food diary critique

calliope_music · April 2011

can ya'll critique mine? i am having difficulty figuring out how to keep sodium down and cutting out processed foods. i will be essentially working out of my car this week so i'm trying to figure out how to eat lunch without stopping somewhere. Friday's lunch is a special treat - i am a therapist and when my kids make progress they get to choose somewhere to eat, and of course they usually pick McDonald's! i thought about getting a salad but they're loaded with sodium, even worse than the burger.

i'm open to suggestions - i can run to the store tomorrow and pick up some whole unsalted almonds. i just don't know what to pack. i don't have a cooler but i do have a couple insulated lunch boxes and ice packs. i know i need to cut out processed foods and sodium but i'm totally at a loss...

thanks in advance!

edit: i have it filled out up til Friday.

KerrWal · April 2011

I live for almonds and jerky- but it can be hard to find beef jerky that isn't full of chemicals- like MSG... I found a brand that I like- but can't remember its name off hand. I plan to buy a dehydrator soon so I can make my own from home! When I'm running from home- I stick to nuts, love pistachios, as well as sargento cheese sticks. I usually eat two! I do have an insulated lunch box that an icepack in with four or five cheese sticks with some pepperoni just to grab if I know I'm going to be outside or away from home.

Good luck finding other ideas- I too struggle in "on the go" snacks/lunches.

strapple · April 2011

you seem to be going for a lot of the "nutrition bars" or premade good for you packs. try making your own packs and avoiding nutrition bars unless you accidently stick a meal or after working out

be careful of those bars though, most of them are packed with sugar and carbs

if you lead a really busy week then id suggest making a bunch of baggies full of premade packs with things like nuts and fruits etc
make some for salty and sweet so when youre on the go you can pick out what you want and then youll have them all week

debholm · April 2011

You don't need a dehydrator to make jerkey. Use your oven over night. My husband hunts elk and we all look to having elk jerkey. You can repare the meat then put it over the racks in your oven at 200-220 degrees for about 4 hours give or take or heat your oven to 250-260 before you go to bed. Put the meat on the racks. Turn the oven off and leave overnight. You may have to play with the temps and time depending on how thick your cuts of meat are.

strapple · April 2011

they make jerkey 100 calorie packs
http://www.jerkyquest.com/jack-links-beef-jerky-100-calorie-pack-original-1-25-ounce-bags-pack-of-12/

im not sure if it comes in turkey or not, that would be even better for you

im almost positive ive seen these packs at costco before

momma3sweetgirls · April 2011

I only looked back a few days, but a few things stood out as far as sodium goes. First was the processed mexican food (enchilladas, burrito?). Have you tried making your own instead of buying? Another thing was the salad dressings. Homemade would be much lower in sodium. You know, I don't track sodium, so mine might be high too!

Overall, you are making good choices, have a wide variety of foods, and still managing to stay under calorie goal.

Are you a mom to small kids? I had to smile at the juice box and chocolate teddy grahams! You'll find similar items in my diary!

lil_missfit · April 2011

Hey there,

I looked at your diary as far back as Friday. I use to have a sodium issue too, so I will tell you what I did/do to put it to rest. I am no expert, this is only what I have done and currently do.

1. I threw away ALL salty seasonings and junk food in my house (had a throwing away party). Don't cook with salt either if you can help it.

2. Don't eat processed foods---YEP!!! You're going to have to prepare a lot of your foods.

3. Stay on the OUTSIDE aisle of the grocery store.....I only go down an aisle for bread, olive oil, cereal and herbal seasonings.....my cart is mostly full of fruits and veggies, seeds, nuts

4. Focus on the rainbow (and I dont mean skittles or fruit loops) eat as many colorful foods as possible: apple (red) carrot (orange) banana, squash, lemon (yellow) dark green veggies (green), blueberries (blue) and grapes (purple).....as examples of course:))....oh and make them ALL RAW....nothing processed.

5. a friend of mine told me if you eat something and the calories are less than the sodium you should stay away from it.....for instance----if you eat a "healthy" processed boxed lunch for 250 cals and the sodium 450....then you may want to stay away....well I would anyway (if I ate boxed foods like that)

you can look through my menu if you like....I am not perfect but I am getting better....hope that helps:))

lil_missfit · April 2011

beef jerky!! yum!!! sounds good if you can find them with low sodium:))

broadsword7 · April 2011

I went and looked back a few days and it looks like the enchiladas and the burritos account for a whole lot of the sodium. My own diary is far from perfect as you can see for yourself, but I am holding the line on sodium I think. As for a cooler, you don't really need one. I have an insulated lunch bag, probably like the ones you mentioned, and it works great. In the grocery store they sell those blue ice packs you can put in them. I always put an extra baggie around mine because I am paranoid they might leak on my food, but if you aren't afraid go for it. I think it would help to plan your meals and all your food for one day. Plan your snacks too. I know it is not easy to make your own dinners from scratch but I think once you start, looking up low sodium recipes on the internet and then experimenting, you will soon be hooked and you will never buy one of those sodium loaded prepared meals again. In my case, it was garden burgers. I was eating a lot of store bought ones and not really paying too much attention to the sodium. Now I make my own! Hardly any sodium and they taste even better than the ones in the stores! So hang in there, do a little internet searching for recipes, plan a day at a time and bring all the food you will eat while away from your home, and have fun!

wyomingmama · April 2011

Don't bring home foods from the snack isle! If it's in your house It WILL be eaten. I love tidbits for lunch. That is a small peice of fruit. celery and Adams natural peanut butter. I like a string cheese too.

McD! Stay away from it! Just get the garden salad and bring your own dressing!

calliope_music · April 2011

thanks everyone! the enchiladas were actually homemade...we used low-sodium broth this time but a lot of the sodium comes from the cheese...do they make low sodium cheese?

we are experimenting with homemade stuff but both my hubby and i work so sometimes it's hard to get a good healthy meal in when we both come home and are starving and cranky. most of our meals are homemade though.

i do enjoy most of my fruits and veggies raw or steamed...unfortunately, 4 dollars for blueberries and 5 for raspberries just didn't fit in the budget this week

i find it hard to not shop in the snack aisle sometimes! i love granola bars and stuff. i have tried to make my own before and they didn't come out right...not sure what i did! i will try again though.

thanks for the suggestion of pre-made baggies of fruits and nuts! i will try to hit up Whole Foods for some of that stuff tomorrow or Tuesday - they're the only store around that carries things in bulk here. the food co-op might, but it's sort of in the hood and i don't really want my car broken into!

foodforfuel · April 2011

Just curious... Do you make your own salsa or use store bought? I love salsa but have quit it due to the sodium. Going to try to make my own fresh with hopefully a heck of a lot less sodium.

chris0912 · April 2011

they do make reduced sodium cheese, but unfortunately i've only seen the choice of reduced sodium OR reduced fat. why can't we have both??

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