quite vegetarian, but closing in on it). It has been a wonderful switch.

But one thing that hasn't received much attention is what you should drink. Soda (or pop, depending on where you're from) should be completely avoided. The same goes for the heavily sweetened teas. I personally am an evangelist for avoiding coffee, but I have made few converts. The best drink is, in almost all situations, water. Other than wine or occasionally beer with dinner, water is the only thing I drink.


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## Howard

Our family is trying to cut down on all the bad stuff that we used to eat and once in a while I might eat a fruit like blueberries, grapes or an apple. But the problem is My father is obese and when we go shopping together, he always loves his donuts, chips and ice cream.


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## Kermit

If you want to eat healthy and safe, I would recommend buying frozen goods: frozen berries and meat. Especially meat and especially if you are not going to cook it right away. Store brands usually don’t have much harmful additives, many avoid them, sometimes store brands are better and healthier than expensive stuff. Recently I tried to cook with garbanzo (you can use these recipes ), and this is the sort of food that has a great health value, you may want to try it.


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## Langham

Howard said:


> Our family is trying to cut down on all the bad stuff that we used to eat and once in a while I might eat a fruit like blueberries, grapes or an apple. But the problem is My father is obese and when we go shopping together, he always loves his donuts, chips and ice cream.


If your father is obese and he's eating that sort of food, Howard, he could be heading for a stroke or a cardiac arrest. For his own wellbeing, try to help him eat more healthy food - more fruit and vegetables, less fats and sugary stuff. In fact be very strict with him. My own father had a fondness for sweet things and ended up having a stroke - it's not a good way to go.


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## Howard

Langham said:


> If your father is obese and he's eating that sort of food, Howard, he could be heading for a stroke or a cardiac arrest. For his own wellbeing, try to help him eat more healthy food - more fruit and vegetables, less fats and sugary stuff. In fact be very strict with him. My own father had a fondness for sweet things and ended up having a stroke - it's not a good way to go.


Langham, he has no willpower, that's the thing. It's the willpower.


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## Langham

Howard said:


> Langham, he has no willpower, that's the thing. It's the willpower.


In that case perhaps you will have to be forceful with him, for his own good. It's not easy when people have no willpower. However, the alternative might be that his health suffers, or worse. Tell him the ice cream is made from rendered cows' hooves, that sometimes puts people off it, or just try to find healthier alternatives for him to eat - dried fruit perhaps. Get him to visit his physician so he can be tested for diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, body mass index and heart function - these can be the early warning signs of serious health problems.


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## Howard

Langham said:


> In that case perhaps you will have to be forceful with him, for his own good. It's not easy when people have no willpower. However, the alternative might be that his health suffers, or worse. Tell him the ice cream is made from rendered cows' hooves, that sometimes puts people off it, or just try to find healthier alternatives for him to eat - dried fruit perhaps. Get him to visit his physician so he can be tested for diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, body mass index and heart function - these can be the early warning signs of serious health problems.


I don't really want to say anything, I'm staying out of it.

I mean, we are trying to eat more fruits and vegetables, we need some sweets in between.


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