What kinds of foods does everyone eat?

Hi, just wondering what kinds of foods everyone eats on here. I am a very picky eater unfortunately, and find it very tough to find good foods to eat that are actually healthy for me. Pasta, bread and pizza are my favorites, and since joining MFP last week, I have done a great job really not eating them too much. Over the past week, I've mainly been eating salad but hope I don't get sick of eating it all the time.

Replies

  • karlospiklington
    karlospiklington Posts: 143 Member
    The idea of living off salad in winter to lose weight makes me sad. Breakfast is toast, porridge etc. I make a lot of pasta sauces and soups from scratch for lunch and dinner as I think they taste nicer; plus you are in control of what goes into them. Also, if you make a big batch of cooked veggies/beans/pulses in vegetable stock then you can use that as a base for lots of other meals like lasagne, soups, tortilla filling etc. Makes cooking a bit less time consuming. Nigella Lawson has some good winter soup receipes online that are worth checking out.

    What sort of things do you eat? You can make a healthier pizza using a naan bread as the base and putting tomato puree on top then adding whatever veggies or meat you want btw.

    You might find some more ideas in the recipes section of the forum.
  • tayteetots
    tayteetots Posts: 114 Member
    Where do you find healthy naan? Everyone I see is like 300-400 calories. That's not really saving me anything.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I'm a foodie...I love food...I eat all the foodz...just less quantity than I used to but the quality is still A+++. This notion that your food has to suck *kitten* to lose weight is ridiculous. I've easily lost 40 Lbs just eating less of the awesomeness I prepare and have been maintaining the last 6 months doing the same. I eat a salad...like almost never...maybe a 3 or 4 times per month or something and that's usually in the summer when I can get some awesome greens and fresh veg. I really don't do salad in the winter...the horror.

    Fruit and veg are awesome, but you need way more than that for proper nutrition and a balanced diet. You need protein (lots of it) and dietary fat for proper nutrition.
  • karlospiklington
    karlospiklington Posts: 143 Member
    Well firstly that's compared to eating a takeaway pizza. Also, you can buy light version of naan breads in most supermarket chains which are about 135 calories per half naan. Obviously it varies between brands. Tesco sell lighter choice naan breads if you're in the UK.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    Where do you find healthy naan? Everyone I see is like 300-400 calories. That's not really saving me anything.

    calories have absolutely nothing to do with whether something is healthy or not. Calors =/= nutrition. There are literally tons of extremely nutrient dense foods that will blow you away calorie wise. One has nothing to do with the other.
  • Limath
    Limath Posts: 89 Member
    I like salads, but this time of year, I prefer vegetable soups. You can fill them with whatever vegetables sound good, and if you roast them, they are even better. Eat as is, or puree to make a thicker soup. Add meat, rice, pasta or beans to make a meal, or serve along side a small sandwich.

    A small tortilla makes a great pizza crust for about 100-120 calories. Crisp in the oven first, then top with seasoned tomato sauce, 2% cheese & all the veggies you like. I also make 'pizza quesadillas' on the stove.

    Find a good whole wheat pasta, and toss with tomato sauce & veggies. If you have the calories left, you can put a lean italian turkey sausage link in the sauce, and simmer until it cooks through. My husband & son love this.

    Tonight we are having grilled chicken breast, marinated in buffalo wing sauce along side a salad with bleu cheese & homemade ranch.
  • JasonT1973
    JasonT1973 Posts: 229 Member
    I eat whatever.... Salads, chicken, natural peanut butter, steamed veggies, almonds, cheese, turkey... watch your calories and WATCH YOUR MACROS!!
  • Why do you feel like you can't eat pizza, pasta, or bread? I eat all of those things. For example I make spaghetti with veggie pasta, "no sugar added" tomato basil pasta sauce, and some fake "ground beef" or fake "meatballs" (you could just use lean meat if you want).

    That meal provides protein, about 2 servings of veggies per portion, and it is just as tasty as the regular old spaghetti my mom makes. :)

    You can do the same with the other things, choose whole grains and healthier versions of whatever ingredients you like. Measure and control your portions, and you're good. I don't believe any food is off limits, personally, but lower calorie versions allow you to eat more while staying within your calorie allowance. :)

    Salads are fine I guess but if that's all you are eating I don't know where you are getting protein from (or carbs but some people avoid those on purpose, I know). And I think unless you really love salads it probably isn't going to be sustainable for you to eat this way long term.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
    I spent the beginning mentally changing my relationship with food and coming to my own understanding that there is truly no "Bad" foods period..... I have a calorie goal and a macro's goal that I aim to hit daily and if I can work in some ice cream, pizza, etc, along with my lean meats, veggies, fruits and grains then I do... I have scratch made waffle and syrup for breakfast most mornings and eat 18-20 oz. of lean meats daily along with salads and whatnot. I finish most nights with a bowl of ice cream or some chocolate of some sort.... To adhere to this and make it sustainable then you really need to find your niche and work in those foods you enjoy. Are you really going to eating just salads the rest of your life.... Best of Luck
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
    I eat ALL TEH FOODS

    Nothing is off-limits.

