Kitchen pottering and keeping calories low

aethre · September 2014

This whole thing about how cooking from scratch is best... I'm kinda struggling with it. I like to cook, but my way of cooking tends to be a bit 'oh hey, this needs using, I'll throw this in' *have a taste* 'i'll add more veg coz veg is healthy' 'hmm, veg is burning, maybe a bit more oil' *cook cook cook serve* 'Hey, this would be great with cheese on top!' and then before you know it it's 200-300 calories more than I planned it :noway: I'm also struggling with protein macros so I'll often add stuff to try and fit more protein in and of course that bumps the calories right up.

So this week I tried going a bit heavier on the pre-prepared calorie-counted meals so that I could keep better control over the it.

Hello, IBS flare up!

Logically my best plan is to find a good recipe site with calorie-counted 400-cal meals and stick to it as far as possible. But how the heck do you resist the urge to tamper?! Kitchen pottering is such a great way to unwind... and then I get stressed again when I realise I've gone over for the day!

kuranda10 · September 2014

1) Clear out the cabinets of bad stuff.
2) make a menu for the week
3) make a grocery list to the recipes for that week.
4) if you find yourself with a lot of extra ingredients, Allrecipes.com lets you search for recipes by ingredient.

and I refuse to make recipes that use a tablespoon of an odd ingredient that I have to buy a pound of just to get that tablespoon ...

_Zardoz_ · September 2014

I adapt recipes as I go along. As long as you log the changes there really is no problem

neanderthin · September 2014

You assemble all the ingredients for a particular recipe together on the counter in one place before you start, this is called "mise en place" and it's done in professional kitchens to ensure consistancy, costs and for time management.

Liftng4Lis · September 2014

You assemble all the ingredients for a particular recipe together on the counter in one place before you start, this is called "mise en place" and it's done in professional kitchens to ensure consistancy, costs and for time management.

Do this if you have to^
There is no "bad" stuff.
I cook exactly the same way, just make sure you log it all

annietud · September 2014

If your not kitchen friendly I would suggest, list what you like to eat, then plan a menu from it.
Breakfast lunch and dinner.
Make your food simple, eg- pasta bolognaise, mince,veggies pasatta herbs & pasta. 4-5 ingredients Max.
Think of portion sizes - a portion of veg/fruit is 80g. Rice/pasta/potatoes is generally 150 - 200g cooked.
Raw meat and poultry & fish is approx 6oz/150-200g. Ground/minced meat about 4oz/125g per portion.
These are the amounts used in an average recipe/restaurant.
Thinking this way of portions you shouldn't have a lot of waste and overeat at meals, if you weigh the food before cooking.
We all have a tendency to have big portions, that's why we're on mfp.
Fresh cooking will enable you to have more control over your IBS too.

IvyLuci · September 2014

I like to cook "freestyle" as well, adding as I go along.
What I do is cook in a big pot, adding what I feel like adding. I write down everything as I go along. I try not to taste it too much since those are sneaky little bites that add up quickly. Once the food is done I input it into 'my recipes' here on MFP and see what it looks like calorie-wise.
And then divide it into the right number of portions (so each portion is around 4-500 kcal). I put it into baggies and into the freezer. I pre-log my days, so when I'm packing for next day I take out a baggie and put it into tupperware, then reheat at work. With the way I'm cooking now it ends up being around 10 portions, which means no cooking for the rest of the week, which is a win for me :-)

Snip8241 · September 2014

Unfortunately adding this and adding that is not very good for you at this point. I had to go back to following recipes exactly because once I started tinkering all calorie counts were off. Sure I could weigh measure and figure calorie counts as I went along but it was a pain.

Skinny taste is a website that has great recipes. I use quite a few of them. I also like the weight watchers power foods cookbook.

I do mise en place now because I measure everything. It takes getting used to but it actually makes cooking easier. You can also combine chopping an ingredient if you need it more than one place.

Good luck!!

WalkingAlong · September 2014

I tinker in the kitchen and it doesn't impede my progress. If you had planned a 400ish calorie dinner for yourself but now it's a 700ish calorie meal because you added more oil and protein, eat less of it. Protein and oil are filling, you don't need two helpings. Even if it's something like a smoothie, just drink half and stick the rest in the frig for later or throw it out.

It takes practice but a half a 700 calorie pan of food is just as filling as a whole 350 pan of food. You just need to exercise the discipline to recognize it's now bigger than you need and not eat it all.

And a home-cooked 350 calorie meal is going leave you more satisfied and full than a take-out or frozen 350 calorie meal.

