Start reading the packets...

SwissHausfrau
SwissHausfrau Posts: 83 Member
edited November 23 in Food and Nutrition
There was a day about 7 years ago when I moved to the USA and I cooked dinner. A simple stir-fry, chicken, peppers, mushrooms and a tub of mexican salsa sauce. I served it with flour tortillas and cheese. One bite in and both my husband and I spat it out. He asked me if I'd added sugar instead of salt when cooking.... we checked the label on the salsa sauce and it was LOADED with sugar and other things I couldn't even pronounce.

From that day I made a resolution.. everything I cook will contain ingredients I can draw a picture of. I've stuck to it 95% of the time since. Now the only tinned things I buy are tomatoes, peas and occasionally baked beans (I LOVE them too much to give them up) I later found the whole 'clean eating' thing.

I have the luxury of being at home during the day and have time to cook. I cook monster sized pans of things to portion out and freeze. I also make my own sourdough. It makes grabbing something in a hurry so much easier.
It doesn't stop me from overeating (I LOVE food) which is why I am here.
If you work during the week and spend one day at the weekend at home doing laundry, house accounts and paying bills, watching TV etc, have some pots on the cooker at the same time. Yesterday I ground 6 kilo of beef, froze 4 x 500g bags for later and pressed 8 burgers, made 2 kg of bolognese which I turned into 2 lasagnes and then portioned the rest to have with spaghetti. While that was cooking I made oxtail soup - enough for 4 days for 2 people. I also turned 1.5 kilo of chicken into a thai green curry, boiled down beef shin bones for stock and started a loaf of sourdough which I will finish today and bake tomorrow for the weekend. lots of things that can all simmer away happily requiring little attention, but I can control the calories and sugar/additive levels.

Yesterday I was reading a few food diaries on MFP, hoping to get inspiration for low cal snacks and lunches and I was SHOCKED at how much rubbish and processed foods people are eating. One person ate a sausage at nearly 300 cals for breakfast. A SINGLE SAUSAGE. We were chatting via message and she said she was always hungry during the day at work and thats when she snacked.

I don't claim to have all the answers, I'm not a nutrition expert and I'm here because I need to loose weight too. BUT. Try taking 30 mins out to read your own diaries and see where you can cut out the high cal processed foods. Maybe add in a boiled egg as a snack, some roasted chicken or leftover beef steak with a salad. I understand that everyone has busy lives, not everyone has control over what they eat or don't have access to be able to cook themselves but every small step will help. Don't pick up a muesli bar instead of a banana - without reading the label and making an informed decision.
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Replies

  • SwissHausfrau
    SwissHausfrau Posts: 83 Member
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    a lot of people happily hit their macros, calories and weight loss (or gain) targets while eating what you judge as 'rubbish and processed foods'.

    to each their own, no?

    Absolutely, but also a lot of people grab something quick without awareness. If you make an informed decision, it works within your daily calories and you are happy then thats great.
    Maybe you are running a lot and need some fast energy.
    My point was that lots of people don't read the labels before choosing and often could make better choices if they did. Just an observation.

  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    How do you draw a picture of lycopene, folic acid, ala and loads of the other ingredients our bodies need?

    I actually asked once on a thread to name one of the scary additives.
    Their answer was B5. Yep, a vitamin our bodies need. They just didn't understand what it was as it was written as pantothenic acid.

    Educate yourself. If an apple had an ingredient list you wouldn't eat it using your silly food rules.
  • SwissHausfrau
    SwissHausfrau Posts: 83 Member
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    I love when a stay at home person comes and food shames me and tells me how I'm not using my non work time to optimal levels. It's delightful. And why i don't have my food diary open anymore.

    I wasn't trying to 'food shame' anyone and apologise if I came across as trying to. But you have to agree that the first time you read a food label on something you thought was a good choice and realise it isn't is a bit of a lightbulb moment. It certainly was when I did it. That was really what I was trying to get across.
  • Alatariel75
    Alatariel75 Posts: 18,234 Member
    edited January 2018
    SwissHausfrau wrote: »
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    I love when a stay at home person comes and food shames me and tells me how I'm not using my non work time to optimal levels. It's delightful. And why i don't have my food diary open anymore.

    I wasn't trying to 'food shame' anyone and apologise if I came across as trying to. But you have to agree that the first time you read a food label on something you thought was a good choice and realise it isn't is a bit of a lightbulb moment. It certainly was when I did it. That was really what I was trying to get across.

