2008: The Year Of Healthy Eating
[ 8 January 2008 ]
One of my goals for this year is to take control of my eating. Here is a little background:
When it comes to the kitchen, I have never done anything more complicated than heating up soup in a pot — have never learned to cook nor been particularly interested.
I loathe breakfast foods (cereal is awful, toast doesn’t fill me up, eggs make me feel queasy), so I usually end up going out to buy lunch, instead (at about 1pm, by which time I am grumpy & starving).
We eat out about 6 nights out of 7.
Most of that “eating out” involves Japanese (not too bad), pizza (terrible), Chinese (greasy & full of sugar), Thai (not so bad).
I recently read How To Eat Like A Hot Chick — while I was getting my hair done, actually — & it was a real eye-opener. The book isn’t perfect, by any stretch of the imagination, & there is some stuff in it that is weird & obnoxious (like using the term “Mary-Kate” to mean “messed up about food” — which is totally not cool). But aside from the bits where they are bashing other people, when they’re talking about what they know — like food — the book is very interesting & quite informative. Jodi & Cerina, the authors, have quite a cool view of nutrition.
They don’t believe in being obsessive over food. They advocate balance. They say it’s okay to eat a chocolate-chip muffin for breakfast, just balance it out with a big bag of spinach for dinner. (Spinach is their miracle food.) They’re not insane about eating x amount of meals a day, or sticking to a certain number of calories. They think it’s okay to snack, & have pages of advice on healthy snacking choices. There are some good dinner recipes, too, as well as a guide to healthy bar-hopping (if there is such a thing).
Reading the book really woke me up to the fact that I’m not eating properly. I’m not going to get all crazy & guilt-trip myself or talk about how much chocolate I eat, because that’s counter-productive. All I know is that I’m trying to make some improvements.
My aims are to…
Eat breakfast every morning (& find something I actually like, that doesn’t take a lot of time).
Make myself a healthy, tasty lunch — like a huge sandwich or salad.
Start cooking dinner.
Continue drinking lots of water.
Make meal plans so that I don’t leave it to the last minute & eat rubbish because I’m too tired to do anything.
Eat more fruit. I am really not into fruit so this is probably the most difficult part.
Reduce my dairy & meat intake. (My body works better without it.)
My boyfriend read Do You! the other day & realised that if he truly respected life, he would have to stop eating meat. So he has. Of course, this means that if I’m going to cook for both of us, which makes sense, I’m going to have to make vegetarian meals. To say that our eating is in a state of flux at the moment would be a major understatement!
I think that in the long-run, we’re both gearing towards a vegan diet, though neither of us are interested in eating that way at the cost of living an enjoyable life. We still want to be able to go out to great restaurants & eat on the run. When I was vegan a couple of years ago, it limited my life, & I hate being that person who asks a million questions about what I’m being served. The aim is to eat well, but not to let those conditions swamp our lives. Everything in moderation. We’ll see how we go.
On Saturday I went to Borders & bought Cook With Jamie by Jamie Oliver as well as The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater. Nigel’s book is awesome — it is what the title says, a year’s worth of meals, as well as what the weather was like, what was happening in his garden, & what he was in the mood to eat. I love Nigel Slater, he is fantastically entertaining. I have been going through both books with little Post-Its, marking off recipes I want to try. I also have some vegan cookbooks, which I haven’t looked at in years, so I’m going to check those out too.
If there’s sufficient interest, I’d be happy to keep you all updated on what I’m eating & if I’ve come across a good recipe. But really, I’d like to know about your positive eating habits. Let’s not get into that “I ate so much, I’m such a heifer!” thing — tell me what you do, nutritionally, that makes you feel good.
What do you have for breakfast? Do you cook yourself a great meal every night? What do you do to minimise your grocery expenditure? Do you take vitamins, drink a lot of juice, only eat organic? What is your favourite lunch-time meal, & how do you treat yourself?
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala
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the best thing to have for brekkie is a tall glass of fresh fruit juice. get a juicer! seriously!
an apple, two carrots, a celery stick, and a drop of honey make the most refreshing drink ever! plus it keeps you alive and fresh till lunch.
...
though do try and eat some good ol’ complex carbs as well =) Like a banana!
Just the SMELL of a banana makes me gag. I hate them! D: The juicer thing is an interesting idea though.
i’m vegan so i generally eat pretty healthy foods and i cook & bake an awful lot because it’s cheaper and healthier than buying processed ‘health foods’!
for breakfast i think the nicest thing is a big bowl of oatmeal with some peanut butter or some dried fruit & nuts. smoothies are also great for a healthy top-up :)
I eat to enjoy the taste and stay alive, basically. I want to eat healthier, and I try to eat healthy when I have the option, but most of the time I don’t. I really would like to know how it feels when your body’s working the way it should. :)
My food choices are all okay, but probably the only things I do right are drinking juice intead of soda and eating a whole bunch of fruits. I can’t believe you’re not that into them, Gala! You should just go to the supermarket one day and try one of everything that’s ripe, hehe.
Oh, and about breakfast – I don’t mind breakfat foods, but I’m a big advocate of not eating them. I don’t see why you can’t just have a lunch meal for breakfast or something.
Oh, and by the way, have you subscribed to any food blogs?
Valerie — Yeah, sometimes I’ll just have a sandwich for breakfast, but if I’m missing an ingredient it throws the whole thing off. It needs to be easy & dependable, which is why a box of cereal is so easy. But also so gross. Haha. Oh, & not really. A lot of them seem to have really high post counts (which is frustrating & I don’t have time to read all that stuff) or too advanced, I am an amateur!
Porridge is my miracle breakfast food! Oats are ridiculously good for you, and it keeps me full until lunch time, too (no mean feat, believe me). I’d love to be able to afford to eat all-organic, but for the time being I make do with going organic on products where it makes the most difference – organic milk, for example , is apparently significantly higher in omega 3 and other goodies than non-organic milk. As for vitamin supplements, I’m not really an advocate in most cases – if you’re eating well they shouldn’t be necessary, and it’s a bit too easy to start treating them as a substitute for a balanced diet.
Good luck with the new approach to eating! My aim’s in the opposite direction though – much as I love cooking, if I had the resources to eat out 6 nights a week I’d be nowhere to be seen in the kitchen…
I love huge salads for at least one meal a day. I too have a love/hate relationship with breakfast, so usually I try and just eat fruit or oatmeal. Boring, but it gets the job done.
I just believe, generally, that lots of water and raw foods are the way to go. But that’s not to underestimate the power of big bowl of ice cream every once and while. :)
Oh honey! I’m so proud of you! It took me yeeears to get to where I am, kitchen-goddess-wise, and let me tell ya, there’s a long way to go yet.
Here’s what I hope is a short version:
Breakfast: Vogel toast, all the way. Yum! Usually with Marmite, but tomato, avocado, or both at once are also tempting. Also untoasted muesli with homemade Greek yoghurt (using Easiyo or Yog-it powder)
Lunch: Generally a sandwich or else some pasta with goodies, or crockpot-made soup in winter. I love sardines on toast, or some kind of tuna/cheese/salad extravaganza – remember, a sandwich is always all about the dressing! Hummus, mayo, whatever – it’s crucial. If I feel fancy I might make myself some scrambled eggs (I make the best scrambled eggs in town), and I’ll chuck in anything that isn’t tied down – cheese, herbs, tomato, salami etc etc.
