It's hard to intentionally eat healthy and give up the usual fast food.

[ddeclue]

I'm trying to avoid it this week eating less fun stuff like beans and mac and cheese.

Damn those fast food commercials!

:hide:

[begin_within]

1. It's difficult and expensive to eat healthy.

The more they process and ruin food, the cheaper it becomes.

[Codeine]

3. Nah. Veggies cost next to nothing,

as do beans, pulses, grains, and rice.

[we can do it]

8. This Is True - People Want You To Believe Good Food Has To Cost a Lot

you can grow your own greens for next to nothing in a small pot, get yourself a seed sprouter, too...tomatoes are another easy to grow food....

[paulsby]

9. correct

if you learn especially to cook from scratch, you can cook healthy and cheaply

i get eggs, for instance at $6.00 for 5 dozen

that's .10 an egg

rice (brown or white) very cheap if you buy 50 lb bags

potatoes, onions, cheap

i grow a bit of my own too - like tomatoes.

[Raschel]

49. I find eating whole foods is cheaper, once you eliminate the junk you don't have to buy anymore.

And baking from scratch is so much better!

[Lorien]

58. Yep. I have a lot of food allergies, so no processed foods, gluten, soy

dairy, or sugar for me. I'll buy a giant bag of organic brown rice and another giant bag of frozen organic veggies from Costco and be set for a while. It's boring, but it keeps me healthy, and since I can't afford healthcare it's worth it!

[paulsby]

70. here is one of my favorite easy to make sides

and note, this is NOT low cal. but it is healthy.

and VERY simple

heat oven to 500 deg

cut a sweet potato (more vitamin rich than a white potato... and keep the skin on) into fry shapes, or thicker disk shapes (like a potato chip, but thicker. place in a ziplock bag and pour in just enough olive oil such that you can shake the bag and have a light coating of oil on them. a teaspoon should be enough for one big sweet potato.

i make a rub by the POUND that i store.

essentially, you put salt (i use kosher salt), brown sugar, cloves, star anise, peppercorns into a blender (dry!) and crush into a nice spice rub.

the exact mix is to your taste, as to how salty or sweet or peppery. it's also good with some chili flakes.

you can experiment with other spices, too

anyway, place the slices of sweet potato in a baking pan, and sprinkle a light coating of the rub.

30-45 minutes later (depending on how crispy you like them. i LOVE when the edges get black and caramelized), you pull them out

these will kick-ass over ANY french fries or curly fries, and they are way better for you.

and WAY cheaper.

it's even cheaper with russet potatoes (under .15 for a BIG serving) but i love sweet potatos.

this is not a HEALTH food per se. but it's much HEALTHier than french fries as you get them at a restaurant... and way cheaper.

baby steps.

also, contrary to what some people say, heating olive oil is NOT deleterious in any significant way to its profile of good fats.

and you do NOT need expensive extra virgin oil for this. that's for taste, raw. for cooking like this, cheapo olive oil is fine.

fwiw, you can also leave out the oil. they still taste pretty good.

olive oil has a very healthy fats profile, though, and you are consuming less than a teaspoon for the whole thing, which if you use a large sweet potato is 2 servings.


http://www.oliveoilsource.com/cooking_olive_oil.htm
Olive Oil Myth: Heating a cooking oil will make it saturated or a trans-fatty oil.

The Facts: As far as making a saturated fat, according to Dr. A. Kiritsakis, a world renowned oil chemist in Athens, (Book - OLIVE OIL FROM THE TREE TO THE TABLE -Second edition 1998), all oils will oxidize and hydrogenate to a tiny degree if repeatedly heated to very high temperatures such as is done in commercial frying operations. Olive pomace oil and virgin olive oil are both highly monounsaturated oils and therefore resistant to oxidation and hydrogenation. Studies have shown oxidation and hydrogenation occurs to a lesser degree in olive oil than in other oils. But in any case, the amount of hydrogenation is miniscule and no home cook would ever experience this problem.

The large refinery-like factories which take unsaturated vegetable oil and turn it into margarine or vegetable lard do so by bubbling hydrogen gas through 250 to 400 degree hot vegetable oil in the presence of a metal catalyst, usually nickel or platinum. The process can take several hours. You cannot make a saturated product like margarine at home by heating olive oil or any other vegetable oil in a pan. We don't know where this weird notion has come from. For more see our olive oil chemistry page

Changing a cis-fat to a trans-fat does not occur on a home stove.

