Ideas for healthier eats

[figner]

Along the lines of the whole wheat pasta thread - got any tips to share?

I like yogurt with different kinds of fruit mixed in, so I used to buy the single serving sizes from the grocery. Took me awhile, but recently I realized it's both healthier and cheaper to buy a big tub of plain yogurt and mix in frozen fruit. Less sugar and additives, and I get to pick exactly the kinds of fruit and yogurt I like. For work lunches, I mix it in a small tupperware in the morning and the fruit is thawed by lunchtime.

 

[brookiel]

Yoghurt is great, just make sure it's natural.

I generally go for foods with no colours, flavours or preservatives, and everything is wholemeal or wholewheat!

Also low carb is still the fad https://paydotcom.com/r/202/freviews/1517384/

 

[Fireup2020]

Craked wheat (bulgur) or wild rice are much better than any other rice (unless sushi!)

Cook multiple meals at one time, pack in lunch containers, toss in freezer, grab-n-go out the door I put a chicken thigh on a bed of wheat and sprinkle some veggies on top, freeze and voila - yummy lunch!

Do you have La Yogurt (plain) where you live? No extra stuff (gelatin, etc) added like the regular groc. store stuff. Mmmm!

 

[Sarah in SC]

I just read the Omnivore's Dilemma from the Library, and boy, it has certainly changed the way I think about food! I am going to be purchasing some local grass-fed (pastured) pork, chicken and beef this month after learning more than I probably wanted to know about the food supply!

I hope to focus on eating more locally produced (not necessarily organic) vegetables and fruits as well. I was surprised to learn of the impact of corn on nearly everything we in America eat.

But I figure, since we only eat about 1200-1500 calories a day--why shouldn't I try to put the best stuff in there possible, healthwise?

I like barley and Quinoa for whole grains--very tasty alternatives to rice!
I need to do that with the yogurt instead of buying the vanilla flavored--just add vanilla to the plain stuff (I already add fresh fruit).
Sarah

 

[Khan]

I like the Dannon plain whole-milk yogurt.

In the summer I make a lot of salads.

I roast or broil a hunk of protein (bird mammal fish) or use canned;

Eat some while hot.

After cooling the rest, chop it up into small pieces (inch to half inch) and put a serving size in a lidded container with large amounts of chopped raw vegetables and baby greens.

I also like small amounts of olives or chopped pickle.

Will also throw in small amounts of crumbly/shredded cheese, chopped cooked potato, pasta or rice.

Add some vinegar oil herbs spices (I raise my own herbs); put on lid and shake.

A squirt of mustard is nice with beef.

Put into fridge.

Eat at meal time.

It's always different (right now the garden is producing many peppers).

I've been experimenting with different oils and vinegars.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

my idea of healthier eats is to try to eat only what my body neither immediately rejects nor produces long term ill-effects. so, for instance, i avoid foods that give me heart burn or clog my arteries, even if they taste good and even if there is a pill to alleviate, or more likely, simply disguise symptoms. i also figure that foods with ingredients difficult to pronounce are also foods difficult to process so i try to avoid them too.

 

[figner]

As far as yogurts go, I like Trader Joes brand, the kind made from cows without rBST (well, it doesn't actually consist of cows, but I dunno how else to say it...). Greek yogurt too. And yup, whole grains, few additives are things I look for on ingredient labels. I think my habits are mostly healthy except for fairly frequent splurges on chocolate and ice cream, *sigh*. At least it's high quality chocolate.

 

[bright eyed]

i've started to integrate the quinoa - i mix it with rice

for the kids we do whole milk, organic yogurt - plain, add frozen organic fruit, honey, spinach or kale and blend! best smoothies ever and lower sugar than store bought fruit yogurt.

regular, favorite healthy meal is grilled wild salmon, rice/quinoa and broccolini (longer variety, avail at tj's)...sauteed w/ olive oil and garlic kids like it too!

steel cut oatmeal w/ milk, honey and flax seed oil...add an egg for the kiddo's and it's like souffle

this is all to balance the pizza and other quick foods we eat the rest of the week!

