Healthy eating tricks

micls
micls Posts: 234
edited November 12 in Health and Weight Loss
I'd imagine most of us struggle with cleaning up our diet, I certainly do, and it's a long and slow process. Some people seem to be able to just go clean and that's it, and fair play, but I can't. So I've been working on slowly improving my diet bit by bit so that it's maintainable. I use some tricks to help with this and I'm hoping other people have different tricks that I can copy! So, how do you trick yourself into eating healthier?

For me :
1) I know whole grains are better, and that complex carbs are much better for me, but I really dislike brown rice. I don't know why, but I just can't seem to eat it. So, I've started mixing it in with white rice. 3parts white-1 part brown, and working from there to half and half and so on. The white rice seems to hide the brown rice to an extent and I'm hoping I'm teaching myself how to eat brown rice while getting slightly healthier meals. Eventually, I might be able to eat tbrown on it's own!

2) Veg- I'm absolutely awful with veg. I really really hate it, and eating it on it's own, as a side etc, turns my stomach. I've been like this since I was a kid( despite being forced to eat it) and haven't yet grown out of it! But, I know how vital it is to a healthy diet, so I'm trying to increase my intake, although slowly for now.

My trick for this is to cut/grate the veg into small pieces, so that I don't actually bite into it. I enjoy the taste of some veg in other foods, but not when eaten on it's own. So I'll add small bits of veg to my meals and trick myself into eating them. I also enjoy the taste of veg soup, so blending veg to make a soup helps me a lot.

So, do you have any tricks? Things you've learned that help?

(Please no ''Just eat clean", "Just eat the veg" comments. I know the benefits, I know what's healthiest, but it doesn't work for me.

Replies

  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    When I make soup or chili that require beans. I'll mash them so no one knows there in there but still get the health benefit. It thickens it too.
  • SweetSammie
    SweetSammie Posts: 391 Member
    Try brown basmati rice. I think it is less chewy...
    For pasta, there is Mueller whole GRAIN pasta... instead of whole wheat. The texture is better (in my opinion).
  • micls
    micls Posts: 234
    Try brown basmati rice. I think it is less chewy...
    For pasta, there is Mueller whole GRAIN pasta... instead of whole wheat. The texture is better (in my opinion).

    I'll give it a go, thanks.

    I've been using whole wheat pasta for spaghetti bolognaise and I enjoy that, so it doesn't seem such an issue with pasta.
  • Sl1ghtly
    Sl1ghtly Posts: 855 Member
    Good ideas. For me, I have realised there are no bad foods. This allows me to eat what I enjoy while having a nice sustainable balanced diet.
  • Cella30
    Cella30 Posts: 539 Member
    It's sounds like you are on the right track. I think to some extent you can train your tastes. I was totally anti-brown rice up until this year. I almost started a brown rice hate group on FB, that's how much I despised it. I've been trying to train myself to like it and something kind of clicked the last time I made it. It was actually pretty darn good! I don't know if I wasn't cooking it long enough or what, but I really liked it. I've found white rice takes about 20-25 minutes to cook but brown takes 30-35, or even a little longer if you take it off the heat and let it sit for a bit afterwards. I also bought the most expensive brand in the grocery store to make sure I was getting quality stuff since it already didn't have much of a chance.

