I need to learn how to eat healthy!!

oh yes. i've been researching and learning how to eat healthy for 4 months now, and i can tell you that i've come a long way from how i used to eat. how i started eating healhty is by learning how to become a better cook. i learned that i'm capable of quickly putting together on-the-go meals that are actually nutritional.(my definition of "nutritional" has also been greatly altered.) i now know how to make a pile of raw vegetables actually taste yummy!

anyway, these are my tips:

1. you're already here on this site! its one huge step in the right direction. utilize the site's features.

2. read and do research. there is an incredible amount of articles written on nutrition. look online, or in magazines and books. the more you surround yourself with information on nutrition, the easier it is to make good decisions.

3. get in tune with your home-cookin side. just about everything is healthier homemade. and it gets even better when you learn how to 'healthify" all your favorite recipes and dishes.

4. try new foods! variety is the key to eating healthy. there's so much food out there that is nutritional as well as tasty. start by getting a hold of some new recipes to try out and go from there. a great site that has healthy recipes for families is called
eatbetteramerica.com. i'm in love with that site!

For starters, get used to only shopping the outside of the grocery store (or even better your local farmers market). If you sick to the outside and avoid the middle isles, you will avoid much of the processed food.

To transition your family into eating this new way, look at what they like to eat now. If boxed mac and cheese is a staple, try looking for lighter, made with actual ingredients recpies (no boxes allowed) and add exciting bits like veggies or chicken. I reccommend http://allrecipes.com/ they have great stuff, and many times if you read the comments there are ways users lighten up on the calories and fat.

Some general basics are add more veggies, fruits, whole grains (no white flour), try nuts instead of granola bars etc for snacks, and just keep looking till you find what you like. Dont think healthy has to be boring or gross! You will be amazed at what your options are! Good luck!

I found this great website that really helped put things in prospective. http://helpguide.org/life/healthy_eating_diet.htm
I also took the word DIET right out of my vocabulary. Because it's a change I plan on keeping. Diets just set us up to fail.

My favorite heathy recipe book is "Eating for Life" by Bill Phillips, also founder of the Body for Life challenge if you have heard of that. The recipes are easy, and dont focus on calories per say, but on healthy ingredients and great taste. My book is so beat up I use it so often :ohwell: You can get it for $10 used on Amazon, well worth the price!

Congrats on making the decision to start!!! Good luck to you!

Hi. When you're starting to eat healthier and move towards preparing more of your own meals, find some easy, healthier recipes. I'm not a cook by any means, but I've been trying to prepare more meals instead of popping something in the (ew) microwave.

I made this yesterday- it's one our faves (and I'm not a fan of ground turkey, generally):

Turkey Meatloaf w/ Chili Sauce

1/4 C. Chopped Bell Pepper (Red or Yellow)

1/4 C. Grated Carrots

½ C. Onions

1 ½ lb. Ground Turkey

16 Saltines, finely crumbed

2 T Milk

2 Large Egg Whites (I used 1 whole egg)

½ C. Bottled Chili Sauce (Divided in 2)

1-2 T Brown Sugar (I left this out as the sauce I used is already sweet enough)

1 T. Vinegar (I left this out)

Approx 1 tsp Dried Basil OR Oregano

Pepper

1. Spray small non-stick skillet (or use a bit of oil). Cook veggies 5 - 8 minutes until tender. Let Cool.
2. Combine cracker crumbs, milk, 1/2 of the chili sauce, and egg whites - mix well. Add ground turkey and veggies, seasoning, and mix thoroughly.
3. Shape into one loaf or mini-loaves (I used the same pan I cooked the veggies in). I baked at 400 for about 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, mix remaining chili sauce, brown sugar and vinegar together. Set aside.
5. After the first 25-30 minutes - spoon the remaining chili sauce mixture over the loaf (loaves). Bake another 10-15 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 10 servings. (With the amount of ground turkey I used, it made about 4 servings)

Nutrition Info: 140 Cal, 6 g. Fat, 2 g. Sat Fat, 54 mg Chol; 312 mg. sodium; 8g. carb; 1 g. fiber; 14 g. protein (this will vary depending on the ingredients you use).

I like that tip, Ivy.

I'm trying to lose about 20 to 30 pounds as well and have started by watching my calorie intake. I try to eat healthy foods too. I am also learning correct portion sizes when eating at home and out at restaurants. One thing I have started doing (when dining out) is immediately requesting a to go box. This way, I can put left overs in the box right away and all I have left on my plate is a small portion of each food item. This helps stop over-eating. If bread is served, I eat only one piece instead of munching on the whole basket. Order water to drink. Eating a salad first will help fill you up too and is low in calories.

At home I've started eating more salads, drinking more water, eating small portions, and eating whole foods that help fill me up longer. I went from drinking 2% milk to Skim. I try to exercise 2 to 3 times a week as well. I don't have equipment to work out on at home right now and can't afford to go to the gym. So, I bought a jump rope and some weights at Target to use at home. I jog in place or run sometimes, jump rope, squats, situps/crunches and pushups, lunges, the plank, and stretching. I dance with my kids too and run up and down the stairs. I started doing all of these things 4 weeks ago and have so far lost 5 pounds. Good luck and don't give up!!!!

Lisa