Healthy Foods Nutritional challenge
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Favorite food...... anything sweet especially cake and cookies. Since doing this challenge I allow myself something once a week so I do not feel like I am missing out. I always include the calories in my journalling. I however prefer that the cake or cookies is something I made myself. I make a low fat toll house cookie recipe that my entire family loves.
Favorite Healthy food: Grilled veggies - bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, asparagus mmmmm with some grilled shrimp and a salad my mouth is watering now.
Also I too love tacos however grilled fish tacos are my all time favorite right now. I try to get them at different resturants to determine who's I like the best.0 -
Asparagus - with a little salt/pepper, feels more "gourmet" than my usual broccoli or mixed steam veggies
Seltzer - stopped drinking diet soda when I realized that I just really like the carbonation and not the fake sugars/caffeine
Pickles - love salty food and these are a low cal option
Popcorn - again salt, crunch, and larger quantity snack for less calories
Salmon - love this dense fish esp with sweet marinade like brown sugar or teriyaki
And now I'm hungry ...0 -
hawkins410 wrote: »@ka97 This combo of yogurt, peanut butter, and protein powder sounds good, especially as a filling breakfast:
I make a chocolate peanut butter yogurt with greek yogurt, peanut butter (all natural) and chocolate protein powder. It's rich and creamy and slightly sweet but also slightly tangy. I eat it for breakfast almost daily. It's about 300 calories and keeps me feeling full for hours. Sometimes as a snack I will do greek yogurt with chocolate PB2, for a slightly lower calorie count.
Would you mind giving me the proportions so I can give it a try? Either here or on our team thread would be awesome! Thanks!
@hawkins410
1 cup (227 grams) nonfat greek yogurt
1tbsp (16grams) peanut butter
1/2 scoop (14 grams) chocolate protein powder0 -
hawkins410 wrote: »@ka97 This combo of yogurt, peanut butter, and protein powder sounds good, especially as a filling breakfast:
I make a chocolate peanut butter yogurt with greek yogurt, peanut butter (all natural) and chocolate protein powder. It's rich and creamy and slightly sweet but also slightly tangy. I eat it for breakfast almost daily. It's about 300 calories and keeps me feeling full for hours. Sometimes as a snack I will do greek yogurt with chocolate PB2, for a slightly lower calorie count.
Would you mind giving me the proportions so I can give it a try? Either here or on our team thread would be awesome! Thanks!
@hawkins410
1 cup (227 grams) nonfat greek yogurt
1tbsp (16grams) peanut butter
1/2 scoop (14 grams) chocolate protein powder
Thank you!0 -
The other day I started free-thinking "things I want to eat" on my home page ... just made a really long list without any editing of it, a run on of foods that at one time or another I love to eat ... and some of them were definitely of the 'healthy food' sort while many others were the kinds we try to avoid/limit especially when going for weight loss. The list grew to 57 items.
There was a thread running through the foods ... If my list is representative of what I generally like to eat, then it seems that I like complex flavors; foods with a variety of spices and seasonings in them; ones with a lush feel in the mouth and an after-taste that lingers. A lot of the foods listed tend toward high fat content, a combination of smooth and crunchy, strong flavors whether of the savory, sweet or sour sort.
No wonder I don't like porridge with brown sugar on it but do like it with blue berries stirred in and cinnamon sprinkled on top ... a sour/bitter note from the blueberries and a strong spiceness from the cinnamon coupled with the smooth creaminess of the kasha (grain meal, like oatmeal, cornmeal, cream of wheat, etc) ... almost like a hot ice cream.
Or, that I don't like plain mayo dressed shrimp/macaroni salad but do like macaroni/tuna salad with minced radishes, onion, and celery in it. Or, that I find steamed cauliflower a bore but do like it after it has been oven roasted along with garlic, shallots, brussels sprouts, and carrots. Or that I dislike chicken breast but love the thighs.
The hardest part of finding more nutritous ways to eat the foods I love is when those foods are on my 'eat rarely, if ever' list. About half the list were of that sort ... loaded with sugar as well as fat, dessert type foods. I don't consider them to be 'bad' foods ... as except for sugar, they are made of of healthful ingredients. It ust that I have a difficult time moderating how much of them I eat when I have them. Heck, If they were alcohol, I wouldn't have any problem because I never crave either beer, wine or hard liquor of any sort, and when I do have a serving of such, that's were it stops. But not with dessert type foods ... those, once I have a serving the brakes seem to spring a leak and I can roll through the whole recipe by going back for seconds, and thirds, and so on until they are all gone.
