What was your unhealthy dishes you stopped eating

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  • bepperson30
    bepperson30 Posts: 40 Member
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    i stopped eating sweet cereals. I LOVED fruit loops, captain crunch, cinnamon toast crunch, pops, frosted flakes, and all those other kid cereals. it was a different box all the time. I didn't discriminate. when I started MFP I realized how much sugar and calories were in those. And I never ate the 3/4 cup serving size. It was always 2 cups or more. now I switch to special K or something equivalent, that isn't as terrible for you but still satisfies my cereal cravings :) and I try to stick with a more appropriate serving size.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
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    I definitely have cut out things that are high calorie that really aren't worth it to me. If anything I think that this process has taught me to be more discerning about my food. For example, husband just called and said he's picking up donuts for the kids for the last day of spring break. I asked him from where, and he said Dunkin Donuts. I was hoping for one of the awesome shops that has funky flavors like maple bacon or gooey butter cake or something like that. DD just isn't worth the cals to me today since we have dinner plans tonight, so I said no thanks! I will just eat my yogurt...
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    There are several things I used to eat but don't anymore.

    Fast food would be a big one. When I was young I used to eat a lot of it, now I rarely eat it. Like once every 2-3 years.
    Prepackaged meals - I used to eat things like Lean Cuisine, frozen lasagna, etc. quite a bit. I can't even remember the last time I had them.
    Cheesecake - haven't had it in decades
    Soda - only drink it if that's all that is offered, I don't like it anymore

    But there are far more things that I've simply altered my recipes to be healthier and/or lighter over the years.
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
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    I freaked out looking at the on-line nutrition menus of my favorite restaurants. Almost every single entree dish has calories and sodium that exceed my daily budget. There's one dish that I can have among all of them, the grilled salmon at OG. For everything else, it's the entree and a to-go box, with half going into the box before the other half goes into the mouth.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    edited March 2016
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    WinoGelato wrote: »
    I definitely have cut out things that are high calorie that really aren't worth it to me. If anything I think that this process has taught me to be more discerning about my food. For example, husband just called and said he's picking up donuts for the kids for the last day of spring break. I asked him from where, and he said Dunkin Donuts. I was hoping for one of the awesome shops that has funky flavors like maple bacon or gooey butter cake or something like that. DD just isn't worth the cals to me today since we have dinner plans tonight, so I said no thanks! I will just eat my yogurt...
    ^^^ This
    I, too, find that having the knowledge has given me the power to make better choices. And if I decide to make a high calorie choice, I now know what I have to do to offset it.

    Case in point: We had Popeye's Chicken last night. Which I love, love, love, and would never want to give up. The thing is, I don't *have* to give it up and then end up fluctuating between feeling self-righteous about that, and feeling miserable about that. ;)

    I just don't have it as often, and when I do, I make it fit in by cutting back on other things for a day or two. No biggie.

    I also avoid classifying food as healthy or unhealthy, good or bad. That gives it power that it shouldn't have. It's just food. :)
  • scline2166
    scline2166 Posts: 3 Member
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    From Kommodevaran
    I eat more varied (more species, not just lots of spices).
    I eat more balanced (regular meals, with a proper mix of carbs, fat and protein).
    I eat things in more sensible portions.
    I cook/make/assemble more things from single food ingredients; that way I can control the composition myself to better suit my nutritional needs as well as taste preference.
    I choose more nutritious options, whether calorie dense or not.
    I don't usually buy "light" foods; a smaller amount of the real deal is more satisfying for less calories.
    I try to eat because I'm hungry AND because I like the taste; not just because there's food left, or because it's cheap, or I think I "should" because it's "healthy", or I am offered something. I don't dwell or regret, I just enjoy.


    LOVE this!
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    One thing that I ate almost daily before that wasn't unleathy, per se, just too many damned calories was a breakfast burrito with eggs, sausage, hash browns, cheese and gravy. It was HUGE. Probably 1,000.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    I actually had to think about this hard lol. But I'd say pasta dishes in sauce, fish'n chips and other fried foods from restaurant. If I want some, I make it at home for less calories, or I make it fit in my day, but frankly that's happened once in 3 years, because for me it's just not worth spending a ton of calories on anymore.

    And milkshakes. Just not satisfying at all for the calories anymore, sadly. Now I'd rather spend half the calories and just have the ice cream.
  • MinmoInk
    MinmoInk Posts: 345 Member
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    Francl27 wrote: »
    I actually had to think about this hard lol. But I'd say pasta dishes in sauce, fish'n chips and other fried foods from restaurant. ...
    And milkshakes. Just not satisfying at all for the calories anymore, sadly. Now I'd rather spend half the calories and just have the ice cream.

    Here here! Same! I used to order fish n chips and honestly I just don't want them either. Too many calories and not really worth it.

    Milkshakes too!

    Deep fried monte cristos with powdered sugar on fries at Bennigans as well! Oh wait that was just me again.
  • AmandaOmega
    AmandaOmega Posts: 70 Member
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    I haven't given much up, although portions have definitely changed. I have also substituted out ingredients, though. Like with spaghetti I swap beef for turkey. I eat more chicken and a lot more salad with light dressing.

    I've definitely cut out biscuits and homemade sausage gravy since it is so calorie dense. I eat fast food a lot less, and when I am at a restaurant, I avoid pasta, cheesy foods, and anything fried. One thing I have cut out (that I kind of miss) are breaded chicken tenders and mac and cheese. What a comfort food!
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Hubby does the cooking. He used to make lots of rice dishes. Now he makes the same dishes but without the rice.
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
    edited March 2016
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    Nothing. I eat less of everything, but I haven't given anything up completely.

