A balance of Mind-Body-Spirit

Friday, October 26, 2007

What We Eat...


Hi Leonie and all-

I really appreciate your comment on my goal entry about what you eat, your cal goals, etc. I thought maybe a new entry would be a good place to discuss more...

I am curious about what you all eat. Leonie, you mentioned you eat fruits, vegs, whole grains and some meat and dairy but are mostly vegetarian. I wonder if you could share where you get your protein? The only soy I like is my coffee creamer and one brand of patties I make a burger from. :0

I find that protein is important for me, as it helps me rebuild when I strength train and also it satisfies me. It tastes good and helps me not be hungry soon, as carbs can.

Right now what I do is buy a big value pack of boneless chicken breats each weekend and bake them, then cut into sandwich slices and the guys make sandwiches during the week and I eat a few ounnces as meals or with snacks.

I like it, but also like the idea of being more veg... what sources of protien do you like?

Also, I know what you mean about hunger... it is good and if my mind is right I know that it is making me lean and that I will satify it soon and don't HAVE to binge. I think when I tried to "diet" I would feel so deprived that when I got a shot at it I would binge like I was never going to be able to eat again. When we give ourselves permission to eat good and healthy food with a treat now and again, then it stops the dysfucntional binging from happening so much..

What else does everyone like to eat that is healthy and satisying?

some of my favorites are:

South Beach Diet Bar (chocolate) for breakfast with coffee
Yoplait light vanilla yogurts
Salad (with Ken's light rance and plain yogurt as dressing)
Tomatoes (I splurge and get the 'vine ripe')
Small red potatos (baked in oven, not mircowave.. cruchy skin that way!)
Silk Soy creamer in coffee (tastes like half and half)
Whole wheat bagels with chicken salad (made with canola mayo and yogurt, etc)

Any favorites in your diets? Any and everyone?? :)

7 comments:

Leonie said...

I love lentils - ate a cool lentil salad for lunch today, and we all like Greek lentil Soup.Or lentil sauce for pasta with salad.

I do eat meat and chicken and fish but mostly only when we have visitors ( prob once or twice a week)- if I'm out at a restaurant I usually choose a vegetarian option. But tonight I'm having chilli - beef and beans ! ( more beans than beef).

I love legumes, I eat peanut butter, eggs, yogurt, baked beans ( low fat and low salt), split peas or dahl. My favourite lunch is noodles with veges, portion controlled of course!

I don't worry about the protein intake - I think it all evens out with time.

Yesterday, I had toast with peanut butter for breakfast, a grainy roll with lots of salad ( no cheese or mayo or meat etc) for lunch, some poppdaums and a cookie for my treat, zucchini slice
( eggs, low fat cheese, onion, wholemeal flour, zucchini) and salad and fruit for dinner, skim milk in tea and coffee. No animal protein but it feels okay for me.

Today, I've had fruity cereal with skim milk for breakfast and lentil and pumpkin/couscous salad for lunch ( we had lunch out, but I've just looked up some yummy lentil salad recipes to make at home!).I'll have chilli for dinner - recipe from one of my healthy low fat diet cookbooks . And a treat!

I'm interested, too, in what others eat - what do you eat in a day, Cindy?

Leonie said...

Forgot to say that I also love porridge ( oatmeal) - plain with milk, or with fruit, or with a dash of peanut butter andc cocoa! Yum! I could eat it for breakfast lunch or dinner!!

And I always have WW or Lean Cuisine frozen meals on hand, for a standby for me if I need a calorie controlled meal or don't want to eat what the others are eating. I choose mostly the vegetarian, sometimes fish or chicken ones...I have some real favouyrites ( vege curry with rice, spinach lasagne). Not gourmet food, I know, but I do like these meals with some extra veges or salad...Every now and then...

Cindy said...

Hi Leonie-

Love your list.. so interesting! You know there are some foods here I don't know what they are! And some I have heard of but don't know how to prepare.