And therein lies the crux of the matter ... how do I find more nutritious ways to have my cake and eat it to?0 -
Foods I like- Tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, balsamic vinegar, Kalamata olives and squash
Why- I really like the vegetables that I grow in my garden- tomatoes, cucumber and Squash. In the summer I cut up and mix balsamic vinegar and it is my salad. I like to saute the zuchinni squash with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and onions. In the winter I eat a lot of acorn, butternut and spaghetti squash. It smells and tastes like summer and I love them.
I cook these with spray oil or a little olive oil and keep it very healthy. I can wait to have my own veggies again.
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My go to snack, Roasted Edamame! High in fiber & protein, fell in love with them when I visited my son in Japan in 2005 ( He is teacher and has lived there over a decade - miss my grandson's terribly! His wife is Japanese) I make them at home occasionally , just roast them in the oven like pumpkin seeds. But I usually just buy them, cheap and healthy on the go snack. Almonds are a close second.
Guess I did this wrong... Do Over!
My favorite foods generally involve chocolate, dark chocolate - creamy, sweet but a bit tart. Pizza, it can be dressed up so many ways, loaded with veggies and spicy meat, flavorful and filling, plenty of fiber if you load the right veggies on. Cookies, crunchy or soft, chocolate chips, yes please, chopped pecans or other nuts, yes please, oats - bring on the fiber, peanut butter - adds protien and...yum!
Healthy - ANYTHING can be healthy if prepared with thought and reasonable portions are consumed. (Unless your are just sitting down with a cube of butter...)
Healthy stuff - list
1- Nuts n such - crunchy, salty or sweet, or raw - many trace nutrients, a real whole food (generally) you can eat alone as a snack or add to any meal - Breakfast -add them into yogurt or hot ceral, toss them into your hashbrowns, or mix them in your pancake batter. Lunch - top your salads, or chop and add to your tuna, or egg salad, or chicken salad sandwich. X + chopped celery + chopped almonds/walnuts/? + diced onions = deliciousness. Dinner add them to any dish, be creative, finely chopped and mix with breading for fish fillets or fried chicken. Hazelnuts in an Alfredo chicken lasagna, etc!
2- Berries especially blueberries! They are hell on your teeth but heaven on your tongue. Tart and tangy, slightly sweet, full of antioxidants. Another one I use at ANY meal, I love to top salads with Berries and nuts. Try tossing a handful of blueberries on top of your plate of spaghetti with fresh Parmesan. (do not mix into the sauce - well I've never tried again after one failed attempt) Blues are a fabulous topper and tastey variation on many classic savory dishes.
3-...can I stop now.? LOL
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And therein lies the crux of the matter ... how do I find more nutritious ways to have my cake and eat it to?
Creative substitutions - Anything can be healthier with subs. Quinoa flour adds protein....applesauce instead of eggs ...half the sugar and fresh chopped stevia leaf...etc0 -
Hopefully I do this right. So my favourite healthy foods are: mushrooms, zucchini, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, spinach, beets and low fat feta cheese.
I can easily make at least four different meals with these ingredients. I always add some kind of protein to them (e.g. salmon, chicken etc). What I love about them is that I can eat lots of them and stay well within my calorie goals. Size matters to my food brain and having a big plate full of these (aside from the feta) which make me feel full is a big positive. I also like the texture of mushrooms and the sweetness of pumpkins and sweet potatoes which help ease my sugar urges. A little feta cheese goes a long way and adds great flavour to what could otherwise be a dull dish.
I don't think there are ways to bring out the characteristics in more nutritious ways to eat vegetables per se. I usually boil, steam or shallow fry these. I season well and use different flavours on the protein to add variety. Perhaps I could try grilling the mushrooms/zucchini?
Favourite foods - all things related to sugar. Cookies, cake, waffles etc. I try to choose less unhealthy options with lower calories e.g. carrot and raisin muffin rather than double chocolate. Hot chocolate with skim milk rather than full fat etc. I then try to keep this within my calorie goals for the day. Always trying. 0 -
I enjoy all of the healthy foods that I eat on a daily basis, so it one of the things that frustrates me when I have bad foods.
