Help me eat healthier

[Deleted]

Feb 24, 2014 16:09:53 GMT -5 Angel! said:

Feb 24, 2014 15:58:42 GMT -5 @wrongsideof30 said:

We eat a lot of broccoli. Do you guys like that?

DD loves broccoli.  DD is a lot less picky than DS.  DS's attitude is part of the reason I realized I need to change what I am doing now when he is young & before the other kids become like him.  He basically hates all veggies - even kid stuff like baby carrots & corn & peas.  He has started complaining about everything I cook.  He doesn't even like spaghetti if it has a different shape of pasta in it.  Maybe it is just his age because he is rebelling against stuff he use to eat without a problem. 

I wouldn't make a big deal about it....just put out lots of fruit for him and veggies for DD and maybe he'll try them....I also don't see the big deal if you eat veggies at 4 and then don't want any at dinner.  my mother used to get on me about letting my kids have a banana at 5 pm - they won't eat their dinner - so what, it's not like their snacking on chocolate chip cookies.  I'm not a big fan of you must only eat at certain times.  if the only choices are reasonably heathly, they can have it at any time.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Feb 24, 2014 16:20:48 GMT -5 Angel! said:

Feb 24, 2014 16:15:35 GMT -5 @wrongsideof30 said:

How old is he? Does he snack a lot? My great grandpa used to say something like "if it ain't good, you're not hungry". I would try cutting out afternoon snacks and possibly pushing back dinner time. When the kids start swarming because they're hungry, put out the salad and watch them gobble it up. 

He is 5. It might have to do with not being hungry enough because I think he gets an after school snack every day around 4:00. We usually eat around 6 or 6:30. 

Yep, it's probably a mixture of not hungry and wanting to be different from you or something along those lines.  I make my kids try anything they say they don't like, min. 1 bite.  Sometimes more if I know it's something they normally do like and I think they're just being weird (well, weirder than normal.) 

[michelyn8]

Feb 24, 2014 16:03:09 GMT -5 Angel! said:

Feb 24, 2014 15:55:17 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I consider cous cous to be a "good enough" food.  I suppose it depends on what you're going for. 

It is probably a step up from ramen, so it is getting my family in the right direction.

I tried to make quinoa the other night.  I read it was super healthy & found a recipe that made a fruit salad with it.  The kids thought it was the yuckiest thing ever.  I had never even heard of quinoa before, so I don't know if that was actually a good use of it or if there are better things to make with it.

A lady I went to school with posted an article about ways to fix quinoa on FB a couple weeks ago.  She's trying to cut out processed foods for her and her family.  I can't remember how they were done but I found a recipe on Pinterest few days later for Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers that used quinoa instead of rice that I shared with her.  Sounded pretty good except for the fact I don't really like Mexican food.  I thought of trying the substitution in our normal stuff bell pepper recipe to see how that worked out.  My son eats it all the time and fixes it just like he would rice.  I found it kind of bland the one time he offered it to me, but he also hadn't seasoned it much that meal either.

[michelyn8]

Oh and another substitution I made a year or so back was to use ground turkey in anything I would normally use ground beef.  We use it in spaghetti, Manwich, stuffed peppers or each just scrambled with gravy over rice/potatoes.  We tried "normal" ground beef once or twice after the switch and our systems just couldn't handle it anymore.  I still like my beef but now stick with beef tips or the cuts meant for stir fry.

[Pants]

Feb 24, 2014 16:06:59 GMT -5 @wrongsideof30 said:

Do you and the kids like southwest flavors? I have an excellent quinoa recipe with black beans, corn, red peppers, avacado, and a cilantro lime dressing. 

Post please!

Nevermind, I see it!

[Cookies Galore]

Feb 24, 2014 16:03:09 GMT -5 Angel! said:

Feb 24, 2014 15:55:17 GMT -5 NomoreDramaQ1015 said:

I consider cous cous to be a "good enough" food.  I suppose it depends on what you're going for. 

It is probably a step up from ramen, so it is getting my family in the right direction.

I tried to make quinoa the other night.  I read it was super healthy & found a recipe that made a fruit salad with it.  The kids thought it was the yuckiest thing ever.  I had never even heard of quinoa before, so I don't know if that was actually a good use of it or if there are better things to make with it.

I am a quinoa fanatic! My favorite recipe is quinoa tacos, which calls for diced tomato, black beans, corn, and delicious spices. This week I am making quinoa with kale, sweet potatoes, and mushrooms. I might add it to the veggie chili I'm making tomorrow night. Kale or spinach salads with quinoa and lemon vinaigrette are easy and delicious!