Dinner: My tried-and-trues are roast chicken, leftover chicken in a burrito (homemade flour tortillas), pizza on homemade bases courtesy of my breadmaker, slow-baked meatballs, and sausages with mashed potato. All these things are delicious but not very adventurous, ie child-friendly!
Sorry, I am so not even a vegetarian a little bit, and I do have that NZ-nurtured dairy habit as well!
I like to have a weekly plan on my fridge so I don’t have to make decisions of an evening. If you are cooking dinner, you have to cook dinner. Make a vow not to get takeaways. Get you head in the right space. Commit. Allow yourself a good couple of hours to get it all done, especially if you are a novice, There is a quantum leap involved when cooking something new for the first time. It’s important to follow it up and make it again, to gain confidence and tweak it to your liking.
Read recipe books. You don’t necessarily have to make anything out of them, but read and learn about cooking theory. Once you start to learn how cooking and food work, you become empowered to do your own thing and move away from recipe-dependence.
Go you! :-D
Great post, Gala! I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately, too.
Two words – portion control! I’ve always eaten little & often, it comes naturally to me as I don’t particularly enjoy that full, bloated feeling, and I get to eat many different foods during the course of the day. I also discovered it’s the best way to maintain a healthy weight, because it keeps your metabolism boosted. My friends sometimes laugh at the tiny portions I eat from a little side plate, but I’m quite content eating this way.
When I do get a rumbly tummy I find that I want to eat straight away, so I’m very fond of quick but healthy meals such as sandwiches and salad. They also provide a chance to experiment, with different fillings & toppings!
Finally, there are certain fatty meals, such as pizza & curry, that I won’t cook at home – I only eat them at a restaurant or get them as takeout. They’re tastier than shop bought versions, and it makes them more of an indulgence!
PS – I love this guy right now:
http://www.samstern.co.uk/
i love food!
breakfast: oatmeal with a square of dark chocolate melted in it, goji berries, cherries or blueberries in it too, whatever i have around.
lunch: huge bowl of spinach with a pile of pinto or black beans on top with a ridiculous amount of salsa. yum!
dinner: broccoli, green beans, kale, spinach – whatever is green and handy. with loads of spices!
snacks: fruit
i’m not perfect so i don’t eat this way every day but i feel amazing when i do! i love chocolate so for me it’s a great way to start the day.
Ooooh these are all such great suggestions! I am taking notes. Keep ‘em coming!
This souns a bit gross but for breakfast I often eat just tinned tomatoes with herbs.
Get at tin of whole peeled tomatoes drain it into a bowl and put some dried mixed italian herbs and some fresh basil in.
I think it’s great :-D
My other one is bakeds beans.
I also eat toast with avocado or tahini and tomato. but prob won’t do for you cos you hate toast.
I hate cereal too.
I used to eat alot of yoghurt with fruit and nuts for breakfast but I overdosed in it now can’t even look at it.
Bec — I actually really like toast, I just find that if I put peanut butter or jam or something on it, I’m hungry soon after. I think if I was actually putting something with nutritional content on top of it — like tomato, avocado, hummus — I’d be much better off. When I was vegan I used to have a toasted bagel with avocado & hummus & black pepper for breakfast every day, soooo good, but I’m not convinced that bagels are very healthy any more…
it’s so strange that you just posted this; it’s something that i’ve been thinking about extensively for the past couple of days & i was just making a series of notes in my moleskine about what i want my diet to be like when i discovered this article :/ !
i’m gradually working toward a vegan diet, although, like you, i’m not about to let a limited diet compromise the life i want to lead. my body functions so much better when i’m not ingesting animal products, & it gives me a sense of achievement & peace in regards to both my wellbeing & ye olde environment.
i find that the more fruit you eat, the more your taste buds become accustomed to & partial towards the taste, & the more fruit you want to eat. i find eating large-ish, solid objects (such as an apple) daunting, so i usually cut my fruit into little pieces & dip them into either honey, yoghurt or milo, or a combination of the three.
best of luck with your healthy eating goals! :] x
I am not a big fan of the fruit either so I just eat extra vegetables. I am a big fan of peppers,spinach, tomatoes, green things in general … Giant salads with nuts, seeds or anything you like are really good.
And for a bigger meal you can make pasta along the same lines, lots of different vegetables, sauce or not (tinned tomatoes are really useful). I am a big fan of throwing things together and seeing what happens – you quickly learn what works or not and what you actually like!
I agree juicers are a really good way to get fruit if you are not that keen.
Snack wise I find always having a stash of water, raisins and oatcakes stops me resorting to junk
And my miracle food is brocolli!
(Which reminds me – never microwave vegetables, it destroys almost all of the nutrients – steaming is the way forward!)
:)
My new’s years resolution this year is not to eat food that comes in a package. I was sort of already doing this last year but I am trying to be better about it this year.
Here is what I usually eat in a day –
Breakfast – low fat protein shake with skim milk
Snack – fruit (usually an apple)
Lunch – salad of carrot, cucumber and tuna with vinegar
Snack – fruit or some almonds
Dinner – stirfry with rice
Snack – yogurt and honey or dark chocolate
Gala have you tried smoothies or protein shakes? You can get great ones that are low in chemicals and you can mix them with soy milk to avoid dairy. It’s just like a malty chocolate shake only good for you! Try to get a low cal low carb one. And these fill you up like a mofo. What about a fruit frappe? Like berries crushed with ice and some sorbet? Or natural yogurt and fruit with honey? I’m the same as you I can’t STAND breakfast food. I’m a liquid breakfast kind a gal.
I feel fantastic when I sip green tea, eat naturally all day, excercise early in the morning and go to bed early.
Good luck! And have lots of ballet fun! :-)
i’d really be interested in posts about food from you! i’d like to know any recipes you’d recommend, i’m ready to try new things in 2008.
your post has made me realize i really need to eat better, too. highschool cafeteria food makes my tummy sad
I really enjoy food and cooking. I always have. I could tell you a million good, yummy healthy things to eat. BUT the best tip to to have like-minded friends and work good eating into the fun parts of your life.
These days, whenever I’m in the city at weekends a group of friends meet for coffee (or juice, or whatever) at the market and buy yummy veggies and fruits together, swapping recipes as we walk around. It’s fun, social, stocks the fridge with cheap, healthful foods and inspires me with what to do with them in the week.
Re being vegan: I’m not but I can’t have dairy without medical intervention and I don’t eat that much meat so the best thing I did last year was buy a slow-cooker. Not so much now that it’s so damned hot. But in the winter I set up great bean soups, lentil curries, all that stuff that takes so long to cook well, in about 5-10 minutes in the morning before work and then they are ready to throw in a handful of spinach or whatever when I get home and eat. So good for days when you have worked for 10 hours or more :)
Good luck!!! Eating well is so good for your energy, mood and stamina levels :) It’s an awesome thing to promote :)
“My boyfriend read Do You! the other day & realised that if he truly respected life, he would have to stop eating meat.”
That’s really interesting, because I’m only a few chapters into the book & I’ve already come to the same conclusion but…
“I think that in the long-run, we’re both gearing towards a vegan diet, though neither of us are interested in eating that way at the cost of living an enjoyable life.”
