Healthy on a budget - so?
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beachhouse758 wrote: »Some things are expensive, but they are not a "must" when it comes to eating better: Organic Produce, fresh fish, a well stocked pantry, a collection of herbs and spices to have on hand. All of these things make it easier for me to stay on track. So it is worth it for me to buy them.
But, for example, if we only had one income, I wouldn't be able to afford it.
I guess I'm like a child in that if my food (or working out, for that matter) is not exciting for me, then I revert to my old habits: gluttony & sloth.
**hangs head in shame** but it's the truth.
I agree wholeheartedly to some of this! I think one of the best things we can do for ourselves, is to make eating healthy both exciting and tasty. If it's not tempting and delicious, we just won't eat it, not when there is a choice. Don't be ashamed of that, its human, and I really think taste should lead us to what's good for us! I'm not very much into all kinds of spices - salt and pepper is my to-go - but I'm all for a variety of fresh produce - vegetables, fruits, meat and fish and seafood, and cereals, I have recently rediscovered semolina, which I think is something similar to your Cream of Wheat, polenta, tapioca, and I truly enjoy my oatmeal. I love to be able to taste the ingredients.
I buy and eat most of the cheap stuff, and add some more expensive foods in between. Even without those luxuries, I think I'd get enough variety and taste, because I rotate through everything I like, and I like almost everything.0 -
Laurend224 wrote: »insideoutgirl wrote: »I love Aldi.for produce!! It is so inexpensive and they even have organic. Once I got over the rented cart thing - I love that place!
Yes! We are lucky to have a great Aldi locally. I have been in some though, where the produce was gross. I do just about all my shopping at Aldi, except for a few specialty things they don't carry.
Aldi
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Natural, like beauty, is an eye of the beholder thing. If you say DDT isn't natural somebody's gonna list the chemicals it's made of and say those all occur in nature, naturally.isulo_kura wrote: »What's an unnatural ingredient? Just wondering?
I believe it is an indisputable fact that the word natural on a can, bottle or cardboard box doesn't mean a thing. For me boxed scalloped or mashed potatoes aren't natural. Neither is hamburger helper and most of that ilk. Likewise most of the prepared salad dressings, artificial sweeteners, and powdered coffee "creamers." Practically nothing on the chip, candy or cookie aisles. From what I've seen and heard, I doubt that anything in a health food store is natural. Powdered peanut butter isn't, to my way of thinking, no matter how many MFP members rave about it. Some folks say anything that isn't on an outside wall of a supermarket. I don't go that far. Flour, oil, vinegar and dried herbs are always in the aisles and at least some of those are natural.
In this day and age I think natural is a relative thing and the closer something is to the state from which it came out of the ground or the animal, the more natural it is. Since none of us grow all our plant food and either raise or hunt the animals we eat, it is all a compromise. You have to balance your choices with money available, risk of contamination, philosophical ideals about the environment and humane animal treatment and even flavor and taste. I appreciate the taste of fleur de sel but I'm just notagonna pay $30 a lb. for salt. Not today anyway.
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When you're buying all your food at the grocery store instead of half there and half at the drive-thru it looks like you're spending more, because all those $8 trips to the drive thru, you don't count on your grocery bill.0
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isulo_kura wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »My advice is: learn to shop and to cook and don't be adraid of natural ingredients - you can have the best of both worlds
What's an unnatural ingredient? Just wondering?
Artificial sweeteners, FD&C colors, artificial flavors(like Isoamyl acetate, Methyl anthranilate, Allyl hexanoate), artificial emulsifiers (like sodium stearoyl lactylate, polysorbate-80, Carboxymethyl cellulose), acidity regulators,
And no, I am not a food purist and I don't have a battle to fight against artificial ingredients. In fact, I loooove the taste of my artificially flavored amino acid drink.0 -
melimomTARDIS wrote: »I don't think anyone should choke down food they hate for the supposed "health benefits". Eat what you like, only less. Should save some cash that way.
Oops... I've being doing something like that... Buying "healthy" foods just to see them slowly rot in the fridge. I hated the thought of money out of the window - but I felt compelled to do it, haha. Now I only buy what I like and want to eat and can make a plan for. Some bad luck is inevitable when fresh produce is involved, and all experiments won't be a success, but I don't buy things just because I think I "should" anymore. *Shudder*0 -
I looked inside the carton and these were blue on the outside.kommodevaran wrote: »I've had quail eggs. A delicacy Light blue inside of shells.
Hey kommodervaran, after my first post here I looked at your profile. You're from Oslo, OS? I've heard of Oslo Norway. Is it the same place?
I've never seen a Norwegian or Scandinavian ethnic market. Maybe they have them in Minnesota or maybe there aren't enough non-assimilated immigrants to support such stores.
I met a young Norwegian on a Memphis bus a few years ago but she was a tourist.
Scrambled khaki-brown on the outside, baby blue on the inside
Yes, I live in Oslo, Norway, born, but not raised, here.
It would be possible to get Scandinavian foods in Minnesota - that's where the majority of Norwegian immigrants settled, I think. Now we are all over the place
Norwegian/Scandinavian foods have some interesting similarities to Eastern European foods - the cereals, spices, vegetables and some dairy and meat we use is quite close to the description of Slavic, Russian, Baltic eats. I have started eating more traditionally during the last year. I think it's fascinating to see the continuum and trying new (old) things.0 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »Really, I think that most people just have a very narrow view of "healthy"...on top of that, the art of cooking has largely been lost so it would seem that a majority of people think "healthy" also means boring and bland food.
It's actually all kind of sad really...