[paulsby]

6. it's not expensive if you cook from scratch and use yer head

in fact, it's often (although not always) cheaper than most processed foods.

you learn to buy in bulk (i buy brown rice in 50 lb bags for instance)

there has never, in the history of this country, a better time for food choice - we have much greater choices available, excellent prices, etc.

i make a lot of my own foods like kimchi (very healthy), various ceviches (cheap, and incredibly healthy), etc.

[Mojambo]

12. Buying in bulk is not an option for a lot of poor people who rent rooms

I would love to buy a 50 pound bag of rice, but it would take up all the shelf space I'm allotted in the house!

Just pointing out that it is an issue for a lot of people.

[paulsby]

17. utter rubbish

cmon, this isn't tokyo.

show me a poor family that does not have room for a sack of rice.

cmon

you can be a victim, or you can take responsibility for your own health

i prefer the latter

it's NOT an issue for a lot of people. i spent a fair portion of my live living in the hood, and lots of time working there.

lack of space for a bag of rice is not a societal problem that exists much, if at all.

[Mojambo]

18. I share a house with 6 other people. I have access to one fucking shelf.

Of course families have room for it.

I'm talking about single people who rent rooms.

But whatever.

[paulsby]

20. right. because you can't keep a sack of rice in your room?

under your bed, in your closet. cmon, get real.

[Mojambo]

21. You're right. You've got my situation all figured out.

:eyes:

[paulsby]

24. sounds like victimology to me

i have yet to see a room that i couldn't store a bag of rice in.

i guess you are the special case.

[Captain Hilts]

46. Why are you being so nasty in a thread such as this?

[paulsby]

67. if i am being nasty, i apologize... but

EVERY single thread where the problem of obesity and/or poor diets is discussed, there is always the "it's not their fault" argument that i find both unrealistic and incredibly condescending towards the poor, as if they can't choose for themselves to eat healthily or not

i've been poor. i've lived in the hood. i work there all the time. people MAKE their food choices (not to mention cigarettes)

i've done a little informal surveying of shopping carts over the years, and it is no surprise that the obese people tend to have crap stuffed in their carts and the healthier people tend ot have healthier foods.

cause - effect

the opportunity is there to make healthy choices. it should be encouraged. props to michelle obama on that front.

[rwheeler31]

43. If you have insect ,or rodent problems you can not leave food

out. Please try to understand this situation.

[Warren Stupidity]

36. Try a food co-op.

Generally you get the 50lb sack of rice price in a 5lb bag.

[Mojambo]

41. Good suggestion. I'll see what's around here.

[csziggy]

83. Look for stores that sell from bins - you can buy only what you need for a week

Or a month, or a day - and still pay the price per pound for buying in bulk. The hard part is the storage - I save margarine tubs, coffee cans, etc. Then I take the clean containers to the store, have them weigh the containers before I fill them, then they can weigh them after and subtract the container weight. Saves plastic and I only get the amount I can store. I've seen people go in and buy just enough granola for an afternoon snack. I've also seen people buy enough flour to make bread for a horde.

Our local food co-op sells rice, grains, cereal, dried fruit, granola, coffee and a LOT of other 'dry goods' from bins including a nice assortment of flours for bread making - it is the major reason I bought into the co-op. They even have spices and herbs in bulk.

[we can do it]

22. I've Worked with People Who Constantly Complain About Feeling Bad

being broke, having no time to themselves, going on whatever fad diet, etc- ALL of them spent lunchbreak driving like maniacs to some crapfood drivethru - waiting in line thru most of their break - choking down a pound of garbage and barely making it back to work in time- while the 2 or 3 of us who brought lunch had time to eat, read or go for a walk, etc- I just do not get it.

[paulsby]

25. i agree.

you HAVE to take responsibility for your own health. yer momma aint gonna do it (at least if you are an adult on your own).

i know people who complain about being broke, who smoke (talk about a waste of money) AND buy lattes at starbucks.

that's like $7 a day for completely frivolous stuff.

make yer own coffee for about a tenth of a price. and smoking not only kills, but eats money

[K8-EEE]

78. Yes and cigs FEED THE GOP!

Tobacco companies support Republicans and vice versa -- that really helped me quit back WAY in the Reagan days! Let me tell you if I hadn't stopped smoking in my 20's I would not have been hiking and sunrise this morning in my 40's. It's a progressively debilitating habit.

