Healthy food that isn't gross?

So my wife and I are always on a tight food budget (always). But we do like to try new recipes and get as much fresh veg and produce into our diet as possible. She grew up in a small town in the South that was very much a meat-and-three kind of place, not much experimentation there. We do a lot of her traditional foods like okra, collard greens, and biscuits and gravy when we can.

- check the flyers before going to the store and make a plan
- check for a discount produce rack - our local has one that's usually stuffed with salad kits, mushrooms, eggplant, all kinds of things. If you can find out when the store restocks, even better, because right before that is when things will start going on clearance.
- snag bags of frozen veg when they're on sale. Seriously. It's just as good nutrition-wise as fresh, easy to keep, you can get blends of different things, and you can steam them in the microwave with a bit of water and some plastic wrap. I like mine with lots of pepper and a very small pinch of salt
- add frozen veg to everything. Pasta? Cup of frozen peppers and spinach in the sauce. Box of mac'n'cheese? Equal parts pasta to frozen peas. Meatloaf? Cram some peppers and onion in that thing. Rice? Fry up some edamame and green onion.
- find out what's in season locally because that's going to be the cheapest. Then google recipes until you find something that looks good
- everything tastes better with a little bacon fat (unless you are vegetarian). Especially brussel sprouts.
- pan-frying is better than deep-frying, and baking is better than pan-frying (plus, to my mind, less work)
- sauces can be great, but watch out for how many calories and added sugar are in them

keeshaoliver1234 wrote: »

That's my biggest issue, I don't really know what I like as I've never been able to experiment with foods. As a child my parents weren't the best, and rather than cooking meals we would eat out 2-3 times a day. So I know I like burgers and fries haha. I do like to try new things, but my bigger concern is having enough money for food for everyone in the house. My partner does not like the foods I do, she never has. And especially now that I'm trying to eat better. So I have to ensure the money will stretch all month for us both for food. Which is why I don't bother buying new veggies or things like that, because then if I don't like it, I end up having less food and less money.

Try this. Get a package of frozen broccoli florets (and stop wrinkling your nose - just bear with me!! ). Also hopefully you have some sort of seasoning, such as Monterey Chicken or Italian seasoning...something along those lines. And some olive oil. Open the package of brocolli and dump into a bowl. Sprinkle with a bit of olive oil, and toss with a spoon to coat. Then take some seasoning, and give it a good sprinkle, tossing with a spoon as you sprinkle. Now take a cookie sheet, line it with aluminum foil, and preheat the oven to 400. Spread the florets out onto the foil-lined sheet. Give another sprinkle with seasoning, or salt/pepper. Put in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Take out and enjoy (trust me on this).

You're welcome.

If you dont like a certain veggie cooked, try it fresh- they can be VASTLY different. Or vice versa, try it cooked, or cooked differently. I think canned or cooked spinach is nasty (I can deal with some on pizza though) but I love it fresh, its just like eating lettuce. Just a nice plant-y taste.
I dont like lentils either =P

But mostly, do what others said, focus on what you know you like, in measure portions, and go ahead and try some new things a few at a time.

There's no reason you can't drink diet soda. Its no calorie and safe for you unless you have a personal reaction to the sweeteners. (Like just because someone else can't eat peanuts, doesnt mean you shouldn't.)

Im not sure what water you are saying is too acidic, I drink bottled water every day. The ph of water is 7, or isn't water.

Try some frozen meals like Lean Cuisine and the others, i eat those frequently too, and you can find stuff you didn't know you might like. If you are bored with the taste of white rice, try brown rice, it tastes a little more heartier. I add rice to meat all the time to make a meal, so add whatever meat you like, and some sauce you like.

Fruit works fine for weight loss, the suagr in it isn't a problem for weight loss. No food helps or hurts weight loss, except in excess calorie amounts. The only thing that makes weight loss happen or not happen is calories.

Let MFP set your calorie target and then eat up to that target, (weighing to be sure) whatever you find tasty and most filling, and you will lose weight.

Weight loss is not linear and there's nothing unusual about not losing weight even while in a deficit for a short while, and many things can affect that. Just be patient, and check some of the stickied threads that help you with what to expect.

Try not to listen to fear-mongering websites and authors that are trying to sell you something. You don't have to eat or not eat any certain food to successfully lose weight.

Okay, let's start over. I'm a vegetarian, so I can't really help with meat/fish/poultry recipes, but what kinds of fruits, grains, veggies, and legumes do you like?

Since you like fresh veggies, one of the things I like is to chop a variety of veggies really, really small and mix them all together and add a protein and dressing. Ex: peppers, cucumbers, mushrooms, zuchinni, tomatoes, all diced really small. Chop lettuce really small and mix all together. Tear up a rotisserie chicken and add a reasonable amount of ranch, some salsa and a couple of tortilla chips all crushed up at the top!