Like you, I think becoming vegan is going to be more of a slow transition for me than a bang! decision – although if I were to truly pay heed to Simmons’ advice I would “Start Today”! ;)
I’m SO not a breakfast person either cupcake, but when I was doing Dr Joshi’s Holistic Detox I would have a small bowl of wheat-free & gluten-free muesli with some live yoghurt topped with chopped fruit (I had banana, but you could substitute that for something else if you don’t like it) & drizzled with some organic honey. I actually quite enjoyed it tbh!
Another great breakfast idea (& one of my favourite things EVER) is bruschetta! It’s SO quick & easy. You just grill some bread (& not just any bread but something yummy like ciabatta!) brushed with olive oil & salt & pepper, & rubbed with crushed garlic. Then serve it topped with chopped tomato (roma if you can get ‘em) & fresh basil! SO delish! & you could totally add some bacon & parmesan too if you’re eating meat/dairy still.
Anyways, I will continue to ponder good, healthy food ideas & post more if any come to me. :) xox
hi lovely!
your avo/ tom/ hummus bagel sounds really nice…...what about swapping the bagel for turkish bread or mountain bread (wraps are AWESOME!)? i eat this combo all the time and spread the mountain bread with a Spanish Onion and Black Olive chutney (you can get from Woolies!) and it adds that something extra!
Good luck precious!
x
Oh wow, you guys are amazing!!!! I have made a text file & I’m filling it up with ideas. YAY!
one of the healthiest things i do for myself is to have a green smoothie every day. to get inspired, i recommend victoria boutenko’s book green for life. i have a high speed blender (vitamix) so i’m able to whip up inumerable combinations of fruits & greens, depending on the season. they are surprisingly yummy in spite of the strange color. i bring one in a clear mason quart jar to work every day and am often asked “what is that?”... start out with a smaller amount of greens in ratio to fruit, and eventually you can work up to about 40% greens/60% fruit.
there’s a period of time that i consumed two quarts a day, and my nails which have never been able to grow long were finally strong enough to do so.
the cutest thing is my partner’s mom, who is in her 60’s, started doing them everyday too and has remarked on the energy its given her & helped to reduce her cravings for bad foods.
Congratulations on taking better care of yourself! I’m vegan, and I absolutely never feel limited these days. (I’ve been vegan about 7 years, and it just gets easier and easier every year.) Vegan food blogs are amazing and helpful, some of my faves are veganyumyum.com, theppk.com/blog, letsgetsconed.blogspot.com, and blog.fatfreevegan.com. I work for VegNews Magazine, and we have a blog of our daily staff lunches, which are always delicious! It’s cafevegnews.blogspot.com. Enjoy!
I’m in the middle of reading “Why French Women don’t Get Fat” and it is AMAZING! You must read it Gala. It’s full of little ways to make a big difference to your diet and a really interesting read.
How about yogurt for breakfast?
I too really loathe breakfast but I adore yogurt. So I decided the other day when I was at the grocery store to try and eat yogurt for breakfast.
“When I was vegan I used to have a toasted bagel with avocado & hummus & black pepper for breakfast every day, soooo good, but I’m not convinced that bagels are very healthy any more…”
I used to eat toasted bagels covered in either basil pesto or sundried tomato pesto (*swoon*! pesto ftw!) for dinner every night when I first moved to Auckland, but I stopped eating them eventually because they are SUPER high in carbs as far as I know and are a big ol’ high GI food. Even having a wholemeal bagel instead doesn’t improve that fact a whole lot either. So… bye bye bagels! :(
Hey there, i used to never eat breakfast, but now that i am getting older, i find i really need it. I try to mix it up alot, but like you i am not a fan of cereal. I live in Christchurch so in winter i eat oatmeal with dried fruit added to it or i have toast with grilled tomatoes and feta cheese or if i have time i love having spagetti on toast.
In the summer i eat fruit and yoghurt for breakfast. Fruit is so cheap at the moment that i am eating naural yogurt with blackberries, strawberries and bananas each day.
Croissants make good breakfasts! I admit I’m a fan of the ol’ ham and cheese, but there’s a million things you could put it one.
QV foodcourt also has a great bagel place.
Or yoghurt. Mixing in fruits of course. But that’s never really filling…
Xx
Breakfast: Big cup of organic brewed green tea (antioxidants galore! I try to drink at least 2 cups a day) and either a cut up apple with a little peanut butter or just wheat toast and cherry preserves. Sometimes I have a little square of dark chocolate before I walk out the door for a bit more of a boost.
Lunch: I usually take a sandwich (Turkey or peanut butter and berry preserves), a bag of granola cereal, or carrots and dip, and water or brewed green teas. I try to drink as much water or green tea as I can.
Dinner: I think dinner should be light, since it is the last meal you end up working off. I didn’t have this approach before with dinner, but for the past two weeks for the new year I’ve been having low sodium soups, like chicken noodle, tomato, cream of chicken, chicken and rice, there are so many and they are pretty filling and taste good. If not soup, I’ll have different salads with pecans, apples, chicken, crumbled blue cheese, poppyseed dressing, mmm. For dessert, a small chocolate (my weakness and love).
My boyfriend is a vegetarian too, but I only cut out red meat, and eat turkey and chicken. I also don’t drink anything else but water, teas, and soy milk. I try to buy organic, I like to know exactly what I am eating, but I can’t always.
I’m gettin hungry …
Heh…I don’t eat very healthy at all. Chocolate is my favourite food group, and a chocolate eggo/waffle my choice breakfast :3 The only really healthy thing I ingest all day is chocolate soy milk (Silk is my fav. brand) I get a lovely intake of chocolate flavoring (more chocolaty than chocolate milk!), but the many added benefits of soy.
I do like smoothies though, strawberry banana with low fat yogurt or whatever it is smoothie places add…
A handful of walnuts and almonds is also really good for a snack to me.
It doesn’t help that the only kitchen thing I know how to use is the toaster and microwave XD So I’d really love to read about what healthy food choices you’re making, it motivates us all
Breakfast should be the biggest meal of the day,then lunch the second followed by dinner the smallest…..in between dinner and lunch 2 small snacks like fruit or a Yeo Valley natural yogurt with honey for instance.
For Breakfast i like to have Porridge with blueberries….they go all warm and yummy in the Porridge.
Couscous is good for lunch with some veggies,you can steam or just cut up and put in tomatoes or peppers or broccoli is good as it is a super food…also mango or sweet potato instead of normal potato.Hummus is good with this too.
Dinner is a good time for some steamed veg or asparagus with Manuka honey drizzled over and fish,something light.
Maybe even just soup for dinner or sushi.
Not allot of people like it but cottage cheese is yum.
I discovered the best thing,it’s cottage cheese with pineapple bits but what i do is steam or grill some cherry tomatoes and put them on top of the cottage cheese…it’s like heaven all melted up :)
Avocado mashed up on toast is yum too but Avocados are quite calorific….but they are good fats so it’s cool to have once or twice a week.
Maybe an omelette for lunch with some tasty fillings inside and a nice spinach and tomato salad?
Heheh i could go on forever….i am starting to try to cook more as have never bothered before…as a result i’m quite new to it all and it’s fun to learn about the nutritional values of things…i love eating healthy even though i do have pizza days like once a week or some Haribo sweets now and then….i think its a healthy balance ot have good days and bad days…as long as the good days outweigh the bad!