[sheilaincali]

Fruit- my friend's kids are freaks for fruit. They absolutely love fruit. She taught me how to make this super simple fruit salad and now we make it anytime we have brunch.  Crazy simple.

Buy fruit, cut it up, put in bowl and mix. Good way to give them a variety and try to trick/convince them to try a fruit that might not normally eat.  Small batches (only keeps for a day or two once it's mixed). Blueberries, strawberries, bananas, pineapple, etc. The natural juices from the fruit is enough to give it almost a "sauce" type thing.  You can do this with any fruit basically. We've added Kiwis, raspberries, grapes, etc.  It's just sweet enough that kids will think it's a dessert.

Maybe you all already made fruit salads like that. I never had until a few months ago. DH always argues with me when we are at the grocery store because he thinks I need to buy a fruit juice type thing to mix in.  I have to reassure him that I never add that crap and once it's all mixed up he's shocked that it tastes so good without the added crap.

[Deleted]

Feb 24, 2014 16:48:16 GMT -5 michelyn8 said:

Oh and another substitution I made a year or so back was to use ground turkey in anything I would normally use ground beef.  We use it in spaghetti, Manwich, stuffed peppers or each just scrambled with gravy over rice/potatoes.  We tried "normal" ground beef once or twice after the switch and our systems just couldn't handle it anymore.  I still like my beef but now stick with beef tips or the cuts meant for stir fry.

Angel already mentioned this and we all told her that it wasn't necessarilly healthier if she wasn't using all white meat turkey

[saveinla]

Feb 24, 2014 16:27:54 GMT -5 @wrongsideof30 said:

Feb 24, 2014 16:14:52 GMT -5 saveinla said:

Can you please post this? Thanks

I always have to play around with the dressing to get it to my liking. I add a little honey and a few other things. 

centercutcook.com/southwest-quinoa-salad/


Thank you. I tried this one and it was good too
- www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/greek-quinoa-salad-recipe.html

[cronewitch]

Try telling them the veggies are for adults only, too good for children who don't appreciate them. They will then want to try them. My great niece spent a whole meal sneaking aspergrus off daddy's plate when he wasn't looking with her mom's help. She giggled every piece.

To find variety to try get a diet exchange list that has two list of veggies, low carb and high carb. Then use the first list to get ideas and if you see one you don't know try it.

Prep tomorrow's dinner after dinner while cleaning up.

Omelets make a quick meal, you can put several veggies in and no dairy and bits of meat if you want it. Look up Denver omelet and you will get ideas for veggies like tomato, bell people, mushroom, spinach, onions.

Soups can have almost anything in them, try some spices to hide flavors or enhance them. I like oregano, garlic, pepper, ginger, curry but never use salt. I just made some curried soup with rice, frozen veggies, leftover chicken breast, canned cream of chicken soup, curry and ginger it was very flavorful.

Raw veggies are fine with or without dip. I used pieces of raw red or green cabbage for mindless snacking.

[HoneyBBQ]

If y'all like couscous and quinoa, you should try wheatberries. Much heartier and filling (but also take longer to cook).



www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/wheat-berry-salad-recipe2.html

[Deleted]

Tonight was caprese salad with wheat Italian bread... Cuz I'm lazy.  

[Malarky]

I made sweet and sour chicken in the crockpot. Cut up chicken breast, pineapple juice, soy sauce and brown sugar. I tossed in in while I was reading the Doxie thead this afternoon.

Served with coconut rice-rice, water and shredded coconut.  And raw sliced yellow, orange and red peppers. 

"Reasonably" healthy.  Could be better, but little effort on my part.

And everyone loved it.  No leftovers. 

[Malarky]

 duplicate post

[Cookies Galore]

Shrimp, broccoli, and brown rice. The rest of the week will be more inspired. :-)

[Deleted]

Angel, do you have a freezer? (Not even a separate freezer, even a compartment in your fridge.)

We stock up on frozen green veggies. Spinach, green peans, snap peas (kids LOVE those!)

We also buy / serve raw carrots, cukes, (cherry) tomatoes, radishes, broccoli. Kids generally like them, and they are GREAT with sandwiches. 

I would start there ... with a raw veggie mix once or twice a week (carrots, cukes, radishes, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, you don't need to serve all of them), and a cooked veggie or two per week, and a fresh salad or two per week. 

I'd find some permutation of those three things: cooked veggies just twice a week, raw veggies twice a week, and salad twice a week. 

There are also soups. 

Also, you can cook fruit. One of my best friends is Australian, and they cook fruit a lot. Having learnt from her, now I regularly cook apples / pears / pineapples as an accompaniment to meat. 

