Healthy Meals

[twilap]

What type of healthy meals do you make for your family? I am tired of cooking the same things, and I also need to lose weight, so I am looking for some ideas. What do you do at home?

[Homesteader]

As a general rule avoid processed foods as much as possible. Try to eat alot of fresh or frozen veggies. Canned ones often have little nutrition (read the labels) and often have added salt and or sugar. Eat very little smoked/processed meats like hot dogs, velveeta, bologna etc. Make your own lunchmeats such as tuna,egg or chicken salad, meatloaf, peanut butter, roast beef. Try to eat more beans and less meat. Buy plain yogurt and add your own fruit. (many yogurts are loaded with sugar) Make more homemade soups. Canned soups are usually VERY high in sodium. If your family snacks alot have celery sticks, carrots, air popped popcorn etc handy and easy to eat. Avoid kool aid type drinks, too much fruit juice and sodas. Serve lower fat milk to older children, dilute fruit juices with homemade tea. Have homemade popsicles made with fruit juices ready to go. Eat bread with real whole wheat. You have to make it yourself or read the label carefully. Alot of darker bread is not truly whole wheat.

 

These are just a few off the top of my head. I am kinda tired so hope I didn't ramble too much!

 

[twilap]

Thanks for those ideas. I need to switch from so much meat to beans, etc. I think that will be better. My dad and hubby love to eat meat. My dad's favorite meals are hamburgers, hot dogs, spaghetti (which I do with wheat pasta now), meatloaf, but I am tired of ground beef. My dad doesn't like chicken, although lately I have been making it...although he doesn't like to eat it. I think tonight I will do a "salad bar" for dinner. We just need to eat lighter meals for dinner I think....as well as smaller portions!

[Homesteader]

I'm still working on the beans thing myself. I am making an effort to eat beans twice a week. I don't hate them I just don't love them. Around here folks eat lots of pintos or black eyed peas served with cornbread. If I had to pick, I guess I like lima beans the best followed by baked beans.

I also try to have split pea soup every week or so. It is cheap and nutritious.

[Guest Guest]

My children have all been chubby at one time or another, or still...

 

Part of the problem is that I did provide larger portions so they tended to over eat. As they grew into teenagers and wanted to lose a few pounds, my counsel to them has always been, balance.

 

My mother has been obese for many years, other people that I know have been overweight...I'm not really overweight myself but I work at that. While I don't eat large portions, I DO eat whatever I want. If it's that time of the month and I'm craving salt and chocolate, you better believe that I'll have some. I'll have a FEW and not the whole bag. I have real issues with things like, I can never have a potato chip again as long as I live, or chocolate or whatEVER...to me it's all about balance, portion control and healthier eating habits.

 

I love salads with grilled chicken sliced on top and garlic bread...my one son eats that every day. I make homemade caesar salad dressing, either grill or sautee chicken breasts in olive oil and he slices that on top and makes some garlic bread most times with mozzarella cheese on top of it. It's healthy, it's appetizing and it's satisfying. Eating a loaf of garlic bread is a whole different story though...I'm sure you get my drift.

 

My daughter just came out and asked me what she could eat that was healthy...she's a little chubby and is trying to lose weight (she's almost 16)...I just told her she could have a salad, but she felt it's too early for that. I make homemade granola (where I flake the oat grains into oatmeal myself) that I told her was healthy, full of fiber and vitamins, or I suggested a cheese omlet with a slice of toast and an orange, etc etc etc.

 

There's nothing wrong with spaghetti sauce, it's obvious base is tomatoes which are full of good vitamins and low in calorie. Having a smaller amount of pasta with sauce on it, a nice salad, a nice slice of bread, etc is a great meal. As Momo said, the pre-packaged, pre-cooked commercially prepared foods are GARBAGE...THIS is one of the reasons I home can so much...it's not so much MY cooking that causes weight problems, it's all the other fast food garbage that can be consumed by people for quick fixes.

 

Hamburger has a ton of uses...home made taco salads are alot of fun. I shred up lettuce with all the fixings, use a salsa as the salad dressing, put some taco meat on top with a little cheese and sour cream, maybe put a few tortilla chips around for that satisfying crunch and IMHO I have a healthy home cooked meal that really isn't that high in calories.

 

Exercise is also vital, on whatever level a person can do. Starting out slow is the key because overdoing it can cause injury. But exercise helps raise the metabolism, which in turn will help burn the calories. Eating smaller, more frequent meals helps to avoid the metabolism dive that for some people occurs with just 2-3 meals a day. Going all day without eating and then pigging out at night cause they're starving is really hard on the system and ends up putting more weight on than not.

 

There are tons of little things that all play an integral part in losing weight, but as I said at the beginning of my rant, I am a firm believer in balance. Other than the commerically prepared fast garbage in the stores, I see no reason that pretty much anything I can make at home, can't be eaten, at least in moderation.

 

Ok, I'll shadddup now...lol

[twilap]

Darlene, I think you are right....balance is the key! I seem to go to extremes and then "fall off" and go to another extreme. It has been a battle for me all my life. I was taught the "extremes" when I was young, and hadn't really thought about how much I am doing those now. I will have to re-evaluate things. I am kind of tired (probably because I am not exercising and eating as healthy as I could) and so it makes it harder to get on track.

 

I made a green salad last night for dinner, fruit salad and a pasta salad with veggies, spices and canola oil and balsamic vinegar. I liked it..my dh thought it was only okay...but he is used to more fattening foods too! I think we need to just change some of our taste buds! Exercise.....ohhhhhhh how I need to get back to the gym. I am going to start back up on Monday.....I think I can...I think I can...no....I will!