Happy eating Gala _
PS-Rooibos tea…..it’s the way forward i swear,i am obsessed!
I don’t need to lose/gain weight, its more I just need to maintain the weight I am at, not being underweight has always been difficult for me. But I’ve finally found some eating habits that are working pretty good.
I hate breakfast as well, I have a really hard time eating at 6:30am before going to school. But I’ve found that if I just eat some fruit, usually I chose an orange, then I don’t feel sick or weighed down by my breakfast. Sometime before lunch I usually eat some form of snack, either just some cracker or cheese or these things called Odwalla Bars…I don’t know if they’ve got those outside of the states, but there are all different types and they are packed full of things that are good for you and lots of fiber/proteins…really great for those who don’t eat meat. Lunch I usually will just eat a salad or a cup of soup, I’ve got a pretty sensitive stomach so when I am at school I never want to eat anything too heavy. After school I will usually eat a snack, this is probably the time of day where my eating is the least healthy, its the one time of day I will eat some chocolate or some icecream, but lately I’ve been making these vegan chocolate cupcakes, but making them in a mini muffin tin, so they are small, and not as bad as something with loads of preservatives. For dinner I do go out to eat alot, but I eat alot of japanese and alot of fish, I will eat red meat sometimes, but in moderation nothing is all that bad. I also drinks loads of water and tea throughout the day…I used to drink redbull an coffee and finally stopped and I feel LOADS better now.
I think for everyone its going to be different what works, so goodluck!
Mmm, breakfast is so important. I always feel way better all day and stay awake all through chemistry if I eat breakfast :)
I usually make myself scrambled eggs. Except I’ll put some turkey or chicken and zucchini and maybe some broccoli in the pan first, then add the eggs and whisk it around till it’s mostly done, then add some cheese and wait till it’s done. Since it’s got a lot of stuff in it, the egg doesn’t get overwhelming, and it’s so very very good. I don’t like cold breakfasts like cereal – they don’t keep me full long enough and tend to make me feel ill.
The biggest thing for me is having healthy snacks around like fruit, peanut butter, almonds, etc. I eat constantly so it’s easier to be healthier if I have accessible foods rather than going for the pack of ramen that I know is sitting in the pantry =/
Also, if I’m still feeling hungry after eating a snack or meal, I put a mint in my mouth and go do something else. Nine times out of ten, by the time the mint is gone, I’ve forgotten that I was ever hungry and I just go about my business.
Dinner is often simple because my mother and I get home from the barn and are pretty tired, so we usually have rice with some chicken and some form of vegetable like carrots, broccoli, zucchini, etc. It’s simple and as long as you have some sort of sauce, it doesn’t get terribly boring.
I wish you luck in your foodstravaganza!
(PS: I find that it helps to make superhuge portions of healthy food that you’re making, say rice with chicken and vegetables, then put those extra portions in freezer bags and stick in the freezer. Then when I’m hungry I can toss it in the microwave. Maybe not quite as healthy as fresh, but certainly better than a TV dinner!)
Oooh! I know you want to deviate from the whole “heating up soup in a pot” thing, but the #1 thing that has nutritionally made me feel good for going on two years now is pitango’s organic tomato soup (http://tinyurl.com/ypmjxw). Yes, it’s a New Zealand product, but it’s stocked in Australia, Canada & Hong Kong too & it is seriously bitchin’! :D It’s completely organic & vegan too. One 600g pack serves two so I just heat up 1/2 a pack for a meal & save the other 1/2 for the following day. It’s especially good with lots of cracked pepper although you could also add some shaved parmesan, chopped feta or fresh basil too if you’d like. Oh, did I mention it’s low in fat & sugar. MAJOR! :D
Usually for breakfast I just have a fat-free yogurt with a scoop of organic flax seeds…texture and omega 3s! If I have time, I also blend frozen strawberries and oranges together for a sort of smoothie/sorbet mixture.
I’m pretty sure that everything that can be covered has been covered, but I thought I’d add that I’m also pretty picky about breakfast foods, so I just don’t eat ‘breakfast’ foods for breakfast! I eat mainly leftovers from dinner, or salad or make mashed potatoes. people think it’s weird but hey, it’s still a healthy meal and it’s what I like!
Even though it’s just the two of us at home, I still cook the family-sized recipes my mum taught me, so that I have leftovers to freeze for the nights I don’t feel like cooking!
Yep, pasta with a tomato based sauce and lots of other vegetables is a good go if you’re vegetarian. Been vegetarian for 15 years (only for ethical reasons) and have a chronic illness and i would never eat meat again even if I was told by health proffessionals that I must (which I have been told) My part of Melbourne doesn’t seem to like vegetarianism, so I make alot of pasta and rice, tofu is a wonderful thing in the pasta as well. Avocado and tomato with lemon juice and salt and pepper on toast or biscuits is brilliant.
See, I’ve always eaten naturally, what I like, what I dislike. And I’ve noticed things in my life that I’ve avoided are the things that are “bad for me!” You’ll see what I mean at the bottom.
My family kept very diverse things in the house. I naturally just liked fruits. I like Apples, bananas, strawberries, peaches (though I don’t eat peaches often. It’s very messy!) grapes, and more that I’m not even mentioning. But I hate oranges. They are creepy to me. Bananas I like them but can only have one. Apples are my absolute favorite fruit! My parents would have been happy with me eating ice cream everyday or fruit. They were pretty indifferent to what I had. So it’s kind of strange but I preferred fruits over candy. But I did drink a lot of soda until I decided to quit all caffeinated products when I was 16. I went cold turkey and drinking a lot of water. I can’t stand having a soda, so I always drink a soda and then chasing it with water!
Now, I really don’t enjoy eating a lot of meat, I eat it maybe two to three times a week. I eat steak….VERY VERY rarely. But for the most part, I eat a lot of carbs! I don’t go by servings, I stop eating when I feel satisfied. Oh and I cook most of my food. I’m not a domestic goddess and I’m an American Southern girl so I definitely don’t like raw veggies. I eat what tastes good to me and that doesn’t necessarily totally healthy. So I’m not a good diagram for perfectly healthy.
My dietary restrictions are limiting my dairy, I really have to balance my dairy intake. I can’t have too little or too much. When I don’t have dairy at all, my body can’t handle even the slightest bit of dairy. I pretty much condition my body to it. It’s not severe enough for me that I have to cut it completely but I do have to exercise balance.
But there are things that I absolutely can not eat or drink: Any wet dairy products. Cheesecake, ice cream, creme brulee, milkshakes, alfredo, etc.
I don’t do caffeine, which includes chocolate.
And I get heartburn badly. I can’t have spicy grease foods. I can’t have too much grease. I can’t eat too much fruits (at night). I truly had to learn what made my heartburn flare up. A lot of what I do involves me paying attention to my body reactions.
When I think of it, I’m just strange in general, talking about my eating habits probably will weird you out. :D
I have always wanted to go to a nutritionist just because I feel like eating is one area I find quite confusing. When I was at school, I would have an ice-cream, a bottle of Sprite & a bag of candy floss for lunch every day… ARGH!
I adore cooking but I adore uncooking EVEN MORE!
The most amazing thing I could have ever done for my skin, vitality, energy levels, earth, sensual life, internal health, nutrition levels, digestive system, emotions…everything really is go RAW.