Cherry boost berry bland - Flavor and texture of berries...especially the cherry choice when it mixes with...
Coconut milk keifer with a couple drops of vanilla stevia. I enjoy the creamyness and flavor. ... not dairy, but a very healthy replacement!
Bacon - flavor, texture, salt & helps to keep me regular. ..better than flax, oh how I have tried!
Salmon, chicken, turkey, green beans, brussels sprouts - flavor
Roasted garlic olive oil - flavor and moisture ot provides.
Avacado - flavor and texture ... used to not like either, love it now! Replace cheese with it now ☺
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JessicaLynnDouglas wrote: »I enjoy all of the healthy foods that I eat on a daily basis, so it one of the things that frustrates me when I have bad foods.
Cherry boost berry bland - Flavor and texture of berries...especially the cherry choice when it mixes with...
Coconut milk keifer with a couple drops of vanilla stevia. I enjoy the creamyness and flavor. ... not dairy, but a very healthy replacement!
Bacon - flavor, texture, salt & helps to keep me regular. ..better than flax, oh how I have tried!
Salmon, chicken, turkey, green beans, brussels sprouts - flavor
Roasted garlic olive oil - flavor and moisture ot provides.
Avacado - flavor and texture ... used to not like either, love it now! Replace cheese with it now ☺
Also, pink sea salt and vegetable seasoning! ...must haven't in my kitchen.0 -
My favorite foods all start with the letter"C"
1.chicken
2.cheese
3.Chips
Definitely not all healthy!!
Chicken of course I love because there are so many ways to prepare it ,add it to salads, sandwiches,BBQ etc. And good protein.
Cheese I love Any & All kinds of cheese. Also very versitlie and can be added to lots of recipes...But also high calories!
Chips.... So not good... But again I love every flavor!!! I try not to keep any in the house, and if do indulge I put a serving in a bowl and bag out of sight! Usually works.
I just thought if something...probably all 3 of these together would be good too!! Lol
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Some of my favorite foods:
1. Liver cheese/Braunschweiger
2. Hot wings
3. Potato chips
4. Deviled eggs
5. Yogurt
I seem to for the most part lean towards salty foods, with the exception of the yogurt. I saw a recipe for zucchini chips, might make a batch to see if their a good alternative to potato chips. For the rest of the list portion control is a good plan of action. Maybe I'll try a salt alternative or a low sodium salt, I really need to brimg my sodium intake down a bit.0 -
My absolute favorite is mac and cheese. I love the gooey, smooth, melty cheese texture. Add a baked breadcrumb topping and it's even better. I don't believe in eliminating any foods in order to be healthy, because deprivation isn't sustainable; anything is OK in moderation. So I have a few go-to brands of portion-controlled mac in my dinner rotation.
My second-favorite is anything chocolate. I love the sweet, smooth texture. Again, I don't believe in eliminating chocolate from my diet but tend to keep mini versions of it around, like Dove promises. Just one after a meal is 30-40 calories and satisfies my sweet tooth.0 -
My favorite foods
Barbecue anything-I love the mustard based bbq sauce. Mustard based has less calories
Deviled Eggs- I love dill pickle relish. Sub yogurt or low fat mayo for less calories
Frozen Yogurt- Moose tracks cause I love chocolate- less calories than ice cream
Loaded baked potato- I love cheese and sour cream. Use low fat cheese and sour cream
Vegetable soup- the only way I'll ever get my daily veggies in unless I eat a salad.
Salads with nuts and seeds on top and blue cheese dressing- use yogurt blue cheese dressing for less calories
Egg and cheese sandwich with or without bacon- use whole wheat sandwich thins for less calories
Home made Pizza- I like to make my own whole wheat crust and load up on turkey pepperoni and veggies
Pot roast- one of my favorite childhood foods
Red Lobster cheesy bisquits- there is no way to make them less fattening, but who cares?
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tfisher678 wrote: »I like all types of food..even the healthy stuff like okra I have to watch my portion control especially if I add salt. I like tortilla soup. Easy slow cooker for busy days and I add plain Greek yogurt to sub for sour cream. I also like sauteed greens cooked in avocado oil...pbfit peanut powder banana smoothie with almond milk for a sweet treat. I don't have 1 go to only food, or at least I always find something to replace it...variety is the spice of life!
