Eating healthy is of course one of the most important things that you can do for yourself. Unfortunately, many people overlook this, or they may not realize that their diet indeed may not be good for their health.
When we are stressed out, especially during these economic times, we may regularly turn to quick, easy, and tasty junk food for sustenance and nourishment. Yes, maybe these foods may be sustaining for a while, but they are hardly nourishing. You might know what I am talking about. Eggs, bacon, and cheese for breakfast. Coffee with cream and sugar. A bag of potato chips for a mid-morning snack with a diet soda. Fast food for lunch, consisting of a double cheeseburger, large fries, and a large diet soda. In the afternoon, maybe a candy bar from the vending machine. For dinner, well, some sort of ready-made dinner contraption made from pasta, hamburger, and cheese, accompanied by some soda, followed by a large bowl of ice cream.
Maybe I was a bit extreme with my example, but maybe not. In many ways, this sounds like the typical American-style diet many of us have become accustomed to. We may not even know any better, because in many ways, it seems like the norm.
Every time we turn on the TV, the commercials blast many messages our way. Some of the most frequent are fast food advertisements, or other examples of otherwise unhealthy food. Our workplaces are surrounded by many of these types of restaurants, serving up cheap, hot, tasty food. They make it so easy to just roll through the drive-thru during lunch, and pick up a bag of “empty calories.” (More on that term later.) So easy in fact, that we may think this is the only way to eat while on the job, and will forget about ever bringing a lunch.
Then upon entering the break room during the afternoon, we see the vending machines filled with quick snacks and soda.
When we get home from work, we are too tired and busy to cook a nice dinner, so we reach in the freezer and grab a ready-made lasagna or something with a list of ingredients that takes like 15 lines of text, filled with some words we can’t even pronounce.
On our grocery trips, we are bombarded by boxes upon boxes of easy to eat or ready-made food. The pictures and the designs of the boxes make us think that it looks so good that we must buy it. And don’t forget about the years of research that the grocery chains have done to know how to prominently display the food to spur impulse buying.
So do any of these food choices sound familiar to you? Are they all too common in your diet? Did you ever stop to think of an alternative beyond what you usually eat?
I’m not going to say that you should never eat any of the aforementioned types of food. What I am going to say is that when your diet is centered around them, and you don’t allow more healthy choices in, then they may be detrimental for you, and your pocketbook.
I am going to use some examples of my experience in hopes that if you are looking for ways to steer your diet in a more healthy direction, save some money, maybe lose some pounds, and enjoy eating, then you may benefit from some of what has worked for me.
Of course I have to enter a little disclaimer here – what works for me may not work for everyone. If you enjoy what you eat and are content, that is fine and your choice. But if you are looking for a change, then sometimes it may be a good idea to consult your doctor for advice before making such a change.
Okay, glad I got that over with! So on to this: I want to preface by saying that my suggestions are not a “fad” diet or a lose-weight-quick scheme. I would consider them a way to adopt an overall, lifelong, healthy, simple way to eat. And I’m not talking about totally depriving your taste buds either!
So let’s start by saying that overall, my style of eating is what I would consider to be in a good range of total daily calories. It contains a lot of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean meat. It is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and I generally try to opt for choices with the most natural ingredients I can find, or go for organic. Soda is only consumed on rare occasions, and I drink a lot of natural, brewed tea. But one thing that is great about it all is that I still allow room for a fast food meal here and there, and/or eating out at restaurants a couple nights per week. Personally, I find it to be very enjoyable, healthy, nutritious, easy, and relatively inexpensive, when compared to other choices. And I would say that about 2 years ago is when I transitioned into it, and over the first year or so, I gradually lost about 45 – 50 pounds! I’ve been at the same weight now for about 9 - 10 months, and my BMI (body mass index) is in a normal range. I credit it all to the new way of eating I have adopted. And I feel great!