I've been guilty of this. It saddens me to think about it. I used to think cooking was boring, too. Not really strange considering I used to think healthy home cooking had to be low fat, low salt, low taste.
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isulo_kura wrote: »kommodevaran wrote: »My advice is: learn to shop and to cook and don't be adraid of natural ingredients - you can have the best of both worlds
What's an unnatural ingredient? Just wondering?
"Artificial".
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At first the Baltic, Slavic connection surprised me. If I had thought about it, I would have guessed a closer connection to England or Germany but, looking at a map, you couldn't walk to Berlin without going through Russia, the Baltics and Poland first. Guessing the the first travelers along that path were going the other way though. Then the road dead ended in Norway so they became Vikings and invented cruise ships? Just guessing because In school during the 50's all I learned about the Vikings was from one paragraph that said they found the New World but didn't think much of it.kommodevaran wrote: »Yes, I live in Oslo, Norway, born, but not raised, here.
It would be possible to get Scandinavian foods in Minnesota - that's where the majority of Norwegian immigrants settled, I think. Now we are all over the place
Norwegian/Scandinavian foods have some interesting similarities to Eastern European foods - the cereals, spices, vegetables and some dairy and meat we use is quite close to the description of Slavic, Russian, Baltic eats. I have started eating more traditionally during the last year. I think it's fascinating to see the continuum and trying new (old) things.
The only Scandanavian dish I've heard of is Lutefisk and that only from punchlines. I hear Maaemo is one of the best restaurants in the world. I can't testify to that but they do have the coolest restaurant website I've ever seen.
I'd like to eat there.At Maaemo, our focus is on a complete experience. In doing so, we want to highlight the relationship between the raw nature, produce and our cultural history. Welcome to our universe.
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At first the Baltic, Slavic connection surprised me. If I had thought about it, I would have guessed a closer connection to England or Germany but, looking at a map, you couldn't walk to Berlin without going through Russia, the Baltics and Poland first. Guessing the the first travelers along that path were going the other way though. Then the road dead ended in Norway so they became Vikings and invented cruise ships? Just guessing because In school during the 50's all I learned about the Vikings was from one paragraph that said they found the New World but didn't think much of it.kommodevaran wrote: »Yes, I live in Oslo, Norway, born, but not raised, here.
It would be possible to get Scandinavian foods in Minnesota - that's where the majority of Norwegian immigrants settled, I think. Now we are all over the place
Norwegian/Scandinavian foods have some interesting similarities to Eastern European foods - the cereals, spices, vegetables and some dairy and meat we use is quite close to the description of Slavic, Russian, Baltic eats. I have started eating more traditionally during the last year. I think it's fascinating to see the continuum and trying new (old) things.
The Vikings had ships
Lutefisk doesn't really taste of anything, it's just jelly. You should try to get hold of some brunost, Jarlsbergost, and rømmegrøt.The only Scandanavian dish I've heard of is Lutefisk and that only from punchlines.I hear Maaemo is one of the best restaurants in the world. I can't testify to that but they do have the coolest restaurant website I've ever seen.
I'd like to eat there.At Maaemo, our focus is on a complete experience. In doing so, we want to highlight the relationship between the raw nature, produce and our cultural history. Welcome to our universe.
I think their website stunk
I haven't eaten there myself, but I was just in the neighborhood today, shopping for fruit and vegetables in one of the etnic markets. Whereas "normal" Norwegian grocery stores are getting more and more like communist Eastern Europe or some developing country - these stores have both the variety and quality needed to stay healthy in a really cheap and fun way. Almost too much to choose from, and very popular, lots of costumers every day. I was almost overwhelmed, but took some deep breaths, and I came home with dark green squash, red and green peppers, corn on the cob, radiccio rosso, romanesco, mangostans, loquats, Packham(?) pears and red (Crimson) grapes. And two pounds of lamb mince from the butcher across the square. Tomorrow will be chili con carne day 
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kommodevaran wrote: »...
I think their website stunk ...
Why? Was it Artic Gonads Got Me High or How Horns Filled With Cowshit Affect the Way I Cook.
That sounds like a great ethnic market. I'm jealous. Does it specialize in one ethnicity or many?
That's strong language. Care to elaborate? I'm imagining aisles of empty shelves.Norwegian grocery stores are getting more and more like communist Eastern Europe or some developing country0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »...
I think their website stunk ...
Why? Was it Artic Gonads Got Me High or How Horns Filled With Cowshit Affect the Way I Cook.
This one was... many. But I also have access to Russian/Eastern European, Turkish/Mediterranian/Middle East, and East Asian/Vietnamese shops/markets.That sounds like a great ethnic market. I'm jealous. Does it specialize in one ethnicity or many?
That's strong language. Care to elaborate? I'm imagining aisles of empty shelves.Norwegian grocery stores are getting more and more like communist Eastern Europe or some developing country
It's a heated debate here. 2-3 chain stores are taking over the market, every store has the same products, or the same products, just grated, sliced and diced. The shelves are full, but it's the same stuff just from 2-3 manufacturers. Norwegians want cheap food, right now we are using 11% of disposable income, I think, on food, and that is reflected in the shelves. We have massive taxes in import, to protect our own produce. Add to that the general fear of fat, and the fear of novelty... it's just sad. LIDL tried to establish here, but had to give up.0 -
I think someone has said this but, HOMEMADE!!! I have not changed a thing since I started 3 weeks ago, Except 1 very important thing, Portion. I eat everything I used to, If I feel like something I am going to have it, If that means going over my calories I get out and exercise, I have always prepared healthy meals but you can eat too much of healthy calorie wise, Portion control is key to losing weight and exercising, You have to make a lifestyle change that you feel you can keep up even after you have reached your goal 0
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