Healthy food that isn't gross?

So I've been basically eating what I have available to me as money is tight, the first 2 weeks were great and I lost 13 lbs. now I'm staying at that weight. What I eat isn't the healthiest, but that has been due to money issues, and I've been eating whatever I have / my neighbors feed me (they are too nice!) however this week is when I get paid and I need to know what is healthy that also tastes good to me. I don't like avocado or beans or any of the fancy weird healthy things like lentils or spinach, I do however like fresh veggies of most varieties as well as fruit (although I've heard fruits have a lot of natural sugars that don't aid in weight loss) I'm from the woods so everything I like is traditional basically , what can I eat that is healthy, tastes good to me, and doesn't require a culinary degree to cook!! Everything I find I don't know how to make. I'm not the best at cooking either haha. I know pop has to be cut. But the tap water here was under a boil order & wasn't safe for a while. I refuse to drink bottled water also because I have tested their ph levels and found that most are overly acidic and dangerous for consumption. Water is fine now and pop is out haha so what can I eat to lose the weight not maintain it? I love rice but not plain. What can I have with rice too? Anything helps, thanks!!!
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Replies

  • keeshaoliver1234
    keeshaoliver1234 Posts: 10 Member
    They are disgusting to me haha, my aunt uses them in her eggs and weird stuff, too fancy for this hillbilly haha
  • keeshaoliver1234
    keeshaoliver1234 Posts: 10 Member
    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.
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    edited April 2017
    I love lentil salad with garlic yogurt dressing (cook the lentils until just done and let them cool to room temperature, mix yogurt with what ever spices you like and a bit of lemon oil, add in whatever chopped veggies you like that you can stomach raw - I'm partial to carrots and cucumber - mix everything together and enjoy. A very refreshing hot day lunch for me :smile: ).

    But really, this:
    pinuplove wrote: »
    So I've been basically eating what I have available to me as money is tight, the first 2 weeks were great and I lost 13 lbs. now I'm staying at that weight. What I eat isn't the healthiest, but that has been due to money issues, and I've been eating whatever I have / my neighbors feed me (they are too nice!) however this week is when I get paid and I need to know what is healthy that also tastes good to me. I don't like avocado or beans or any of the fancy weird healthy things like lentils or spinach, I do however like fresh veggies of most varieties as well as fruit (although I've heard fruits have a lot of natural sugars that don't aid in weight loss) I'm from the woods so everything I like is traditional basically , what can I eat that is healthy, tastes good to me, and doesn't require a culinary degree to cook!! Everything I find I don't know how to make. I'm not the best at cooking either haha. I know pop has to be cut. But the tap water here was under a boil order & wasn't safe for a while. I refuse to drink bottled water also because I have tested their ph levels and found that most are overly acidic and dangerous for consumption. Water is fine now and pop is out haha so what can I eat to lose the weight not maintain it? I love rice but not plain. What can I have with rice too? Anything helps, thanks!!!

    You can start by eating foods you like in quantities that fit your calorie goal. Experiment with cooking techniques, sauces, and spices if you wish to expand your palate (I don't get the impression that you are very food-adventurous though. Lentils and spinach are weird and fancy? They are both very basic and versatile foods!)

    Is probably some of the best advice. Start with what you like and know, learn what portion sizes are appropriate for you and then slowly expand from there. Like steamed carrots? Try them roasted for a change. Enjoy baked potatoes? Try it with yams for a change. And so on and so forth.
  • Emily3907
    Emily3907 Posts: 1,461 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    So I've been basically eating what I have available to me as money is tight, the first 2 weeks were great and I lost 13 lbs. now I'm staying at that weight. What I eat isn't the healthiest, but that has been due to money issues, and I've been eating whatever I have / my neighbors feed me (they are too nice!) however this week is when I get paid and I need to know what is healthy that also tastes good to me. I don't like avocado or beans or any of the fancy weird healthy things like lentils or spinach, I do however like fresh veggies of most varieties as well as fruit (although I've heard fruits have a lot of natural sugars that don't aid in weight loss) I'm from the woods so everything I like is traditional basically , what can I eat that is healthy, tastes good to me, and doesn't require a culinary degree to cook!! Everything I find I don't know how to make. I'm not the best at cooking either haha. I know pop has to be cut. But the tap water here was under a boil order & wasn't safe for a while. I refuse to drink bottled water also because I have tested their ph levels and found that most are overly acidic and dangerous for consumption. Water is fine now and pop is out haha so what can I eat to lose the weight not maintain it? I love rice but not plain. What can I have with rice too? Anything helps, thanks!!!