    Great tips though, thank you!
  • MrsHutcho9988
    MrsHutcho9988 Posts: 99
    I love vegetables and healthy food so I dont have that problem, but if I havent gotten enough vegetables or fruit for the day I will make a green juice or smoothie. I mix kale, spinach, 1 long carrot, a handfull of starwberries and either cantelope or an apple, it tastes like fruit juice but has all the veggies in it so it hides the taste. Its's really good!!
  • GingerJoScott
    GingerJoScott Posts: 19
    We use Dreamfields spaghetti/pastas to have less carbs/sugars in our diet. The whole family likes it! Including kids! http://www.dreamfieldsfoods.com/
  • judybrim
    judybrim Posts: 82 Member
    Congratulations on taking this journey to better health! You're doing great! ....Gues what I discovered - I can put veggies in smoothies! I was so surprised. But when you mix them in with your fruit and everything else, you can't even taste them! Also, adding as much flavor as possible to them. I've started using cilantro for salad! Oh my goodness, I LOVE the powerful flavor it adds! Hoping maybe these are a couple of small ways that will help! ....Good work! Keep it up! :D
  • MelMena
    MelMena Posts: 152 Member
    Do you like salsa? Great way to add veggies! If so try to find an all natural brand like Garden Fresh Salsa (they are in the deli area) and try adding that into your rice. Even I the biggest veggie hater will eat that!! (Actually, it is the only veggies I get in at all)
  • Jezebel_Barbie
    Jezebel_Barbie Posts: 198 Member
    Could you blend/mash veg into other foods? My brother is a notoriously picky eater, and when we were younger my parents would do things like mash cauliflower in with his mashed potatoes to try and up his veg intake. He's an adult now and eats marginally better, and still does similar things. When making a base tomato sauce for example he adds sliced up onions and carrots to the chopped tomatoes and sticks it in the blender to make a smooth paste but with added veggies.

    I was also going to suggest soup but re-reading your post I see you've mentioned that.

    Do you like fruit? I've found by just making sure we have tons of fruit always in the house it makes it super easy for me to just grab a piece of fruit instead of something unhealthy when I get hungry.
  • micls
    micls Posts: 234
    Good ideas. For me, I have realised there are no bad foods. This allows me to eat what I enjoy while having a nice sustainable balanced diet.

    Agreed. If I started banning things, I'd be craving them immediately! I need to improve my macros though to have that balance. Working on protein atm, and struggling!

    Thanks for the tips, some great ideas here!
  • mom2mozart
    mom2mozart Posts: 307 Member
    Start experimenting with recipes. My husband didn't love veggies until he ate them prepared with lots of flavor. Cauliflower steamed is kinda bland and boring. But roasted for 20 minutes at 400 degrees with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice it is fantastic. Roasting most vegetables will bring out richness and sweetness.

    Also, Mrs. Dash has tons of flavor - and many varieties. I spinkle that on vegetables and it adds a whole new dimension. I add them to sandwiches and wraps.

    I personally love vegetables and always have, but I'm converting my husband to be a vegetable lover too. Grilled, roasted and sauteed are much better than steamed and boiled.

    I also sauteed a bunch of vegetables and blended them in the food processor to make a sauce for a main course.

    Experimenting is going to be your friend.
  • sjd1968ca
    sjd1968ca Posts: 5
    2) Veg- I'm absolutely awful with veg. I really really hate it, and eating it on it's own, as a side etc, turns my stomach. I've been like this since I was a kid( despite being forced to eat it) and haven't yet grown out of it! But, I know how vital it is to a healthy diet, so I'm trying to increase my intake, although slowly for now.

    My trick for this is to cut/grate the veg into small pieces, so that I don't actually bite into it. I enjoy the taste of some veg in other foods, but not when eaten on it's own. So I'll add small bits of veg to my meals and trick myself into eating them. I also enjoy the taste of veg soup, so blending veg to make a soup helps me a lot.

    You could try roasting the vegetables instead of eating them raw and see if you like them better that way.
  • mom2colbyj
    mom2colbyj Posts: 119 Member
    For the veggies, have you heard of the cookbook series The Sneaky Chef? It's a lady who developed recipes that uses vegetables and fruits but hides them so you don't know they are there. I have the first book and I really like it and have passed some dishes over on my picky husband and kids. Here is a link to the website http://www.thesneakychef.com/
  • teachparents
    teachparents Posts: 225 Member
    v8 juice in your soups, pasta sauces, meatloafs, wherever you would put a tomato sauce....
  • micls
    micls Posts: 234
    Do you like salsa? Great way to add veggies! If so try to find an all natural brand like Garden Fresh Salsa (they are in the deli area) and try adding that into your rice. Even I the biggest veggie hater will eat that!! (Actually, it is the only veggies I get in at all)

    I love salsa actually, although i need to find a decent recipe to make myself because it's very expensive here and the options are limited
    Could you blend/mash veg into other foods? My brother is a notoriously picky eater, and when we were younger my parents would do things like mash cauliflower in with his mashed potatoes to try and up his veg intake. He's an adult now and eats marginally better, and still does similar things. When making a base tomato sauce for example he adds sliced up onions and carrots to the chopped tomatoes and sticks it in the blender to make a smooth paste but with added veggies.