Here’s a typical day of eating for me:
Breakfast:
1 large bowl of a healthy cereal, with natural ingredients. I never eat name brand cereals (Kellogg’s, Post, etc.). I find that even kinds like Total have a slew of questionable ingredients, like high fructose corn syrup. But I never really liked those so much anyways. Currently, I am on a kick of store-brand organic raisin bran, with minimal and all-natural ingredients. And I love the taste!
As far as milk, I don’t drink dairy milk anymore. I know this may sound foreign and unusual to you, but I always use rice milk on the cereal. It is much more natural, has a similar consistency, and to me, tastes better. (You don’t even want to know what may be in factory-farmed cow’s milk.)
To drink, I have water.
Total estimated calories: 450 – 500
Total cost: about $1.25
(Side note: If you really think about it, I think we were all conditioned into thinking that we have to consume cow’s milk, especially for strong bones. It’s considered like an essential, American staple item. Most Asian and Indian cultures don’t ever use milk, and their diets are considered some of the healthiest around. But here’s my point. We think it is “normal” to drink the milk of another species. Really, this milk isn’t intended for us – it is the milk that a female cow feeds her calves with, just like a female human would feed her infant. Think about it, if we went into a grocery store, and saw gallons of human breast milk in there, we would be repulsed! By no means am I suggesting that we drink human milk, but if we are repulsed by the thought of drinking our own species’ milk, then why are drinking that of another species!)
Lunch:
1 Lean Cuisine meal or similar variety - Calories: about 300. Cost: about $2.25.
2 rice cakes - Calories: about 90. Cost: about $0.25.
5 servings of fruit - Calories: about 400. Cost: about $1.75.
½ ounce cheese block - Calories: about 45. Cost: about $0.15.
To drink, I have water.
Total calories: 835
Total cost: $4.40
If you’ve never had Lean Cuisine, SmartOnes, or Safeway brand Eating Right meals, give them a try. If you’re a guy and think that they are for wimps or chicks, I say get over it. They have literally dozens of varieties, are frequently on sale, and taste surprisingly good. And I mean that – they taste actually quite extraordinary for something that comes out of the microwave. The Lean Cuisine ones tend to have more natural ingredients and no preservatives. Most of them have a good mix of lean meats and vegetables, in many tasty preparations. The great thing about having dozens of varieties is that you can mix them up so that you don’t get tired of eating the same old thing every day.
The same goes for the fruit. You can rotate your choices, so that you are not bringing the same thing all the time.
And I know that many people have a general dislike of fruits and vegetables. I certainly did when I was younger! But now I can’t get enough of them. Really, these are the types of foods that we humans are supposed to eat. My favorite are bananas. They make a great snack, and fresh ones taste absolutely awesome to me! And the nutritional value, just like about every fruit or vegetable out there, is very high. Other favorites include the many varieties of apples, oranges, any type of melon, kiwis, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, nectarines, and more.
Does the word “rice cake” not sound very tasty? If you’re not aware, there are a ton of varieties out there. My favorite is white cheddar. They are actually quite good, are incredibly low calorie, and are very inexpensive. And for any guys also thinking that they are for wimps or chicks, I say once again, get over it! Eat what you want without thinking you have to have “man food”. What a bunch of malarkey!
The little cheese cube makes for a nice snack to top everything off. It kind of takes the sweet away from the fruits afterward, and to me, balances out the palate.
Afternoon:
2 - 3 cups of unsweetened green or white tea. I friggin’ love tea, and have never been one for sweetener. And there are zero calories in it, not-to-mention the health benefits from the antioxidants that are naturally occurring. The tea also gives a bit of a caffeine boost. If you like sweeter tea, then try adding a bit of honey. This adds very few calories.
So are you a soda drinker? In moderation of course is fine, but I would say that if you are drinking more than 24 ounces per day, then you may want to think about that for a while.
