Better Options? (Opening Diary, Open to Suggestions/Critiques)

raelynnsmama52512

So, I got this idea to start eating better and work out, the week before payday. Needless to say, not a lot of grocery shopping happening (looking back over the week, I see where I could have but didn't) this week, so I'm looking for some ideas for some better options for when I go shopping on Friday. I mainly shop at Aldi, and I'm not all that concerned if something is or isn't organic or whatnot (I've been seeing the recent fits about no-carb, low carb and "clean" on here haha) , just looking for some better options and hopefully some tips to help me do better than I'm doing right now. My diary is open so if you want to look at this past week and tell me what could be improved or what's good, feel free. I promise, no getting butthurt or defensive, I know it's probably not that good. Thanks guys!

Francl27

If it fits your calories and you're not hungry... all good.

But I'd increase protein, personally, to 120 or so, and really try to have 5 servings of fruit and veggies a day.

debubbie

I would add more protein to your meals to help you feel fuller longer. I would watch the fast food options because of the amount of sodium those options contain and the water retention that the sodium can cause. I would add in more veggies and fruit to your meals to help you feel full and not cost you a lot of calories. Greek yogurt can also be a good option for breakfast or a snack because of the protein.

Are you using a heart rate monitor to get a calorie burn estimate or MFP's exaggerated estimates? Are you using a food scale to weigh your foods?

You may want to include your goals and stats to help people give you better advice than I can give. For example, trying to lose 35 pounds and 5'6".

raelynnsmama52512

Francl27 wrote: »

If it fits your calories and you're not hungry... all good.

But I'd increase protein, personally, to 120 or so, and really try to have 5 servings of fruit and veggies a day.

Thank you!

raelynnsmama52512

debubbie wrote: »

I would add more protein to your meals to help you feel fuller longer. I would watch the fast food options because of the amount of sodium those options contain and the water retention that the sodium can cause. I would add in more veggies and fruit to your meals to help you feel full and not cost you a lot of calories. Greek yogurt can also be a good option for breakfast or a snack because of the protein.

Are you using a heart rate monitor to get a calorie burn estimate or MFP's exaggerated estimates? Are you using a food scale to weigh your foods?

You may want to include your goals and stats to help people give you better advice than I can give. For example, trying to lose 35 pounds and 5'6".

Well, I'm trying to lose 50 pounds, 5'2", currently at 198.8 pounds.
I don't have a food scale yet, but I'm getting one on Friday.
I've been using MFP's estimates, but I've heard they can get a little sketchy. (Working on getting a heart rate monitor)
I love greek yogurt, so I'll probably pick up a good bit of that lol.
Thanks!

esjones12

It looked like you were getting close to your goals.....unless there is specifically an issue you are having or a goal you are trying to reach, not sure how to make that "better". Personally I think "better" is organic/whole foods. So that would be my suggestion. But if that isn't a goal for you then no need to improve there! So basically you need to define what you are looking for. Are you not losing weight? Are you bored with your current options? Do you feel hungry a lot? Etc.

raelynnsmama52512

esjones12 wrote: »

It looked like you were getting close to your goals.....unless there is specifically an issue you are having or a goal you are trying to reach, not sure how to make that "better". Personally I think "better" is organic/whole foods. So that would be my suggestion. But if that isn't a goal for you then no need to improve there! So basically you need to define what you are looking for. Are you not losing weight? Are you bored with your current options? Do you feel hungry a lot? Etc.

I'm not a total stickler for "organic", mainly because right now we can't afford it, but I'd like to have some more options that don't just consist of something out of a box or a can. I do feel hungry a good bit, I'm used to things like chips, and "easy" meals (hamburger helper, etc) and fast food, but I want to start moving away from that. I can see where my post gets confusing (sorry!), but I think a lot of it is in what I'm actually eating.

BodyByButter

Is not eating out as much an option? It's cheaper not to, and you'll be able to most likely get more volume of food for the same calories.

raelynnsmama52512

BodyByButter wrote: »

Is not eating out as much an option? It's cheaper not to, and you'll be able to most likely get more volume of food for the same calories.

