I need to eat healthier...

Mrs.Purdue

I seriously need to get this fatass in (better) shape.  All I eat is crap and that needs to change ASAP.  I'm going to get back on the C25K bandwagon, but I know I won't really see any results if I don't stop eating Totinos pizzas and tortilla chips (and Capn Crunch). 

I'm going to the grocery store tonight.  Anyone want to give me their *healthier* grocery list?  Kind of like 'eat this, not that'?  I need buy some veggies, but I'm not really sure what fresh veggies to buy (I always just buy frozen - is that bad??).  I don't really need to swing to the other end of the spectrum and buy only clean & organic foods, I just need to stop being such a giant cow that eats like a college kid.  

Mrs.Froggianna

Here's what's on my list these days:

Hummus with Kashi pita chips or raw zucchini (if it looks good.  It's not really in season)
Honeycrisp apples--in season and almost as good as candy
2% fage yogurt w/the fruit "sauce" + Bare Naked granola + strawberries
Natural Peanutbutter on whole wheat (because this baby and I need the protein )
Central Market Organic Raisin Bran--the raisins aren't covered in sugar like all the others.  You can usually get it at HEB
Oatmeal with raisins, cinnamon and a small bit of brown sugar.  Sometimes I use the regular oats and sometimes I use steel cut.  Depends on how much cooking time I have.
Laughing Cow soft cheese wedges with reduced fat triscuits

Our lunches and dinners come from light recipes I've accumulated over the years.  Some are Weight Watchers, some are Cooking Light and some are just ones I've managed to come up with on my own.  Myrecipes.com has pretty much all of Cooking Light's recipes posted (for free) and a great search engine that lets you be super specific about what you're looking for.  Just be sure to search by publication because they also list other magazine's recipes, like Southern Living, that aren't light at all.

And frozen veggies can actually be better than fresh.  They're usually picked at the peak of ripeness when they're the most nutrient-dense and flash frozen.  They retain a lot more of their nutrients than fresh veggies that can linger on a truck/store shelf for days.

thethomps

Frozen veggies are great for you, as long as they are just the veggies with no sauce added.  I am sure you have heard this, but stay along the perimeter of the store, as that is where the healthiest food is.  I buy lots of boneless, skinless chicken breasts to have on hand for dinner.  You can buy frozen stir fry veggies, cut chicken into cubes, saute the chicken in some olive oil (remove from pan), saute the (defrosted) veggies in some olive oil, throw the chicken back in, add a little teriyaki sauce and, voila!, stir fry.  I just get the Uncle Ben's boil in a bag rice to eat with it.  Manwich is actually not bad for you if you get sirloin (I use Laura's 94% lean) and whole wheat buns.  You can add a baked potato or baked sweet potato with some salt and pepper and a tiny bit of butter as a side.  There are lots of leaner cuts of meat (pork loin chops, beef rump roast) that are tasty without a lot of fat.  Also, buy bagged salad.  For us, if I have to wash the lettuce we never end up eating it, but I have no excuse for not opening the bag.

For snacks, Kashi makes some yummy cherry & dark chocolate granola bars.  There is some good trail mix out there, too, but you have to watch your portions.  Cheese and crackers is a good snack as well. 

For breakfast, V and I usually eat a scrambled egg and some cinnamon toast.  Oatmeal is also good and they have low-sugar or sugar-free packets that you can heat in the microwave if you're pressed for time. 

Also, there is low-sodium lunchmeat that's now out so you are not on sodium overload from eating it.  Arnold's sandwich thins are good bread that are thinner (obvi), so less calories.

I am always happy to pass along easy recipes.  Tonight we're having pork loin chops with apples in the slow cooker with acorn squash as the side.  There's golden mushroom soup in the pork recipe, so it's not low-sodium, but it's fairly healthy!

libbyann

My healthier grocery list has next to nothing processed on it...very clean and I'm probably on that "other end of the spectrum" that you talk about, but I can't ride the middle line. I'm either all or I'm nothing, so I choose to go all. I eat 6 meals a day with a protein and a veggie at each meal. I add a healthy fat and fruit to 3 of those meals and I get a starchy carb for the meal immediately following my workout...this week it's french toast made with sprouted grain bread, egg whites, cinnamon, and almond milk...SO delicious!

