Tips for a less processed diet? Please help.

Mdin1029

Google is my BEST FRIEND. I am going through a horrible time losing weight....I've been here for 3 weeks and I'm not noticing a difference. Someone told me it's all the processed foods I use. So, I went digging. In a meat-and-potatoes man-heavy family (my brother and my husband live with me), we like a lot of Hamburger Helper, Banquet Homestyle Bakes, frozen pizzas and tacos.

Just looked up recipes today to make ALL of them. Not only are they cost efficient, but NO PRESERVATIVES (if you let it)! Tacos are the easy part though...just substitute ground beef for ground turkey or chicken.

Another thing I love are quick grabs, like Cliff bars, 100 calorie brownies and Special K bars. Found recipes for all of those, too!

I'm also trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables. If all else fails, I'm getting some of that V8 Fusion. It's a full serving of fruits and vegetables per 8 oz glass. It's processed but at least I'll be getting it in.

Great idea to look up recipes for stuff I like, I will be sure to look up Cliff bars. Thanks!

PS-I would do low-sodium v8 (just veggies) instead of v8 fusion (lots of sugar).

Mdin1029

You want to choose non-processed, nutrient-dense, low-fat food with very little (or no) meat. Here's an ideal day:

Breakfast: a couple pieces of fruit, 1 c. oatmeal
Lunch: a gigantic bowl of salad greens, mushrooms, fresh vegetables, no cheese, no salad dressing and legumes
Afternoon snack: apple or banana
Dinner: lots of steamed fresh vegetables (chard, kale, collards, peppers, etc. etc. lots of colors) with tofu and 1/2 c. of brown rice with a piece of fruit for dessert. A tiny bit of olive oil is ok here.

For example today for lunch I recorded this: 2 cups raw organic lettuce, 1 can Westbrae Natural organic black lentils (with 2 tsps of Wizard's brand vegan Worcestershire sauce mixed in for flavor), and microwaved 2 packages of frozen vegetables (one each of Cascadia Farms organic california-style blend and gardener's blend). Finally I put a teaspoon of flax seed meal on top for omega 3. Beware of salad dressing. I use balsamic vinegar which is awesome. This was 641 calories (hey I'm a big guy), nutrient-dense, loaded with fiber, fat-free, and very filling.

ELEVATOR PITCH: prefer fresh (or frozen) fruits and vegetables, stay away from all processed food, meat, sugar and salt. And maybe do some yoga a few times a week. Everything else is just commentary (or a means to sell you a book or a video).

Awesome!! Thank you so much for the ideal day breakfast-dinner. That's exactly what I need. I get the idea of choosing "non-processed, nutrient-dense, low-fat food with very little (or no) meat" it was the how, and exactly what, especially for breakfast that I was confused about. Thank you!

And thank you to all others for the great tips and recipes. I wish MFP was like Facebook sometimes so I could easily and quickly "like" all the great comments.

boodlelibra

Since I started tracking sodium I have gotten much better about not eating processed foods. I still go over a bit but at least I'm in the ballpark, Lord knows where I was when I wasn't paying attention!

I've started planning my meals for the week on Sunday and writing them on a list on the fridge - I then hit the coupons and ads (most coupons are processed foods though) while hubby and I catch up on tv shows. My son has gymnastics on Monday nights so I do groceries then and he keeps me in check for dinners during the week, unless it's something he doesn't like!

The crockpot is my best friend for sure, food processor is getting to be a close second. I found some cool patio gardens on Pinterest and will be planting one this year so I can get some fresh veg.

A little planning goes a long way - I'm even starting to enjoy cooking, especially knowing that I'm taking responsibility for my family's health.

Good luck!!

isabelk

I make my own foods to reheat:
lentil soup
chicken pot pie (with LOADS of veggies in)
chili
lamb stew

Here are some tips:
I make sure half the plate is steamed or lightly sautéed veggies (if only I did this every day...)
I only eat protein at one meal if possible (if only I did this every day...)
Keep whole grain bread on hand for pb+j, grilled cheese or honey on toast
eat a lot of canned seafood like salmon, smoked mussels, sardines.
drink water every time you feel like a snack and drink before you begin preparing a meal.

Here is a good day:
breakfast honey toast for breakfast, maybe 2 slices, coffee
lunch green beans and miso soup with tofu for lunch, served hot, hot tea
dinner egg, egg white, tinned salmon and sautéed onion for dinner (takes 5 minutes to stir together and cook, super yummy)
snacks honestly... chocolate squares, olives, pb on toast

Pebble321

I think the key is to cook your own meals... which takes time and effort but pays off in health and taste!
Here's my plan for today which is mostly home cooked and mostly healthy:

Breakfast: Nectarine, porridge with skim milk, peanut butter (no added salt or sugar) and half an apple.

Snack: home made muffin with zucchini, carrot, cheese, no sugar, wholemeal flour, eggs etc.

Lunch: left over fritatta (sweet potato, frozen peas, mushroom, brown rice, eggs), roast chicken drumstick (from the supermarket), cherry tomatoes. Natural greek yoghurt and fresh blueberries.

Snack: Cheese and vegemite sandwich (wholegrain quinoa and flaxseed bread, reduced fat cheese), plum, apple.
Muesli bar if I'm still hungry after work.

Dinner: Lemon chicken pasta (chicken thighs, broccoli, lemon zest and juice, white wine... um forget what else is in here, probably chicken stock).
And because my neice is coming for dinner I've made dessert - mini pavlovas with natural greek yoghurt and berries.
And if we need more sweetness after the sugar oveload from the pavlova I have Lindt dark chocolate with Sea Salt - yum!

I'm not worried about carbs, hence the pasta, bread and flour in the muffins. I try to get grainy bread - because I like it and because I think it has a bit more nutrition than plain white bread.
The dessert is not the norm - my husband doesn't like sweet things, so if its just the two of us we don't have dessert. He has been working nights so I've been having fruit or icecream after dinner. (I bought Skinny Cow icecream but it's highly processed, seriously expensive and a bit chemical tasting, next time I will buy real icecream and eat less of it).

I'd love to pretend that every single day is full of wholesome, home cooked meals but that's not the case. It's certainly what I aim for though.

SSNok

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Deer meat!