Food CHoices

[beth6395]

Ok I sent another email on the Ask Cathe forum about having a Clean eating menu bar, in the meantime, I really want to clean up my eating. I want to do the six small meals so could you all please give me ideas I do not want to spend a lot of money to make receipes just good food choices for me to have to keep me full. I know some of you drink the protein drinks can you tell me why and when I should drink them? I have been reading the Fitness MAgazines and they talk about them too just to many to pick from. What about ideas to take the chocolate crave away? That seems to be what I crave daily. 3 years ago I did the No Pop New Years Resolution and I have been strictly water ever since but no matter what I can't give up the chocolate and I think that and bread and butter keep me from getting definition. I am 5'8 and I weigh 145 I would like to get to 125-130 so I need to make a commitment here and I know this is where I need to change. Please any and all Input and ideas would help. Thank you so much I am looking to make this change as soon as I am over this flu bug.

beth6395

"Double Knot your laces and let's move on"
-Cathe Friedrich

 

[gidget1978]

Healthy eating can be a little more expensive but I don't think it will break the bank by no means
Its pretty simple actually...you can eat a variety of whole grains, fruit,veggies and lean meats. Protein shakes are often used after a workout or as a morning meal...or even before bed. You want to be careful though b/c some shakes can be pretty high in cals. Your best bet is to go to a nurtrion store where someone can help you with what you are looking for. As for protein bars, I don't buy anything that is wayyyy about 200 cals. Im not eaing a 400 cal bar..not happening. Others might, but I try to keep mine around 250 ish.

Breakfast could be: egg, egg whites, whole grain bread and natural peanut butter. OR oatmeal and toast...the list goes on. I often have a bowl of oatmeal with 1/2 a banana and a litte sweetener. I also have high fibre eggos with yogurt or cottage cheese.

Lunch could be: turkey sandwich with ligh mayo or mustard on whole grain bread. Trying to put whole grain carbs and protein together is important.

Snack: could be protein shake,protein bar,all bran bites,fruit,yogurt.....you will know if its healthy or not. They say, if you can't pronounce the ingredients, don't eat it! And sugar shouldn't be in the first 3 ingredients.

Dinner** Lean meat with veggies, and a complex carb

Its alot easier not to switch everything over night. Gradually add things into your diet and take things away

Im sure others will chime in here with more useful knowledge. I tend to eat the same things over and over b/c its easy

Good luck!
Lori

 

[CollinsMom]

Lori gave some great advice above! Remember that clean eating means something different to everyone -- your "clean" may look very different from my "clean."

Protein shakes -- I usually have one about 30 minutes after a weight workout, so about 3 times per week. I buy plain vanilla whey powder. To make my shake, I partially thaw about 6 ounces of frozen strawberries, blend those up until smooth, then add one heaping scoop of powder, blend again, and viola. It's about 200-250 calories and YUMMY, I swear!!

On the chocolate issue -- here is what I suggest. No chocolate for ONE WHOLE WEEK. Just promise yourself, you won't eat it for seven days. During that time, your body should make some progress with not craving it as much. When you detox from all the sugar, you will stop craving it. After that week, add it back in -- in moderation. I keep good quality dark chocolate truffles (about 80 calories each) in my house. If I get a really strong craving, I will have one. But no more than one!

Here is what my day typically looks like...
Breakfast: cereal or protein shake
AM Snack: fruit, low fat cheese
Lunch: pasta w/grilled chicken and veggies OR wraps OR tuna and ww crackers
PM Snack: fruit, Kashi/Fiber One/protein bar
Dinner: lean protein, rice or beans, a green vegetable
LOTS of water thru the day!

 

[Fit_mommy]

Hi Beth.

I recently took my clean eating up a notch and started keeping a food log since starting an X+ rotation because I want the best results I can muster. Here's a day of eating for me...Keep in mind I'm doing intense heavy lifting and cardio so I may well be eating more then you would but it'll atleast give you an idea of the kinds of foods you might want to buy.

day 1:

*1/2 whole grain/ 1/2 fiber cereal w/vanilla soymilk
*sandwich on ww bread: 3 slice low sodium deli turkey, 1 slice american cheese, hummus and roasted peppers.
*post work out Beach Body recovery drink
*salad: fresh veggies, sm handful almonds & f/f dressing.
*applie pie larabar.
*tuna sandwich made with l/f mayo on w/w bread w/side of green beans.
*apple and 1 tablespoon natural p/b.

day 2:

*1/2 cup oatmeal made with 1/2 scoop choco protein pwdr and vanilla soy milk.
*post work out beach body recovery drink
*fresh veggie and hummas sandwich on ww/bread w/soymilk and sm handful almonds.
*1/2 c fiber cereal w/vanilla soymilk
*handful baby carrots
*ww pasta w/ broccoli sauteed in olive oil, ground turkey and tomato sauce.
*garden veggie burger (no bread), apple.