    Yeah, that's what I tend to do. Like when I'm making the sauce for bolognaise, I grate the carrots and cut up onions and mushrooms really small and I love it.

    I tend to eat more veg eating Thai food too (living in Thailand) as they cut the veg really small for their stirfrys so I don't bite into big bits. Unfortunately, Thai food is not the healthiest of foods!
    Do you like fruit? I've found by just making sure we have tons of fruit always in the house it makes it super easy for me to just grab a piece of fruit instead of something unhealthy when I get hungry.

    I love fruit and it's what I snack on during the day in work. I get a couple of bags of fresh chopped up fruit (rose apple, guava, strawberries, pineapple), from the fruit man on the corner and that's what I snack on in school. Puts my sugar sky high but it's certainly better than the other options! The fresh fruit is one of the best things about Thailand.

    In the evening, if I've eaten dinner earlier, I tend to snack on something less healthy, some biscuits or a bit of chocolate. I'm not so bothered about it once I stick to my calories. If I can improve the health of my meals then I won't worry about that.

    It's the weekends where I go a bit mad with snacking on unhealthy stuff, especially Friday nights, but it's my reward for the week and I make sure it stays in my calories so again I'm ok with that.
  • micls
    micls Posts: 234
    Start experimenting with recipes. My husband didn't love veggies until he ate them prepared with lots of flavor. Cauliflower steamed is kinda bland and boring. But roasted for 20 minutes at 400 degrees with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice it is fantastic. Roasting most vegetables will bring out richness and sweetness.

    Also, Mrs. Dash has tons of flavor - and many varieties. I spinkle that on vegetables and it adds a whole new dimension. I add them to sandwiches and wraps.

    I personally love vegetables and always have, but I'm converting my husband to be a vegetable lover too. Grilled, roasted and sauteed are much better than steamed and boiled.

    I also sauteed a bunch of vegetables and blended them in the food processor to make a sauce for a main course.

    Experimenting is going to be your friend.
    Unfortunately, we're limited at the moment as we only have a hob and microwave in our condo. I am opening up t experimentation more, before I moved here I was a very very picky eater, didn't eat much veg at all, didn't eat rice, pasta etc. or different types of food. So I am training my palate, but it's taking time.

    I've started adding some veggies to any mexican I make, tacos, fajitas etc. A small bit of lettuce, onion, peppers. Not a lot but again just starting to get a taste for it.
    For the veggies, have you heard of the cookbook series The Sneaky Chef? It's a lady who developed recipes that uses vegetables and fruits but hides them so you don't know they are there. I have the first book and I really like it and have passed some dishes over on my picky husband and kids. Here is a link to the website http://www.thesneakychef.com/

    Sounds good, I'll look into it!
  • Ninatoots
    Ninatoots Posts: 192 Member
    I love cooking Minestrone Milanese from The Doubleday Cookbook! I have put in there chopped spinach. I'm not found of spinach or broccoli but in soups or with some cheese I love it! A Three Bean Salad with fresh tomatoes or canned, fresh garlic, is really yummy! Balsamic viniger with a little salt and Spenda on greens I love also. I can't get my husband to eat the greens but he like spinach. For whole grains I like it in Wasa Multi Grain crackers, with some Laughing cow wedges and sliced green olives. Those Cheese Head String Cheese are good on vegetables , ( don't microwave the cheese! ) Just pull them apart , and put on after the vegies are cooked. and Kraft graded cheese helps too.
  • AeolianHarp
    AeolianHarp Posts: 463 Member
    So, how do you trick yourself into eating healthier?