    Portion is important, though.
  • tayteetots
    tayteetots Posts: 114 Member
    Where do you find healthy naan? Everyone I see is like 300-400 calories. That's not really saving me anything.

    calories have absolutely nothing to do with whether something is healthy or not. Calors =/= nutrition. There are literally tons of extremely nutrient dense foods that will blow you away calorie wise. One has nothing to do with the other.

    Yes, I am aware of that but were comparing naan bread to a pizza crust here. Not a candy bar to an avocado or nuts.
  • DragonflyF15
    DragonflyF15 Posts: 437 Member
    80% of the time I try to eat healthy fresh or cooked from scratch stuff, but 20% I indulge in my foodie side and don't feel to guilty about it. Portion control, just eat a bit less.

    There are different view points on this, but I'm a big believer that making selections of certain foods do help you have more energy, boost the mood and has health bennies other than just losing weight. Cutting calories will help you lose weight, as will exercise and burning. I look at food as fuel for the body, so I'm a bit more selective about what I put into my mouth.

    Making healthier choices may seem overwhelming, so sometimes best to just take small steps. You started with cutting portions down on your current favorites and that is a good start. Next add in X amount of veggies and fruit per week. Next try something new or in season. Find new recipes for fish and chicken. Etc.

    Great way to get veggies in is through smoothies or soups, I love using my Vitamixer for soups and often forget there is celery, carrots, kale added in when it's in a good chicken tomato broth with seasonings.
  • cavia
    cavia Posts: 457 Member
    I'm a foodie as well. I love to cook and make all kinds of dishes at home. I just weigh them now and make sure I end on a deficit each day. I use an Ezekiel tortilla to make myself a personal pizza at home. They crisp up nice unlike a regular tortilla. I was never big on crust. It's all about the toppings for me!
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I eat all the food. I make most of it from scratch so I can control the ingredients. I weigh out my portion and enjoy.

    Pizza is a regular occurrence in my house and I just finished off the last piece of homemade lasagna for dinner. My diary is open. The past two days I've been having a mini-break and eating at maintenance.
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
    I eat chicken, fish (lots of it), and beef once a week at the most. Lots of vegetables, fruits, squash, sometimes quinoa, sweet potatoes, beans, and brown rice, peanut butter, almonds and pecans, cheese, avocados, eggs, and Greek yogurt. I also make soups, chilli and meatloaf (not with for turkey), and I have lots of salads all year round (I am in CA).

    Pizza, pasta , cakes, ice cream, chocolate, cookies are not foods that I crave at all. But I do love bread, I just don't eat as much as I used too.

    Just make healthy dishes with the foods that you like and try to balance your carbs, fat and protein to meet your macros and calories goals.
  • janer4jc
    janer4jc Posts: 238 Member
    I eat lots of eggs. I also like to eat an apple a day (preferably Braeburn).
  • Ed98043
    Ed98043 Posts: 1,333 Member
    Mainly meat, veggies and fruit. I don't go looking for dietary fat but I get it from the meat as well as from dressings and any oils used in cooking. I also have a treat most days - (cookies, chocolate, etc.) and just work those into my calorie allowance.
  • Artaxia
    Artaxia Posts: 185
    I eat anything I want, as long as it's homemade. I'll have little treats every now and then, or cereal but everything in moderation :)
  • Pollywog39
    Pollywog39 Posts: 1,730 Member
    I happen to love salads, and make a HUGE one for lunch most days - gets all my veggies in for the day, and I usually top with a protein (ham, eggs, bacon bits, chicken, whatever.)

    I love breads - and go for the whole-grain, heartier varieties (but DO limit them...........). Yogurt has good protein/calcium........I'm not a big fan of the greek stuff, but there's a 100 calorie variety in my area with no 'fake' sugar (not a big fan of fake sugar!)

    I like to make big vats of chili/soups/stews......and then freeze a portion for lunch and/or dinner. You can make them less calorie-dense by using lean meats.........but, to me, they are worth the extra cals for the great benefits of protein & fiber.

    Look for lower cal pizza......one of my favs is the California Kitchen thin-crust frozen. You can eat a third of the pizza for about 300 cals.............that's a good deal in my book!

    I don't eat much pasta - just not worth the calorie toll. But I like wild rice, and other healthier rices...........they make a good base for a stir fry :)

    There are lots of recipes & lower-calorie ideas in the food area of the message boards. Check them out, and MUCH SUCCESS to you!