day 3:

*Fiber Cereal w/vanilla soymilk
*apple pie larabar & apple.
*1 slice cheese, 2.5 slices deli turkey, 1/2 can green beans, sm handful almonds & soymilk
*post work out BB recovery drink
*1/2 can tuna (plain) on water crackers
*(never mind-ate dinner at MIL's! }( LOL

day 4:

*fiber cereal w/soy milk
*1/4 c soy trail mix, 1 sm apple, 6 water crackers
*Salad: fresh veggies, 1 slice deli turkey, 1 garden veggie burger, sam handful almonds, sprinkle of parm cheese and f/f dressing
*1/2 can tuna (plain)/6 water crakers
*1 piece chicken marinated with f/f dressing and baked, green beans/black beans steamed.
*6 water crackers with hummus.

day 5 (today):

*whole grain cereal with soymilk
*post work out recovery drink and pistachio lara bar
*2 tblespoons hummus on 4 whole grain crackers, 1/2 cup of cottage cheese mixed with 1/2 cup fresh blueberries.
*Salad: fresh veggies, sm handful almonds, 2 slices deli turkey and ff dressing.
*1/4 c soy trail mix
*1 can tuna made with 1 tablespoon l/f mayo on 4 whole grain crackers.

All of my choices are not super clean but hey, I am not trying to be perfect..just BETTER then I've been. I've even been allowing myself 1 small piece of dark chocolate every day as a "reward" for staying on track.

Hope this gives you some ideas!

 

[PhyllisG]

I know everyone has considered "clean eating" to be somewhat more expensive but I tend to disagree. Once you avoid processed foods including boxed cereals, bars, cookies and frozen dinners I find it to be cheaper. I saw the author of Omnivore's Dilemma on TV and he gave a very good example. Rolled oats are 79C lb. Then you buy a boxed cereal and they become 2.00plus a lb. From there you go to a bar and you are paying maybe 4.00 a lb. By the time you are buying those cereal straws for your kids your rolled oats which originally cost 79c are now 10.00 a lb! When my kids were little I would sometimes be tempted to buy a frozed dinner for each of us as a short cut. But after I would check the prices I couldn't do it. I would go home and make pasta and veggies for a fraction of the cost and without all the sodium, preservatives etc. I have also recently beome veg and that has really cut the food bills and we are eating far more veggies and fruit. For some bizarre reason it has really cut by desire for chocolate. They are always saying stay out of the middle aisles and shop the periphery!

 

[Fit_mommy]

TBH, I have definately found that the cleaner I eat, the more I spend on food! I went food shopping y'day and spent $140.00. It may not seem like alot to some but my "normal" average bill is just about $100.00. I am willing to spend the money right now as I really wanted to clean up my diet during my X+ rotation, but as a rule, I don't think we could afford for me to eat this clean all of the time!

 

[beth6395]

Thank you so much I will start my Sunday grocery list and incorporate this into my menu. I LOVE the chocolate idea starting out for one week. Today will be day one. I will let you know how it goes.
beth6395

"Double Knot your laces and let's move on"
-Cathe Friedrich

 

[jonahnah]

Hi Beth,

I'm no expert on clean eating, but I sure know what you mean about the siren call of chocolate (just look at my signature line!). After you do the one week without, you might try ONE very small chocolate per day. I have either a fudgicle (the original regular kind, NOT the pudding pops or sugar-free; fat free whatever). The regular kind is only 60 calories. It's sweet enough and chocolatey enough (for me at least) to satisfy a craving without going overboard. Alternatively, I'll have 1 square of Trader Joe's 72% Cocoa chocolate bar (very dark choc. and yummy). 1 square is 67 calories. The flavor is so intense as I nibble a little bit at a time and let it literally melt in my mouth that it also satisfies my craving. I'm sure you've read that dark chocolate is also healthy for you, in small quantities. If you don't have a Trader Joe's nearby, Dove Dark Chocolates are good too.

What's nice about the fudgicles is that I can easily equate other desserts into fudgicles. (eg. One bag of M&Ms = 4 fudgicles!). That # of fudgicles puts those little bitty M&Ms into perspective for me and I can say "no" to them a lot more easily. HTH and good luck

Jonahnah
Chocolate IS the answer, regardless of the question.

 

[kathryn]

>What about ideas to take the chocolate
>crave away? That seems to be what I crave daily.

Chocolate that's been processed into bars and candy definitely has a lot of stuff in that's best to avoid, and is very fatty. But you can try filling your chocolate craving with something chocolate-tasting that doesn't have the saturated fat and calories: chocolate-flavored tea, this "crème de chocolat" stuff in water (hot or cold)http://www.herbasway.com/index.php?...id=130&zenid=31c978eb716ef9b1787f6875cdded6b8 , a smoothie made with a good-quality cocoa powder (or raw chocolate powder--available from raw food companes like www.rawfood.com ).