My DH just decided he wanted to eat this way as well, so our grocery list has been streamlined, which helps a ton. If you're not wanting to go all the way this way, I'd suggest staying away from refined/white grains, anything with sugar (or any form of sugar) in the first 5 ingredients, high fructose corn syrup, and any hydrogenated oils...a lot of the time, this is going to mean you have to go the organic route to get things like cereal.

Anyway, this is my weekly list. I add things as needed and will buy things like Annie's crackers and macaroni & cheese for Will, if we're out.

chicken
ground turkey
ground beef
shrimp
organic beef hot dogs
zucchini
mushrooms
yellow squash
broccoli
cauliflower
avocados
apples
bananas
grapes
strawberries
grapefruit
pears
almond butter (organic, no sugar)
Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain bread
steel cut oats
brown rice
milk
eggs
plain greek yogurt (0% fat)

Mrs.Purdue

fantastic ideas, ladies!  keep 'em coming! 

I love that they're not all *diet* options either.  I just need to eat more balanced (at least to start with) so that I'm getting some actual nutrients.  I don't care if I still put butter and sour cream on my potato, you know?  Just eating the potato would be a step up at this point! 

 

OrangeFelt

Ditto what everyone else said!  Shop the perimeter, avoid anything that is "packaged" - like the frozen pizzas or rolls, or anything with sauce in it. Save those for a special treat to yourself.

We tend to just get a bunch of chicken, cook it in large batches and eat it for a few days. Having a healthier food on hand has been the biggest help in making food routine changes. It really is a lot about routine, and changing how accessible the "bad" foods are.

And, I highly, highly, recommend you sign up for My Fitness Pal.. not to hit goals, but just to see how many calories you accumulate.  Its actually kind of shocking how fast the calories add up!

mrssnflwr

I second the meal planning thing. I sat down and made a whole notebook with healthy recipes, my grocery list, etc. I just take it out on Sunday evening and plan out the week. I also made a list of options for breakfast and lunch. My problem is that since I'm home with the kids all day, I'll grab fast food while we're out and about. If I have my meal plan for the week, I feel guilty doing that!

luluAXA

Cooking really helps me stay on track no matter what I cook.  So try to cook at least a few days a week.  For me that's more than enough (with just me and the baby since DH travels) and pack your lunch.  I'm a three meal girl so I don't skip breakfast either.  Pick a few of your favorite meals and go shopping for the ingredients.  Good luck

heybabe

OrangeFelt:

We tend to just get a bunch of chicken, cook it in large batches and eat it for a few days. Having a healthier food on hand has been the biggest help in making food routine changes. It really is a lot about routine, and changing how accessible the "bad" foods are.

And, I highly, highly, recommend you sign up for My Fitness Pal.. not to hit goals, but just to see how many calories you accumulate.  Its actually kind of shocking how fast the calories add up!

Ditto to both of these! Having healthy food readily accessible is key for me. I make big batches of whatever healthy thing I'm making and eat it for several days (or freeze in individual portions). And even though I might buy the gallon drum of x at Costco, I find if I portion out the "correct" serving size into reuseable containers, I don't mindlessly eat 3 servings of x.  

Ruby44

Gardenburger brand veggie burgers - portabella and original
whole wheat or low carb tortillas
hummus
cottage cheese (add pineapple or blueberries)
bananas, oranges, apples, grapes, baby carrots
post raisin bran (high fructose corn syrup free)
amy's frozen meals
whole wheat spaghetti
pita pizzas (put pizza sauce on top of flat pita bread, add cheese and veggies & bake for 10-12 minutes)
scrambled eggs
cream of wheat (instant)
crock pot chicken tacos
frozen veggies (the kind you just steam in the bag)
edamame
trail mix
dried pineapple

Leigha12

OrangeFelt:

We tend to just get a bunch of chicken, cook it in large batches and eat it for a few days. Having a healthier food on hand has been the biggest help in making food routine changes. It really is a lot about routine, and changing how accessible the "bad" foods are.

How do you cook the chicken in large batches? Bake it? T

thethomps

BTW, in WW, unsweetened applesauce is zero points...so 1/2 cup can count as a serving of fruit.    Also, I buy unsweetened frozen fruit to make smoothies - throw some frozen berries and peaches in the blender and add a cup of oj, blend away!