Eat to save your life

[greencreeper]

Anyone see it on Channel 4? God it was rough. I stopped it half-way through and headed for the kitchen. It's shocking what they put sugar in. Tinned peas - sugar and salt. My favourite sweet n sour sauce for making my chicken stir fry - about half of it is sugar. Cooked chicken pieces - "healthy choice". Contains sugar. Healthy huh. It's a nightmare. Flaming bran flakes, which I thought were high fibre - actually low fibre and high sugar. You just can't win. Well you can but I'd need to win the lottery to (a) have the time to prepare fresh meals; and (b) be able to afford them.

At the moment, I budget about £3 per day for food. I'd probably have to double that to buy sufficient amounts of fresh meat and vegetables to last a month. Plus there's all the additional ingredients needed to cook - spices, oils, alcohol, flour... Then there's time. I just don't feel that hungry at lunchtime (about 12:00-13:00), so I eat very little, if anything (usually nothing). I do feel hungry at about 18:00 but I'm at work, so wait til I get home about 22:30. Occasionally I might have a bag of crisps, but I've cut down on the crisps and chocolate bars. That means I prepare food about 22:40 and like to be eating by 23:30. If I have to cook fresh, I'd be eating after midnight, which I don't like doing, unless I get the munchies, but then I'd cook potato wedges, not a meal. I could cook at the weekend and freeze portitions for the week, but I don't really want to be spending the weekend cooking, and usually I'm out on Saturday so would only have Sunday. But I'd have to do the housework and washing too. Effectively no rest at all. Plus I'd never keep it up - there'd be a weekend where I'd feel rough, or tired, and no cooking would be done - so then what do I do for the week ahead? Oh and I just don't like the texture of fruit - too many seeds and stringy bits.

I just can't see how I can eat healthy in a sustained way It's the modern lifestyle.

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Anyone see it on Channel 4? God it was rough. I stopped it half-way through and headed for the kitchen. It's shocking what they put sugar in. Tinned peas - sugar and salt. My favourite sweet n sour sauce for making my chicken stir fry - about half of it is sugar. Cooked chicken pieces - "healthy choice". Contains sugar. Healthy huh. It's a nightmare. Flaming bran flakes, which I thought were high fibre - actually low fibre and high sugar. You just can't win. Well you can but I'd need to win the lottery to (a) have the time to prepare fresh meals; and (b) be able to afford them.

At the moment, I budget about £3 per day for food. I'd probably have to double that to buy sufficient amounts of fresh meat and vegetables to last a month. Plus there's all the additional ingredients needed to cook - spices, oils, alcohol, flour... Then there's time. I just don't feel that hungry at lunchtime (about 12:00-13:00), so I eat very little, if anything (usually nothing). I do feel hungry at about 18:00 but I'm at work, so wait til I get home about 22:30. Occasionally I might have a bag of crisps, but I've cut down on the crisps and chocolate bars. That means I prepare food about 22:40 and like to be eating by 23:30. If I have to cook fresh, I'd be eating after midnight, which I don't like doing, unless I get the munchies, but then I'd cook potato wedges, not a meal. I could cook at the weekend and freeze portitions for the week, but I don't really want to be spending the weekend cooking, and usually I'm out on Saturday so would only have Sunday. But I'd have to do the housework and washing too. Effectively no rest at all. Plus I'd never keep it up - there'd be a weekend where I'd feel rough, or tired, and no cooking would be done - so then what do I do for the week ahead? Oh and I just don't like the texture of fruit - too many seeds and stringy bits.

I just can't see how I can eat healthy in a sustained way It's the modern lifestyle.

IF you had watched until the end they did say that fresh is good but frozen and tinned were just as acceptable because both process store more nutrients where as fresh deteriorates faster.Frozen veg is pretty exciting as you can get stuff like sliced peppers and mushrooms as well as the usual suspects so as long as you use unprocessed and less refined foods you can still eat well.Cut out saturated fat,salt and sugar and you will be fine.I use those low fat one cal sprays to saute veg,fish and meat which means I'm cutting calories and sat fat.I also eat chicken and fish and pulses rather more than red meat.I eat ALL the veg and fruit I can get my hands on..When I'm working I make sure I take something to eat even if it's only a small sandwich or roll with plenty of veg in.I sometimes take a small salad and try to make sure it's got at least 5 different veg and of all different colours.

My favourite quick meal is a spanish omelette which takes about 10 minutes if I have peppers and mushrooms in the freezer, longer if I use fresh.You can prepare and eat one in less than 20 minutes.Prawn stir fry with greens,mushrooms,peppers and other veg takes no time at all and all I add to that is soya sauce.

[greencreeper]

I did watch to the end - I paused it and resumed once I'd done a recky on the kitchen. When they were talking about tinned veg, that woman picked up a tin of peas - Tesco garden peas, with sugar and salt. I know because I have a few tins. It was ironic Yeah frozen/tinned is fine, but you've still to watch for the sugar/salt added, and anything processed, especially meat, is likely to be dodgy to some extent. My favourite chicken kievs are off the menu. I'm not even going to read the ingredients The only real opportunity I get to have my 5-a-day is my main meal - on a night. It's never going to happen. At best, I manage probably 2-3.

