New to clean eating
jelusk4
Posts: 1 Member
I'm new to all this stuff. Will be 50 in October and would rather be "50 and Fabulous" than "50 and Flabby"! I need to lose 50+ pounds. Just got a Fitbit today. Am super interested in clean eating and have been trying to read up on it. Would love to learn more and be a part of a great discussion group!
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Hi jelusk4,
Welcome! You'll find varying degrees of clean eating here. I've found most members to be supportive and helpful on this board.
Personally, my view on clean eating is to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible. We limit processed foods ( think 5 ingredients or less) and try to buy local, seasonal products from our local farmer's market. Hubby and I both love to cook, so that makes it easier.
We started with small changes a few years ago and in January went all in. Our goal was a lifestyle change to lose weight and become healthier before we hit 50. By combining clean eating with calorie counting, we have both lost weight. DH is down 60+ pounds and I've lost 25. At times it's challenging, but we're learning from our mistakes;)
Lots of us keep an open diary. It's a good way to see what others are eating. Feel free to add me as a friend. Best of luck to you!
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I also am new to clean eating. I have been healthy all of my life, but as i am getting older (60 next month) I am beginning to have some health problems. My husband and I both need to lose weight. My problem is I am not a very good cook, except for baking things I shouldn't eat!! I have no idea how to prepare fresh vegetables that will taste good and be satisfying. I just need simple, quick ideas or the names of some websites or books with easy, clean recipes.0
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Trish, Joanna Soh on youtube has a lot of really good and simple food prep ideas for vegetables and some lean meat foods if you are a meat eater. (avoid red meat except as a treat is a really good idea if you want to lose some weight).
She also has great soup recipe that I amke all the time called Green Monster Soup in her winter soups video. It's jsut zucchini, spinach and leek (I add two cloves of chopped garlic as well) with vegetable stock all pureed up and it's DELICIOUS.
The key to cooking vegetables to taste yummy is to use minimal flavouring or natural flavours (aka garlic, olive oil, pepper, salt, lemon and BUTTER ;-) ).
Also don't be afraid or ashamed of the humble mashed potato and peas. Peas are really, really good for you and high in fibre and protein which leaves you feeling so much fuller for longer and can be flavoured by just mixing them into a small serving of mashed potato.
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I am also new to clean eating. I have just spent the last 18 months going through Chemo and other treatments for Breast cancer so just eating any rubbish that tasted ok. I am now losing weight by using the Hairy Dieters cook books. Simple very tasty recipes that have calories counted and are recognised by this app. Best & most successful diet I have ever done. I spend a day cooking and freeze the meals in single portions so only cook a few times a week.I also am new to clean eating. I have been healthy all of my life, but as i am getting older (60 next month) I am beginning to have some health problems. My husband and I both need to lose weight. My problem is I am not a very good cook, except for baking things I shouldn't eat!! I have no idea how to prepare fresh vegetables that will taste good and be satisfying. I just need simple, quick ideas or the names of some websites or books with easy, clean recipes.
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Thanks for the comments. I am starting tomorrow and will have a open diary. Nothing I have tried in the last 12+ months have helped me lose weight. I had lost 160# and kept off for 10 yrs. I got sick and gained 85 back. I have been trying to get that back off and nothing is working. Not sure why. But im hoping some clean eating will help along with support from fitness pal!!!0
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Hi there!
Like many others, I am new. Healthy eating is something I enjoy, yet struggle with! I am 22 and I'm working on getting my life together. I will be attending university in September and I plan on living off residence on my own. This will be costly! I am worried about eating healthy because I don't know if I can afford to spend the extra dollars on organic food! I feel like most of my time will consist of studying, homework, or working part-time as much as I can to pay off my student loan. I will probably be running around and may not always have the extra moment to sit down and enjoy breakfast or supper. Even now, I am trying to adjust to eating all of my meals. And most of my meals are NOT healthy at the moment because I am struggling financially and just grab whatever is cheap and quick. In total, I would like to lose 30 pounds, but I just try focusing on ten pounds at a time. I haven't been as dedicated to my fitness pal as I should, it can be a hassle trying to record every single thing that I eat, but I really want to make it more of a routine. After all, it can be a real eye opener seeing how many calories are being put into your body and being in the negative red zone does get discouraging. If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them! How can I eat healthy with such a busy lifestyle?0 -
One of my favorite and inexpensive meals for breakfast on the go is overnight oats. I prefer steelcut, which are a bit more expensive but any oats will work. Tons of recipes on Pinterest. The basic idea is to make them ahead of time in mason jars or other microwave safe container. You can grab it in the morning, heat and go.
