So you want to eat healthily?

[vegyjones]

You decide that the flab has to go, and you are fed up walking around town waddling like a penguin!

But all that you have in your freezer are

Processed Quarter Pounders
Frozen Minced Meat
Variously Filled Frozen Pies
Microwave Ready Chicken Curry's
and Frozen Deep Fried Chips.

What should (or do) you buy and stock in the freezer / fridge / cupboard in order to ensure that your diet is a healthy one?

Recipe ideas would also be good,
as even a check on google only brings you to subscription sites :yikes:

[mathare]

I would suggest that what you need is fresh fruit and vegetables and lots of them. Avoid processed and frozen food and go with natural goodness.

Depends on what the object of the healthy diet is though. Is it a maintenance diet to keep a body ticking over, is it a weight-loss diet etc. Sounds like the latter to me. In which case you need to control the calorie and fat intake and use veg as a filler to keep your body from craving the processed food you used to eat.

Why am I giving healthy eating advice? I don't eat any fruit or veg and never have done :yikes:

[MattR]

Mat, I was just reading through that and thinking hang on didn't you order a giant pizza for the weekend the other week :D Then I saw you last bit!

[John]

In order to maintain a healthy diet you should be eating fresh fruit and vegetables every day, or at least regularly, a few times a week. Try and add lots of variety into your diet so that you're getting plenty of vitamins and nutrients that your body needs to stay healthy. This also has side benefits such as lower stress levels and higher amounts of energy. You also need to ditch the processed foods, stop buying ready meals because processed food is really not good for you. I can't cook to save my life but even I have stopped buying these now. They're also very expensive for what they are, and you can make something much tastier by yourself, also this is much cheaper.

You ought to be trying to stay consistent as well with what you eat. Try buying meat too, for example chicken and having this with vegetables, potatoes, carrots, and something green. Again you don't have to do this every day but try and do it regularly. As long as you are eating healthily and adding variety to your diet then you will benefit from this.

Also I would recommend that you join the gym. Even if you go once a week, it's a start isn't it? Gyms these days are very good, some gyms offer trial memberships which tend to be free or cost very little. A gym instructor can help you to lose weight by giving you a program dedicated to suit your body.

Hope this helps, and good luck!

[Win2Win]

It's quicker to stir fry fresh veg in olive oil than to open a tin and heat it up. Throw on some tuna/mackarel/salmon.

Boiled new potatoes in skins...(but not those from Israel :) )

[mathare]

Mat, I was just reading through that and thinking hang on didn't you order a giant pizza for the weekend the other week :DNope. It was two big pizzas actually :D

[vegyjones]

So are frozen vegetables a no-no.

Get peas from a tin and other veg fresh - yes?

Right a fishy stir fry sounds okay,
but what about the other 6 days a week - come one people - help me! :D

[Win2Win]

A thick soup......
Water - chicken stock - sweetcorn - sea salt - black pepper - egg - chicken
Boil the chicken breast first, then dice up.
Add fresh sweetcorn (crispier than tinned)
Mix together cook slowly
Stir in egg before serving.
Nice served with French bread & spring roles.

[MattR]

Is there any point to sweetcorn? Doesn't it come out as it goes in :D

[andyp]

Vegy, quickest and cheapest way to a helath lifestyle.


Buy frozen chicken breasts
Buy plenty of fresh vegetables
Buy fresh fruit


You can buy lots of these relatively cheaply, and have varied meals each night.

Chicken stir fry

Chicken with melted cheese, potatoes and veg.

Jacket Potato and chicken salad.

The same can be done with fish!

All of these are cheap and take about 5 mins to make and they taste miles better than the frozen :censored: they sell.

Also, eat a piece of fruit regularly for a snack, instead of crisps or chocolate. Drink plenty of water.... cheap and good for you! :wink

[vegyjones]

Chicken with melted cheese, potatoes and veg.
And what?

You can't go to tell me something and then stop! :doh

[andyp]

And what?

You can't go to tell me something and then stop! :doh

ooops, here was the rest:

...and veg smear it all over keiths naked body and enjoy! :yikes:

[Win2Win]

Ooooo er :D I'll get the olive oil :)

[vegyjones]

Oh, and by the way,
I had no idea you could boil chicken? :ooo

How long do you have to boil it for before it is cooked safely?