We're actually about to cut that down to maybe once or twice per week. We usually only go out on paydays, and to our waffle house trips on Sundays, but this past week it's been bad. Not even going to try to give an excuse for that. It took us looking at our bank account and realizing just how much we've been spending on eating out to convince us something needed to change.

tinascar2015

There is positively no reason you should think you need to buy organic produce. You would be paying a lot more and getting the same quality. If you can cook and if you have the time. my suggestions would be to add a lot more variety into your meals and do some scratch cooking or some semi-homemade, changing things up every night.

You can make some easy soups, some light and delicious wraps with veggies and meat, beautiful salads and even your own salad dressings. I'm making a pot of stew tomorrow with 8 oz. of beef, some red wine and a load of vegetables. Most of the time involved is simmering or slow cooking, and that dish will be enough for four people if served over noodles or with some crusty bread and a salad. (Sorry, I'm on a roll...I'm always trying to get people to cook...)

raelynnsmama52512

tinascar2015 wrote: »

There is positively no reason you should think you need to buy organic produce. You would be paying a lot more and getting the same quality. If you can cook and if you have the time. my suggestions would be to add a lot more variety into your meals and do some scratch cooking or some semi-homemade, changing things up every night.

You can make some easy soups, some light and delicious wraps with veggies and meat, beautiful salads and even your own salad dressings. I'm making a pot of stew tomorrow with 8 oz. of beef, some red wine and a load of vegetables. Most of the time involved is simmering or slow cooking, and that dish will be enough for four people if served over noodles or with some crusty bread and a salad. (Sorry, I'm on a roll...I'm always trying to get people to cook...)

Omg that sounds so yummy! I love to cook, except with an excessively picky husband and a sensory-challenged toddler, I don't get to try a lot of new things. I met with a personal trainer who told me to cook myself something different if I couldn't get everyone else to eat healthier. I'm guessing that's what I get to do now! Lol

lynndot1

About worrying over organic foods: I used to work in agriculture and you tend to hear the same things over and over from consumers about what they perceive to be "healthier" or "better"...I'm not going to write a novel but I think this blog post is a good read if you're worried about what you buy for you and your family: http://celestelaurent.com/mom-doesnt-feed-kids-organic-food/

I think cutting back on the fast food per week is a good idea...I enjoy McDonald's as much as the next person but I find the calories build up fast. It's doable, but harder. Also sodium is crazy high in a lot of fast food and as someone who teaches blood pressure classes now I'm a bit more conscious of my sodium/potassium intake since I spend my day telling people about it, haha. If your BP isn't an issue high sodium isn't terrible but salty foods make me feel bloated and gross if I eat too much of them.

If you have a hard time finding time to cook lunches I suggest bulk cooking. I cook our lunches for the week on Sunday and then just bring them down and heat them as needed during the week. Things like casseroles, stews, chicken breasts with roasted vegetables...today I made a wild rice gratin with cheese and greens which is now happily divided up in the freezer. There's just two of us here so I make 10 servings of whatever the recipe is. But you can pre-cook pretty much anything! And if I cook ahead of time I don't have to worry about meal planning.

Just google "meal prep recipes" or something for ideas on what you could do. Some examples of our lunches I've done:

Wild rice gratin
Oyster stew
Jambalaya
Paella
Roasted vegetable burritos
Chicken and veggie burritos
Chicken slow cooked in crockpot (can then be shredded over salads, or served with a side of veggies, etc)
Taco chicken bowls (my take on the whole Chipotle burrito bowl thing)
Also for breakfasts I've done egg muffins and oatmeal bakes...want oatmeal that tastes like banana bread? http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/12/banana-bread-oatmeal/ makes my house smell amazing. Actually that website is where I get a lot of bulk meal recipe ideas, she has some great options on a budget.

Edit: Also another bonus for bulk cooking is you can put the entire batch in MFP's recipe builder and just divide it out so you don't have to worry about serving size/calories. I have a zillion recipes on this website haha.

slaite1

Aldi is awesome!

Frozen tilapia and whiting for about $4/lb or 2 pounds for $7. Frozen shrimp pretty cheap too.