I created a basic recipe in mfp to include my oats, greek yogurt ( protein punch), almond milk and honey. Then I just add whatever fruit is seasonal. This makes logging breakfast easy.
I've found that prepping ahead helps to keep me on track. When I don't prep, my choices are more haphazard.
Success to you!0 -
Hi there,
I am new to the group. I am on a journey toward a healthy style and lose some weight. Looking forward to your insights on healthy eating. I am also wanting to get involved with an active group.0 -
@koda_102 Wow, I wish when I was your age that I had the sense that you do! It's great that you're doing this at this time in your life.
Eating clean is actually a lot less expensive than you think. Over the past month, I've transitioned to clean eating vegetarian and then to vegan. (Still new at this!) But I can tell you with certainty that my grocery expenses are far, far less. For me, a lot of that is due to not purchasing meat (I still buy and prepare it for my husband and son, though).
The key to eating the way you want to eat is planning ahead. Before your term starts, try experimenting to figure out what foods you love, and be open-minded. I'm 45, and I have always said that I hate lentils and beans, now I use chick peas in hummus, navy beans in pesto and I love organic red lentils.
Try to stock your pantry with some basics such as organic lentils, organic brown rice, organic low-sodium vegetable broth, organic chickpeas, organic navy beans, organic tomato paste, etc. (Making your own veggie broth is easy, but also takes planning, so having some at-the-ready is a great idea.) Lentils are particularly filling, and a serving size (prepared) is only a 1/4 cup, and a great way to get protein. If you plan to stick with meat, then I'd recommend sticking with organic chicken and keep preparation of it simple, so you can use it in different recipes. You might want to invest in a crockpot. Chicken or turkey in the crockpot is very simple and done right, keeps it moist and delicious, and give you a few days worth of recipes.
I'd also recommend investing in a food processor. Hamilton Beach makes a great one for about $36 on amazon. With that, you can blend fresh herbs, veggies and nuts into savory sauces and make your own hummus. There are soooo many online resources for fantastic clean eating recipes. I recommend ohsheglows.com for some great ones!
Personally, I've been purchasing my produce once per week, at a local produce market and farmers markets, where I stick to organic. I typically spend around $20 and it gets me easily through the week. With the produce, I make various salads, soups and baked or roasted meals. Preparation takes time. I have found that it helps save a lot of time if I clean and slice as much of the produce as possible as soon as I get it home. Then I store it in plastic containers in the fridge. (Of course, this does not work for all veggies, some have to be prepared just before cooking.) I keep a big bunch of parsley in a jar of water on my kitchen counter, near a sunny window. It lasts up to two weeks that way!
I do also keep "emergency rations" of Amy's brand organic Sonoma Veggie Burgers (they're vegan, too) on hand in the freezer, just in case I ever need to grab something super fast. I usually just eat those plain, with hummus. I've been using up store-bought hummus before their expiration dates, but homemade hummus is easy and delicious.
You can also purchase a very nice digital food scale on amazon for around $13. It will make recording your food very quick and easy.
Good luck!
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Parsley in a jar of water on the counter???????
Am I the last person to know this? Does this work for cilantro as well??0 -
Works for all my herbs - I grab a bunch from my allotment once a week and put them in a vase like flowers
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thisnursewillbehot wrote: »Parsley in a jar of water on the counter???????
Am I the last person to know this? Does this work for cilantro as well??
I actually didn't have good luck with cilantro this way, but I think it just needed a shorter container to keep it from wilting on me. (I love cilantro, yummmmm!) Since Furbuster has had success, I'm going to give it another go!
Some tips: before putting the herbs in water, trim the ends just like you'd do for flowers; make sure not to allow the leaves in the water, just the stems; change water daily and usually I trim the ends again once or twice. My last bunch lasted two weeks and then i clipped off what was left and dried them in the oven on a low temp. Parsley, parsley everywhere!
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Justrolime- I love your picture! As someone who HATES having their picture taken, and is always hearing "Come on! We don't have pictures of you!" ..... I think I'll draw some of those on index cards and pass them out. That should quiet them down, ya think?0
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@thisnursewillbehot LOL Thank you! Wow, we are two peas in a pod, I am the same way! And, that would be hilarious!0
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