    I don't disagree that being educated is a good thing. I do disagree that not being able to draw (or pronounce, which is the more common comment) something is in any way an accurate indicator of whether something if good for you. In fact saying so promotes ignorance rather than encourages people to actually find out what's in what they eat. I can't draw iodine, but I'm sure as *kitten* glad they put it in my salt.

    And you may have the luxury to prepare food the way you described, but it doesn't necessarily make it healthier.

    PS, draw these ingredients:

    ingredients-of-an-all-natural-strawberry-english.jpg
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    lemurcat12 wrote: »
    Mindfulness and awareness is important, and I'd advise it, sure.

    I'm a longtime reader of the ingredients and nutrition information on anything I buy, also, and am always surprised when people are not.

    I also cook most things from scratch because that's how I personally enjoy eating. I don't pat myself on the back for it, feel superior, or think that's the only way to do things. It works for me.

    I also currently log at Cronometer (for a period before that I didn't log at all) and only look at people's diaries if they ask me to or are seeking help. I would NOT make an unsolicited comment on someone's diary, that strikes me as rude.

    That said, there are many people on MFP who eat in ways that would not work for me or that are inconsistent with my own goals. Some eat lots of sausage for breakfast regularly, sure, which is not a breakfast that would work for me (I need fiber, ideally from vegetables, and don't find high fat meats especially satiating). Others eat cereal for breakfast, which would also not work for me (I don't like cold cereal, find it a waste of calories, and need more protein). Some consume no breakfast, or coffee with coconut oil, which seems unpleasant to me. But in all cases, I think it's quite possible they are doing it intentionally; for example, many on keto find a high fat, low protein and carb, breakfast to work well for them and might choose sausage or some such and find it more satiating than the kinds of foods I eat.

    I would strongly caution you against the idea that if others were more knowledgeable or thought about it more, that they would eat like you. We all will find different things work, to some degree, when it comes to what is satisfying and satiating.

    For one other example, you say you were looking for low cal snacks. I find snacking makes me more hungry and dislike doing it, and don't. I don't assume if someone is hungry that it's because that person (like me) should not snack. I might suggest trying not snacking as something to experiment with, or changing macros, or adding more veg (which I think is important for nutrition anyway), but assuming they should eat like you, again, is presumptuous. (As is telling everyone else to be mindful and look at what we are eating, as if we, all of the rest of us, do not.)

    Unless someone is specifically asking for help with how to avoid excessive hunger or meet nutritional needs, my default assumption is that they've found a way of eating that is currently working for them. Like you, I wouldn't look a style of eating breakfast, for example, that is radically different from mine and assume that they're doing it "wrong" or that they're unhappy with it. Someone who is skipping breakfast or having a high fat coffee or snacking throughout the day may be doing what they prefer/works best for them. The fact that it would make me unhappy is completely irrelevant.

    I eat the way I do because I enjoy it, it fits my lifestyle, and I've found it is the best way for me to control hunger/meet my nutritional needs/hit a specific calorie goal. But there are very successful people here who eat differently from me -- sometimes even to the point of being my opposite -- and have the same level of success (or even more success by the standard of their own personal goals). So to assume that people need to adopt my recipes/preferred foods/cooking style for success doesn't make any sense to me.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    If I don't like bananas or don't feel like eating one in the moment, it's okay for me to pick a granola bar instead. If I find out that the granola bar leads to me feeling hungrier later, I can note that and make adjustments in future days. If I find that the granola bar causes me not to meet my nutritional needs for the day (unlikely, as it's a source of carbohydrates just like the banana would be), I can make those adjustments too. But I don't see what good is going to come from me convincing myself that a granola bar is "rubbish" and that I should want a banana instead.

    I think this is a really good approach in general.

    I agree with the OP that one should look at one's diary and see (if one's calories are out of whack or one thinks they need to improve nutritionally) where changes can easily be made, and I also strongly agree with you that trying things and noting if they don't work -- are you hungry or not during a day? see how it differs from other days. Mindfulness and paying attention can be extremely helpful.

    Assuming there's a one-size fits all (like tofu or smoked salmon or dried pasta is processed, so must be a bad thing to eat, or that having some chocolate must never be the right choice) is not, IMO, a good approach. And judging others on what they eat makes me uncomfortable.
  • musicfan68
    musicfan68 Posts: 1,143 Member
    You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but your superior attitude won't get you very far. If I were the person you used as an example in your post, I would be furious and tell you where you could go.