[paulsby]

81. well, generally they do

al gore's dad, might disagree :)

[K8-EEE]

60. fast food becomes a way of life for LOTS of people and honestly

I think it ends up killing a lot of people prematurely -- all the additives, salt, high fat content, transfats and etc. It's every bit as bad of a health habit as smoking. Yes once in a while is fine but I too have worked with people who eat that shit AND FEED IT TO THEIR KIDS almost every single day!

[paulsby]

71. that pisses me off

what people do with their own bodies is their decision, but feeding kids pure crap all the time, is simply abhorrent to me.

i was LUCKY, in that my parents were very conscious of nutrition.

[Richard D]

30. A pound of organic brown rice

Probably doesn't cost more than a few dollars if you have a larger natural food store near you. It'll be good for at least 6-8 meal sized servings. Add a few cents more of beans and vegies and you've got a healthy meal for less than a hamburger, fries, and coke. Good food is an investment in your health. Saving money on food by eating junk leads to giving much more than the money you saved to doctors.

[Mojambo]

38. Oh I'm not arguing against eating well

And I do eat okay. I just can't purchase food in bulk so it does tend to cost me a little more.

[nadinbrzezinski]

40. Trust me I get it.. buying a fifty pound bag is

not something I would do for two people either. And there are valid reasons for that. The most I would do, would be five pounds.

Now the co'op and other places are good options.

[rucky]

14. If you have either enough time, or enough money, it can be done.

If you have neither time nor money, it's really tough. I'm eating cheaper and healthier since I lost my job because I can do the prep work now (soak the beans, sprout the sprouts, bake some bread, etc..)

I've make kimchi before, too. Love it! (try it on a hotdog some time)

[paulsby]

19. i disagree on the money thang

it is true that some junk foods are pretty cheap ($1 mcchickens for instance), but generally speaking, you can find calorically dense healthy foods very cheap if you look for them.

sacks of potatoes
brown rice
5 dozen eggs for 6 or 7 bucks
cabbage
chicken livers
limes (.10 each)

etc.

poverty is NOT an excuse for eating crap. if you want to eat crap, fine. but it's not an excuse for anybody.

i lived in the hood a long time. and work there.

i see people all the time going to the 7-11 and paying 4 to 5 times for soda (empty calories) vs. what they;d pay at the grocery store down the street.

i see people smoking all the time. talk about a waste of money. this is the first time in recorded history, where OBESITY is a significant problem for the poor

[alittlelark]

54. Once you decide to avoid fast food it becomes easy and cheap.

Keep beans and rice in the fridge, make pestos (super easy and delicious). Keep bread and cheese for the super yummy grilled cheese - or even easier w/ tortillas for quesadillas (also good w/ beans and salsa). Then the standard salad mix w/ dressing of your choice. Ice cream with possible toppings of caramel, chocolate, granola.......


It is actually quite easy. The $$ you save on fast food (and health issues) will get you 3x the value in do-it-yourself.


Even for a super busy person it can be done.

[Codeine]

2. Mac and cheese is healthy?

;)

[ddeclue]

10. better than burgers - mostly cheaper..

although I've lost about 8 pounds in the last week or so.

[paulsby]

26. if you make yer mac and cheese

with lowfat or nonfat milk, and throw in some tuna fish, it's actually quite tasty, calorically dense, and tasty.

i have also added broccoli, and that makes a complete meal. lots of protein, fiber, vitamins, etc.

[we can do it]

4. Turn Off the Idiot Box

your brain will be happier, too.....once you kick the fast "food" habit it will taste like the shit that it is and you won't go back.....

[flvegan]

5. Most beans are perfectly healthy.

Unless you're talking about the ones cooked in lard with bacon.

[we can do it]

27. Yum I Love Beans

especially beans some salsa, peppers, rice or cheese rolled up in a tortilla - my favorite lunch, fast and cheap.

[Captain Hilts]

7. Eating healthfully takes time. nt

[we can do it]

13. and Sitting In Line for Crap Food Doesn't?

you know you are going to eat so why not shop at off hours - pick up food for several days and pack it with you - you might actually enjoy lunch break and save money and get healthy.