Also, your kids are little ... get them used to soup, it's a great way to get veggies into them. For now you can buy it ready made, or frozen, don't worry about making it yourself.

[Sunnyday]

I think the real problem is a time management problem. You resort to processed foods because they are quicker.

Have you thought about meal planning? Taking 15-30 minutes to plan your meals for the week saves you time.

Becuase you no longer have to think about it, and you can prep ahead of time.

Wr also don't force ourselves to cook from scratch every day.

We make sure to have left over nights and one day in which we always eat the same thing.

So example;

Sunday: roast beef/potato+cauliflower purée/steamed veggies (lots of work)

Monday: Breakfast for dinner (little work and Mondays are always breakfast for dinner)

Tuesday: Roast beef leftovers (no work)

Wednesday: Indian curry/rice (medium work)

Thursday: Always Italian night (pizza, spaghetti, pasta). Assembled at home, meaning ingredients bought at store, but then assembled at home and minimal cooking

Friday: leftovers or something frozen (no work)

Saturday: fish and/or some a labor intensive dish, usually a new dish (lots of work)

So you see, we aren't trying to make from scratch meals everyday. Wr do left overs and lots of no brainier meals along with the from scratch cooking. We also do batch cooking.

We rarely do fast food or restaurants. We plan ahead.

[Miss Tequila]

Have you tried Lunchables??

Lol

[Shooby]

It kind of depends on what your definition of eating "healthier" is.  I think butter is "healthier' than margarine.  I think corn syrup is a far bigger problem than sugar. I don't drink diet drinks because I think NutraSweet is unhealthy.  So, I guess it depends on your end goal.  Obviously, more fruits and veggies are good for anyone. And, you can get more fruits by making smoothies and blending them up. I am not a big fan of fruit but I love veggies.   I a big variety of frozen veggies and I simply take the frozen veggies and put them in a microwave bowl and zap them. No fuss, no muss. A bit of salt and a bit of butter and a good healthy snack.

[michelyn8]

Feb 25, 2014 6:46:47 GMT -5 Shooby said:

It kind of depends on what your definition of eating "healthier" is.  I think butter is "healthier' than margarine.  I think corn syrup is a far bigger problem than sugar. I don't drink diet drinks because I think NutraSweet is unhealthy.  So, I guess it depends on your end goal.  Obviously, more fruits and veggies are good for anyone. And, you can get more fruits by making smoothies and blending them up. I am not a big fan of fruit but I love veggies.   I a big variety of frozen veggies and I simply take the frozen veggies and put them in a microwave bowl and zap them. No fuss, no muss. A bit of salt and a bit of butter and a good healthy snack.

Shooby I agree with you 100%.  A lot of people will use sugar substitutes because they are supposed to be "better" than sugar or corn syrup.  What they fail to think about is that the majority of these substitutes are "processed" and come with a different set of problems.  What's worse, the government allows sucralose, which is essentially NutraSweet/asparatame, to be used without obvious labeling so unless you're a label reader or can always taste it you don't even know its there.    I bought a Seagrams Ginger Ale a while back and had to it because it tasted wrong.  When I read the label, I found it now contains sucralose - hence their claim for lower calories on their label.  I've become even more conscientious of checking ingredients since then. I just wish there was a better option for diabetics. 

I also switched from margarine to butter last year and now buy milk that has no added hormones.  I really only use the milk it in my coffee but have noticed fewer dairy intolerance issues since the switch.  Same with DGD. 

[Shooby]

I buy the "throwback" Pepsi and Mountain Dew that have cane sugar instead of corn syrup. And, yes, pop isn't healthy but I drink a can of it every once in awhile.   Live life in moderation. I don't diet and never have. I watch what I eat. If I go through a spell of eating the wrong things, then I just take it back to earth and purposefully include more fruits, protein, veggies.

I don't particularly like whole wheat bread. So, I don't eat it. I like white bread. But, I don't eat tons of bread so I eat what I like.

[Shooby]

For me, healthy means lots of fruits, veggies and protein and cutting down on carbs. I eat eggs practically every day. I don't buy into the "cholesterol" thing. I also don't buy into low fat. I like whole milk. I buy whole milk for my kids.  And, I believe red meat is healthy. Yes, I am not going to eat a 32 oz steak, but a small steak with some veggies is in my opinion, a very healthy meal.

[michelyn8]

When I was growing up, my mother had an American Woman's Cookbook.  She didn't use it often, only when she was fixing something she hadn't in a while or as a reference when looking for a way to fix something different.  She tossed it when I was a young adult, but I found one from the 1930's in a junk store about 10 years ago and have used it as a reference many, many times.  Its an interesting read but the best part is that it is designed for someone who knows nothing as much as for someone who knows what they are doing. 