Naturally lots of people flip to the scene when the four New York beauties go to the raw restaurant and all they eat is cold soups and sloppy bits. Raw restaurants can be like that but taking raw into your own hands is all about creativity and power.
Breakfast
Crisp, sweet apples with raw almond butter and frozen raisins (tastes just like a huge gooey caramel and choco treat but is jam packed with essential vitamins, minerals and fats to kick start my day. No short bursts of sugar rush from sugar laden, processed cereals or juices)
Juiced pears and apples with greens, ginger and dates for super power
Super smoothies packed with goodness and taste
Lunch
Monster Salads with the most mouth watering raw dressings, fresh, easy and to die for.
Dehydrated fruits or juicey, super hydrating ones. Nuts and seeds for power crunch.
Dinner
My idol Ani http://www.aniphyo.com/ keeps me stocked up on the biggest range of parties in my mouth and tummy!
Desserts
raw coconut puddings, raw carrot cake, raw doughnut holes – the most divine, decadent pieces I could ever hope to taste and I am a huge dessert fan.
There is a dangerous misconception that raw food means nibbling on carrots or starving yourself. It is in fact the opposite, balanced and done with style and variety a raw lifestyle gives me more sustainable nutrients than I could ever get from any other eating lifestyle.
It is quick, clean, invigorating and super, super sexy! The ultimate way for me to be the life of my own party every minute of the day!
Making one meal a day raw is a wonderful way to add taste, power and energy to your day.
If you love sushi you should try this…you will squirm with delight. Add your own touches.
http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=xegCiiKFnFQ
This dressing is super for a gorgeous combo of veggies, marinate shitake mushrooms (A shitake a day keeps the doctor away!) or use as a dressing on raw spinach, avo, pine nuts, spring onions, your fav salad combo, pack it in!
http://www.fromsadtoraw.com/Recipes/SweetAndSourGingerDressing.htm
This ice cream will make you wonder how you could ever have eaten chemical packed dairy ice cream
http://www.fromsadtoraw.com/Recipes/BananaNutIceCream.htm
(I know you don’t like banana so maybe strawberries would be better or mango)
Yummy broccoli salad
http://goneraw.com/recipes/264-Broccoli-Salad
Oh I could go on and on!
Making the choice to do anything healthy in your life is empowering and will only keep you wanting more!
Warm and yummy wishes to you
ps Earthlings is a wonderful doco to give a better idea of where your food is coming from
http://veg-tv.info/Earthlings It is extremely graphic though. Warning… it may make you cry or scream but it will definitely make you think twice about food choices. It can be a little tedious at times but well worth watching the whole hour 30.
I love this article. I’m also not a fan of breakfast. But for lunch/dinner I LOVE stir-fry. I’m a vegetarian, so I usually use rice or Ramen noodles and mixed vegetables. Frozen mixed vegetables are great and are just as fresh since they thaw as they cook. I was looking through a great cookbook earlier (Pillsbury One-Dish Meals) and it has some amazing stir-fry recipes. I decided to try to use more baby-corn, water chestnuts, and shredded cabbage.
I also love pita bread. You can come up with the most interesting ways to eat it.
Another one of my Asian-inspired fetishes is using chopsticks. It seems irrelevant, but you’ll eat a bit slower which will allow you to digest the food and realize that you’re full sooner, so you’ll ultimately eat less. [;
Good for you! Learning to cook for myself (and for others) has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve done for my health in recent years. (Barring my favorite baking recipes, which all seem to require obscene amounts of butter. I used an entire pound of butter – A POUND – for NYE alone.)
Not relying on restaurants (which may or may not load up on chemicals and/or unnecessary salt/fat/sugar) for good food is enormously empowering. So, hooray! I applaud you.
Here’s one of my favorite recipes. It’s a super tasty veggie couscous that is marvelous warm for dinner and cold as leftovers. (I didn’t want to put entire recipe in your comments section, so there’s a link to it below. If you’re interested, check it out. And, um, scroll to the bottom, as I wax philosophical about houseplants for awhile.)
http://www.mooseinthekitchen.com/?p=251
Congratulations on your newfound kitchen mastery!
Here are some things I do to feel better!
- I am almost NEVER hungry when I first wake up so I wait to eat breakfast until I am, rather than just eating when I wake up because that’s when I’m supposed to. This is of course true for every meal, but particularly breakfast because mornings are so rushed.
- When it’s cold (like in my office) I find it really hard to drink lots of water, so instead of drinking none or drinking lots of coffee I drink heaps of herbal tea. Makes me warm & I’m increasing fluid intake. This only really works with proper herbal tea, not the black tea that’s just infused with flavour.
- More on breakfast – the bagel with hummus & avo or tomato or whatever it was sounds good, maybe try replacing it with really grainey toast? I love vogels and burgen. I often wait til I get to work and then have fruit (I love pears at the moment) and some rice wafers, or other than that my favourite cereal (I hate cereal too, this is the ONLY one I eat so it’s worth a try) is http://www.purebread.co.nz/museli.html. I load it up with chopped fruit and vanilla soy milk. SO GOOD and cinnamonney. Mmmm. I dunno if you can get it in au though :( If you want to try it I can send you some!
- I’m sure you already know about the Garden of Vegan and How it all Vegan.They were INVALUABLE to me when I was vegan. ZOMG vegan pancakes with cashew cream. CASHEW CREAM. You should eat this regardless of whether you end up vegan or not.
- I know you’re already doing yoga – have you tried doing it first thing? I do pilates or run in the mornings before breakfast and it makes me feel really good all day. This is getting slightly off topic from healthy eating but is related.
Hope that helps!
p
Miss Penny, I would loooove to try some delicious cinnamon cereal!
& Miss Sushi Zume! I love your suggestions! You make it sound so good & all the benefits sound pretty good too. Do you ever eat anything cooked? Simon is considering going raw & it all seems VERY daunting to me!
Penny – “I am almost NEVER hungry when I first wake up so I wait to eat breakfast until I am, rather than just eating when I wake up because that’s when I’m supposed to. This is of course true for every meal, but particularly breakfast because mornings are so rushed.”
That raises an interesting point. I know it’s probably more enjoyable to eat when you’re hungry but it is healthy? For example, they say if you wait until your thirsty to have a drink, you’re actually already dehydrated. So should you actually “starve” your body until you give it sustinence or should you ‘fuel the fire’ so to speak regularly? I don’t know the answer. Just food for thought – pun intended. ;)
STIR FRY!
all you need to do is buy some stirfry sauce from the grocery store (or, if you’re brave you can make your own – it’s fairly easy and MUCH tastier/healthier), fry it up with some veggies and chinese noodles and plop it ontop of a bed of instant rice.
the whole thing takes maybe 15 mins to make (i’m vegitarian so meat-free is super quick… it will take longer if you put meat in it).
also: apples with peanut butter are SO filling and healthy.
the carbs in the peanut butter will help stretch the sugar from the apple out over a period of time, so that you don’t get a sugar peak and crash.
mmmm-mmmm!
tasty and easy are the best ways to go.
I highly recommend reading Skinny Bitch, or at the very least getting yourself a copy of Skinny Bitch in the Kitch, which is full of decent vegan recipes. The original is so well written and informative, I havent eaten a piece of meat since (just having trouble kicking the dairy addiction).
good luck with your healthy eating plans!