I really like the idea of more legumes, etc... wonderful source of protien. I don't worry too much about balancing it all but do find if I eat protien enough I dont' get hungry and binge and feel better. I don't seem to have any problem getting enough carbs in..lol

Can I inquire...

what is:poppdaums ?

I have also never made counsius or lentils or humas. Any tips on an easy way to start?

A typcial day for me is:

breakfast- protein bar and coffee with soy creamer

Snack-
couple ounces of chicken (esp after hard workout in am), light yougurt, some plain veggies

Lunch-
Chicken sandwich
1 slice WW bread, veggies, chicken
Side salad with light dressing or salsa

Snack-
1/2 protien bar or pb on english muffin, etc

Dinner
chicken, salad, small potato, etc

Snack-
small pudding, coffee with creamer.

This is when I am on track, of course yesterday I had a couple glasses of wine and a few cheetos.. lol

But I like lots of veggies, complex carbs and lean protein- try to stick to that. :)

K said...

A MUST HAVE snack option in my pantry is Almonds. The other one is Craisins. I have a handful of each for a snack and it holds me over for quite a while.

I am down to veggies, chicken and fish. I feel so much better now, but when I do eat red meat, I end up feeling lousy for days. Also, pork seems to mess me up, so I steer clear of it now. I used to love, love, love bacon.

I have learned to re-visit eggs also. I was NOT an egg eater after a bout with food poisoning from an egg. I am very picky about them now and will only eat them at home. I tried to eat one at Denny's the other day, but I just couldn't do it. It freaked me out to look at it! LOL

I find if I eat my snacks about 1 - 1.5 hours after my meal, I do much better with mood and fatigue.

I have really tried to cut the sugar out completely, but to no avail. I do so well for Lent, but then after Easter, it's all downhill.

I also drink mostly water. I do have a cup of decaf in the am, but the rest of the day it is water. Sometimes I'll splurge and have a lemonade, but I don't drink soda anymore.

Leonie said...

I like your idea of regular meals and snacks, Cindy - be good for blood sugars and keeping hunger at bay.

Poppadums are lentil wafer breads, from India. You can buy mini ones already cooked - each pkt has three serves, each serve 100 calories. Or you can buy them uncooked and microwave them at home ( I don't recommend the frying method!).

You can buy lentils already cooked in tins in the supermarket - beans and chick peas, too. These are easy to use. Or follow the cooking instructions on the pkts of raw lentils etc - typically take only about 30 min to cook in water.

Cous cous - I just buy it raw in boxes at the supermarket and follow the pkt instructions re cooking - it is Middle Eastern, similar to bulgar wheat, takes about 20 mins to cook.

Hummous is just chickpeas ( I use tinned), sesame seeds and a bit of oil and spices processed in the blender to make a dip. Yum on toast or crackers or with raw veges. If you do an internet search, I am sure you'll find many recipes.

I've never eatne a protein bar the South beach ones arebn't available here, perhaps I'll try another brand...

Leonie said...

K - I'm having eggs for dinner tonight! I'm making grilled bacon, scrambled eggs and toast and fruit for everyone - but I'll skip the bacon!

I drink a lot of water - I have to, with my blood clotting disorder. But I also drink a fair amont of teas - black or with a bit of skim milk. And sometimes decaf coffee or , gosh, sometimes real coffee! Always with skim milk, no sugar! lol!

Cindy said...

HI K!

I love almonds, too.. my problem is they seem to be a 'trigger' food for me- I can't have just 11 or whatever is healthy, but eat half the can if I am not careful!

Ooh.. craisins are yummy!

And, same thing with me and pork. I never was a big pork eater (but love bacon... just dont eat it much)-- but dh will make pork ribs when he BBqs. I usually stick to chicken but the few times I have stolen a bite of the pork my stomcah hurt! Maybe my body is teling me something?

You sound so healthy and I agree, I feel much better eating healthy. Keep it up!

I think I am about to give up diet coke. I got to where I dont' drink a lot, but then do.. and the boys do.. and we need to stop it. We don't drink any other soda. B's favorite is this organic lemonade but I will only buy on super sale.. :)

Love the discussion!


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