    Your way of eating isn't for everyone, and telling people how they should cook is really rude. I am physically disabled and it is hard for me to cook at the stove or for long periods of time, so I cook a lot in the microwave, and horror of horrors, I eat some prepackaged frozen foods. I'm healthy, not deficient in anything, so no, you don't know everything about nutrition. It may work for you, but it isn't for everyone
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    SwissHausfrau wrote: »
    Alatariel75 wrote: »
    I love when a stay at home person comes and food shames me and tells me how I'm not using my non work time to optimal levels. It's delightful. And why i don't have my food diary open anymore.

    I wasn't trying to 'food shame' anyone and apologise if I came across as trying to. But you have to agree that the first time you read a food label on something you thought was a good choice and realise it isn't is a bit of a lightbulb moment. It certainly was when I did it. That was really what I was trying to get across.

    I don't disagree that being educated is a good thing. I do disagree that not being able to draw (or pronounce, which is the more common comment) something is in any way an accurate indicator of whether something if good for you. In fact saying so promotes ignorance rather than encourages people to actually find out what's in what they eat. I can't draw iodine, but I'm sure as *kitten* glad they put it in my salt.

    And you may have the luxury to prepare food the way you described, but it doesn't necessarily make it healthier.

    PS, draw these ingredients:

    ingredients-of-an-all-natural-strawberry-english.jpg

    apples and oranges

    Can you put those 'ingredients' together and make me a strawberry? Will you ever see those 'ingredients' listed on a package of strawberries.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    I am totally on board with reading labels. Not just the nutrition label but also the ingredients. I believe this is something everyone should get in the habit of doing.

    I'm also totally on board with eating meals made from whole natural foods, though I don't do it all the time. But it's a good idea.

    I'm not so on board with all the batch cooking. I rarely cook or even plan my meals ahead of time. Just not my thing.
  • laurenebargar
    laurenebargar Posts: 3,081 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    The idea that someone would read my diary and be righteous about the "rubbish" I was eating would have been very off-putting when I was getting started. I hope the people who have asked you for help aren't seeing this thread.

    I've reached a point where I don't really care that people think some of my favorite foods are "rubbish," but not everyone is there.

    If I don't like bananas or don't feel like eating one in the moment, it's okay for me to pick a granola bar instead. If I find out that the granola bar leads to me feeling hungrier later, I can note that and make adjustments in future days. If I find that the granola bar causes me not to meet my nutritional needs for the day (unlikely, as it's a source of carbohydrates just like the banana would be), I can make those adjustments too. But I don't see what good is going to come from me convincing myself that a granola bar is "rubbish" and that I should want a banana instead.

    This is a great point. I have a few people who have commented that drinking my calories in smoothies is a bad idea. I used to agree however after getting a blender for christmas I decided to try it out and smoothies actually keep me full until lunch time. It doesnt work for everyone but for now its something that is working for me trying out new combinations and making adjustments is such a critical part of weight loss because everyone is looking for a long term way of eating. If I hate the banana and prefer granola bars im probably not going to stick to my "clean eating" forever
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    laurenebargar wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    The idea that someone would read my diary and be righteous about the "rubbish" I was eating would have been very off-putting when I was getting started. I hope the people who have asked you for help aren't seeing this thread.

    I've reached a point where I don't really care that people think some of my favorite foods are "rubbish," but not everyone is there.

    If I don't like bananas or don't feel like eating one in the moment, it's okay for me to pick a granola bar instead. If I find out that the granola bar leads to me feeling hungrier later, I can note that and make adjustments in future days. If I find that the granola bar causes me not to meet my nutritional needs for the day (unlikely, as it's a source of carbohydrates just like the banana would be), I can make those adjustments too. But I don't see what good is going to come from me convincing myself that a granola bar is "rubbish" and that I should want a banana instead.

    This is a great point. I have a few people who have commented that drinking my calories in smoothies is a bad idea. I used to agree however after getting a blender for christmas I decided to try it out and smoothies actually keep me full until lunch time. It doesnt work for everyone but for now its something that is working for me trying out new combinations and making adjustments is such a critical part of weight loss because everyone is looking for a long term way of eating. If I hate the banana and prefer granola bars im probably not going to stick to my "clean eating" forever

    Avoiding smoothies because *other people* don't find them filling is exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about!

    Yeah, when you're trying a smoothie for the first time it's a great idea to be aware of the general principle that some people don't find them to be filling. But once you've determined it doesn't apply to you, there's no reason to use that information to plan your personal meals. Same with any "diet truism," whether it's "skipping breakfast is a bad idea," "diet soda makes you hungry," or "carbohydrates aren't filling." Be aware that it's a possibility, but pay attention to your own body.
  • SwissHausfrau
    SwissHausfrau Posts: 83 Member
    In the interests of clarity the person I was talking about has been a friend for over 15 years, she convinced me to re-start with MFP and when we were 'chatting' on messenger and I said 'what was with the sausage at breakfast' she laughed and said that was why she wanted me to read her diary. She is still a friend and loves me staying with her as I usually cook and fill her freezer.

