Quantity vs Quality - speaking of food

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nads_ayoub
nads_ayoub Posts: 24 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I just gobbled down some battered cod fish for dinner and even though it fit perfectly in my calorie count for the day, I can't help thinking about the oodles of oil used for deep frying and the white flour used in the batter etc.

Curious to know, do you just focus on your numbers and eat whatever your heart desires as long as it's within your calorie allowance or do you actually eat healthy and stay away from all things fatty and harmful?
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Replies

  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
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    What my heart desires doesn't go well with what looks good on my *kitten*. So I try to find a middle ground. For the most part I am a healthy eater, but I don't stress over it too much.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    I focus on meeting my nutritional needs overall. I don't focus on any one particular food. If I want something fried, I'll have something fried.
  • kristen8000
    kristen8000 Posts: 747 Member
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    I say everything in moderation. I stick to healthy foods 80% of the time, but leave room for endulgences. But what I do find is that when I do endulge my stomach isn't a fan, so it's a rarity now.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,488 Member
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    I'm not understanding how the cod was harmful. Or how things that are fatty are harmful. That's a very interesting way to think about food.

    With that said - I think there's somethings that just aren't worth the calories and things that are a better use of my calories. If the fish is high in calories but I'm going to be hungry again shortly because it wasn't filling enough that wouldn't necessarily be a good use of calories. Unless it is really delicious fish and I want it and I make it fit in my day - but not going to have it for every meal.
  • JustRobby1
    JustRobby1 Posts: 674 Member
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    I have not been one to stress over "eating clean" since very early on in my weight loss process. Keeping my calories at goal is priority numero uno for me. On days when I want some deep fried deliciousness, I have it so long as it fits into my budget. That being said, most of the time a meal like that has enough calories that it makes my other meals for the day suffer as a result. So the question I have to ask myself is simply "is it worth it"? Sometimes the answer to that question is a resounding "hell yes"!

    I know plenty of people out there who have a nervous breakdown from even the slightest deviation from their far too whimsical and unrealistic "plan", and these are people I truly feel sorry for. The reason why so many people fail at this game is by setting themselves up for disaster with unsustainable ways of eating. People who account for moderation and being human are far more likely to enjoy long term success that dietary 3rd Reich types.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    I became healthier instantly when I decided not to divide foods into good/bad, healthy/unhealthy and stopped believing fat, or carbs, or sugar, or eggs, or salt, or dairy, or whatever to be fattening, or toxic, or whatever this week's food fright happens to be.

    I must say I'm curious, having such a resentment over battered deep fried cod, why did you eat it - don't you consider the nutritional quality before you eat?

    This. Realizing that no food/meal could "ruin" my diet was an amazing breakthrough.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    I focus on quality. Both quality of the food as far as taste and how healthful it is. I am especially picky about carbs and fat. I know people on this site get all bent out of shape at the though of good/bad carbs or fat but I believe some are better than others.
  • DX2JX2
    DX2JX2 Posts: 1,921 Member
    edited September 2017
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    I generally stick with healthier foods because it makes it easier to plan within my targets. I'm not opposed to eating 'unhealthy' stuff but I'll pick and choose my battles. Crappy take out chinese food? Not worth it. Homemade fried chicken? Absolutely.
  • nads_ayoub
    nads_ayoub Posts: 24 Member
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    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    I'm not understanding how the cod was harmful. Or how things that are fatty are harmful. That's a very interesting way to think about food.

    Nothing wrong with the fish but I usually eat things steamed or sautéed in a little olive oil and this fish n chip was a far cry from that! I could almost taste the oil in the batter....think its age but my gut doesn't react well to greasy food
  • rhtexasgal
    rhtexasgal Posts: 572 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    I became healthier instantly when I decided not to divide foods into good/bad, healthy/unhealthy and stopped believing fat, or carbs, or sugar, or eggs, or salt, or dairy, or whatever to be fattening, or toxic, or whatever this week's food fright happens to be.

    I must say I'm curious, having such a resentment over battered deep fried cod, why did you eat it - don't you consider the nutritional quality before you eat?

    Ditto here .... what I DO consider is whether that deep fried cod would be worth it, especially if it is only filling for that one meal only and knowing that I would be hungry again later but without the leftover calories needed to fulfill that hunger. Sometimes, I will eat something like this without planning it (unexpected lunch date etc.) so I either "make do" with the allotted calories I have left for the day OR I just start over fresh the next day. As long as I don't make that deep fried cod a habit, I am ok.