[Captain Hilts]

35. That's what I do, but a lot of folks just want to stick stuff in the microwave and eat in 4 mins.

I take my time and make enough for a couple of meals.

[bullwinkle428]

44. That's why I cook "big portion meals" (6, 7, 8 servings), and put

each serving into a little Rubbermaid-type container and place them all in the freezer. I just grab one of them each morning before I head off to work, put it in the fridge, and then at lunchtime, toss it in the microwave for 3 minutes and I've got a great hot lunch!

[GoneOffShore]

16. I've considered what you've said and

it's bullshit.

And I'm a meat eater and cook. Tonight's healthy dinner took under 30 minutes to prepare and cook.

[Captain Hilts]

37. A lot of folks want to microwave crap and eat it in ten minutes. I also prepare

my own meals and avoid packaged foods.

[Codeine]

23. Baloney.

I bake potatoes ahead of time and nuke them for meals, sautee veggies in all of about five minutes, and serve them over rice that cooks unattended in my $9 rice cooker.

I throw lentils in my slow cooker before I go to work and come home to delicious food with zero effort.

A salad is three minutes of prep, less if you spring for the $1.99 bags of baby greens at TJ's.

Slice an eggplant, salt it heavily and go do something else for half an hour. Return and rinse. Sautee for a few minutes on each side.

[paulsby]

28. you are right. i used to be a personal trainer and worked with a lot of bber's

i knew guys who were totally anal about this.

they would take a couple of hours every sunday and basically prepare the foundation for their meals for the whole week.

i'm talking about bakin' a whole bunch of chicken, making protein bars out of bananas, protein powder, peanut butter and oats, hard boiling some eggs, and making some stew. BOOM. set for the week.

if you WANT it, you can do it. it's really that simple. people who want to make excuses about why they don't eat healthy, will always find excuses.

[conflictgirl]

42. A lot of people seriously don't know HOW to cook or eat healthy

I'm serious, for the most part I am one of them. I grew up eating processed food and fast food. Now I have at least cut out the fast food and we mostly eat from scratch at home, but I admit that I buy things like frozen meals (Lean Cuisine kind of things) to take for lunch for work and we still eat nowhere near enough vegetables. My eating preferences have vastly improved over my family of origin but I am apparently far from many here.

I do still eat a lot of stuff that the "typical American" would not - e.g. I would rather have brown rice, or at least long grain white rice, over minute rice; I like slow cook oats rather than the instant ones; I actually like beans. But I'm just being completely honest here. I know what things I'm NOT supposed to eat but after a lifetime of growing up eating those foods, it is very hard to know what I should be eating instead. I avoid things like artificial sweeteners, fried foods, sodas, etc. and I make my own bread, and I'm not a big meat eater. But I have no idea how to prepare really healthy meals and frankly, a lot of the healthier meals I've read about sound completely unpalatable to me. I can only imagine that millions of others are like me as well.

So it's not necessarily about people wanting to make excuses about why they don't eat healthy. Some people really don't know how to do it. Or really have such deeply entrenched taste preferences for typical American foods that if you try to take them from McDonalds all the way to the opposite end of the spectrum, say eggplant and spinach, with no steps in between, it's not going to be appealing at all to them. It's not about them making excuses, it's about finding a way to help them adapt their tastebuds.

[marybourg]

51. Plenty of good ideas and help on the cooking and baking

group:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=236

[nadinbrzezinski]

66. Oh somebody beat me to the eating and cooking group

but here are some steps in your quest to get healthier in your food intake.

My hubby spent twenty years in the navy... where fried rules. I mean once a cook even fried a head of lettuce... yes it is that bad.

So realize things like your lean cuisine... you can substitute it with a sandwich. He takes a turkey, cheese sandwich, and these days I use lower fat spread on it. He also takes an apple. Bear in mind, when he retired eating an apple was rare.

Now why some things taste bland to your taste buds? They are. Processed foods take a LOT of salt... and I mean LOTS of it. So getting used to eating food without that much salt takes work. These days we mostly do, but I do the cooking and it's taken a few years.

There are other tricks... oh and to those who think that eating a slim cuisine, or healthy choice or what have you... I make my food, but I have been known to do it myself... if I am sick... I will eat canned or frozen, or what have you. So to those who are just so perfect... I say BOO HOO... you are doing it alright... and small changes help and help lots.