Eating healthier & cooking at home more is one resolution I managed to achieve last year. Lots of things helped but the main one was creating & stocking a perpetual pantry:
http://www.savingdinner.com/archives/articles/feeding_your_family_with_a_perpetual_pantry.html
I made my own print-out checklist to use when grocery shopping so I knew what was running low, collected a bunch of recipes I liked using mainly the ingredients in my perpetual pantry & dinner was a breeze every night.
I generally cook easy, simple meals during the week and do my gourmet cooking with special, non-perpetual pantry ingredients on the weekend. I tend to achieve my resolutions most when I create an easy, no-think system for myself.
My next foodie goal would be to have salad with every meal and work more fruit into my meals – mainly breakfast & snacks.
My other tip for eating healthy is frozen veggies. Seriously. Sometimes I even buy fresh vegetables, cut & bag them and freeze them. Otherwise, it turns into a race against time to eat them before they spoil – a race I usually lose. Fresh is best but frozen is probably more realistic, for me at any rate.
Good luck!
What Makes Me Feel Healthy Is Having A Nice Steaming Cup Of Green Tea. No Honey Or Anything, Just As Is. I Guess It Like Cleanses Your Body Or Something, So It Makes Sense. ^^.
I Dont Eat Breakfast Except On Weekends, And Usually Have A Decent Size Salad For Supper, With Lots Of Veggies. Mostly Tomatoes And Cucumbers. I Think Its Fairly Healthy, Although Ive Heard Its Unhealthy To Not Eat Breakfast..
(:
Ami — I read Skinny Bitch a while ago (I reviewed it for here, too) & I HATED it. It’s the total antithesis of everything I’m about — they’re negative, petty, sarcastic & rude. Veganism is good for you — I get it. I don’t need to be told what a fat slob I am if I don’t conform to their beliefs. I’m not really keen on giving them any more money!
In my opinion it is easier than my previous cooked lifestyle…no pots and pans, no scrubbing, no extra packaging, no added preservatives, no tummy aches, no break outs, no sugar come downs or grumpiness, no cravings, no going hungry, no wondering what to eat, no waiting around for water to boil, ovens to heat up, no stressing about what might be in the food that I can’t or shouldn’t eat, it is a super stress free lifestyle jam packed with flavor and goodness.
It does take some thought and planning but so do all lifestyle changes.
Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen is a GREAT UNcook book to buy if you and Simon are keen to try out a few recipes. Super simple and outrageously delish! Fabulous real life tips and tricks for newbies.
Of course it has impacted on my eating out time but I find I use to “waste” a lot of time sitting in restaurants waiting for others to prepare me things that I was always dubious about anyway…less time in restaurants means more time in swanky lounges, chic book stores, meeting awesome people at markets, time with friends, early nights under the covers ;p, exploring a new boutique, finding a new hang out, longer baths and massages…
I still cook for Masao sometimes, his body is different to mine he needs rice, pasta and baked veggies to slow his digestive system down.
I need the kind of energy that raw gives me for the intense year ahead, can’t have things slowing me down. I have huge plans ;)
Everybody is different and no one book, dvd or person can say what feels right for you. That is where the creativity comes into it. Food is the most amazing gift that we often take for granted, it has the greatest impact on our life, feelings, health, appearance, energy, drive and success and can change so much so quickly.
I am really excited to watch your culinary adventures.
ps Spinach is a miracle food! Ask Popeye, the man had it sorted!
Felicity –
I’m not sure about that – I generally find that if I eat breakfast when I get up I’m hungry again at 10, whereas if I wait until I’m actually hungry (usually about 9), I’m happy through til lunchtime.
This is assuming I get up about 7 :)
I don’t wait til I’m reeaaaaaaaally hungry though, just starting to feel like my body has woken up and become aware of itself.
Gala – ok, :D I’ll see what I can do.
Congratulations! Welcome to the healthy lifestyle xDD (hahaha like I’m the guru of healthyness…)
Anyways, I’ve been eating healthy for about 3 years now and I just can’t be any other way now! I always eat breakfast (usually oatmeal with non-fat milk and raisins), and choose healthy, non-greasy stuff for lunch and dinner. Plus, I eat a snack in the middle of the afternoon…healthy too.
Of course I sometimes eat “Non-healthy” stuff (mainly ice-cream!!), but I always try to eat healthy. Some people judge me but whatever! That’s what keeps me good and slim! :D
Healthyness rocks, plus cooking is the most awesome thing ever :D :D!
delicious fruit & natural yoghurt for breakfast.
Two birds with one stone!
+ some honey to remove some of the tang from the yoghurt.
Peaches, berries, apple, mango. my mouth is watering just thinking about it :3
Although, then yoghurt contributes to dairy intake, but I’m sure there’s a soy alternative. Ugh, soy. Only a fan of tofu, I must say.
I do not drink juice because it is basically sugar with some fruit juice squeezed on top of it. I always squeeze some fresh fruit into my water though to make it more appetizing! For breakfast I love mixing spinach with my egg whites (the yolks make me ill) and then wrapping it up in a burrito with some mild salsa. yum! oh! and epicurious.com is an excellent source for gourmet recipes! :)
I try not to eat tooo many carbs but I’m not going to stop myself if i REALLY crave them.
For breakfast I usually have poached eggs on a piece of toast with a carrot and peppermint tea. Although lately I’ve been off eggs so it’s usually toast with feta and basil spread on it!!
I try eat a lot of vegetables, no pork, drink at least 2 litres of water a day. I hate broccoli but I know its good for me so I try eat it a few times a week.
I try not to drink much milk except in coffee.
I eat a lot of nuts and seeds as well.
Tamari roasted almonds will change your life. I eat an indecent amount of them.
I try to eat organic, but i ONLY eat organic meat. It actually tastes better. One of my favourite things to make is lamb curry, because it’s so incredibly easy. Although I don’t usually have it with rice, I use pita bread instead and dip it!
I make spinach and feta frittata in mini muffin tins for breakfasts quick easy and you can have 1 whole egg to every 3 eggs so low fat – or just use the whites and for go the yolks all together
or I make a lemon and poppyseed cake – its really low in sugar and tastes like cupcakes but all lemony and good again mini muffin try means small portions and filling
I find seeds fill me up more than any other thing – Linseed / Sunflower/ Almond is an awesome mix and really good for you got to chew them all up so i think its the time that it takes to eat each seed that makes them filling.
Haloumi is totally my new best thing cut into really thin slices and fry in a non stick pan looks very flash on a huge spinach almond salad and is salty goodness!!
baked falafel mix made tiny like croutons and baked in the oven rather than fried is a good addition to soups and salads
hummus on everything with chilli and lime is good too
corriander and pineapple sorbet – sounds weird tastes great fresh and tangy
i reckon have wha you love for breakfast – you will work it off during the day in any case!!
ps I just got given some beautiful clear lucite bangles from Kookai – they say love trust dream imagine in black type ( one word on each) good to keep those golas in mind) and I know how you love lucite bangles…..x
My awesome husband, Simon, bought me a fantastic Vegetarian Cookbook for Christmas to celebrate my switch to vegetarianism and to help me get inspired about vege cooking. It totally worked and I think I’ve used the cookbook nearly every night for recipe ideas and food combinations.