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by greencreeper

I did watch to the end - I paused it and resumed once I'd done a recky on the kitchen. When they were talking about tinned veg, that woman picked up a tin of peas - Tesco garden peas, with sugar and salt. I know because I have a few tins. It was ironic Yeah frozen/tinned is fine, but you've still to watch for the sugar/salt added, and anything processed, especially meat, is likely to be dodgy to some extent. My favourite chicken kievs are off the menu. I'm not even going to read the ingredients The only real opportunity I get to have my 5-a-day is my main meal - on a night. It's never going to happen. At best, I manage probably 2-3.

I was in Asda today.The fresh chicken display cabinet was virtually empty and there was no free range chicken at all.I just had to chuckle...Now I wonder how long this situation will last?

[Delta Whiskey]

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

http://www.boingboing.net/2008/01/15...of-food-n.html

Prepare your food for the next day at night then store it in the fridge ready for the next day, you can cook fresh or frozen veg then put it all in a container ready for the next day. As for whats in food take a look at these so called healthy weight watchers meals, turn them over and look on the back and you'll find out they are laden with transfats, sugar and a plethora of other bad things.

I love my fresh or frozen veg with fresh chicken, fish beef, you can' beat fresh local produce.

[Maggy J]

I had a healthy 'tinned' meal today.Three tins of different pulses (in water no salt or sugar) drained and rinsed,added a small tin of sweetcorn(also in water no salt or sugar) and mixed together.Took one half and mixed with tomatoes,peppers,beetroot,onion,cucumber and lettuce.Made a dressing of on tablespoon of oil and white wine vinegar,salt and pepper and that made a really healthy meal with a WW point value of 4.

Got the other half to look forward to tomorrow.

[WHISTLED]

Well you can but I'd need to win the lottery to (a) have the time to prepare fresh meals; and (b) be able to afford them

I thought the same but cooking fresh meals works out way cheaper than ready meals etc.

It just takes means a monthly shop rather than popping into the supermarket every few days. I buy things like a loin of pork and make 5-6 chops out of that, similar with beef I will buy 1 joint and split to meal sizes. If you want chicken buy a whole one and bone it yourself, works out miles cheaper than portions.

Once a month I will spend a few hours making meals that I can freeze, I even buy the plastic containers like they have at the chinese. Then I just take what I want out of the freezer in the morning.

£65 and a few hours graft I can have most of my months meals prepared and have a few days for take aways.

[greencreeper]

I think this Friday I'm going to try buying fresh everything, no packet stuff, and see how it goes. I've got a selection of recipes, including a stroganoff that sounds tastey. Just needs about two dozen tubs and a bread maker, and I've got it sorted. Spend a day in the kitchen cooking. Set up three zones. Hmmm.

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by greencreeper

I think this Friday I'm going to try buying fresh everything, no packet stuff, and see how it goes. I've got a selection of recipes, including a stroganoff that sounds tastey. Just needs about two dozen tubs and a bread maker, and I've got it sorted. Spend a day in the kitchen cooking. Set up three zones. Hmmm.

When I prepare a meal from scratch I make twice/three times the amount and freeze the remainder.Then I always have a meal for when I'm too tired or in a hurry. No need to set up a cooking day unless you really want to.

[greencreeper]

Yeah - I do that with stir fry. Make enough for two, so the rest goes in the fridge for the next day. But I want to get it over with - a mass cook and freeze. Job done.

[Xaccers]

I'm sure the thinking where veg was concerned not too long ago, was that frozen is best because the freezing breaks the cells open releasing more nutrients, but to cook they should be steamed not boiled, otherwise those nutrients get washed away.

Originally Posted by Xaccers

I'm sure the thinking where veg was concerned not too long ago, was that frozen is best because the freezing breaks the cells open releasing more nutrients, but to cook they should be steamed not boiled, otherwise those nutrients get washed away.

actually quick freezing that doesn't break the cells, is better, peas were the good example of how frozen can be better than fresh, when they were literally frozen within two hours of being harvested - but, yes, steaming is better than boiling

ultra high pressure processes are starting to become popular for chilled, rather than frozen foods, to extend shelf life, also - for example in a liquid medium you may try to crush a grape, but at 43,000 psi all you might succeed in doing is killing the bacteria that could spoil it - extended to shellfish it can also make them easier to 'shuck' - oysters are an example

http://www.theperfectoyster.com/news.cfm?targetstory=46

[greencreeper]

Steaming May as well just eat it raw. Yeah it's hot but it's also still really crunchy. I like a bit of bite to my veg but I'm no rodent.

Originally Posted by greencreeper

Steaming May as well just eat it raw. Yeah it's hot but it's also still really crunchy. I like a bit of bite to my veg but I'm no rodent.

then steam it just a bit longer to soften it a little more - although discussion at work today included a theory that chewing was an important part of eating, such that eating more 'chewy' food was more 'satisfying' appetite wise, than softer stuff