The section on menu making is definately worth a read and will show you just how far downhill we've gone in the last 70-80 years with our diets. Its starts at page 47 of the version I've linked below. 


archive.org/details/americwomanscook00delirich

[Formerly SK]

Leftovers are HUGE in my house.  I only cook maybe 2-3 times/wk.  If I were you, I'd cook a big pot of spaghetti sauce (or whatever) on Sunday and eat that for most of the week.

I also think cooking is overrated.  IMO meals should be about protein/carbs/fats.  Veggies and fruits are a must of course.  But I don't see the difference between a turkey sandwich on ww bread with carrot sticks on the side and meatloaf with mashed potatoes and sauteed broccoli.  The latter is more traditional, but the former is just as healthy (probably more so) and it takes five minutes to prepare.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with eating raw veggies, either.  Please don't feel pressure to cook you veggies!!!

The best way I've found to get veggies into my kids is to have them be a snack.  Set some frozen peas in a bowl and they'll munch on them throughout the day.  Same with carrot sticks, or in the summer you could use seasonal produce.  My kids love it and it takes the pressure off eating their veggies at dinnertime.  My kids also prefer raw veggies, so arguing with them to eat cooked ones is frustrating.

I have lots of foodie friends and I really admire their love of cooking.  I wish I was more like them in some ways.  But I'm not, and it's silly for me to try and mimic them when the idea of spending two hours in the kitchen makes me want to stab myself.  I've come up with a system that works for me without compromising on health.  Find out what works for you and don't worry about whether it's "normal" or not. 

[Deleted]

Feb 25, 2014 9:41:30 GMT -5 Formerly SK said:

Leftovers are HUGE in my house.  I only cook maybe 2-3 times/wk.  If I were you, I'd cook a big pot of spaghetti sauce (or whatever) on Sunday and eat that for most of the week.

I also think cooking is overrated.  IMO meals should be about protein/carbs/fats.  Veggies and fruits are a must of course.  But I don't see the difference between a turkey sandwich on ww bread with carrot sticks on the side and meatloaf with mashed potatoes and sauteed broccoli.  The latter is more traditional, but the former is just as healthy (probably more so) and it takes five minutes to prepare.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with eating raw veggies, either.  Please don't feel pressure to cook you veggies!!!

The best way I've found to get veggies into my kids is to have them be a snack.  Set some frozen peas in a bowl and they'll munch on them throughout the day.  Same with carrot sticks, or in the summer you could use seasonal produce.  My kids love it and it takes the pressure off eating their veggies at dinnertime.  My kids also prefer raw veggies, so arguing with them to eat cooked ones is frustrating.

I have lots of foodie friends and I really admire their love of cooking.  I wish I was more like them in some ways.  But I'm not, and it's silly for me to try and mimic them when the idea of spending two hours in the kitchen makes me want to stab myself.  I've come up with a system that works for me without compromising on health.  Find out what works for you and don't worry about whether it's "normal" or not. 

if time is an issue, I certainly wouldn't spend it making spaghetti sauce - you can get it from a jar and it's just as good.  just remember KISS - no need for gourmet.

[sarcasticgirl]

Feb 25, 2014 9:49:18 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Feb 25, 2014 9:41:30 GMT -5 Formerly SK said:

Leftovers are HUGE in my house.  I only cook maybe 2-3 times/wk.  If I were you, I'd cook a big pot of spaghetti sauce (or whatever) on Sunday and eat that for most of the week.

I also think cooking is overrated.  IMO meals should be about protein/carbs/fats.  Veggies and fruits are a must of course.  But I don't see the difference between a turkey sandwich on ww bread with carrot sticks on the side and meatloaf with mashed potatoes and sauteed broccoli.  The latter is more traditional, but the former is just as healthy (probably more so) and it takes five minutes to prepare.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with eating raw veggies, either.  Please don't feel pressure to cook you veggies!!!

The best way I've found to get veggies into my kids is to have them be a snack.  Set some frozen peas in a bowl and they'll munch on them throughout the day.  Same with carrot sticks, or in the summer you could use seasonal produce.  My kids love it and it takes the pressure off eating their veggies at dinnertime.  My kids also prefer raw veggies, so arguing with them to eat cooked ones is frustrating.