    You can start by eating foods you like in quantities that fit your calorie goal. Experiment with cooking techniques, sauces, and spices if you wish to expand your palate (I don't get the impression that you are very food-adventurous though. Lentils and spinach are weird and fancy? They are both very basic and versatile foods!)

    I second this. You know what you like to eat and what you enjoy. Eat those things. Just eat them in quantities that fit into your calorie goals.
  • Libby283
    Libby283 Posts: 288 Member
    Try new things. I am a country girl. My boyfriend bought hummus and little rice cakes a couple of weeks ago. I needed a low calorie snack and tried them. I am the new hummus addict. So yummy. Be open to try things. I love salads. I make my own Cobb salads. We even hit up and Italian carry out last week and I got crispy bbq chicken on their house salad. So yummy. I get some flavor of chicken or bacon and do not even need salad dressing.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Start with the things you know you like, and portion them to fit your calories. Add a small amount weekly of the things you wish to experiment with so it doesn't take a toll on your budget. After a while you will have discovered a few new things you might like to add to your usual meal rotation.

    Start with things that are on sale and experiment around them, entering the ingredient into a recipe search website (google and pinterest work too) and browse the recipes until you find one that sounds appealing and the rest of the ingredients are common to you.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    You could by frozen meals like Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers that fit your calorie goal. Maybe add some extra frozen veggies or salad parts that you like and go from there.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    Healthy eating is about getting the nutrients your body needs not a specific list of foods.
    Weight loss requires a calorie deficit. You can create a calorie deficit by consuming fewer calories, increasing activity and burning more calories or both.

    My advice is to eat the food you normally eat and start logging. Stick to the calorie goal MFP gives you. Try to get enough protein, fats and fiber. Eat smaller portions of higher calorie foods and bigger portions of lower calorie foods.

    If money is tight foods like beans, lentils, rice, pasta, chicken thighs, oatmeal, potatoes, tuna, bread, peanut butter, carrots, cabbage tend to be inexpensive. Soup is very economical and can be easy to make.
    http://www.budgetbytes.com has cost conscious recipes that my family has enjoyed.
    There are a lot of ways to prepare foods. If you do not like something one way it does not mean you will never like it. If you do not have the resources sometimes you have to learn to like foods that are initially not to your taste but are cheap like beans and lentils.
    http://www.lentils.org/recipes-cooking/recipes/

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10518784/healthy-food-choice-on-a-budget/p1
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10500423/costing-a-lot-more-money-to-eat-healthier/p1
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10490067/most-healthy-food-options-are-very-expensive-and-im-on-a-very-poor-budget-what-to-do/p1
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10540613/eating-out-vs-buying-groceries/p1
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    For fries, slice up a potato and cook it in the oven. Yeah, they are not as crisp as deep fried, but they are far fewer calories and still pretty good (and cheap). I still like hamburgers. Just not 2-3 a day is all. And I dislike most veggies, but will have a cup of baby carrots and a cup of snap peas almost daily (raw only). You can figure it out and just go for what it is you like, just at the calorie limit you can handle.
  • cherilee0831
    cherilee0831 Posts: 44 Member
    I am with you on not liking a lot of beans and vegetables but I am forcing myself to get use to some of the veggies. I have learned to like spaghetti squash and put on a little butter and Parmesan cheese or greens beans sauteed in sesame oil with almonds. Not my favorite but the little bit of added fats helped. You will get used to it over time...maybe. :)
  • deputy_randolph
    deputy_randolph Posts: 940 Member
    I like food, but hate cooking. The easiest thing I have found for me is to roast a whole chicken. Throw a chicken in a roasting pan (with a sliced onion, garlic, carrots, rosemary, whatever you like), cook on 350-400 for about 1.5-2.