For the record, I don't cook my beans... I buy organic canned... I like them. Hubby does not... I am not going to cook beans for me (and the two parrots, I really cannot justify it, even if the kids love them.)

[Stumbler]

68. I hear ya, I grew up eating crap/fast food too.

My mom rarely cooked from scratch, and was always enamored by the newest processed creation in the supermarket: I'm talking JenniO "Turkey Loaf"s, chicken patties, frozen pizzas, etc. And "eating out," which was usually a special occasion, often meant using a drive thru. As a result, I didn't start to learn how to cook for myself until early high school, and even then rarely did so.

As an adult, I've cut out the sodas and fast food trips, but I have to say, it wasn't the easiest transition to make. When you've been raised on cheeseburgers and pizzas, it's hard to make the adjustment to beans, rice and veggies. This is especially true when your parents failed to teach you proper nutrition, and you have to learn much of it on your own. And I personally think there are a lot of American households who are in the same situation. Not all of our fellow country-members are as enlightened as some of these posts seem to expect them to be.

Something else all of us should keep in mind is the amount and type of advertising we absorb regarding our eating habits. Look at the billboards lining our freeways, or the ads in our magazines. Better yet, during an hour or two of prime-time television programming, compare the amount of ads for fast-food or pizza delivery, vs the amount of ads for eating beans, rice and veggies at home with the family. The answer is many to none. And those messages are being delivered endlessly to our children, as we all were once. And if we don't have the parental or societal structure to tell us those fast foods are bad in large quantities, then we'll accept what we're being sold, and begin down the road of obesity and heart disease in the guise of a friendly smiling clown.

So while I agree with others on this thread regarding personal responsibility, there are other significant factors we all should consider before criticizing those who say it's tough to eat right.

[paulsby]

74. i think a distinction needs to be made

every individual (at least adult individual who lives on his own) is responsible for what they put in their mouth.

out of all the aspects of our life, there are few things we have MORE control over, than the food we eat, and also importantly, the food we DON'T eat

with that in mind, it is of course true that many people grow up never learning to eat right, developing awful habits, and not having any role models in regards to healthy eating. i admit i am lucky. my grandmother and mother were both EXCELLENT "from scratch" cooks, and also very interested in nutrition. heck, my grandmother even went a bit overboard at times with the nutrition stuff, but hey, she still makes a bitchen fried chicken! :) and lord knows, that is not much of a health food :)

for people who didn't learn to eat right, and who have YEARS of bad eating habits under their belt (pun intended), it is DIFFICULT to change. but it is still up to the individual to do so. it is true that there are few things in our life we have greater control over than our diet. it is ALSO true that some very simple changes, and it gets easier over time, as GOOD habits become habits, can make a remarkable difference in one's quality of life.

it's well within reach, and poverty is not an excuse. nor is wealth, for that matter

[paulsby]

69. i totally agree

that's where civic groups (churches, community centers) etc. can step in for where the family (parents etc.) failed.

i was lucky. my grandmother and mother were both awesome cooks AND interested in health. i learned from an early age.

when i went to college, for the first time in my life i was surrounded by crap food in the dorms IF i wanted to choose it - sugary cereals etc.

and like a kid in the candy store, i indulged for a few days, felt like crap, and that was the end of it.

there absolutely has to be more education on how to shop, how to eat healthily etc.

preparing healthy meals is pretty simple when you understand the difference between lipids, proteins, and carbs.

then, you just need to use basic minimally processed ingredients, and gentle cooking.

if you have the basic healthy staples, you really can't go wrong. it's not rocket science.

fruits that are darker in color are generally more nutritious. ditto for vegetables.

overcooking vegetables tends to let the nutrients leach out (if boiled), but if steamed, etc. just a light steaming makes them delicious

instead of slathering with butter, try a little lemon juice, etc.

etc.

you just have to develop the MINDSET and you start getting creative.

not to mention the internet has about a million resources.

for me, i have to be super anal because i take in at least 150 gms of protein a day. that's difficult.

[NRaleighLiberal]

11. Works better if you have encouragement (my wife's been a good influence on my eating)

[we can do it]

15. True - and Then You Can Encourage Others

[nadinbrzezinski]

29. Actually beans are good for you, protein rich et al

depends on preparation. I like mine cooked mexican style with little fat.