Good luck!

aethre · September 2014

I like to cook "freestyle" as well, adding as I go along.
What I do is cook in a big pot, adding what I feel like adding. I write down everything as I go along. I try not to taste it too much since those are sneaky little bites that add up quickly. Once the food is done I input it into 'my recipes' here on MFP and see what it looks like calorie-wise.

I've been trying to log on MFP as I go along and that whole thing doesn't work due to the slow internet connection in my kitchen... I could use pen and paper, but then you don't know the true calorie count until the end. Course, then there's the 'don't eat it all' option, but how do you work out how much you haven't eaten?

Thinking on it, I probably need to have a complete change of perception about 'wasting food'... I *hate* throwing food away and I'm a bit of a plate-clearer... I really struggle with leaving anything uneaten. That's why a lot of stuff gets added, it's a 'use it up' mentality, I guess. I've not gone as far as pouring water on leftovers in a restaurant to prevent myself from finishing it, but recently my boyfriend was laughing at me in a cafe trying desperately not to eat a half-scone that I didn't want, just because I didn't want to waste it.... I resisted but it was almost painful!! Crazy, isn't it? :ohwell:

meridianova · September 2014

I like to cook "freestyle" as well, adding as I go along.
What I do is cook in a big pot, adding what I feel like adding. I write down everything as I go along. I try not to taste it too much since those are sneaky little bites that add up quickly. Once the food is done I input it into 'my recipes' here on MFP and see what it looks like calorie-wise.

true, but tasting is an important part of cooking. and if you're already measuring everything you're throwing in, the food is accounted for in the log entries. i've never logged things like the one piece of cavattappi i bite to check for doneness, or the lick of sauce to see if any additional seasoning is needed. those ingredients are already on my list, already weighed, and will be figured in to the final numbers.

I've been trying to log on MFP as I go along and that whole thing doesn't work due to the slow internet connection in my kitchen... I could use pen and paper, but then you don't know the true calorie count until the end. Course, then there's the 'don't eat it all' option, but how do you work out how much you haven't eaten?

i cook by concoction (aka "freestyle" or "tinkering"), and in order to log everything properly i keep my kitchen scale next to my cutting board and a pen and paper hanging from the fridge. i don't limit myself on how much of any one ingredient goes in (because it honestly depends on the taste or effect i need), but i DO measure what i've put in and write it all down. i figure out how many servings the dish made and log everything accordingly. THEN i eat. i also put dates on each recipe entry in my log so when there's leftovers, i can go back and find the exact dish and log it again properly.

if your home internet is slow, what about using the mobile app? or logging everything while you've got a little down time when the dish is in the oven or simmering or whatever?

one of the other things i'll do is keep my food lighter during the day so that i have the room to spare for dinner.

WalkingAlong · September 2014

You can estimate how much you haven't eaten. Especially if you're going to eat the rest later. If you know the dish has 700ish calories you can log half now and half later or 60% now and 40% later-- same thing. But if you throw the rest out, just make your best guess. It really is ok to estimate. Make an effort to round up a little in your head because your natural inclination will be to under-report it.

I struggled with food wasting issues causing me to overeat for a long time. Now I give the rest to the dogs or save it for later or chuck it. My health is more important than my mental accounting.

I have that 'use it up' mentality, too. I find when it's time to eat I open the frig and my first thought is "What NEEDS eaten soon so it doesn't get wasted?", not "What do I feel like eating" or "What should I eat for my health right now?" Being aware of it leads to changing how you think. Now I can weigh the costs/benefits of 'polishing off the stroganoff leftovers' with 'having a yogurt and an apple because that's what I want and/or need'. Sometimes the leftovers win, sometimes the other choice. I used to never consider the other choice, though, so it's progress!

Try to think of it this way: Eating the food to 'get rid of it' is going to mean it's around a lot longer in the form of body fat than if you'd just tossed it. Truly getting rid of it isn't eating it, unless you see yourself as a landfill or garbage disposal or dog. :ohwell:

Try throwing out some food, and not clearing your plate. Note how you feel afterward. You'll probably find after 10 seconds, you're glad you did it, not sorry. Next time it'll be easier. Remind yourself there is no award for 'least food wasted' in life.

Good luck!

Happymelz · September 2014

You assemble all the ingredients for a particular recipe together on the counter in one place before you start, this is called "mise en place" and it's done in professional kitchens to ensure consistancy, costs and for time management.

Do this if you have to^
There is no "bad" stuff.
I cook exactly the same way, just make sure you log it all

This!

I cook with random ingredients and don't follow a recipe most times, but I DO gather all my ingredients first that way I can check the calorie total before I go too crazy adding more stuff. lol.

Kitchen pottering and keeping calories low

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