To clear up this portion of challenge;
1.) My group of foods see quote above...
2.) I would say I like my majority of foods because of the seasonings...I do enjoy using fresh herbs and spices...love Cayenne pepper and hot sauce...
3.) There are things I've been learning about over the years to sub...like Greek plain yogurt for sour cream...recently found pbfit...peanut butter powder..2 tblsp. Equal 50 calories...trying to find
Lower calorie options without feeling deprived has been beneficial!
Of course my kryptonite would be anything white bread...or pure sugar. I can't seem to handle and it opens up the floodgates for me to eat unhealthy... I now use stevia, and natural whole grain when needed. Anything that is high on the glycemic index is a bad trigger...0 -
My favourite thing to eat these days, is homemade soup. I love how easy it is to make. I love the variety and simplicity of it all. Latest favourite is Roasted Red Pepper and Sweet Potato Soup. Roasting the veggies is all you need to do to bring out wonderful flavours.0
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Ill try again because I don't think my original post counts. One of my favorite foods is strawberries because they are so fresh and juicy. Another way I could take out its nutritional value aside from just eating them straight is adding them different foods like salad. I also like making smoothies with them.0
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I love
Rapberries, - tart n sweet flavour n vibrant colour
avocado, versatile, vibrant colour n I like flavour
Kale chewy texture
Nori high fibre, colour n texture
fish n seafood subtle flavours
eggs are so versatile.
My solution health wise is to keep things simple. Raspberries bought fresh without chilling brings out their flavour. Egg can be omlette, poached, frittata, scrambled or even fried. Nori I tried in broth to try different texture.
I bake fish with just lemon or salt n pepper. For kale I crush it with my hands n lots of olive oil.0 -
My favorite thing to eat is Bryers mint chocolate chip ice cream. Once I start, I can't stop, so I've been substituting Yasso mint chocolate chip Frozen yogurt bars. Only 100calories each.
I also love greek yogurt, I eat it topped with fresh stawberries & blackberries. I've been eating the Oikos brand lately, I find it has a nice smooth creamy texture. I just discovered their Lemon Merangue flavor, so good topped with berries that it tastes like a decadent dessert!
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farmerpam1 wrote: »My favorite healthy foods revolve around cauliflower. Cauliflower pizza, grilled cheese, "mashed"potatoes, etc. I think I love it because it takes the place of bread, rice and potatoes. Those starchy, creamy, bready calories that are so filling. With a little bit of creativity I can get those characteristics with cauliflower. I can top a bowl of cauliflower "rice" with a ton of stir fry veggies or turn it into a Mexican meal with beans. I plan on making cauliflower lasagna today. A quick meal is a bowl of steamed cauliflower with tomato sauce and sprinkle of cheese. Very healthy and filling.
Not sure I did this right. So, I'll give it another try. After giving it some thought I realized what I like about starchy, bready foods is how filling they are. I can get the same effect with these cauliflower versions, which mean I can eat more..not sure that's a good thing, to eat for volume, I mean.
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I love a lot of unhealthy food... which is why I am here working on my health and weight.
As for healthy food, I LOVE salad. Any kind of salad pretty much is a go for me. I also love comfort food... like meatloaf/mashed potatoes and soups. Steak sub are another favorite.. not the healthiest but we can clean it up! Last Mexican is my spicy favorite... any type of Mexican.. I just love the mix of their spices and flavors.. not to mention their salsa and chips!
For salads, I try to add lots of veggies, some protein and fruits. I have to have my dressing and croutons but find if I add more fruits, I need less dressing. I just have to limit my croutons as I haven't figured out a suitable substitute.. no tortilla strips or such have made the cut.
For meatloaf, I have worked on using either turkey or venison instead of hamburger. Mashed potatoes stay as my three boys left me with the whole tub of ashes cauliflower. I just try to go with less butter, and no salt.
Soups are a favorite.. cream of crab is my fav but not healthy. Since it would be a hot mess to mess with this delight, I trying make it on special occasions and let the calories fly... does pairing bit with low cal crackers help? Vegetable soups are another... I use no salt, low sodium ingredients when I don't use fresh.more vegetables the better...I used tibiae chicken thighs but have switched to breast meat to help.
