Eating/Cooking Healthier

brip87 · Dec 15, 2008

I am also trying to lose weight, i've put on 50 lbs in the last year since i got out of the military because of the lifestyle change. I've been really watching what i eat, and trying to exercise more even though i have knee problems.

It really helps when I eat a couple veggies or fruits before a meal, since it makes you less prone to stuff yourself. I have a problem with not stopping when i start eating, so when i eat out, i try to eat really slow and ask the waiter to put the meal in a box about halfway through even if i'm still hungry.

This is definetly a time to experiment with your cooking too, when you have time. There is a couple websites that could help you with dinner ideas, www.epicurious.com and www.allrecipes.com Me and my husband have found some really good recipes on there that are pretty healthy.

Congratulations on the start to get healthier and i hope it works out with the police academy for your hubby!

christieb01 · Dec 15, 2008

I am also going to try to eat healthy after the start of the new year (I know I should start now but anyways...). It's tough for us because I am still in school, we have a picky 6 year old and my husband does not cook. I would love any ideas for meals that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes but are also healthy. (I've never found Rachel Ray's meals to be that healthy even though she says they are). Any ideas?

Diary/Dairy, RN · Dec 15, 2008

One gentleman on here said that he made oatmeal for the week and kept it in the fridge to reheat during the week. I have been doing this for the weeks that I work and it seems like it really does keep me from getting hungry, and it is fast and convenient.

love2barn · Dec 15, 2008

Eating healthy is a lot of work in the beginning. You need to plan and organize. Usually on Sunday, I plan out what we will have each night. Be prepared to stop at the store a few times a week to pick up fresh fruits and veggies. I bought a food saver to freeze individual meals. For instance, Ill make a huge pot of spaghetti and freeze it for a few meals. When I get home, I just unthaw and make pasta (organic, whole wheat). When I am out, I pack healthy snacks and lunches. Once you are in a routine it is pretty easy. Getting to the store several times a week can be a hassle, but I will not eat processed foods and dine out very often. Its a discipline just like exercising.

BethT · Dec 15, 2008

One of my biggest problems is when I try to look for healthy recipes, they all seem to be some off the wall, stuff I've never heard of, five star fancy meals. My husband and I are from the deep south, we grew up on soul food so it is really hard to go to the other side so to speak...lol (I didn't mean that offensive if anyone took it that way) I just need some down to earth meal ideas. My husband is a very picky meat and potato eater, and when I say meat, I mean BEEF! :bugeyes:

SeychelleRN · Dec 15, 2008

If you like soul food, I would suggest cooking in the slow cooker instead of frying.

For example, blanch one whole package lima beans and put that in the bottom of the crock pot with the 2-3 cups water that was used to do the blanching. Season 2 packages of oxtails how you like it and add on top of the lima beans. Cut 1-2 small onions and put as the last layer on top. Cover the crock pot and cook on low setting 8-10 hrs. Prior to serving scale off the fat. This is not the healthiest choice for meat, but the way it is cook is less fattening. Boil some rice or yams for a side. This will feed you and hubby for a week.*wine

Another favorite meal that you cook once and last for a week is the pot roast. I prefer it in the slow cooker, but here is a recipe that makes it in the oven: Pot Roast With Fall Vegetables

locolorenzo22, BSN, RN · Dec 15, 2008

I'm a fan of chicken on a salad, pasta with cheese or sauce, pizza(homemade), slow cooker roast with lots of veggies(use top round, less fat), also sirloin for hamburger(less fat), good stuff...just plan it out...

kafene · Dec 15, 2008

Good luck to the both of you! Smaller meals and exercise will be the order of the day. You'd think after going on so many diets, we'd all be experts by now.

Regarding the smaller meals, the hardest thing is to pre-plan all your meals. If you don't, you'll likely end up eating out more often than not (although you guys seem pretty motivated right now).

How about getting 5 small bowls and filling them with food? Than, you can take one out and eat it every 3 hours to fill the day? (that'll be the 15 hours you'll be up). Another idea I thought about in trying to control the food portions was to have a small bowl, and at each meal, you can eat whatever healthy you can fit into it.

RNperdiem, RN · Dec 15, 2008

Learn how to cook.

Once you both really learn how to cook, you can rid yourself of the majority of prepared foods.

What works for my family is to write out a the menu for the week on a dry erase board in the kitchen. The menu is balanced for variety and preferences and budget. Having a menu means that you buy everything you need that week at the grocery store. We plan for leftovers to save on cooking during the week.

To save money, we rarely buy food for lunch. Our freezer is stocked with homemade soups in individual containers and we make sandwiches.