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Brown Cow whole milk yogurt. Often found in the refrigerated section of the "health food" aisle in supermarkets.

Always wins the taste tests. Gabe devours a whole container over 4-5 days.

I think theres some healthy recipes in the ER Forum Cookbook...?

 

[Khan]

Brown Cow whole milk yogurt.

Brown Cow is good, but I'm used to the Dannon taste/texture. (I use it as a dip for fresh fruit).

 

[Celany]

smoothies. I do smoothies a lot, sometimes I do them for dinner with only a light salad, & small piece of meat. they can be really filling, and very healthful.

I use rice milk in my smoothies, fresh or frozen berries & fruits, nuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, raw honey, & maca. anyone that wants to simply that can just do the 1st 3 ingredients, thought I strongly recommend adding the flax seeds for added health benefits. helpful tip: buy a little coffee bean grinder to grind up nuts (I use almonds the most) & flax seeds. it makes for a smoother smootie.

not to knock the yogurt-lovers, but any ladies out there that have some 'personal female issues' on a regular basis (if you have them, you probably know what I mean), daily yogurt consumption can cause that. I used to eat yogurt every day, but when I stopped a number of health problems cleared up. oh, yogurt & all other dairy, would be a more exact way of putting it. I still use dairy, but as sparingly as possible. I've noticed a huge difference.

 

[bright eyed]

the "green" smoothies have helped ensure fresh greens get in the little kids diet eaily...you can't taste it at all...we use spinach and kale mostly but have heard of people using romaine etc...i used leftover spring greens too and had no taste.

i've seen suggestion for 40/60 percentage mix - 40 being the greens...but you can tilt the percentage as you get used to it.

blueberries help cover the taste and color well - in case the kiddos are scared of greenish juice.

i also just got the bamix hand blender which is worlds better than the cheapy one i had before (and died as a consequence of daily use)...it even crushes ice! woo hoo...and can use in the pot for soups etc...

 

[unclemick]

Crap - bad to the bone New Orleans diet or Kansas City BBQ - whole wheat bread/water for a few few days until the guilt wears off and then more of what I like.

The weird healthy stuff gives me the runs!

heh heh heh - probably die young!

 

[Fireup2020]

not to knock the yogurt-lovers, but any ladies out there that have some 'personal female issues' on a regular basis (if you have them, you probably know what I mean), daily yogurt consumption can cause that. I used to eat yogurt every day, but when I stopped a number of health problems cleared up. oh, yogurt & all other dairy, would be a more exact way of putting it. I still use dairy, but as sparingly as possible. I've noticed a huge difference.

Hmmmm....I have read and been advised that yogurt consumption is GOOD for preventing the "issues" you mentioned in addition to digestive issues. I guess it depends on the person's chemistry. All is well here

 

[windsurf]

Check out arthurdevany.com. Go the the categories listing on the right and click on "meals."
Best common sense advice: shop mostly on the perimeter of the supermarket b/c that's where the whole foods are found. Fruits, vegetables, meat and dairy. All of the processed crap is in the middle.

 

[Eyerishgold]

Try mixing salsa and tuna in a bowl and spooning it onto a piece of toasted whole wheat bread.

IT'S DELICIOUS!

 

[Dawg52]

Try mixing salsa and tuna in a bowl and spooning it onto a piece of toasted whole wheat bread.

IT'S DELICIOUS!

Hmmmmm.......I'm gonna assume you are female and pregnant.

I'm gonna give myself a big pat on the back. Just back from the store on a health kick run. Bought bananas, apples, grapes and all natural Dannon yogurt. Oh yes, fat free milk. Did all that before I saw this thread.

