Questions/Tips on a low-processed food diet??

lildebbie

Trying to think of things i need to change. And i know i need to reduce the processed foods. Was hoping for some tips/hints on what you eat for breakfast/snacks/lunch/dinner. I know we eat a whole lot of processed foods

I have to admit that i have some food aversions that i just can't do....I don't eat eggs or any seafood.

Like for lunches now, we most of the time eat sandwiches with turkey or ham, bread and cheese with a side of chips.

For dinners, we have sometimes burgers, tacos, grilled chicken, pork chops with usally some type of marinade on them.

So we can hit our calories but the content of what we are eating is highly processed.

We are just trying to think of some ideas that we could try to do a little less processed foods.

Any ideas or suggestions would be welcomed

absie107

well... eggs and fish knock out a large source of protein... but there's always sustainably raised chicken/beef/fowl/organ meats!

ditch grains in general and you really cut back on the processed stuff. eat LOTS of veggies and some fruits, eat nuts , just eat things with less ingredients and you're probably doing yourself a favor if that helps!

ambervargo

Make your own marinades so you can control (and simplify) the ingredients, especially sodium. Have toast with peanut butter for breakfast with fruit. Or kashi waffles, plain oatmeal, Greek yogurt with fruit and organic granola. Shredded wheat, puffed wheat or rice...

Lunch, make chicken salad or tuna salad. Turkey burgers, grilled chicken sandwiches, steak on a salad. You can make your own salad dressings too! Have carrot sticks or fruit instead of chips, or make pita chips!

LTRUITT3

bump.....i would like ideas as well

jrich1

Bump

lunamare

I got really really sick a few years ago from all the processed diet food and artificial sweeteners I was eating. I cut out as many as I could. We've got a great fruit stand/deli nearby. I'll go there and pick up fresh veggies: corn, zucchini, eggplant, salad fixings, berries, apples, oranges, potatos and use those in our meals. I try to use the butcher shop down the street and the fish market for our meats and fish. I got DH and DD used to eating brown rice from Trader Joe's. They're not a fan of couscous yet. For lunches I'll often bring a small meal leftover from the night before. Lots of veggies and a small piece of meat, etc. I grill my pork chops with just olive oil, sea salt, pepper and rosemary. Very yummy. We grill alot in the summertime. I do use the Near East rice pilaf or whole grain rice mixes to mix things up a bit. Yams are a great alternative to regular potatos too. If I buy frozen veggies I try to get the steamfresh ones with no extra sauce or anything in there. Amy's Organic makes great frozen meals that aren't as bad as some of the others. Those are my fall back items along with Campbell's soup bowls for lunch.

jrich1

I got really really sick a few years ago from all the processed diet food and artificial sweeteners I was eating. I cut out as many as I could. We've got a great fruit stand/deli nearby. I'll go there and pick up fresh veggies: corn, zucchini, eggplant, salad fixings, berries, apples, oranges, potatos and use those in our meals. I try to use the butcher shop down the street and the fish market for our meats and fish. I got DH and DD used to eating brown rice from Trader Joe's. They're not a fan of couscous yet. For lunches I'll often bring a small meal leftover from the night before. Lots of veggies and a small piece of meat, etc. I grill my pork chops with just olive oil, sea salt, pepper and rosemary. Very yummy. We grill alot in the summertime. I do use the Near East rice pilaf or whole grain rice mixes to mix things up a bit. Yams are a great alternative to regular potatos too. If I buy frozen veggies I try to get the steamfresh ones with no extra sauce or anything in there. Amy's Organic makes great frozen meals that aren't as bad as some of the others. Those are my fall back items along with Campbell's soup bowls for lunch.

Great Info.. Thanks!

tn2010

I think it's great that you're trying to improve the quality of your food! I did the same over a year ago and I'm so pleased with what my family now eats. I think it can be really overwhelming, so we did it gradually. For instance, I got a bread maker and stopped buying bread in the store. Then we became members of a CSA (community supported agriculture) and got so much great local produce. Then we started going in with some friends to buy local grass fed beef. One of the greatest things you could do is just avoid foods with high fructose corn syrup or artificial sweeteners. You find yourself wandering to the outside aisles of the grocery store where all the unprocessed foods are! Check out Omnivore's Dilemma (Michael Pollan) and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Barbara Kingsolver) for some great motivation! Good luck

jrich1

Another bump with one last question.. we buy Fruits and Veggies at Kroger (really only real grocery store around) and sometimes at target and the quality of the fruit and veggies doesnt seem to last that long, sinking the family budget into a lot of fruit and veggies how to get them to last the week to be still good? I can barely get a week out of apples and stuff for my snacks.. are the fruits and veggies at farmers markets etc better quality or will they last longer?

fancypance

Think about the things you already like to eat, and gradually make adjustments to each meal. It is too overwhelming to eat 100% differently than you have before. Change a component at a time, swapping out for an ingredient for one that is a little healthier. And for every meal, think about how you can add a fruit or vegetable to it.