Mac and Cheese is FINE IN MODERATION.

Hell, once in a while even Mickey D is fine...

We do ahem indulge... and I have lost over fifty pounds by now.

In my world there are no forbidden foods... just all with moderation. Hell I am NOT on a diet, never mind I am a diabetic. Try doing this. Oh and yes exercise, eight glasses of water, fruit vegies it works... but hey, if you want to have beans you can... and as I said, the same goes for Mickey Ds (when we do, that night is salad and fruit, we know that)

[we can do it]

32. Good To Hear You Are Still On the Right Track and Doing Great!

it really does work - sounds to simple so people just don't believe it

[nadinbrzezinski]

34. It works, but what is hard is becoming aware of servings

we went out for mexican this weekend with brother. I ordered a chille relleno on the side and a side of beans. Plenty of food... and probably a little much. We had salad that night.

Now family who should know better... don't ask.

When we go out these days they just look weird at me. I tend to order the smallest portions I can get away with. and if I am full and there is still food in plate, I don't feel guilty about it. But I have changed fully how I relate to food.

Hey, just got off my elliptical...

[Ozymanithrax]

50. Beans Beans are good for your heart, the more you eat...

We eat a lot of beans.

Yesterday, my wife took black beans, on a roll, cover it with chees, and tosted them in the oven. WE ate them with Salsa.

It was very good.

First bean sandwitch I ever ate.

[nadinbrzezinski]

65. Ah molletes... that has a name you know

one of my absolute favorites.

With some pico de gallo and you are set.

[Captain Hilts]

76. I always try to mix in rice with the beans. nt

[we can do it]

82. Just About To Head Out For My FAvorite Elliptical Workout -Racing My Friend!

[SheilaT]

31. Eating fast food is not cheap.

And certainly not healthy.

You don't need to buy rice by the 50 pound sack to eat economically. Cooking from scratch is not that hard. Even living alone, where I have few economies of scale, I can generally get my food costs down to about $2.00 per meal.

What's actually most expensive, I've found, is buying spices and the little extras that go into the food. I am on a very tight budget right now, and I'm getting low on bay leaves, which I often use in soups and stews. Forget what they cost, but they, and all spices are expensive. That's not something that makes sense to buy in large quantities because if spices aren't reasonably fresh they have no flavor.

I am thinking about figuring out how to grow some of the basic spices.

[we can do it]

33. They Are Pretty Easy- Especially Basil, Time, Oregano, Chives

[K8-EEE]

61. I grow herbs all year round here in CA

right now I have chives, thyme and cilantro. But if you have a sunny window sill I imagine you can pull it off anywhere. Most herbs are VERY easy to grow from seed!

[XemaSab]

39. not really

n/t

[dysfunctional press]

45. in my mid-30's, i had to cut starch out of my diet entirely...

due to the onset of an autoimmune condition.

it was a difficult, but doable thing- and this book helped immensely:



http://www.amazon.com/IBS-STARCH-FREE-DIET-SYMPTOMS/dp/0091815134/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257395484&sr=8-1

although the condition that i (and as it turns out, the author as well) actually have is called ankylosing spondylitis.


we are hunter-gatherers by nature, and starch is not a natural part of the human diet. when i cut out the starch, i lost 60 lbs in about 3 months. and it's stayed off.

give it a try.

[KillCapitalism]

47. Beans & Mac & Chesse sound GOOD!

Nice idea, I might just make that for lunch tomorrow!

[bullwinkle428]

48. I see you're in Orlando. If you really feel the need for fast food,

why not go with something like Chipotle? Really a much better alternative to the usual greasy burger & fries places, with lots of quality protein, fiber and veggies in most of the main courses. 16 locations in your area!

http://www.chipotle.com/restaurants/map.asp?address=&city=orlando&state=fl&zip=

[conflictgirl]

53. I love Chipotle (Baja Fresh even better), but they do have lots of calories and fat

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200309301.html

You have to be cautious about what you order there. If you get it without a tortilla and without extra cheese and sour cream it can be much lower in calories and fat. Definitely lots of protein, fiber and veggies as you mentioned too!