(Side note: I think many people have been conditioned by a culture that consumes a huge amount of soda, sports drinks, coffee, etc. I’ve talked to many people who say that they don’t drink water! Come again?!?! Water is essential to life. Yeah, you may get some carbonated water from a soda (and several tablespoons of sugar to go with it), but that’s not the way to hydrate yourself. I feel that soda and other similar drinks are meant to be more of a special treat, rather than the thing to only think to drink when we are thirsty.
So that brings me to my next point – the importance of drinking plenty of water. This is certainly not something new to me. I don’t know if I was born like a camel or something, but ever since I can remember, I have loved to drink lots of water. To me, it is the most refreshing thing. But it is essential as well. The old statement by those that say you must drink at least 8 glasses of water per day rings true. It helps keep your body hydrated, and lessens the chances of forming kidney stones or something similar. It’s also zero calories, and cheap!
Snack after work:
This can be pretty much anything ranging from a small amount of peanuts, walnuts, pecans, etc. to a granola bar, Wasa brand whole-grain crackers, a couple bananas, low-fat microwave popcorn, etc.
Total calories: 150 – 350
Average cost: $0.25 – $0.50
Dinner:
So this can vary widely, and is an area where a day full of healthy eating can afford an occasional splurge or something not as optimally healthy. But as a general rule, I still am very conscious of what the maximum calories I should have are, and I always try to avoid making a habit of eating things with a lot of cheese, red meat, saturated fat, cholesterol, or things that are deep fried.
Examples of a weeknight dinner:
Turkey sandwich with a big ol’ Caesar salad with low-fat dressing
Chicken fajitas
An Asian-style dish
Chili
Chicken breasts with a vegetable and starch
Chicken tacos
Occasional fast food – lower calorie options
Turkey wrap
Whole-wheat pasta
Total average calories: about 900
Average cost: $2.50 – $5
Totals for the day:
Average calories: 2,400 – 2,600
Average cost: $8 - $10
Summary:
I guess that some people may find this way of eating a bit radical, but I would say it is quite enjoyable. There are many reasons I feel this way. First of all, my taste buds have begun to appreciate the flavors of more natural foods. Fruit and properly prepared vegetables do taste great! Whole grain items, nuts, and cereal are quite hearty and keep me full, along with a satisfied palate. Chicken with some sort of sauce, integrated into a simple dish is delectable.
But second, when I eat healthy 90% of the time, I really feel that I get to enjoy splurges more, and guilt-free! Of course I like a nice cheesy pizza from time to time. And steak, oh my do I love a nice juicy sirloin or tenderloin. Burritos, tacos, and chimichangas – heck, I was raised in Arizona! But it’s nice to be able to occasionally fit these things easily into my diet without having to worry about questions like: “Do I eat too much saturated fat?” “Am I making my cholesterol too high?” “Do I eat too many calories because I eat big steaks and cheeseburgers all the time?” “Am I eating enough nourishing foods with lots of vitamins and nutrients?” Instead, I know that I can easily fit in the more comfort-oriented foods from time to time, because I know it is a special occasion, and not a regular, recurring part of my diet. So then I can have the pepperoni pizza, cheese quesadillas, creamy pasta, succulent BBQ ribs, and all the other super tasty favorites with ease. And I’m serious, I think they taste better on occasion, because I am able to look at them like a special treat.
Third, I feel this way of eating is simple and easy. If I had a couple spare hours a day where I could whip up an awesome, gourmet recipe from scratch, I would. But I don’t have the time with working full-time, working around the house, and writing my blog (the same goes for my fiancé), so we have to make things simple. So we have found some meals that work easy for us, and we rotate those and stick to them. And, they tend to be more toward the less-expensive side, because there is not a whole bunch of ingredients necessary.
Furthermore, this way of eating is very healthy in many ways. When I know that I am eating in a well-balanced manner, with an abundance of nutrient-rich foods, I really feel good about myself, and my body does too!
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