Some examples: Make a pizza on whole wheat crust or use whole wheat pasta. Add diced vegetables to your pasta sauce, mac and cheese, chili, casseroles, everything. Serve roasted vegetables ( or veggies cooked in a new way) on the side even if you are having hamburgers.

As for the person who has issues with vegetables going bad quickly, get to know the ones that keep for longer and plan to eat them later in the week (cabbage, carrots, etc.) after you have used the ones that don't keep as long. Also, frozen vegetables are your friend! And, as long as you buy fruit canned in its own juice that will help you when your fresh fruit is gone.

milaxx

Trying to think of things i need to change. And i know i need to reduce the processed foods. Was hoping for some tips/hints on what you eat for breakfast/snacks/lunch/dinner. I know we eat a whole lot of processed foods

I have to admit that i have some food aversions that i just can't do....I don't eat eggs or any seafood.

Like for lunches now, we most of the time eat sandwiches with turkey or ham, bread and cheese with a side of chips.

For dinners, we have sometimes burgers, tacos, grilled chicken, pork chops with usally some type of marinade on them.

So we can hit our calories but the content of what we are eating is highly processed.

We are just trying to think of some ideas that we could try to do a little less processed foods.

Any ideas or suggestions would be welcomed

For breakfast you can do yogurts, cereal, fruit, even a few pieces of sausage since you are omni. Buy 0% Greek yogurt and add fresh fruit, granola, or whatever toppings your like. Keep in mind apples, orange & bananas while good for you are high in calories. Take advantage of the lower in calories summer berries and stone fruit.

For lunch branch instead of lunch meat cook chicken or turkey breast and slice them yourselves. You lose a lot of sodium this way. Experiment with wraps instead of bread, but if you eat bread go for whole grain (not multi-grain). Instead of chips try nuts likes almonds or walnuts. Remember a serving size is 1oz or 10-20 nuts. Add different types of lettuce to your sandwiches. Try different toppings instead of mayo like hummus, or homemade guacamole. (really just buy an avocado, add a bit of lime juice & smush) try lettuce wraps instead of bread 1 day a week.

For dinner make your own marinades and seasonings. Again you save on salt. Experiment with flavors you like, spices and herbs. Most marinades of just oils and acids. For example a citrus marinade, might be olive oil, orange juice, garlic, and maybe some parsley. Same with taco seasoning, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano, n paprika, ground cumin, sea salt, black pepper. The bonus is you control the salt added and there are no chemical added in. Also make sure you get some green veg in for at least one meal a day. Either steamed or roasted with no sauce. As you learn to use spices and herbs you will enjoy the rel taste of veg.

Another option is a meatless day. You could eat beans and grains such as quinoa or make a stir fry of veg and brown rice one day a week. A meatless day is also very budget friendly.

milaxx

Another bump with one last question.. we buy Fruits and Veggies at Kroger (really only real grocery store around) and sometimes at target and the quality of the fruit and veggies doesnt seem to last that long, sinking the family budget into a lot of fruit and veggies how to get them to last the week to be still good? I can barely get a week out of apples and stuff for my snacks.. are the fruits and veggies at farmers markets etc better quality or will they last longer?

Ziploc freezer bags. When you buy your veg blanch and shock or roast it. Then split it in half and freeze the rest. with your fruit when it start to get really ripe, toss it in a ziploc and use that for smoothies or protein shakes. After a while as you begin to gauge how much you can eat before it goes bad this will become less of a problem.

jamhamm

Frozen veggies are good options when you want produce that isn't in season. Very cost-effective and is healthier than canned veggies. I'm starting to explore some more mediterranean/Middle Eastern foods which are heavy on the beans.

For breakfast I eat old fashioned oats (like $3.50 for a huge container that lasts weeks) with some almond milk and strawberries or other fruit. I'm usually not that good with lunch and grab a healthy choice/smart ones, but like PP said - you can do a lot with wraps.

lildebbie

thanks everyone for your ideas. I think the gradual thing is better than trying to replace everything i eat cause i know that is so drastic. Think i will try to start replacing a few things or adding in a few things at a time.

fancypance

Also, this site is great for "real" food ideas, and even has weeks of menu plans/grocery lists.

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

andreabjarnson

raw and fresh fruits and veggies. try a real fruit smoothy for breakfast.