I live in the south...but I want to eat healthy

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  • hooperkay
    hooperkay Posts: 463 Member
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    I live in the south too. I also have 4 children and I just decided no more. It's not good for them. They have adjusted nicely. In fact my 12 yr old daughter told her friend that she doesn't eat McD's because it's not healthy. I started my weight loss end of march begining of April. My daughter 12 in 7th grade 5'10" (tall) went from size 12 last year to 8 this year. My 13 yr old daughter went from 10 to 8 size pants. All I did was stop frying (only bake lean meats) and switched ground turkey for beef. No more cookies, cakes, ice cream, or chips. I have snacks like fruit, nuts, and granola bars. Occassionally for special days I'll have chips or something but they seem fine without it. Just do it, you won't be sorry.
  • SeekingOne54
    SeekingOne54 Posts: 38 Member
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    Good morning,
    I moved to Bowling Green, KY about 4 1/2 yrs ago. There are over 300 restaurants in Bowling Green, making it number two in the nation of the most restaurants per capita! Los Angeles is number one. Unreal.
    Anyway, while there are many dishes here in the South that are fried (like dill pickles, REALLY??) or full of carbs and added butter, Southerners do eat and love their greens (turnip, collard, kale, etc.) which are nutritional powerhouses (as long as you don't add the bacon fat, ahem... ). The Hungry Girl web site has many healthy made over Southern dishes that are so good and quite easy to prepare.
    Others have mentioned farmer's markets. From May until the end of October Bowling Green has three in different parts of the city and there are always numerous little vegetables stands just about everywhere you look. There is a large Amish and Mennonite population around here and they sell the best organic produce and their prices are the most reasonable.
    Long story short, it may take a little bit of extra effort to eat healthy these days, but it is really easily done and eventually it becomes habit. Make it an adventure and involve your children, they will enjoy it!
    Best wishes to you :flowerforyou:
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    Midwest here.. meat, potatoes and corn are the base of nearly all meals here and most of it is fried too. Family get-togethers always include potato salad, cheesy potatoes, fat-laden casseroles, chips, cakes, etc.

    Grill, bake or broil all meats or use a crockpot, use skinnytaste.com for recipes, buy fresh fruits, veggies, etc. at farmers markets or if you can, have your kids help grow your own and have them help prepare meals. Let them pick out some recipes that include some of their favorites. Make veggie pizzas with tortillas, homemade sauce (I freeze it in 2 cup batches), 2% milkfat cheese and tons of veggies like red/yellow/orange peppers. You can even add some lean meat like chicken.

    Most of all,, quit buying them junk. They will protest but they will adjust! They get enough junk outside their home anyway so it's not like they will NEVER have it. You can also go to your Dr., a nutritionist or perhaps your local health department and get info on how to transition your family diet. My daughter is currently doing this with her 3 year old, it's going slowly but he's trying new foods and they entire family will be healthier.

    Good luck!
  • vytamindi
    vytamindi Posts: 845 Member
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    nothing wrong with butter.
    fat is your friend.

    No kidding. Why is fat so demonized?

    ((not talking about deep frying... that'll nuke all nutrition!))

    ETA: Living in the South isn't an excuse. The main source of my weight gain was portion size. If you learn this, you've got a good hold on how much you can have.
  • wildcata77
    wildcata77 Posts: 660
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    How does living in the south mean you have to eat poorly? Last I checked, there's no butter and fried chicken quota we're forced to meet, and we have farmers markets open 10 months out of the year, for cryin' out loud. :happy:


    Here's some healthy takes on some traditional southern dishes, though:
    http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_southern_recipes

    And it's kind of cheesy, but I've watched a couple episodes of Not My Momma's Meals on Food network, and which ever spawn of Paula Deen that is seems to make tasty looking versions of his mom's recipes.

    No...doesn't mean we have to eat poorly...but when it is what you were brought up on, change is hard. I've made lots of changes, but this one is hard for me. It is called comfort food. :) And I don't think our farmers markets are open that long. Maybe in Nashville, but that isn't convenient to me with 4 kids.