I have lots of foodie friends and I really admire their love of cooking.  I wish I was more like them in some ways.  But I'm not, and it's silly for me to try and mimic them when the idea of spending two hours in the kitchen makes me want to stab myself.  I've come up with a system that works for me without compromising on health.  Find out what works for you and don't worry about whether it's "normal" or not. 

if time is an issue, I certainly wouldn't spend it making spaghetti sauce - you can get it from a jar and it's just as good.  just remember KISS - no need for gourmet.

I make my own sauce during the summer, once I've gotten fresh tomatoes from the farmers market or gone to a upick farm and picked my own... it tastes infinitely better than the stuff in the jar. it is magical!  

But if i didn't have time, I wouldn't bother... if i didn't enjoy cooking... i wouldn't bother either. 

[NancysSummerSip]

I made a vegetable-based pasta sauce over the weekend - from butternut squash. Peeled it, cubed it, roasted it in the oven with olive oil, salt, pepper. Cooled it, then pureed the cubes. Added grated cheese, sauteed mushrooms, onions and garlic.

I had some left over last night, so I did what singlemominmd suggests - I added some jarred spaghetti sauce to it, plus some sauteed green and red peppers and a bit of wine. Still a good sauce, still lots of veggies, and no waste of leftovers.

[Formerly SK]

Feb 25, 2014 9:49:18 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Feb 25, 2014 9:41:30 GMT -5 Formerly SK said:

Leftovers are HUGE in my house.  I only cook maybe 2-3 times/wk.  If I were you, I'd cook a big pot of spaghetti sauce (or whatever) on Sunday and eat that for most of the week.

I also think cooking is overrated.  IMO meals should be about protein/carbs/fats.  Veggies and fruits are a must of course.  But I don't see the difference between a turkey sandwich on ww bread with carrot sticks on the side and meatloaf with mashed potatoes and sauteed broccoli.  The latter is more traditional, but the former is just as healthy (probably more so) and it takes five minutes to prepare.  There's absolutely nothing wrong with eating raw veggies, either.  Please don't feel pressure to cook you veggies!!!

The best way I've found to get veggies into my kids is to have them be a snack.  Set some frozen peas in a bowl and they'll munch on them throughout the day.  Same with carrot sticks, or in the summer you could use seasonal produce.  My kids love it and it takes the pressure off eating their veggies at dinnertime.  My kids also prefer raw veggies, so arguing with them to eat cooked ones is frustrating.

I have lots of foodie friends and I really admire their love of cooking.  I wish I was more like them in some ways.  But I'm not, and it's silly for me to try and mimic them when the idea of spending two hours in the kitchen makes me want to stab myself.  I've come up with a system that works for me without compromising on health.  Find out what works for you and don't worry about whether it's "normal" or not. 

if time is an issue, I certainly wouldn't spend it making spaghetti sauce - you can get it from a jar and it's just as good.  just remember KISS - no need for gourmet.

Definitely - spaghetti sauce was probably a bad example.    Although, I do love my spaghetti sauce and it's just as easy to make it from scratch as it is to add stuff to the jarred version. 

[Cookies Galore]

Feb 25, 2014 9:56:41 GMT -5 sarcasticgirl said:

Feb 25, 2014 9:49:18 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

if time is an issue, I certainly wouldn't spend it making spaghetti sauce - you can get it from a jar and it's just as good.  just remember KISS - no need for gourmet.

I make my own sauce during the summer, once I've gotten fresh tomatoes from the farmers market or gone to a upick farm and picked my own... it tastes infinitely better than the stuff in the jar. it is magical!  

But if i didn't have time, I wouldn't bother... if i didn't enjoy cooking... i wouldn't bother either. 

Same here! I love fresh sauce in the summer and it's so easy! I could never bring myself to buy a jar of sauce.

[NancysSummerSip]

Feb 25, 2014 10:07:54 GMT -5 Formerly SK said:

Feb 25, 2014 9:49:18 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

if time is an issue, I certainly wouldn't spend it making spaghetti sauce - you can get it from a jar and it's just as good.  just remember KISS - no need for gourmet.

Definitely - spaghetti sauce was probably a bad example.    Although, I do love my spaghetti sauce and it's just as easy to make it from scratch as it is to add stuff to the jarred version. 

I thought spaghetti sauce was actually a good example. The fresh pomodoro sauce, which is perfect when made from summer tomatoes, is one that should not be long-simmered. I have a recipe, from the great James Beard, that takes less than a half-hour, and just has tomatoes, olive oil, garlic and a few spices.

Or you can do the classic long-simmered tomato sauce (good use for a crockpot, but oil the inside of the crockpot first, for less sticking), and instead of packing into large containers, try freezing it in ice cube trays and bagging the sauce cubes (I do this with homemade stock, too). Then, when you only need a small amount, you can get a small amount.