    Foods aren't necessarily healthier but the composition of your entire diet. Moderation is the key to success, a happy life, and a healthy one at that. The USDA has something called the discretionary calorie allowance. Consuming 10-20% of your calories from "non-healthy sources" (they are talking specifically in terms of exogenous sugar) has the same health effects as eating 100% of your diet from "healthy sources." Very few people realize this thus the results you see in most studies comparing flexible dieting and strict dieting. The flexible dieters maintain their fat loss over long periods of time whereas strict dieters almost always fail.
    1) I know whole grains are better, and that complex carbs are much better for me, but I really dislike brown rice. I don't know why, but I just can't seem to eat it. So, I've started mixing it in with white rice. 3parts white-1 part brown, and working from there to half and half and so on. The white rice seems to hide the brown rice to an extent and I'm hoping I'm teaching myself how to eat brown rice while getting slightly healthier meals. Eventually, I might be able to eat tbrown on it's own!

    This is a misconception. Whole grains aren't necessarily better. If you start consuming plenty of whole grain sources on a daily basis then it can inhibit the uptake of some nutrients. Balance is the key. Even then, whole grains are quite overrated. There are many studies that have shown that one's diet being composed 50% of processed grains and 50% from whole grains had similar results to someone on 100% whole grains. Want to know the funny thing? The researchers, to save their bias tails, mention in the study that they still recommend people not to eat that many processed grains. World is littered with agendas, my friends.
    2) Veg- I'm absolutely awful with veg. I really really hate it, and eating it on it's own, as a side etc, turns my stomach. I've been like this since I was a kid( despite being forced to eat it) and haven't yet grown out of it! But, I know how vital it is to a healthy diet, so I'm trying to increase my intake, although slowly for now.

    Eat what you want! If you don't like it on its own or on the side then eat it how you ENJOY it. There are hundreds of vegetables and so many to try and taste. Even then, try different cooking methods. Raw broccoli is gross but once you steam it and cover it in cheese sauce it's the bomb. Or what about beef and broccoli, the classic chinese-american dish? I eat almost 500g of broccoli a day that way.

    Even then, raw vegetables, as many other things you've said, are overrated.Cook them. They taste better that way and deliver them in a fashion that you enjoy.
    (Please no ''Just eat clean", "Just eat the veg" comments. I know the benefits, I know what's healthiest, but it doesn't work for me.

    Lose the word "clean." It's a horrific word that's produced more failed weight loss than anything on this planet. There's no such thing as clean eating. It's a figment of the dieting community's imagination. You don't know what the healthiest is so I think you should come to terms with that as well.
  • Mompanda4
    Mompanda4 Posts: 869 Member
    Thanks for sharing
  • AllTehBeers
    AllTehBeers Posts: 5,030 Member
    I love veggies but they do get bland and boring after a while so instead of just eating them cooked by themselves, I make them the centerpiece of the meal. One of my favorites is mushroom fajitas. You can get a mix of onions, peppers, spices, ect. Anything you like on a fijita, fry them up in some olive oil and top them with salsa, avacado, lettuce or what ever you like. You can also add a bit of chicken if you don't want it without the meat.

    I also cook a home made stirfry. These are great because you can get creative. Along with the peppers and onions, I like adding water chestnuts, almonds, maybe a serving of the crunchy strips you can get with a dash of soy sauce. Its great because you can make as little you want to experiment or make a big pan and portion it out for a couple meals.
  • Laces_0ut
    Laces_0ut Posts: 3,750 Member
    use a digital food scale to weigh everything you eat because it is much more accurate. dont use measuring cups and spoons at all.
  • olong
    olong Posts: 255 Member
    [/quote]

    I need to improve my macros though to have that balance. Working on protein atm, and struggling!

    [/quote]

    I struggle with protein, too. I've been adding protein powder to my water and that helps. Though, eventually, I'd like to eliminate the powder in favor of relying less on suppliments and more on lean meats etc...
  • mrselanco2268
    mrselanco2268 Posts: 38 Member
    Start experimenting with recipes. My husband didn't love veggies until he ate them prepared with lots of flavor. Cauliflower steamed is kinda bland and boring. But roasted for 20 minutes at 400 degrees with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice it is fantastic. Roasting most vegetables will bring out richness and sweetness.

    Also, Mrs. Dash has tons of flavor - and many varieties. I spinkle that on vegetables and it adds a whole new dimension. I add them to sandwiches and wraps.