    With that said, sometimes, I REALLY want something deep fried so I will make plans to fit that fried food into my day. I will often eat a big salad (filling and low calorie) for lunch so I can fit in my deep fried delicious dinner. I am rather fond of fried fish and shrimp with hush puppies and sometimes fried pickles or fried jalapenos as an appetizer. I do this about once a month, plan for it and then I don't regret it.
  • nads_ayoub
    nads_ayoub Posts: 24 Member
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    kommodevaran wrote: »
    I must say I'm curious, having such a resentment over battered deep fried cod, why did you eat it - don't you consider the nutritional quality before you eat?

    Had I been younger, I wouldn't have cared as it was perfectly okay to eat deep fried food every now and then and not worry about the fat content from a weight gain and from a health perspective. Now, I'd much rather have a healthy fat rather than something that has been deep fried in corn oil.

    Why did I eat it? Because I was sitting at the table with my boys who were having the fish for their dinner - it was home made.

    No resentment (that's going a bit far!) but I do ask myself check myself after I eat something that is a far cry from my clean eating habits - it's really the same question I ask myself after consuming cake or anything with excess sugar.

    Just curious about how others eat and the choices they make...
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
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    I live in the middle ground. Eat a little of everything and a lot of nothing...
  • aeloine
    aeloine Posts: 2,163 Member
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    Quantity is more important to me AT THIS TIME. I'd rather eat a TROUGH of vegetables than a piece of cake because I'm already in a calorie deficit. I think that this is going to change, however, when I get into maintenance.

    The quantity is important to me so that I don't feel deprived and so that my plate doesn't look empty. It's currently a huge mental game for me, and extended periods of time spent chewing really help me keep going.

    I DO eat at maintenance on some weekends, and that's when I pick "quality". I had eggs benedict at brunch yesterday and a pint of Halo Top for dinner. Life is about balance and finding what works for you.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
    edited September 2017
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    nads_ayoub wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    I must say I'm curious, having such a resentment over battered deep fried cod, why did you eat it - don't you consider the nutritional quality before you eat?

    Had I been younger, I wouldn't have cared as it was perfectly okay to eat deep fried food every now and then and not worry about the fat content from a weight gain and from a health perspective. Now, I'd much rather have a healthy fat rather than something that has been deep fried in corn oil.

    Why did I eat it? Because I was sitting at the table with my boys who were having the fish for their dinner - it was home made.

    No resentment (that's going a bit far!) but I do ask myself check myself after I eat something that is a far cry from my clean eating habits - it's really the same question I ask myself after consuming cake or anything with excess sugar.

    Just curious about how others eat and the choices they make...

    Eating some fish and chips now and then is going to have about zero bearing on your health or weight. Eating dietary fat doesn't make you fat...excess calories beyond what you need to maintain the status quot is what makes people fat.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    edited September 2017
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    I'm trying to work through one cookbook recipe by recipe (1,000 Vegan Recipes, so I've been at it for a few years...) I've just finished the bean and legume main dishes and start the grain mains this week with vegetable fried rice. (The vegetables include peas, to give me some protein.) Usually the dishes are pretty nutrient dense, but some are more calorie-dense than others. Most are pretty filling, though.

    I'd say that overall, I eat healthy while making room for indulgences. I don't strive for an '80-20' split, but it wouldn't shock me to find out that I'm sort of hitting it naturally.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,372 Member
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    When I started MFP, I could get away with smaller portion of the high calorie stuff I used to eat.

    Now that I have a normal weight (and still fighting to lose my last pounds)... not so much. I read some people who are satisfied with kid meals at McDonald's and I'm shaking my head! I'd be starving if I ate what I was eating when I started, honestly.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    nads_ayoub wrote: »
    kommodevaran wrote: »
    I must say I'm curious, having such a resentment over battered deep fried cod, why did you eat it - don't you consider the nutritional quality before you eat?

    Had I been younger, I wouldn't have cared as it was perfectly okay to eat deep fried food every now and then and not worry about the fat content from a weight gain and from a health perspective. Now, I'd much rather have a healthy fat rather than something that has been deep fried in corn oil.

    Why did I eat it? Because I was sitting at the table with my boys who were having the fish for their dinner - it was home made.

    No resentment (that's going a bit far!) but I do ask myself check myself after I eat something that is a far cry from my clean eating habits - it's really the same question I ask myself after consuming cake or anything with excess sugar.

    Just curious about how others eat and the choices they make...
    Do you let your kids eat food you feel is unhealthy? Who made the homemade food?

    If not resentment... guilt?

    I will eat anything I like, but not everything at once, and not all the time.
    Most of my meals are simple and made from ordinary foods and ingredients, and I add enough fat, sugar and salt to make it taste just right.
    I differentiate between normal days and special occasions.

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