So, my advice to you O-Excellent-Advice-Giver, is to visit your local Borders/A&R/bookshop and spend some time flicking through them until you find a book that is full of recipes that you would use! It’s great having a bookshelf full of recipe books but terrible if you wouldn’t in your life consider attempting half of the dishes. Practicality, time taken to prepare and ease of ingredients are the key.
Happy Eating!
P
x
Oooo I love talking about food lol. Breakfast is a very important meal because it revs up your metabolism for the day, and skipping breakfast means that food taken in at lunch is more likely to be converted to fat because your body has been in starvation mode for a longer period of time. I think it’s also really nice to eat something that gives you energy to face the day.
In terms of breakfast foods, peanut butter is excellent because peanuts contain certain nutrients that keep you fuller longer, so this can help alliviate hunger if you put it on toast. Or if you’re not so into carbs, a big spoonful of pb is still quite filling. I agree with other commenters about eating non-traditional breakfast foods in the morning, which can be fun.
Getting enough protein on a vegetarian diet can sometimes be difficult. Here in Canada you can get these great meatless soy burgers/patties from a company called Zogolevs. They contain no preservatives and are absolutely delicious because they don’t try to imitate the taste of meat. They are also super-easy to prepare.
Good luck everyone with eating healthier!
Now that I am in college and have to cook for myself I haven’t been eating as well as I should. I was also sick because of allergies lately so I’ve lost 15 lbs. but back to food- for breakfast(when I get up in time for it) I like eating toast and jam,bacon,or some kind of fruit,like an apple, or maybe one of those grab and go bars or yougart. For lunch I love simple things that I can eat between classes or while reading in one of the gardens around campus.Subs,sandwhiches, those kid lunch packs. For supper I usually eat stuff like noodles,pizza,rice meals,or soup.
This semester(and year) I am also working on eating better,cooking more for myself, and eating more fruits and vegtables. Just today I bought myself an apple and a pear. So hopefully I’m off to a good start. Good luck to you too Gala!OOohh Yay!
Go gala! power to you and healthy eating.
Breakfast- berries with yoghurt(can be soy) and topped with walnuts, they are all super good for you and your brain. nuts are low-gi too so fuller for longer….or find some really great breads made by local bakers..there are some amazing breads for breakfast toast out there.
I have found with cooking for myself its always the things that are easiest and as dumb as it sounds fun to make- and look great& colourful.
Fun suggestions:
-making your own sushi, takes a little time &effort but such fun and soo healthy tea this is great when im just eating coz im bored/snackish, buy yourself a gorgeous teacup and some beautiful fragrant teas &have it as a little ritual for yourself,this sounds silly but can help if youre not actually hungry, but find yourself eating.(thanks oprah!) cous cous i love this stuff, so fluffy, easy &put all your fav colourful vegies in, i loove mushrooms, capsicum, red onion& some greens, can also add nuts soups you would be amazed at how easy,colourful& flavoursome some pumpkin,with a little butter salt&pepper can be!
homemade pizza there are soo many options-vegan/vegetarian/gluten free, you can make them as simple/complicated,however you like! and will Always be healthier than the bought version.
oooh and in Melboure theres an amazing vegan place called ‘the white lotus’ across from queen vic markets, all fake meat! sounds really weird,its not 5 star or anything but i love the place!!it is gluten high but sooo tasty…their tamarind fish is incredible!!! I cant believe its not fish!lol
-theres plenty in melb just check out: http://www.vnv.org.au/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=73&Itemid=85
**Myself I want to work on having a little herb garden for myself this year then will work up to vegetables, because making your own food is the first step to being conscious of what you are actually putting in your body.Then growing it yourself& sharing it with others…the thought makes me positively gleeful! xxoo
Gala, your taste buds don’t know what time it is so breakfast to me is like all the others meals.
I hate cereal too. I’m allergic to eggs and toast seems quite uninspiring. Have you tried maybe having some pasta? Or what about making a bruschetta.
I know you would not want to face these things uber early but if i eat something which is high in carbohydrates around 8am i feel a lot better than if i ate this at 6pm.
Having a substantial breakfast gives you more time to burn off what you’re eating and kick start your metabolism.
If you’re not into fruit, making up crazy fresh juices is always a start. Apple, beetroot and berries is actually a delicious combo.
Drinking Japanese green tea is also very good for emitting toxins like fatty acids from the system so you won’t feel so bloated and frumpy after eating spring rolls or something like that!
Good luck!
God, there’s a lot of comments here!
I hate breakfast food too. I skip it a lot (I reason that by the time I finish drinking my 2.4 coffees, it’s almost lunch) but when I eat it, it’s some version of greek yoghurt, peach and strawberry& rose jam drizzled over the top, or my own toasted muesli (oats, coconut, hazelnuts, macadamias and sunflower seeds tossed in maple syrup and vanilla and baked) or strawberries and mascarpone on toast with sugar sprinkled on top, grilled until it caramelises. i like leisurely breakfasts that are more like brunch.
i am a strict vegetarian, and i have been for over a decade now. i love cooking. i think it has something to do with the fact that is an area of my life that has very little to do with ‘achieving’ anything, if you get me. it’s just a perfect mixture of pleasure and discipline (not in a kinky way! eep!) that isn’t caught up with anything else.
i’m too poor to buy organic but i try to buy local. i cook most nights except when i’m tired or lazy. i minimise my grocery expenditure by buying fruits and vegetables at markets, and cheese from the wheel at delis, instead of prepackaged bollocks that they sell in supermarkets. i do take a multivitamin. i love mango curry at the moment (can be pulled together in five minutes) for lunch, and i treat myself by making macarons and tiny pavlova-rosepetal tarts, things like that. cookbooks i like include ‘the accidental vegetarian’ and ‘falling cloudberries’ ...
i have to say, reading this entry, i was a bit astounded by that amount of times you eat out per week. good luck with everything darling, and take care! yay!
When I first became vegan, I did it for all the usual reasons (animals, the environment, economics, resource allocation, etc etc.). But over the years, my reasons for staying vegan have changed immensely. The number one reason I maintain this lifestyle is that I consider it a gift to myself, a way of respecting my body as well as the world around me – just a point in my life where I can do something positive for myself as an everyday activity! It’s certainly not a lifestyle for everyone, and I’m pretty lucky to have a lot of supportive friends and family (it makes eating out and at others’ places pretty easy). But for me, that’s my nutritional kudos.
As for the breakfast thing – in the mornings, I’m just waking up, so I’m either on the go or, you know, not awake enough to do much. I like to keep it simple, so I often eat leftovers, sandwiches, pieces of fruit – basically, things that require little to no assembly.
I think it’s kind of funny to only eat certain foods at certain times of the day, so if you don’t like breakfast foods, don’t eat them! Personally, sometimes I eat ice cream for breakfast and waffles for dinner! (Likely not the same day…) Just eat foods you like as opposed to foods you’re “supposed” to eat at a certain time, and I imagine that’ll make the process a lot easier.
Now, my partner is someone who plain old doesn’t like to eat in the mornings. Consequently, he also often doesn’t get his first calorie until some time in the afternoon. If you’re anything like him and it’s more of a matter that you don’t like to eat in the morning (period), he finds things like smoothies and yogurt work really well for him. When we’re together in the mornings, sometimes I make us protein smoothies because they’re delicious, give me a protein boost if I’ve been lacking (that’s definitely not something he worries about), and act like a multi-vitamin for both of us.