    I'll check those sites out. I would like some alternatives...trick the kids to eating healthy if I can. :)

    I think a lot of us "Southerners" get upset by the suggestion from out of towners who seem to only notice the unhealthy options that we're all a bunch of dumb rednecks who don't know no better than to eat our gravy at every meal.

    I know in NC, even our commercial grocery stores often carry local produce.

    If the drive to a larger area is inconvenient, I'd start googling to find a local CSA. Lots of them now let you build your own box, and it's delivered to you, so with 4 kids that would be a HUGE convenience. You know ahead of time what's coming, so you can meal plan and find recipes that gets the kids involved so they are more likely to eat the food. Try localharvest.org to find one.

    GL...you can make the change and save one day (like Sunday) for a cheat day to enjoy your southern comfort food.
  • Vansy
    Vansy Posts: 419 Member
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    There is an over-abundance of unhealthy food in the south -- primarily the southeast. I never thought twice about it until I traveled to the west and the mountains more. Everywhere you go out there has vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free/organic options. NOWHERE in florida has those types of restaurants, everything is unhealthy here. I went to SLC for a week and came back only a pound heavier -- that's with eating out for lunch and dinner; and I come back to florida and eat out once and gain 4 pounds. So yes, there is an over-abundance of bad food here.

    I enjoy my healthy food and for the most part go to farmer's markets and eat fresh fruit/vegetables and lean meats. But if you want to go out to eat your options of healthy meals are very limited -- best to just avoid it all-together.
  • ruurik
    ruurik Posts: 143 Member
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    Hold on, let me finish my biscuits and gravy with a side of fried bacon, and I'll try to give you some advice.

    LMAO brilliant :)

    I just have to figure out a way of bottling up all your sexy southern belle accents and get them to the UK!!!! Hottest accents ever!
  • amandal15
    amandal15 Posts: 108 Member
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    Your children shouldn't need to be "introduced" to healthy eating, that should be in place from birth. Avoid take out and fast food then you avoid the deep fried buttery mess :flowerforyou:

    Geez...I have 4 kids...we definitely don't do take out or fast food very often...we couldn't afford it. I am just trying to get out of my comfort foods...mashed potatoes and mac and cheese. Luckily I never learned the art of fried foods...but still I would like to feed my kids healthier new things so they can experience new tastes and so hopefully one day they aren't sitting in the same position I am. It will be easier for them in the long run.
  • amandal15
    amandal15 Posts: 108 Member
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    I like fried foods too and also live (sort of) South (in VA, so it's not as southern as some places). I buy shake and bake sometimes and bake my chicken instead of frying. I try to remove a lot of the fat by replacing butter with olive oil and low fat substitutes. It's the little changes that add up to the biggest differences for you if you make enough of them.

    As far as the kiddos go; they will be resistant, but do not give up! Kids can learn to tolerate or even enjoy healthy foods if you let them try. When I have my kids, they have to try new vegetables. We found out that while my oldest hates all things green, he loves fresh cooked spinach. While my youngest hates cooked carrots, he likes baked sweet potato fries (he thinks they are the same thing because they are orange). If you give them a variety and force them to try something (but not force them to eat it because that could exasperate the situation), they may have a new favorite (healthy) dish in no time!

    Thanks! Great ideas! We may make this a family event. Let the kids choose something new so it isn't always my decisions on what we eat.
  • Troll
    Troll Posts: 922 Member
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    Im SE Texas born and raised. Nobody has ever made me eat junk. We have salad and sandwich restaurants in the same abundance as burger joints. if you're using being Southern as an excuse or crutch, you arent trying too hard.
  • wildcata77
    wildcata77 Posts: 660
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    There is an over-abundance of unhealthy food in the south -- primarily the southeast. I never thought twice about it until I traveled to the west and the mountains more. Everywhere you go out there has vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free/organic options. NOWHERE in florida has those types of restaurants, everything is unhealthy here. I went to SLC for a week and came back only a pound heavier -- that's with eating out for lunch and dinner; and I come back to florida and eat out once and gain 4 pounds. So yes, there is an over-abundance of bad food here.