    I eat the meat, then put the bones, skin, fat into a pot with water, simmer for a couple of hours. The broth can be used for soup by just adding veggies/noodles. It should make at least 3 days of meals for 1 person.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    I like food, but hate cooking. The easiest thing I have found for me is to roast a whole chicken. Throw a chicken in a roasting pan (with a sliced onion, garlic, carrots, rosemary, whatever you like), cook on 350-400 for about 1.5-2.

    I eat the meat, then put the bones, skin, fat into a pot with water, simmer for a couple of hours. The broth can be used for soup by just adding veggies/noodles. It should make at least 3 days of meals for 1 person.

    Throw some quartered Brussels sprouts on that pan and you've got something really good going on! :yum:
  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    I like food, but hate cooking. The easiest thing I have found for me is to roast a whole chicken. Throw a chicken in a roasting pan (with a sliced onion, garlic, carrots, rosemary, whatever you like), cook on 350-400 for about 1.5-2.

    I eat the meat, then put the bones, skin, fat into a pot with water, simmer for a couple of hours. The broth can be used for soup by just adding veggies/noodles. It should make at least 3 days of meals for 1 person.

    Throw some quartered Brussels sprouts on that pan and you've got something really good going on! :yum:

    See, all that you've added is stuff my wife would do, and I would pick off.

    I'd rather grab a chicken from the deli, throw some french fries in the oven and have a packet of Swiss Chalet dipping sauce ready. Then have a salad or some raw veggies on the side.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    I like food, but hate cooking. The easiest thing I have found for me is to roast a whole chicken. Throw a chicken in a roasting pan (with a sliced onion, garlic, carrots, rosemary, whatever you like), cook on 350-400 for about 1.5-2.

    I eat the meat, then put the bones, skin, fat into a pot with water, simmer for a couple of hours. The broth can be used for soup by just adding veggies/noodles. It should make at least 3 days of meals for 1 person.

    Throw some quartered Brussels sprouts on that pan and you've got something really good going on! :yum:

    See, all that you've added is stuff my wife would do, and I would pick off.

    I'd rather grab a chicken from the deli, throw some french fries in the oven and have a packet of Swiss Chalet dipping sauce ready. Then have a salad or some raw veggies on the side.

    That's because you are truly dedicated to your filthy eater club membership :wink: Some of us just dabble.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    I have always thought of lentils as the ultimate poor family's food, together with beans: cheap and used to add bulk in meals. It is the first time I have heard lentils being labeled "fancy".
  • susanp57
    susanp57 Posts: 409 Member
    aggelikik wrote: »
    I have always thought of lentils as the ultimate poor family's food, together with beans: cheap and used to add bulk in meals. It is the first time I have heard lentils being labeled "fancy".

    Or any of it as "gross".
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
    Try replacing lettuce with spinach on sandwiches etc, it's way different than cooked. Or just eat the lettuce!

    Have you tried refried beans? I wait until the canned go on sale (I buy the vegetarian). But a cheap pack of tostadas or taco shells (usually go on sale with the beans). Put beans on tostada or taco, bake for 10 minutes. I don't eat meat, but you could always add ground meat as well. Shred some lettuce or spinach and throw some salsa or fresh tomatoes on top. It's simple, cheap, filling, goes far and my BF with the palette of a 5 year old loves them.

    I find Mexican and Italian are easy to lighten up, and pretty cheap/kid-palette friendly. Plus it's easy to hide beans and veggies in there. You can also purée veggies and add to tomato sauce for pasta. I buy huge bags of frozen cauliflower and purée in my blender. Add to jarred sauce with some garlic and Italian seasoning. As long as you don't over do it you can't tell. The 5 year old doesn't even know! Eating healthy does not have to be complicated or fancy. I find recipes for kids to be the most helpful for the BF
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    Growing up, I'd have to say that the way most cooked veggie sides were prepared in my house was 'Boil em to mush and serve with a dollop of butter or margarine and salt'. Sometimes we had spinach patties or Swiss chard patties, but that was bordering on the exotic (and triggered my gag reflex). So I kind of grew up hating veggies.

