Dont know any better :((

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  • MelStren
    MelStren Posts: 457 Member
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    Veggies and Fruit - not canned or with sugar.

    there a problem with no sodium added canned veggies that I'm unaware?

    The only problem with canned veggies that I'm aware of are the perservatives used in canning. If you aren't sensitive to them, it shouldn't be problem to eat "no sodium added" canned veggies.
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    If you have no other issues (craving, binging, food intolerances) then most of the advice here is good. For me, I have had to eliminate an entire food group and many other individual foods in order to eat "healthy" for me and I don't miss them at all. Eating good quantities of healthy fat and protein are very necessary imo, and MFP defaults are far too low for many people. Also, I think avoiding artificial sweeteners, excess sugar, and "low fat"/"diet" foods is best too. Enjoy natural foods as much as possible.

    Are you serious? So, if it's low fat but has TONS of sugar and sodium it's still good? Low fat is a marketing gimmick! Don't fall for it.

    You read that wrong...see where I bolded above
  • isabellecmiranda
    isabellecmiranda Posts: 56 Member
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    fruits and veggies! those are the best to snack on, so are almonds.
    I really like the bistro bowl salads, I bring them to work. You can find them in the produce section at your grocery store.. i pretty much like them all but there are several different kinds and the dressing is included so it helps you stay within your calories.
    hope this helps :) good luck!!
  • kirchren
    kirchren Posts: 5
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    My main concerns personally with canned veggies is BPA and sodium. Here's a website that explains several issues with canned food:

    http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/3-reasons-to-avoid-canned-vegetables.html

    Karen
  • MelStren
    MelStren Posts: 457 Member
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    I also agree that the best place to start is with what you already eat. Just eat as you normally do and for a week, 2 weeks, a month... log everything that you put in your mouth! Then you can see where you need to make adjustments... Like eating 2 ounces of ham on one slice of wheat bread instead of eating 4 ounces, 2 slices and a side of chips!

    You may need to make other changes as well, like giving up a "bad" food choice for a "good" food choice but those can come later after you have learned portion control.
  • photorific
    photorific Posts: 577 Member
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    I'm going to toss in a couple of ideas here:

    While whole/"store perimeter" foods are IDEAL, you'll drive yourself batty and likely become overwhelmed if you try to overhaul your whole diet at once. If there are a handful of what I call "crutch" foods that you can use SPARINGLY (think the lesser of 2 evils - they aren't necessarily good, but better than what you'd nomally be eating), use them. For me, this means sugar free syrups in my coffee, reduced fat/fat free processed cheese, and processed lunchmeats. Not great, but helps me stay on track.

    I'd also recommend initially not worrying quite so much about calories from fat/protein/carbs and just worry about calories. You can get more detailed about things later. Try to think of ways to "reinvent" what you already eat.

    Keep in mind, that proteins tend to be more satiating than carbs (generally speaking), so you'll be more full if you've had 200 calories of chicken breast than 200 calories of pretzels, or even 200 calories of fruit.

    In terms of produce balance, it's good to eat more vegetables than fruits. (And always measure your dips/dressings if you use them.)
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    I really like the last two responses - you can try to go completely clean and overhaul your whole diet but that can be really tough, which means it may also be tough to stick with. Go for gradual changes at first. Set a goal for a period of a week or two to give yourself time to adjust.

    Also totally agree wtih the portion control. I'm a foodie who likes a lot of variety and still enjoys some "junk" food so I instead of cutting thing out of my diet, I pretty much eat what I like (with some tweaking) and keep the portions under control.

    if you eat a lot of processed foods, you may also be drinking a lot of soda or juices. Try drinking more water as that will help flush some of the excess sodium.
  • aqm22
    aqm22 Posts: 153 Member
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    If you have no other issues (craving, binging, food intolerances) then most of the advice here is good. For me, I have had to eliminate an entire food group and many other individual foods in order to eat "healthy" for me and I don't miss them at all. Eating good quantities of healthy fat and protein are very necessary imo, and MFP defaults are far too low for many people. Also, I think avoiding artificial sweeteners, excess sugar, and "low fat"/"diet" foods is best too. Enjoy natural foods as much as possible.

    Are you serious? So, if it's low fat but has TONS of sugar and sodium it's still good? Low fat is a marketing gimmick! Don't fall for it.

    You read that wrong...see where I bolded above

    My mistabke
  • REALsaraheliza
    REALsaraheliza Posts: 1
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    Veggies and Fruit - not canned or with sugar.

    there a problem with no sodium added canned veggies that I'm unaware?

    Almost all canned vegetables / beans / soup are packed in cans lined with a combination of chemicals to maintain freshness -- one is BPA (bisphenol A). More and more studies are showing that this is a very toxic chemical with serious effects, and it can gradually accumulate in the body from very slight exposures. Here's some info (taken from the Environmental Working Group website, here: http://www.ewg.org/node/20937)

    "A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control tested a demographically diverse group of almost 400 Americans for evidence of exposure to BPA and found that 95% of study participants had the chemical in their urine (Calafate 2005; Wolff 2007). BPA has been linked to a variety of health outcomes which are prevalent and in many cases increasing in the United States and responsible for a major toll on our collective health. These include breast and prostate cancer, and infertility (Maffini 2006)."

    An article about ways to avoid BPA exposure (it's also found in plastic packaging, formula containers, and some types of receipt paper, to name a few) is here: http://www.ewg.org/node/20937

    Switch to frozen food! It tends to be fresher (less nutrient decay over the time taken to process it) and eliminates BPA concerns... though you might want to dump it in a bowl rather than microwave it in the plastic bag, since there are some concerns about those too lol.

    Becoming aware of the main toxins to avoid in normal society is kind of overwhelming at first, but your health is totally worth it! Just start small and progress from there. :)
  • frando
    frando Posts: 583 Member
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    I'd suggest getting hold of some good basic cook books and watching some youtube videos to get to grips of things. Also don't underestimate things like herbs and spices!

    Don't worry you'll soon be eating great tasty healthy food!
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    so i read somewhere once that an apple has the equivalent energy that is found in a can of soda. so i started substituting my 3pm soda at work for an apple.

    sometimes it's the little things that help.
  • NCchar130
    NCchar130 Posts: 955 Member
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    Not sure how you eat now but if you are worried about sacrificing and having to eat things that don't taste good (that you won't stick with), start with things you do like and then start experimenting with new recipes. Healthy food can taste just as awesome as the 'bad' stuff, plus when you eat healthy most of the time, you can always make room for some of the 'bad.' The kiss of death for any lifestyle change I have tried in the past was the idea that, 'oh, so I have to give up my McDonalds and eat this limp steamed broccoli instead...." and after a few weeks of not enjoying any meal, I would give up and binge. Also, portion control is key - the food diary has been absolutely essential for me and my eating has evolved in just the 5 weeks I've been logging as I'm learning the nutrition in each food I want. I've learned to cut a little here, and tweak a little over there, to make room for things I like.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
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    Bob Harper's new book "The Skinny Rules" has some good and helpful info in it on setting good habits and eating healthy foods. Some good recipes and meal plans in there too. Buy it or check it out from your local library.

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