For lunch today I had grilled chicken, green beans and mac & cheese. Tonight, a smoothie like drink using slim fast powder mix, milk, banana, and several cubes of ice mixed in the old blender. Tomorrow, not so good as I will tailgating at a football game. Plenty of fried chicken, hamburgers and all the sides washed down with a cold one. Oh well, can't be good all the time.

 

[TromboneAl]

This yogurt recipe from The Tightwad Gazette has worked first time, every time for me. Nice firm yogurt. For starter, just use any yogurt that says "Live active cultures." Freeze some of the yogurt you make in ice cube trays to use for starter in the future.

Start where it says "The FZ Preferred Method."

By recording the heat up and cool down time, you don't need to sit there and watch the temperature.

 

[Martha]

Looks like someone forgot to defrost first.

Al, this was close to the way we made yogurt when growing up. However, we did not add powdered milk. The powdered milk probably just gives a thicker yogurt. I was told the only reason to heat the milk to below boiling was to kill bacteria--I am not sure that is relevant anymore and it seems like you would be fine just starting with warm milk.

We kept a yogurt culture going for years.

 

[twaddle]

I was told the only reason to heat the milk to below boiling was to kill bacteria

I thought the only healthful thing about yogurt was the bacteria. I'd be interested in hearing why people think the various foods they mention are good for you. There seems to be such a tenuous connection between health and diet, at least in terms of hard science.

 

[Martha]

I thought the only healthful thing about yogurt was the bacteria. I'd be interested in hearing why people think the various foods they mention are good for you. There seems to be such a tenuous connection between health and diet, at least in terms of hard science.

The idea is to kill the current bacteria in the milk and add your own "cultured" bacteria when it cools down.

 

[twaddle]

The idea is to kill the current bacteria in the milk and add your own "cultured" bacteria when it cools down.

Ah, the ol' out with the bad and in with the good. Makes sense!

 

[gettingthere]

Is there any way to make Greek style yogurt at home? I tried some greek yogurt (store-bought) for the first time recently, and I could not believe yogurt could taste so good - much thicker & creamier, as well as milder than the ususal dannon/columbo/yoplait variety. It was, however rather expensive. Almost three times the price of the usual brands.

 

[bright eyed]

I saw "crazy sexy cancer" last nite on TLC and the woman in the movie went through all kinds of "natural", alternative and healthy food diets...

first was macrobiotics, then some avocado, raw foods thing...most of them were sans dairy or meat.

It was interesting to see the one she finally landed on gave her blood a "clean" look under the microscope...whereas others produced other "things" in her blood that showed up...one guy explained it as "acid" something or other - he was the one focused on PH as the root to all things...

wonder what my blood looks like under the scope?! probably a party going on in there...

Whether it was all her efforts or not to find healthier/cleaner diets - she was able to stall her stage for cancer (and 24 tumors) from growing over a period of several years...

 

[Ibid]

Is there any way to make Greek style yogurt at home? I tried some greek yogurt (store-bought) for the first time recently, and I could not believe yogurt could taste so good - much thicker & creamier, as well as milder than the ususal dannon/columbo/yoplait variety. It was, however rather expensive. Almost three times the price of the usual brands.

Take regular plain yogurt and dump it in one of those gold coffee filters or a sieve lined with a paper coffee filter. Set over a bowl so that it doesn't touch the bottom, cover with plastic wrap or a plate and refrigerate 4-6 hours/overnight or up to 24 hours. The longer it drains, the thicker the end product. What you end up with is yogurt "cheese" aka greek yogurt. The water liquid in the bottom of the bowl is whey.

Been years since I worked out the cost but the whey is anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 the volume of the yogurt, depending on how long it's strained. A fair amount of salt drains out with the whey and my lactose intolerant SIL can tolerate the drained yogurt much better than regular yogurt.

Works best if used with yogurt with the shortest ingredient list. Added thickeners like starches and gums hold the whey in. Those will drain but it takes longer. My sister uses flavored yogurts but I prefer the plain.

Really nice mixed with chopped fresh herbs and garlic spread over toasted bagels.