    Chinese takeout would be the one thing I eat the least that I used to eat a lot of, but I still have it once every couple of months.

    Oh, and there's another dish I used to make all the time that only had 4 ingredients, and about 1/2 of the dish was just one ingredient: Butter. Absolutley delicious but so many calories! 1/2 serving (which might be enough to feed a 2-year-old) would be enough calories for me for the whole day. I can eat so, so, so much more than that.

    I used to make it once a month, but now I only make it for my kids' birthday dinner, and once in the summertime when we go on vacation.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
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    MinmoInk wrote: »
    Anyone else here remember dishes that was just total excess? Maybe it freaks you out to think back on those dishes because they were so bad?

    Nothing I ate before was bad, just not the appropriate amount of calories for my activity level.
    I find some foods less worth the calorie count like crackers. I used to eat a lot of crackers. Now I eat them rarely and a measured amount. I like using my calories for other foods a lot more.
    When I cook I use less oil. I add less cheese to dishes. I still have oil and cheese but I'm more careful.
    I drink water and unsweetened tea instead of juice, pop, alcohol or milk. I've found getting my calories from food and chewing is more satisfying than drinking my calories.

    Spaghetti tacos are a thing? Never heard of that before.
  • MommyL2015
    MommyL2015 Posts: 1,411 Member
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    sylkates wrote: »
    Oh man. And elephant ears / fried dough. I think even eating one on a cheat day would make my stomach upset now.

    LOL I had to laugh because those are the reason why I go to the fair. While I don't ever use the term "cheat day," if I do have one, it's definitely on fair day. We went this last year and I ate all the delicious food, and per normal, I got an elephant ear on the way out to eat at home and did so when I got home. I laid on the couch suffering after that. It wasn't because of what it was, but because I was determined to eat it and simply over-stuffed myself into oblivion. I simply didn't have any more room and gave half to my kids. I wanted to down that thing like a tiger pounces on a juicy raw steak.

    Lesson? Eat an elephant ear if it makes you happy, but don't burst your gut to do so. This year, I'll eat much lighter during the day to save my hunger for the deliciousness that is fried dough. But I will never give them up! I can only ever get them once a year at the fair anyway.
  • shadowfax_c11
    shadowfax_c11 Posts: 1,942 Member
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    I still eat all of the same things, just less.

    But now my 2 cheeseburgers and small fries, late night after dojo "snack" from McDonalds is not an option. Eating the whole pizza is not (usually) an option. Sitting down with a carton of ice cream or jar of peanut butter and a spoon and eating until I am "done" is not an option.

    I still enjoy all of those things. Just in controlled protons and sometime with careful planning.

    And as others said I am more picky about the quality of my high calorie meals. If I a going to have a burger and fries it is going to be a really good one. If I am having Pizza it is going to be the real deal.

  • Ws2016
    Ws2016 Posts: 432 Member
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    Sweets and bags of doritos. I still do the latter, but I count my chips. Sweets I'm not missing at all.
  • mpat81
    mpat81 Posts: 351 Member
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    AigreDoux wrote: »
    I cut out eating things that were high calorie and not that good.

    Example: getting burger and onion rings for lunch because I didn't plan and bring my own, but a crappy cafeteria burger that was overcooked and soggy onion rings. Not worth it. OTOH, a really good burger and onion rings may be something I would work to fit in, and maybe not on the same day. I've been a lot more mindful of "is this actually delicious and worth the calories? Or just convenient and comforting?" and skipping if it's the latter.

    This is basically what I gave up too. It's a win-win for me because the healthier stuff tastes better too!
  • BikinixBlues91
    BikinixBlues91 Posts: 10 Member
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    I'm not really given any thing completely up. I don't want to give up my favorite foods altogether. Food is still a very enjoyable part of life. I work more at limiting how much and how frequently I eat these unhealthy foods. So, if I want mac and cheese or pizza. I eat it but I make sure to limit my portion and include fruit and vegetables with it to balance the meal out. Where else before I started being aware of my health and weight I would "pig out" I mean we are talking 5/6 slices of pizza if I felt like it. I treated my body so badly! I'm no where near perfect. I still slip up and over indulge. After all you can't expect to change years worth of bad habits overnight. I've only been at this since January but I've been eating poorly my whole life!
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
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    Put me in the same camp as not having given anything up, although there are foods that I do not have very frequently any more.

    It's more like I've changed how I eat. Fat Jruzer used to eat breakfast at home, and then stop at the Arches to get a steak bagel meal AND an egg mcmuffin on the side. Ooh, someone brought in donuts! Maybe there was a quick stop at the convenience store on the way home to get Swiss cake rolls, and maybe some bugles or some string cheese, followed by dinner at home with the family. Every trip to the grocery store, or indeed anywhere, was a chance to grab a snack. I became adept at hiding receipts.

    I don't do that any more, and the foods I ate then are not ones I have commonly now.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    Chicken wings with blue cheese dressing. I love my chicken wings! Now, if we're out with a group, and order the chicken wing appetizer, I'll eat one wing instead of ordering a whole appetizer as my meal.
    Those Little Debbie peanut butter wafer cakes... I would eat those like, well, like candy. Not worth the calorie count now. If I go for a sweet treat, I want really high quality sweet treat.

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