Kitchen

[DecorDiva]

@house cat - good luck with the Whole 30.  I can't imagine making such a delicious looking pie and not being able to eat any of it!  I did the Whole 30 back in May to see if I reacted to any of the food groups. I was very strict with it and I only went out to eat once.  I ate a lot of eggs and grilled meat and veggies.  While not a "diet", I lost about 5 pounds.  I did do a lot of meal preparation.  One thing it did seem to do was reset my taste buds.  Some things just didn't taste the same after the Whole 30.  I was a pretty healthy eater to begin with, so I didn't experience a lot of things other people may with a radical diet change.  I hope you have good results!. 

[KaySD]

Oh, @house cat, you hit the nail on the head. It's so easy to heat up frozen potstickers. Or have crackers and cheese for dinner. 

The thing that gets me is not wanting to cook and clean up three times a day. If I can make two meals at a time and warm up the second, and then do something dead easy like chicken/celery salad (love that little chopper from QVC) for the third meal, I can get through the day. But if I cook breakfast, say a chicken breast and steamed broccoli, and eat eggs or egg salad for lunch, I get to dinner and just don't want to bother. That's when anything in my house that I can just eat with no prep starts calling my name. 

Soup is a savior sometimes. I can put a bunch of things in the pressure cooker or slow cooker and have several meals out of that. Or the other half of my breakfast meal can go in the pot with a few fresh things and some bone broth, and cook themselves for me. 

Root veggies are my other downfall. I know I don't need those carbs, even though they're less of a problem than grains. But I absolutely crave them--potatoes, yams, beets, carrots, parsnips, you name it. I feel that the more I allow myself to eat them, the longer I'll stay addicted to them, and yet...

Do you deal with that one? 

[traveler]

I cook for 3 adults so if they don't feel like a healthy salad it will be trashed.  I want easy and meals they will eat.  No baking anymore except for cookies once and awhile.  Small portions of meat because I just don't want to put up with anything I can't toss in a slow cooker.

[151949]

I cook what we like - I agree with the person who said some of the "healthful" foods are too unusual - esp. for my DH. For dinner tonight we are having pork chops cooked on the grill, and grilled broccoli & cauliflower,  a small stouffers mac & cheese divided between us it's only a half cup each. We do watch our portions - but we eat the foods we like. My amish neighbor gave me some snickerdoodles she made today so we will probably have one for dessert. So some of you will say that sounds like a nice meal and some of the food police will attack me.

[house_cat]

@DecorDiva

I'm not finding the program too difficult.  I'm almost three weeks in, and don't have any cravings, though last night when dH brought out the bbque chips, I decided to go to bed. It was safer that way, lol.

The thing I find hardest about it is that there are NO SHORTCUTS!  I even made my own mayonnaise and it's time to whip up another batch.  I made chicken noodle soup for my husband last night, and had to keep the noodles separate. It's that sort of thing that wears me down.

Probably the hardest thing was going caffeine free.  I only drank two cups of coffee a day, but I'd keep a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge and drink it like water, so i guess I was more caffeine addicted than I thought I was. It took me more than a week to really feel "over it".  I found a wonderful tea that is naturally caffeine free, organic and full of anti-oxidants. I don't feel deprived at all.  If anyone is interested it's THIS ONE.

@KaySD

I think I'd be sunk if not for potatoes. I'm allowed those, as long as they're not deep fried or mixed with butter, milk, cheese.  I eat lots of carrots, always have, and sweet potatoes are also included in my diet.  I do agree with you, that I'd be lost without those.

[Noel7]

I have pretty high standards for healthy meals so sometimes if I'm not doing OK I come up with some that don't fit those standards and which are pretty boring.

Chicken, salad, veg.  It doesn't get more boring than that.  On a really bad day it's Progresso lite soup or Lean Cuisine.  I have numerous frozen vegan foods for myself.

[Noel7]

One of the most healthy things you can eat is a piece of salmon.  It has so many good nutrients and it is on the list of top recommended foods from the American Heart Association.

You can fry it in a non-stick skillet or bake it in the oven or grill it.

You can have it plain and fast if you don't want to put any effort into it, or top before cooking with a little pesto or teriyaki sauce or mix of sugarless fruit preserves with a little added Dijon, for example.

[DiAnne]

I have been trying to practice clean eating (no processed foods)  for the last few years.  I also try to avoid making foods with very fattening items (lots of cheese, sour cream, etc).  I do believe in moderation in all things and sometimes when the urge for cheese (my favorite food) overcomes I will buy an expensive wedge of Camembert and upscale crackers and eat that for dinner or when laziness gets to me I will have a big bowl of popcorn for dinner!

[Tyak]

I don't believe in strict and limited diets because I'm not willing to live the rest of my life denying myself  what I enjoy.  Food is enjoyable and at times a comfort.  I think that everything in moderation is a good plan to follow.  Now, if I were forbidden to have certain foods because of a health problem, of course I'd cut that particular food from my lifestyle.

[Sooner]

Sometimes it is easier to go to go out.  But most of the time we eat healthy meals whether quick or not.  If you don't keep less healthy choices, it isn't quicker.

We stock up on good canned salmon and tuna; frozen salmon fillets; frozen cooked beans and packets of rice; frozen home cooked greens; canned sardines (I LOVE 'em!); whole wheat breads and english muffins; frozen or jarred pasta saucess that aren't too bad and ww pasta to be nuked and put together with some cooked chicken, cottage cheese or other cheese and maybe mushrooms and or olives; etc.  Frozen broccoli that can be nuked and added, frozen peas, etc.

We have on hand cooked chicken or turkey and broth; carrots and celery, potatoes, onions, and maybe frozen or canned beans of some kind for a quick veggie or taco or noodle soup that actually takes minutes.

We can do that about as easy as a lot of frozen foods that aren't really so good for you.

I know how to throw these things together, clean up while it is cooking and serve from the cooking container about as fast as we can eat out or maybe even faster than heating up the oven and cooking some freezer food from the store. 

Oh and a lot of sheet pan roasted dinners with meats and fresh veggies are really quick!  And crispy sheet pan white or sweet potato fries are great!