    I enjoy my healthy food and for the most part go to farmer's markets and eat fresh fruit/vegetables and lean meats. But if you want to go out to eat your options of healthy meals are very limited -- best to just avoid it all-together.

    First of all, Florida is not the South. We don't claim you.

    Second, I can think of at least 3 restaurants in Raleigh, NC that I've eaten at recently that are farm-to-table organic. You just have to find them.
  • Loulady
    Loulady Posts: 511 Member
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    First of all, Florida is not the South. We don't claim you.


    *snort* To be fair, a lot of the time Florida doesn't claim us,either.
  • Vansy
    Vansy Posts: 419 Member
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    First of all, Florida is not the South. We don't claim you.


    *snort* To be fair, a lot of the time Florida doesn't claim us,either.

    True fact. and by south i meant proximity-wise. Although living in NORTH FLORIDA...we're practically considered part of Georgia which I think qualifies as the "south"
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    awww but now you can totally use your kids as an excuse to eat right. plus youre the mom so you can be all like CAUSE I SAID SO TINY BTCHES. or, you know, no tv.

    wait kids dont care about tv now, right? take away something else electronic.
  • amandal15
    amandal15 Posts: 108 Member
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    I moved from California to the South, talk about food shock! Everything seemed to be fried and served with a biscuit! Well until I found my way around to better places anyway. Try http://www.thesneakychef.com/

    Oh, neat site. Thanks!
  • Zoot_suits
    Zoot_suits Posts: 71 Member
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    LMAO...Do this to my sons all the time. "I'm the Mom, and you will eat what I cook or starve" Thankfully I am getting better at cooking healthier, and my demons are my main motivation :)

    awww but now you can totally use your kids as an excuse to eat right. plus youre the mom so you can be all like CAUSE I SAID SO TINY BTCHES. or, you know, no tv.

    wait kids dont care about tv now, right? take away something else electronic.
  • sarahleeroy
    sarahleeroy Posts: 45
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    I live in TX, and I I hardly ever eat fried food. Actually here in tx, we love to GRILL! That makes it pretty easy for me b/c I can have a nice piece of grilled chicken or steak, and some salad then I'm all set. After eating healthy and clean for a while, I have really learned to dislike fried foods a lot.
  • Ali155
    Ali155 Posts: 30
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    Where in the South are you located? I am in the North Texas area, and I would have to make a very conscious choice to eat in a restaurant that rained cornbread and biscuits and served nothing but fried food. I started consistently gaining weight in my late 20s and it was mostly due to a drastic drop in activity level (desk job and little time in the gym) and poor food choices. Lack of healthy options was not a factor, because we have access to great grocery, health food stores and farmers markets. I grew up in East Texas, and although smaller and more rural, there was still access to plenty of healthy choices.

    You can sooo do this! Two sites that I find really helpful are SkinnyTaste and SkinnyMom. Also, if you are on Pinterest, you can get lots of great inspiration there. Tosca Reno's Clean Eating books are good, as is Oxygen Magazine. You can get good, healthy ideas from Weight Watchers magazines as well.
    Good luck!
  • amandal15
    amandal15 Posts: 108 Member
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    Check out skinnytaste.com. That blog has a lot of good meals in a "lighter" version. My favorites were the chili and baked chicken nuggets. There are also some recipes that are not so common. They've all been good so far.

    Love that site. I see where I will be spending some time. Thanks!
  • Prek2005
    Prek2005 Posts: 58
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    I live in the south...so everything is fried or with tons of butter. :) But I want to change my eating to be healthier. If it was just me, I don't think it would be too hard, but I have 4 kids that I have to feed too. 2 of the 4 are very picky. Does anyone have a book that they can suggest...a cookbook or a nutrition book. Something that I can slowly introduce to the kids so that we are all eating healthy?

    I live in the south too! One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to go to local farmer's markets and stock up on home grown fruits and vegetables. If you are looking to cook healthy southern dishes without all the fat and grease check the website: www.eatingwell.com they have tons of healthy southern cooking recipes. My favorite is the Chicken Fried Steak (smh). Good luck to you!

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