[K8-EEE]

57. and SALT!!! n/t

[bullwinkle428]

63. I'm fortunate enough to have a Panchero's where I live...

www.pancheros.com

...I actually prefer them to Chipotle - similar concept, but they actually press their tortillas on a special griddle right in front of you when you order! I try not to go nuts with carbs as a general rule, but can't resist those freshly-pressed tortillas at Panchero's. I do need that sprinkle of cheese and little bit of sour cream in there, but tell myself they're more than offset by the nice, lean grilled meat and all of those lovely black beans!

[K8-EEE]

52. IMO we are bombarded by such a huge amount of fast food ads & images

That it is like, almost like brainwashing! If you have the radio or TV on for any length of time you'll hear 1000 suggestions to eat, drink, buy,, consume.

My advice to you in kicking the stuff is to go to the library and get some really fascinating books. Try to remember how delicious simple food really is: an apple, almonds, a little cheese and a bit of nice bread can make a delicious dinner.

I used to eat a lot of fast food and it's like smoking -- once you're off of it, even the smell of it makes you sick!

[Stumbler]

72. Your last line is perfect!

As one who's quit smoking and most types of fast food, I can fully agree. Just seeing an ad for McDonalds upsets my stomach...

[K8-EEE]

77. I love how all the people in the McDonald's ads are the picture of health

My actress friend had to do a McDonald's ad where she constantly had to bite into a McRib sandwich. She was biting into the damn thing trying to look delighted of course (that would take some acting) and they had a bucket set up so she could spit it right out. To this day the thought of one of those things turns her stomach!

[K8-EEE]

55. Oatmeal is such a great healthy CHEAP breakfast -- and you won't be hungry!

It really keeps the hungries away especially if you work where there's a lot of donuts and junk around (like my office!) Not being hungry around the stuff REALLY HELPS.

You can make the real (steel cut) oatmeal overnight in a crockpot. Put cinnamon and dried fruit in it and maybe some walnuts or slivered almonds....you def won't be hungry til lunch. You can freeze the leftovers in cupcake pans, then pop them out and keep them frozen in ziplock bags to zap for an instant snack or breakfast.

[K8-EEE]

56. PS -- throw some dark chocolate chips in it and it's dessert!

Really, it's good that way!

[isurvivedit]

75. I made some great oatmeal-chocolate chip...

cookies yesterday. They are so filling, I only have one or two and I'm done. The rest are going in the freezer.

Of course, they are about 2 1/2 inches across! Yum.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

59. dried beans, lentils, split peas are cheap

you can get a salad fairly cheap at Aldis

[K8-EEE]

62. I just made some curried lentil soup -- YUM! n/t

[bridgit]

64. Well...I understand the angst involved, and for some I am sure it is a challenge...

We do a gang of driving out & about, waaaay out in fact and in most cases I pack a little thermos full of stuff from home where we eat balanced foods, stuff that can be refreshed as we go maybe from a deli somewhere

In the event that runs out, which it does; if we're out for 3-4 days at a time maybe a week, we look for Chinese or Mexican - just a little something to nosh on the road or under a shade tree somewhere. But the whole fast food thing is often predicated upon 'comfort'...creature comfort rather than nutrition, so some keep going back for that fix, and it is a fix - it's just a ratio, like any proper Rx, between: weight in the belly v. psychological satisfaction, or appeasement thereof of internal questions left unanswered

It's the commercialization of these placated addictions in the forms of everything from food to sex to chocolate to Paula Dean cookbooks and holiday cookies that speak to these vacated portions of our lives that fast food will never...ever either fill or satisfy, not truly

And we have to stop giving that power to these marketers that think they will

[otohara]

73. Yes, But Once You Get Those Toxins

out of your system and start to feel better, and possibly lose some unwanted lbs, it's not worth going back to corporate fast-food.

Eating can either make you really sick or really healthy.

[K8-EEE]

79. Can I say good for the OP for putting in the effort

These threads get lecture-y but good on ya for trying to improve your lifestyle. And K&R for an interesting thread.

[Mari333]

80. dont feel bad, Im out of money this week and had to get creative

I made 2 sandwiches yesterday with wheat bread and soy mayonnaise and one tomato I had. that was all I ate. I thought about opening a can of black beans and throwing them on the sandwich too but I will save them for breakfast. with tabasco sauce.
actually the fast food commercials make me gag. ugh. too much grease for me.
what the hell, who cares,. eat what you want. be nice to yourself.