There brand greek yogurt in a tub is the cheapest I've found and tastes a lot like Fage, which is the best IMO

Every week they have TONS of produce on sale. There spinach is always cheap as are bagged salads.

Aldi "healthy brand" fit and active: fat free salad dressing(15-25 calories!), rice cakes, string cheese, ice pops, "hot pockets". I could go on and on. But it's all reasonably priced and diet friendly (ie low calorie, whether or not you think it's healthy is up to you). Ditto for their protein bars/meal bars. Delicious and relatively cheap.

Little salad bar hummus, salsa and other refrigerated products are super cheap and very good. They typically have milk and eggs cheap also, not to mention their version of "flat out" breads and sandwich "skinnys". Oh, and they have frozen veg you can steam in the bag for around $1.00.

Can you tell I love Aldis?!?!?

Edited for sh**y grammar

raelynnsmama52512

lynndot1 wrote: »

About worrying over organic foods: I used to work in agriculture and you tend to hear the same things over and over from consumers about what they perceive to be "healthier" or "better"...I'm not going to write a novel but I think this blog post is a good read if you're worried about what you buy for you and your family: http://celestelaurent.com/mom-doesnt-feed-kids-organic-food/

I think cutting back on the fast food per week is a good idea...I enjoy McDonald's as much as the next person but I find the calories build up fast. It's doable, but harder. Also sodium is crazy high in a lot of fast food and as someone who teaches blood pressure classes now I'm a bit more conscious of my sodium/potassium intake since I spend my day telling people about it, haha. If your BP isn't an issue high sodium isn't terrible but salty foods make me feel bloated and gross if I eat too much of them.

If you have a hard time finding time to cook lunches I suggest bulk cooking. I cook our lunches for the week on Sunday and then just bring them down and heat them as needed during the week. Things like casseroles, stews, chicken breasts with roasted vegetables...today I made a wild rice gratin with cheese and greens which is now happily divided up in the freezer. There's just two of us here so I make 10 servings of whatever the recipe is. But you can pre-cook pretty much anything! And if I cook ahead of time I don't have to worry about meal planning.

Just google "meal prep recipes" or something for ideas on what you could do. Some examples of our lunches I've done:

Wild rice gratin
Oyster stew
Jambalaya
Paella
Roasted vegetable burritos
Chicken and veggie burritos
Chicken slow cooked in crockpot (can then be shredded over salads, or served with a side of veggies, etc)
Taco chicken bowls (my take on the whole Chipotle burrito bowl thing)
Also for breakfasts I've done egg muffins and oatmeal bakes...want oatmeal that tastes like banana bread? http://www.budgetbytes.com/2011/12/banana-bread-oatmeal/ makes my house smell amazing. Actually that website is where I get a lot of bulk meal recipe ideas, she has some great options on a budget.

Edit: Also another bonus for bulk cooking is you can put the entire batch in MFP's recipe builder and just divide it out so you don't have to worry about serving size/calories. I have a zillion recipes on this website haha.

I'll have to look into that, sounds really cool!

raelynnsmama52512

slaite1 wrote: »

Aldi is awesome!

Frozen tilapia and whiting for about $4/lb or 2 pounds for $7. Frozen shrimp pretty cheap too.

There brand greek yogurt in a tub is the cheapest I've found and tastes a lot like Fage, which is the best IMO

Every week they have TONS of produce on sale. There spinach is always cheap as are bagged salads.

Aldi "healthy brand" fit and active: fat free salad dressing(15-25 calories!), rice cakes, string cheese, ice pops, "hot pockets". I could go on and on. But it's all reasonably priced and diet friendly (ie low calorie, whether or not you think it's healthy is up to you). Ditto for their protein bars/meal bars. Delicious and relatively cheap.

Little salad bar hummus, salsa and other refrigerated products are super cheap and very good. They typically have milk and eggs cheap also, not to mention their version of "flat out" breads and sandwich "skinnys". Oh, and they have frozen veg you can steam in the bag for around $1.00.

Can you tell I love Aldis?!?!?

Edited for sh**y grammar

I love Aldi too haha! I can feed our little family of 3 for $100 or less every 2 weeks or so! Well, if I keep buying what I buy, which doesn't exactly help my cause lol.