I'm looking to learn more about what other people eat.

I'm in my early 30's and I'm in the process of coming out of depression. I never really learned good eating habits, and while I have started learning to cook, I frequently don't have the time to do so and would love to get a better idea of what packaged or no-cook meals people eat.

I'd love to find some people that are on a tight budget and have exotic tastes that wouldn't mind sharing their food diary with me.

I'm also learning poi and hoop dance, and am working toward a level of fitness that would allow me to take a parkour class.

Replies

  • hailzp
    hailzp Posts: 903 Member
    Hi. I think I eat quite well and balanced, though I am always open to suggestions. I eat quite simply and rarely have packaged foods. My diary is always open and you are welcome to check it out to see if it is the type of the thing you like
    :)
  • tachyon_master
    tachyon_master Posts: 226 Member
    My diary is closed, but...

    I'm very time poor due to my job, so am always looking for easy no-cook meals. Last thing I want to do after working 14-16 hours is cook.

    A few things I eat that are on the cheap side:
    * plain rice cakes topped with hommus, baby spinach and a tin of tuna in springwater (drained)
    * pre-cooked bbq chicken from grocery store on wholegrain breadroll with avocado and a spash of hot sauce
    * low carb tortilla wrap, smoked salmon, tabouleh with a dollop of no fat greek yogurt.

    I stay away from the pre-packaged meals. Even the supposed "low fat" or "light" options are relatively high in calories in my opinion.
  • Bettyeditor
    Bettyeditor Posts: 327 Member
    Hi, feel free to add me. My diary is open.

    I try hard to eat clean and avoid processed foods, but I also work long hours and I'm in school full time, so it's not easy. For example, I am especially tight on time next week and my husband is starting a new job and in class all week so he can't cook, so I just bought a week's worth of packaged foods to get me through. Of course, they are all natural, organic, low sodium, chemical free packaged foods. :)

    I am totally know what you mean. I do microwave a fair portion of my foods from a box. I do have some recommendations for you. Because I have digestion problems, I can't eat raw vegetables. So I eat cooked instead (just as nutritious!). I LOVE the packaged Green Giant and Bird's Eye brands of veggies. They have a lot of great mixed veggies that come with a nice olive oil sauce and nice seasonings. I don't get the ones with cheese sauce because I'm allergic to dairy and besides they are to high fat/calories. But check out my diary to see examples.

    At work I stock some foods in the fridge in case i forget to pack a lunch. I keep a box of Alaskan Salmon patties in the freezer, and some of the little boxed Green Giant veggies. They microwave up fast. I also keep a couple of Minute rice cups to microwave in a pinch, although they are a full cup and white. I usually eat 1/3 cup brown rice. That is a good investment, btw: a good rice cooker. You need carbs of course, but you'll do better on high-quality carbs like brown rice. My husband and I cook up a batch one or twice a week so we always have leftover rice in the fridge.

    I also eat 5-6 times a day because I have snacks. I try to ensure that I eat every 2-3 hours through the day. So most of my snacks are packaged because I am at work and I need something I can keep in my pocket and eat discreetly in meetings. So I have researched a number of protein/snack bars and other small snacks. I stock up on weekends and portion them out in little baggies so I am ready for the week.

    I never learned how to eat right growning up. I never lived with a healthy eater my whole life. I've had to learn how to eat healthy from scratch. It's a process, an evolution. You learn things little by little and make incremental improvements. It's like a game now to see how yummy I can make eat day and yet how healthy too. :)
  • jackieg218
    jackieg218 Posts: 95 Member
    My diary is open as well, some days I make great choices and some days not so great. I really try to hit the 40 carb, 30 in protien and fat... I try lol.

    Feel free to add me if you would like!

    Jackie
  • scruffykaz
    scruffykaz Posts: 317 Member
    Feel free to add me . My method is more 'everything in moderation'. I have some good days and some bad but feel free to add me if you like.

    I've also recently started a blog which looks at cooking recipes from scratch, step by step.

    If you are interested it is here:

    http://kazscookingadventures.blogspot.co.uk/
  • bathsheba_c
    bathsheba_c Posts: 1,873 Member
    I have some really easy recipes I fall back on when I don't want to spend a lot of time cooking. For example, if you have chicken pieces, you can season them how ever you want (including just pouring on some pre-bottled marinade) and bake them in the oven for an hour at 350. It's five minutes of prep work, and you get 3 meals out of it. Alternately, you can buy rotisserie chicken in the supermarket and either eat it whole or shred the meat for salads and wraps.

    You can also make your own microwave meals. For example, you can make a large pot of soup or chili and then freeze it in individual portions to reheat later.
  • wikitbikit
    wikitbikit Posts: 518 Member
    Congratulations on freeing yourself from depression! Once you get away from that monster, everything else will seem almost easy :)

    Just wanted to say that :) You're free to look at my diary, but I don't think I really fit what you're looking for food-wise.
  • dan323
    dan323 Posts: 271 Member
    My diary is open. Add me if you want.
  • amberlykay1014
    amberlykay1014 Posts: 608 Member
    I'm glad you are getting healthy!

    One of the best things I ever bought was a food steamer. You can get a small one at Target or Bed Bath & Beyond for around $30-$40. I actually have two. You can pretty much put anything in there, fresh or frozen: chichen, salmon, tilapia, eggs, potatoes, vegetables, rice... put any kind of marinade or seasoning in there, and press the Steam button. Come back and it's DONE 30 minutes later. You can do fancier things with them, but that's basically it. No cooking and a lot of healthy eating.

    I'm also really good at making breakfasts and lunches. Check out my diary if you'd like to see. I do eat poorly in the evening sometimes though.

    Good luck to you.
  • violinkeri
    violinkeri Posts: 212
    My diary is open!

    Greatest discovery---Trader Joes. I came out of there with two giant paper bags stuffed full, for 50 bucks. that was a week and a half ago and I havent had to go back yet because im still eating all of it. Lots of selection as far as produce, meats, fish, and everything both fresh AND frozen! lots of organic stuff too.
  • mlakins1
    mlakins1 Posts: 4
    I have an open Food Diary feel free to add me! I eat clean work a ton and eat very minimal packaged food! Lara Bars are my go to and even those you can make for less than you buy one!! If you have any questions just ask!!
  • Griffin220x
    Griffin220x Posts: 399
    Add me! My Diary is open!
  • Feel free to add me, my diary is open to friends but feel free to look at it and see whats there