    Then I went vegetarian at 19, but subsisted mostly on dairy, tofu, grains, and potatoes. No meat, but not really many veggies either. Until I tried a butternut squash casserole out of a magazine. And it was like an epiphany. "Hang on. I don't have to turn my veggies into mush? I can fix them other ways? Whoa..." And suddenly, I discovered that I liked spinach and kale and collards. In the right casserole, I loved turnips, and cauliflower and broccoli. As for Brussels sprouts... nope. Still loathe 'em, sorry.

    Before you write off ingredients as 'gross' experiment with cooking them in different ways. Check out sites like Epicurious or VegetarianTimes.com. Or just plug [ingredient] recipes into Google and click away. Pinterest is another good resource. You might just discover a love for certain foods you never knew you could have.
  • jmp463
    jmp463 Posts: 266 Member
    I do wish you luck and I do understand that eating food you dont like sucks - but you sound very inflexible. IT will be very hard to do what you want if you are not willing to change. People are giving you ideas and you just keep saying "I dont like those" and "I dont have any money". Not sure there is much help available if you are not willing to try. I dont mean to be snotty but there is a pattern to your answers.
  • RedfootDaddy
    RedfootDaddy Posts: 274 Member
    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
  • perkymommy
    perkymommy Posts: 1,642 Member
    edited April 2017
    That's a great weight loss for two weeks! You can do this.

    Try to get outside the thinking of how someone else prepares foods you think are disgusting. I had to do that myself so I totally get it. :) But there are many ways to prepare different foods. I like my rice with veggies mixed on it or along with grilled chicken. If you like spices you can spice up rice with different spices just like you do with salt as well.

    Also, chicken broth is pretty cheap. When you cook your rice just use the chicken broth in the pot instead of water.
  • fitmom4lifemfp
    fitmom4lifemfp Posts: 1,572 Member
    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!! :D ). 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.
  • cross2bear
    cross2bear Posts: 1,106 Member
    Eat what you know you will like, and just eat less of it. If you want to experiment, try grating carrots, or zucchini and mixing it with ground beef for a meatloaf. Make soups out of the stuff you like, and add one new thing. Everyones definition of what is healthy is different, but if you wont eat it, doesnt matter a lick how healthy it is, it wont do you any good!

    I dont like kiwis, or grapefruit, or green or yellow beans (ARRGGHH!!) but I will eat spinach (in a salad, or in a stir fry), mushrooms, carrots - broccoli (stir fry or roasted) and the spawn of satan, Brussell sprouts (roasted or sauteed only). I like to roast cauliflower - actually, almost any veg, as roasting caramelizes the sugars in the veg, and they taste sweeter. Try it with carrots to test it out.
  • ConnieT1030
    ConnieT1030 Posts: 894 Member
    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.



  • keeshaoliver1234
    keeshaoliver1234 Posts: 10 Member
    jmp463 wrote: »
    I do wish you luck and I do understand that eating food you dont like sucks - but you sound very inflexible. IT will be very hard to do what you want if you are not willing to change. People are giving you ideas and you just keep saying "I dont like those" and "I dont have any money". Not sure there is much help available if you are not willing to try. I dont mean to be snotty but there is a pattern to your answers.

    The reason I keep saying I don't like those is because I mentioned in the original post that I don't like lentils or spinach and for some reason that made people give me ideas with lentils and spinach, I wanted ideas that exclude that. That was my point.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    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?
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    Sorry, I was one of the people suggesting different ways to cook things you said you don't like :smile:

    OK, so what kind of foods *do* you like?
  • dawnellemom
    dawnellemom Posts: 76 Member
    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!