And here’s a good general eating tip: make things in large batches (especially things that can be frozen like soups and lasagnas). That way, you can feast on leftovers throughout the week or even the year, and it cuts back on how often you have to cook. It also makes it easier when you’re on the run because instead of giving into take out or junky snack foods, you can just grab a tupperware container of Tuesday night’s dinner and jet.
oooooh! Gala this is so exciting. food and wellness is a huge big deal to me, and i hate to repeat my comment from the other day but i’m so happy that you’re paying this attention to this area of your lifestyle.
i could write for hours about food, but one thing i will say is that you might like this blog:
http://www.kathrynelliott.com.au/blog/
it is absolutely the best local food/nutrition blog in my humble opinion and the author, Kathryn, is a lovely gal and i think you’d dig it.
I made a long diet some years ago (and lost 10 kilos, got rid of hypotiroidism as well), and as I said before I still eat healthy…my tips:
-You really have to HATE breakfast to not eat it: is one of the top reasons of why people get fat and unhealthy. Eating breakfast is not only yummy (I love oatmeal but a fruit or bread with some protein and milk, or a smoothie is OK), but essencial! Gives you energy, plus it fills you so you can eat a good lunch
-Nuts are great! They have lots of good stuff for cancer, and they fill you up. Almonds are my favourite. Seafood is incredible too!
-If you have digestive problems (like me), try to eat salad instead of a full dinner, and take fiber pills. Yogurt is awesome for this too, and delicious.
Really, if you eat healthy, you feel and look better, AND (great thing) when you do eat “un-healthy” stuff, you it enjoy even more! Pizza or creamy spaguetti or a good chocolate icecream…eating healthy is not about starving!
If part of your breakfast problem is that you just can’t think of anything that interests you, perhaps instead of eating out six nights out of seven, you could eat out for breakfast a few times a week. I’ve found that I’ve often been inspired to cook things though meals I’ve eaten or seen on the menu. You might find the breakfast blog useful for that, the blog is based in Melbourne and there are all sorts of fascinating breakfasts (and eateries) on review. It’s http://thebreakfastblog.blogspot.com/
I don’t tend to keep track of what’s “healthy” or not, but I am pretty obsessed with knowing what I eat, which stems from before I became vegan. My family is Chinese, and there was this huge emphasis on fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, and no prepackaged foods. But the thing that I advise for eating healthy is not buying cakes and muffins from restaurants and shops. Try to eat cupcakes that are home made, either by you or by friends, and it means you’re not eating things completely filled with oil and things, but that are still delicious.
I love that the changes in your life really come through to us in this Blog- you’re a real person, just like us! First your transition from more means more to less is more, and now, away from cupcakes for breakfast.
I guess it was just the environment I was brought up in, but I tend to eat okay- my mom is a nurse, + my dad is a chef. So when I’m home on break I eat really well. Actually, my biggest problem is eating healthy at school, because most of the food is pretty nasty, + eating grilled cheeses every day doesn’t do good things for you.
I haven’t really got any good advice for you on the subject, but I do have a pair of pom-poms and a big smile for you. Gala, Gala, she’s our girl! Eating healthy, give it a whirl!
Hmm… Well, here, I’m the Queen of Sweets… so, I’ll try to give some helpful hints. ;)
-Usually, for breakfast, I get stuck on eating cereal everyday. It’s not because I’m bland and uninspired… it’s just that I really adore it! I think the trick is that for breakfast, in order to have a great day ahead of you, eat something you love. If you love eating toast&peanut butter, have it with some fruit and call it a meal! Or, if you like eating crepes loaded with fruits, go ahead! Try to add colour (Cheesie Crisps don’t count!) and aim to have a multi-vitamin. I usually take Omega-3: it keeps my mind ready for fun!
-As for fruits, I usually have to trick myself into eating them. I’ll pull an ol’ “Jedi Mind Trick” and think that they’re just “Nature’s Candy”. Instead of reaching for a bar of chocolate, I’ll reach for some acai berries/juice (it tastes chocolate-like!). Or, randomly add them into everything you eat. Grapes in your salade, raspberries in your oatmeal, pineapple on your pizza… It can go on and on.
-If I can, I’ll try to eat organically as possible. I’ve already made a major change with certain products, and I find there is an incredible difference in my skin and digestion. At least I know that the strange antibiotics aren’t affecting my health.
-Ever since I read in “Skinny Bitch” and other reputable sources about artificial-sweetners (and having an allergy to Splenda) I stay away from them. They give me instant migraines, bloat you up, and dry out your breath. Why would I want to eat something made out of arsenic?
-Check out the book, “Deceptively Delicious”. Sure, it was made to help parents feed their kids veggies, but it has some great recipes that are also vegan! Jessica Seinfield has yummy alternatives to sweets&meals using veggies like sweet potato and squash to help you eat the most veggies possible.
http://www.deceptivelydelicious.com/site/
http://www.amazon.com/Deceptively-Delicious-Simple-Secrets-Eating/dp/0061251348
I have gotten into the habit of drinking a big glass of tea every morning during class. It’s a perfect start in the winter, after a cold bike to school, and it keeps my stomach under control until lunch (I often don’t have time for breakfast, nor the money to stock handy little eat-on-the-go sorts of foods).
On the weekends I’ll wake up and snack on applesauce, it’s good for energy. Twice-baked potatos are also wonderful — you can save them in the fridge and reheat quickly if you need to run out the door with a handful of food, plus, you can stuff them with all sorts of veggies and cheese.
The hardest thing for me is managing my time to cook and eat, as well as figuring out how to eat well on a very tight budget. I’d be very intersted in hearing what you experience in your cooking adventures.
Congrats on taking control of your diet! I know you have experience, but just make sure to warn your boyfriend of the potential pitfalls of cutting meat out of your diet. I truly respect anyone who does, but for me personally, if I don’t have a modest amount of lean red meat in my diet I get extremely weak and anemic. Be safe and good luck!
Hey Gala
You’re so right about Skinny Bitch. I started reading it, but have stopped. I thought it would be good… tell me how to eat well… but all it did was frighten me into eating foods that I don’t like… ie tofu, soy, etc.
I’m afraid that if I eat something wrong, one of those women is gonna show up and beat me to death with the book… hahaha little strange.
But on the other hand, I have become more aware of what I’m eating. I’ve stopped drink soft drink (I was addicted to it) and now all I drink is water, and I’m very proud of myself.
Anyway Thanks for all your insightful blogs. and keep them coming! O_o
Gala
Obviously you’ve received a ton of comments but let me add my two cents:
Traditional oatmeal is very very easy and can be customized to whatever you want to put in.
Also, I have a really easy bagel recipe which gives great results (I can’t eat store bought bagels – they give me an upset stomach).
Drop me an email if you want the recipes.
Luv
Poochie
princesspoochie@shoedaydreams.com
You know, your article made me think,
“Gee, the only thing I have for breakfast is a cup of coffee and then I don’t even eat until after 2:00 due to school. What the heck am I running on!?”
But as for breakfast tips for you,
Greek Yogurt is pretty good, it’s much more filling and better tasting than regular yogurt, even if it’s a dollar more expensive it’s worth it! The containers are bigger and have a re-closable top so you can finish it tomorrow.
Bagels. Though I think it’s hard to find these outside of America, right? They taste great though, if you ever go back to New York try it with some cream cheese.