[Vic]

Oh, and by the way,
I had no idea you could boil chicken? :ooo

How long do you have to boil it for before it is cooked safely?Till it's skin goes wrinkly:D

Small(ish) amounts and regular meals will help - cut out snacking
Lean meats, but stick mainly to poultry (without the skin) and fish (particularly oily fish)
Fresh veg and fresh fruit - and frozen veg is fine if time is an issue with fresh

Cut out fizzy pops, as far as possible replace with water (from the tap is just fine)

You'll feel like a new man vegy, and your kids will thank you in years to come if you give them good eating habits

[Win2Win]

:doh You can boil any meat!

Making soup stock from boiling pork ribs is lovely, especially with lentils/beans/sweetcorn (very good for you).

If you want something cheap.
Dark soy sauce, sea salt/black pepper. mix a bit in a bowl, and soak a pork chop in the fridge for an hour (turning it)....then stick in foil, and oven it.......add mash :)

[podtog]

Olive oil has a reputation for good cholestral when in fact once you heat it, all the good stuff is gone and your left with the bad, its ok to heat very very lightly cooked on low heat but uncooked is where the goodness lies.

[sparkyminer]

Olive oil has a reputation for good cholestral when in fact once you heat it, all the good stuff is gone and your left with the bad, its ok to heat very very lightly cooked on low heat but uncooked is where the goodness lies.
I was under that impression as well Pod but apparently it's only the flavour that breaks down, all the goodness remains.:)

[presto]

one of the best things to do is just cook everything for yourself. as you know what you are putting in your food and you will notice any bad things you are tempted to put in and limit or substitute them.

as keith point's out stir frys are great. - one thing i like to do is lightly boil the veg first. just put the cut veg into your wock / frying pan and cover with boiling water from the kettle for a few minuites. not enough to fully cook the veg - just enough to slightly soften it. (cooking / boiling veg for too long takes away all the goodness), then drain the water and leave to steam a while whilst cooking the chicken off - then combine the chicken and veg and lightly stir fry.
also i like fresh ginger and garlic with the stir fry, cut finely and cook in a little water (in the wok first), a cheety way is to use a spoonfull of mango chuckney and water, this just add's a little extra to the stir fry. i aqlso tend to stick clear of soy sauce due to the high sodium content.

[presto]

olive oil isn't great to cook with though, as it breaks down under high temperatures and dosn't taste great. instead of garlic bread - cook some baguettes up, toast and drizzle olive oil over it. - you can also flavour the oil by adding garlic or chopped chillies to it.

[sparkyminer]

http://www.oliveoilsource.com/cooking_olive_oil.htm
They said it not me.:)

[TheOldhamWhisper]

My personal favourite is a warm chicken salad. I buy fresh chicken and bone it myself but you can pick up boneless and skinless chicken breasts from most supermarkets or butchers.

Lightly oil a nonstick frying pan (I use Sesame Oil). Place the chicken in the pan and cook on a low to medium heat for around 12 miutes each side. Ensure chicken is cooked thouroughly by slicing lengthways and checking all the meat is white.

Get an ambitious mix of salad leaves (fresh is best but you can buy prepacked). NEVER cut leaves, always tear them. For an extra crispy salad, put the leaves in the freezer for about 10 mins before serving.

Try to be different and use 3 different sorts of tomato. I love beef tomato slices, cherry tomatoes (on the vine) and sun blush (sundried) tomatoes which can be bought marinated in oliveoil and spices.

Tear up some fresh basil to garnish the tomatoes.

I also like to throw in some olives stuffed with anchovy paste just to round it off.

Serve with rye bread rubbed with tomato and drizzled with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

[presto]

spinach / watercress is also much better to use than lettuice, when doing salads - watercress has a slightly peppery taste, and both are packed full of vitaimins and minerals, unlike lettuice which dosn't really have much nutritional value. for a dressing honey and balsamic vinager (can add olive oil) works very well.

[Profit Seeker]

I buy fresh chicken and bone it myself
Did you get that idea off animal farm? :ooo :D

[vegyjones]

Did you get that idea off animal farm? :ooo :D
:laugh