Where to start eating healthy?

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  • ahamm002
    ahamm002 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    Cooking is actually a lot of fun! It is a bit daunting to learn though. Fortunately there are tons of resources online. Unfortunately, a lot of them leave out information that a novice cook needs to know (eg, it took me forever to figure out that over-mixing my batter was causing my pancakes to come out too dense, why did all the recipes fail to mention such an important factor?). Just keep trying recipes and don't get discouraged! Ask questions on here or other forums.

    Start off with learning to cook the things you like. Don't focus on only cooking healthy food. The main thing is to have fun with it. If you like meat, I strongly recommend getting a grill if you can afford to do so.
  • PennWalker
    PennWalker Posts: 554 Member
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    ChristianCabrera wrote: »
    So over the past three or so years I managed to lose about 60 pounds, recently gaining about twenty of it back. In a way it was good in that I've realized I need to start being more accountable again, and that being mindful isn't going to work for me.

    However in the past, I've always been good at calorie counting and cardio, hence being able to lose all that weight in the first place, but I've realized I've never known how to live a healthy lifestyle. I no longer wish to just restrict what I eat, but instead expand.

    It's overwhelming though and I have no idea where to start. I don't know how to cook, and I'm young with a tight budget. How do I even begin to compose a shopping list? I need guidance as to where to begin. I know it's going to take work, but I want to change my life, not just the numbers.

    My suggestion: buy a bag of dried lentils. They cost about $1.00 in the USA (I don't know where you live). Just buy one bag to see if you like them first.

    You don't have to soak them. Put in a large pot of water, boil, then put the heat on low and simmer for about an hour. Turn the heat off, leave the lid on, and let them sit for another hour or so until they are very soft. People lack an enzyme to digest the cellulose shell, so cook until soft.

    Pour the water out. Stir fry some of the lentils in a pan with whatever cut up vegetables you have on hand -- plum tomatoes, onions, etc. You can freeze or leave the rest of the lentils in the fridge.

    Cost: $1.00 for one bag of lentils that should make 2-3 meals, plus whatever vegetables you add.
    Protein: 18 grams for 1 cup of lentils (that's the protein of 3 eggs)

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