    I personally love vegetables and always have, but I'm converting my husband to be a vegetable lover too. Grilled, roasted and sauteed are much better than steamed and boiled.

    I also sauteed a bunch of vegetables and blended them in the food processor to make a sauce for a main course.

    Experimenting is going to be your friend.

    I started roasting and grilling vegetables a year ago. It does bring out the flavor without losing all the nutrients.
  • micls
    micls Posts: 234

    Foods aren't necessarily healthier but the composition of your entire diet. Moderation is the key to success, a happy life, and a healthy one at that. The USDA has something called the discretionary calorie allowance. Consuming 10-20% of your calories from "non-healthy sources" (they are talking specifically in terms of exogenous sugar) has the same health effects as eating 100% of your diet from "healthy sources." Very few people realize this thus the results you see in most studies comparing flexible dieting and strict dieting. The flexible dieters maintain their fat loss over long periods of time whereas strict dieters almost always fail.

    I completely agree, and my diary will show I'm as far as you can get from strict in what I put into my body! My problem is that I don't really have the balance at the moment, and that's what I'm working towards.

    This is a misconception. Whole grains aren't necessarily better. If you start consuming plenty of whole grain sources on a daily basis then it can inhibit the uptake of some nutrients. Balance is the key. Even then, whole grains are quite overrated. There are many studies that have shown that one's diet being composed 50% of processed grains and 50% from whole grains had similar results to someone on 100% whole grains. Want to know the funny thing? The researchers, to save their bias tails, mention in the study that they still recommend people not to eat that many processed grains. World is littered with agendas, my friends.
    Again, I don't plan on ever going 100% whole grain, I'm looking for the balance.




    Eat what you want! If you don't like it on its own or on the side then eat it how you ENJOY it. There are hundreds of vegetables and so many to try and taste. Even then, try different cooking methods. Raw broccoli is gross but once you steam it and cover it in cheese sauce it's the bomb. Or what about beef and broccoli, the classic chinese-american dish? I eat almost 500g of broccoli a day that way.

    The problem there being if I ate what I wanted there would be no veg :D Which is why I'm going for these 'tricks'. Never heard of those broccoli dishes but I willing to try them!



    Lose the word "clean." It's a horrific word that's produced more failed weight loss than anything on this planet. There's no such thing as clean eating. It's a figment of the dieting community's imagination. You don't know what the healthiest is so I think you should come to terms with that as well.

    That was more a comment on what I read on here a lot from others rather than my own opinions. I've never aimed to 'eat clean', and I'm well aware of my own ignorance in certain areas. But in the same vein, I'm also aware of the shortfalls of my current and previous diets and it's worth working to improve it.
  • prettythinlove
    prettythinlove Posts: 127 Member
    Bump.
  • AeolianHarp
    AeolianHarp Posts: 463 Member
    In all honesty, don't eat whole grains if you don't want to. I don't eat any unless it actually complements and enhances the taste of my meal. For example, some sandwiches are simply enhanced by rye bread.

    The bulk of your nutrients will simply come from vegetables and fruits. If you were to increase one thing then that would be the worthwhile one. Whole grains are just painful to increase because they have a cardboard-like flavour for some stuff. Brown rice is just gross.

    Oh, almost forgot! I live in Canada and President's Choice makes this semi-white-style pasta that's made with lentil seeds, whole wheat, and all that other mumbo jumbo but it has an excellent balance. Love that stuff. Give that a try. I'm obsessed with it. Here it is:
    http://www.presidentschoice.ca/LCLOnline/products.jsp?type=details&catIds=118&productId=19868

    I prefer homemade pasta but when I'm on a cut this is the stuff I eat.
  • mrsmel55
    mrsmel55 Posts: 168
    I found something that we really like. I tried the whole wheat pasta and it doesn't take all that good to me. I get Hodgson Mill Gluten Free Brown Rice Angel Hair Pasta with Golden Milled Flax Seed. It tastes really good and a little goes a long way.
  • modernmom70
    modernmom70 Posts: 373 Member
    Try cooking brown rice in chicken broth. My DH wouldn't eat it before but since I started doing this he loves it.
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