    :bigsmile: :bigsmile: :bigsmile:
  • jennz81
    jennz81 Posts: 194 Member
    I try to eat a little bit healthier, but I do indulge every once in a great while. I just make sure that it fits into my calories for the day.
  • lisabinco
    lisabinco Posts: 1,016 Member
    Mostly all kinds of vegetables, lots of types of fruit, raw nuts and seeds, all sorts of legumes, tofu, brown rice, potatoes, quinoa, stuff like that. A very small bit of cheese or eggs or breads or dried fruits like dates and raisins. And I cook most of what I eat. I try to avoid too much sodium and fats.
  • Cindyinpg
    Cindyinpg Posts: 3,902 Member
    I eat ALL the foods I like. Usually cereal for breakfast, a chocolate and peanut butter protein shake mid morning, sometimes a mandarin chicken breast salad or tomato tortellini soup for lunch, Subway for dinner if I'm working, home cooked meal if I'm not. I have ice cream everyday, sometimes with another treats and snack as well. I get plenty of lean protein, healthy fats and fiber and am at a moderate deficit. It is a sustainable plan for me. I've lost 124lbs in 16 months using this method, and I don't foresee any problems going forward into maintenance because I never feel deprived.
  • Leafy greens, all kinds of fish, cucumbers carrots all kinds of veg beautiful colors
    Ginger lemon wasabi sushi sashimi
    Plain greek yogurt blueberries raspberries pink grapefruit apricots seasonal yum fruit
    Dark chocolate more chocolate
    Kombucha tea of all sorts decaf coffee seltzer waters
    Hmmm what else?
    Anybody eat similar?
  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
    I'm big on those little tins of flavoured tuna, you have to watch the ones in oil (fat content) but my kitchen is full of the others. Lob some of those in with some sweetcorn, maybe some greenery if I'm pretending to be healthy and I am happy.

    I don't restrict anything, I try to get my share of protein in and fill in the rest of the allocation with whatever takes my fancy.
  • Gkfrkv
    Gkfrkv Posts: 120
    Hi, just wondering what kinds of foods everyone eats on here. I am a very picky eater unfortunately, and find it very tough to find good foods to eat that are actually healthy for me. Pasta, bread and pizza are my favorites, and since joining MFP last week, I have done a great job really not eating them too much. Over the past week, I've mainly been eating salad but hope I don't get sick of eating it all the time.

    I don't eat all that much pasta, but bread I eat every day. I have found a better type then I ate before, but then that is true for most of the things I eat

    Now the list of things I don't eat includes any kind of lettuce, peppers and spice food.
  • sklebar
    sklebar Posts: 117 Member
    Personally, I think a lot of people on MFP eat a lot of processed crap, especially the American diaries that I see. It's sad to see so much trans fats out there. I cook a lot. And you can eat cheaply and tastily doing that. I cook my own flatbreads and naan breads to keep calories down. I eat organic, wholemeal bread, which I bake myself. Every single meal, I have veg or fruit. That way I hit 8 to 10 veg/fruit portions a day. I have scrambled eggs with onion and mushrooms, two slices of wholemeal organic toast with laughing cow triangles. I eat steamed broccoli and spinach with a small turkey sandwich on the side. For dinners, I cook healthy stuff like lebanese chicken skewers, grilled veg and my own flatbreads (takes 3 minutes to make) or the hairy bikers spanish chicken bake with chorizo and veg/potatoes or a thai green chicken soup or a nice home-cooked chilli with lean beef steak. I also do things like turkish koftes or my own focaccia bread pizzas with low-fat cheese, plenty of veg and decent meats or chicken. The world is your oyster and if you know how to cook, man oh man, you have a great diet, lots to look forward to and you save a heck of a lot of money.
  • Thanks everyone for your replies! I saw some very interesting food choices that I will definitely try. I used to eat a lot of processed foods, but am definitely trying to steer away from that. I would like to eat more fruits & veggies. Luckily, I haven't had any cravings yet. I've pretty much been eating whatever, but absolutely eating them in the right portion sizes. Exercising a lot has given me a big boost too! GLTA!
  • bumblebreezy91
    bumblebreezy91 Posts: 520 Member
    Oatmeal, eggs, yogurt, fruits, veggies (cucumbers!!), cottage cheese, honey (with my tea and when I make the occasional almond butter sandwich), turkey or ham or chicken deli meats, chicken breast, fish, soups (chicken with rice and chicken noodle from Healthy Choice are my favorites, they come in microwaveable bowls, too!), spinach and other leafy lettuce-y things, chocolate, McDonald's snack wraps and sometimes even a cheeseburger (mm!), prunes, almonds, ice cream, bread, ramen (in a pinch, or if I plan it), and basically whatever I want that I haven't listed.

    I drink a lot of tea and water.

    I use cinnamon, cayenne pepper, black pepper, olive oil, and sea salt as my primary seasonings.