    The reason I have an open food diary for 'friends' is because I have got into food habits and often another set of eyes can point out something that might help. If someone points out something and makes me look at myself differently thats exactly what I asked them to do. isn't that the point as well as looking at someones diary and thinking 'thats a great meal for only 400 cal'?

    As I said I am here to loose weight myself as although I am careful with choices I eat too much, so I didn't intend to come across as righteous or superior or for people to think that I was 'food shaming'. Clearly I could have worded my original post differently.

    I don't claim to have the answers but making informed choices and reading ingredients before making a decision instead of afterwards when putting food into the diary can make a big difference. Looking at some food diaries really made me question if people do this.

  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    SwissHausfrau wrote: »
    In the interests of clarity the person I was talking about has been a friend for over 15 years, she convinced me to re-start with MFP and when we were 'chatting' on messenger and I said 'what was with the sausage at breakfast' she laughed and said that was why she wanted me to read her diary. She is still a friend and loves me staying with her as I usually cook and fill her freezer.

    The reason I have an open food diary for 'friends' is because I have got into food habits and often another set of eyes can point out something that might help. If someone points out something and makes me look at myself differently thats exactly what I asked them to do. isn't that the point as well as looking at someones diary and thinking 'thats a great meal for only 400 cal'?

    As I said I am here to loose weight myself as although I am careful with choices I eat too much, so I didn't intend to come across as righteous or superior or for people to think that I was 'food shaming'. Clearly I could have worded my original post differently.

    I don't claim to have the answers but making informed choices and reading ingredients before making a decision instead of afterwards when putting food into the diary can make a big difference. Looking at some food diaries really made me question if people do this.

    I didn't think your post was righteous and certainly not 'shaming'. It's not as if you said "do this or you're wrong".
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited January 2018
    SwissHausfrau wrote: »

    <snip>

    I was SHOCKED at how much rubbish and processed foods people are eating. One person ate a sausage at nearly 300 cals for breakfast. A SINGLE SAUSAGE. We were chatting via message and she said she was always hungry during the day at work and thats when she snacked.

    I don't claim to have all the answers, I'm not a nutrition expert and I'm here because I need to loose weight too. BUT. Try taking 30 mins out to read your own diaries and see where you can cut out the high cal processed foods. Maybe add in a boiled egg as a snack, some roasted chicken or leftover beef steak with a salad. I understand that everyone has busy lives, not everyone has control over what they eat or don't have access to be able to cook themselves but every small step will help. Don't pick up a muesli bar instead of a banana - without reading the label and making an informed decision.

    I think the bolded is where most people took exception.

    My personal eating preference is IIFYM. I hit my macros, I eat healthy foods. I also have candy or ice cream every night. It's called balance, happiness, and what helps me stay successful.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Need2Exerc1se wrote: »
    SwissHausfrau wrote: »
    In the interests of clarity the person I was talking about has been a friend for over 15 years, she convinced me to re-start with MFP and when we were 'chatting' on messenger and I said 'what was with the sausage at breakfast' she laughed and said that was why she wanted me to read her diary. She is still a friend and loves me staying with her as I usually cook and fill her freezer.

    The reason I have an open food diary for 'friends' is because I have got into food habits and often another set of eyes can point out something that might help. If someone points out something and makes me look at myself differently thats exactly what I asked them to do. isn't that the point as well as looking at someones diary and thinking 'thats a great meal for only 400 cal'?

    As I said I am here to loose weight myself as although I am careful with choices I eat too much, so I didn't intend to come across as righteous or superior or for people to think that I was 'food shaming'. Clearly I could have worded my original post differently.

    I don't claim to have the answers but making informed choices and reading ingredients before making a decision instead of afterwards when putting food into the diary can make a big difference. Looking at some food diaries really made me question if people do this.

    I didn't think your post was righteous and certainly not 'shaming'. It's not as if you said "do this or you're wrong".

    It's hard to think of a context in which eating a substance that has been deemed "rubbish" is good. It's a term we use for non-food, things that should be thrown away, things that are harmful. It's a hostile thing to say about someone's chosen food (it's actually actionable in some contexts, like an office environment with certain cultural subtexts) and it's certainly valid to interpret that as righteousness or potentially shameful for the person who is eating said "rubbish."
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