Steak sub's... use wheat bread.. Hollow it out.. use real steak lean cuts not steak us, lots of onions and peppers to dislodge sandwich. Lettuce and tomatoes, spinach, and a dollop of mayo to wet the bread just a bit. Make sure to dab and drain oils/fat off steak. Helps a bit on damage control.
For Mexican, we have opted for made at home fajitas using chicken breast, shrimp and lean steak. I will sometimes take leaves of lettuce for taco shells and heavy on protein, light on fats (sour cream cheese). Lots of peppers and onions. Sometimes you just have to dip.. so try for the lower salt chips when that hits. For tacos and burritos, no longer ground beef.. use turkey and venison instead. Little or no cheese, light on sour cream, heavy on spices, peppers and onions. I haven't yet found a good make at home soft taco shell but still looking. Best is to make a taco salad... mixing two of my favorites.. adding the spice but getting rid of the chips, taco shells.
I find time/climate works on my brain for what I want... the soups and heavier foods, are colder weather and when I'm pondering or reminiscent steak subs cause they remind me of the Italian place growing up... Mexican I find to want more on weekends for some crazy reason.
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I'd have to say that fresh leaf spinach is my favorite healthy food. I love it fresh, and sautéed. I like the slimy texture when it's sautéed and the soft but crisp texture when it's fresh. I use it in lieu of lettuce. Sautéed spinach, onions, and garlic is my favorite.0
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1 - I love Tacos!
2 - I love the seasoning of the ground beef and I love heaping on all the toppings! So many different textures and they come together so nicely!
3 - Alot of times now I use beans or even chicken or turkey to replace ground beef. I can have the same seasonings but the other alternatives are a lot healthier of choices. I know it doesn't really count as a taco anymore , but I pretty much omit any tortilla and make more of a salad out of it when I am craving tacos. I still heap on toppings but now it's in the form of veggies and I measure out the other things like sour cream and cheese. I've even used greek yogurt in place of sour cream too! Honestly I don't even notice a difference when I measure from when I use to just pile it on...well except in the calories of course!0 -
Submitting for @ahawkins494 (no access to internet)
Favorite food is potato chips.
They are salty and crunchy, but can be addictive!
To make them healthier, she has been making her own sweet potato chips by baking them with different seasonings. They are a lot less calories and help with the cravings! 0 -
I love to eat pasta. It's so easy to make, cheap and filling! I love the tomatoes with garlic and other spices and usually sausage or chicken to go with it. To make it healthier, I could switch to chicken sausage instead of the real stuff. I have also shredded carrots and zucchini to put in the sauce. It adds a serving of veggies when there otherwise wouldn't have been any. I haven't tried making "noodles" out of zucchini yet, but I intend to. I've tried the veggie noodles they sell in the store but there's usually a lot of sugar in those. So although I'm still having carb filled regular noodles, the carrots/zucchini in the sauce give it more "umph" and I don't need to eat as much so I think it balances out.0
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I like porridge oats in the morning with berries,,,, blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. I usually have them with almond milk,, yummy breakfast 0
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I love apple pie, the smell, crunchiness of the shell, and the gooey sweet and tart apple filling
But it's one of the richest desserts. I like the pie filling most. Apples are my favourite fruits. So I've tried to make the pie filling without butter and caramel, just cooking apples with lemon and cinnamon. Or apple crisps: slices of apple sprinkled with cinnamon in the oven! A simple, great and frequent snack. 0 -
1. I love comfort foods,: smashed potatoes, mac and cheese, savory soups.
2. I love the richness of them. The warm items filling up my belly.
3. I use 2 potatoes and a whole cauliflower to make smashed potatoes more healthier. I use whole wheat pasta in the mac and cheese. And for savory soups, I use lowfat ingredients and MODERATION is key.0 -
1. Favorite healthy foods: carrots, cucumbers, apples, green beans, hummus
2. Why I like them: carrots, cucumbers and apples are crunchy, hummus is yummy and garlicky, green beans I have liked since I was a kid - not really sure why.
3. How to make them more nutritious: eat organic, eat only the appropriate serving size0
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