Now that you're maintaining, are you eating "real" food now?
I've been analyzing the foods I'm eating lately and have realized that I still eat a lot of the "diet" type of foods... low/empty calorie type food. I want to be healthy and be good to my body, so I think there are better choices out there and I should start swapping out some of my old favorites.
- I drink a LOT of water, but have been neglecting drinking any other calories since I like to eat them, rather than drink them. I've recently started adding an 8 ounce glass of Trop50 orange juice to my breakfast routine.
- I LOVE peanut butter so I've tried out the low cal options: Better'n PB, PB2, etc. But, I've come to realize that PB contains lots of healthy fats that are GOOD for your body, so I've switched to the Skippy Natural now or Naturally More.
- Trying to eat more nuts... usually avoided them because of the high cals
- Low cal Bread... been using Nature's Own Light Wheat bread, but I think I'd get more benefit from eating one of the less-processed looking types. I'm trying to incorporate the Pepperidge Farm Double Fiber Whole Wheat now instead. It's tough though because it's 40 calories versus 100/slice, but I think it's worth it...
What do you all think about this and what "diet" foods have you swapped out w/others? Any suggestions?
Thanks! 
Anyone?? bump!
I think after researching a lot, you probably know which diet foods are not good for you and which regular foods you should be eating. I think you bring up a good point about eating foods that keep you healthy.
Well, I am continuing to eat foods I "swapped" such as Fitnutz PB mix for peanut butter, D'Italiano 40 calorie bread for 7 Grain 90 calorie, egg whites for whole eggs, Rickenbacker's 94% fat free popcorn for regular, lowsugar preserves for regular, lowfat salad dressings for regular, Ruffles light potato chips for regular, sugar free cookies for regular, skinless white chicken and turkey meat instead of fried chicken or dark turkey meat, no gravies or high calorie sauces, tuna packed in water instead of oil, unbreaded unsalted shrimp as opposed to french fried battered shrimp, low sodium diced tomatoes instead of pizza or spaghetti sauce, nonfat cheese instead of regular, french toast made with egg whites-skim milk-lowcalorie bread instead of regular, nosugar gelatin, etc.
However, the real foods I eat include 93% lean ground beef, Barilla Plus pasta, diced tomatoes, red potatoes, shredded cabbage, braeburn apples, steel cut oats, many fruits, whole wheat flour, maple syrup, 100% regular fruit juice, corn on the cob, walnuts, almonds, dark chocolate, sardines, smoked oysters, salmon, scallops, crab legs, tiapa, halibut, pork tenderloin, lean sirlion, etc.
I don't think I ever will go back to a completely "regular" food diet; certain nonfat, nosugar, low-calorie foods have become important staples to me.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that eating low cal or nonfat stuff is bad... everything in moderation. I still eat nonfat yogurt and other "light" foods, but isn't it important and better for us to incorporate other foods back in? Like eating regular 100% whole wheat bread instead of the overly processed light kind? And making sure we're eating foods w/healthy fats that our body needs?
hey hey!! lol
i think u should switch to the "normal" stuff for some things like-
Bread- get REAL WW, or whatever you want, rye, raisin...
PB-just portion it
i know there r more but for some things you can do "light", i get 2% yogurt+cheese, i eat the Yolks of eggs, regular mayo, cream cheese, butter, these r things i use moderately, sometimes not a full portion is needed to get the taste, except bread, i love bread!
I will guarantee you that I love eating bread--french toast, PB sandwiches, tuna sandwiches, hamburgers, toast and preserves--and that D'taliano does not taste in any way inferior to regular bread. Yes, some of the things I have "swapped" do not taste as good as regular, although I have had no trouble swapping, with one gigantic exception. I tried some Hershey's no-sugar chocolate syrup and that is so baddddddddddddddddddddd! That is the first "swap" item that I will not eat again.
Original Post by agruskin:
hey hey!! lol
i think u should switch to the "normal" stuff for some things like-
Bread- get REAL WW, or whatever you want, rye, raisin...
PB-just portion it
i know there r more but for some things you can do "light", i get 2% yogurt+cheese, i eat the Yolks of eggs, regular mayo, cream cheese, butter, these r things i use moderately, sometimes not a full portion is needed to get the taste, except bread, i love bread!
Hey Agru! Good points... some of the REAL stuff is just healthier, don't you think? In moderation of course...
Hi Pilgrim! I'm sure the D'taliano bread tastes good to you, but my point is that regular old fashioned 100% whole wheat bread would be healthier for your body, don't you think? I know the other one is lower in cals, but is that always better?
I'm just speculating here... maybe someone who is actually a nutritionist can help us out and shed some light on this...
No, the D'Utaliano is just as nutritious as a lot of so-called "healthy" bread:
Comparison example:
Harvest Grain Bread: 1 slice 120 calories; 2g. fat; 3 g. fiber; 6 g. protein; iron 6%; sugars 3g.;sodium 7%
D'Italiano Bread: 1 slice 40 calories; 1.5g fat; 1g. fiber; 5 g. protein; iron 8%; sugars 1g; sodium 10%.
There are some pros and cons to both--but look at the difference in calories--80, and the rest of the comparison is a "wash," each has slightly better scores in different categories.
Original Post by pilgrimdude:
No, the D'Utaliano is just as nutritious as a lot of so-called "healthy" bread:
Comparison example:
Harvest Grain Bread: 1 slice 120 calories; 2g. fat; 3 g. fiber; 6 g. protein; iron 6%; sugars 3g.;sodium 7%
D'Italiano Bread: 1 slice 40 calories; 1.5g fat; 1g. fiber; 5 g. protein; iron 8%; sugars 1g; sodium 10%.
There are some pros and cons to both--but look at the difference in calories--80, and the rest of the comparison is a "wash," each has slightly better scores in different categories.
The D'Italiano isn't WHOLE grain though, is it? I was reading an article by nutritionist Joy Bauer and she says that the first ingredient you should look for in a healthy bread is that the ingredient list starts with WHOLE or OATS, same with cereal...
I also found this (at http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/4-simple- steps-buying-healthy-bread.html):
Whole-wheat flour is the gold standard in bread because it contains the entire grain, including the bran, germ and endosperm. That way, you get all the health benefits that are naturally part of the grain.
I think I made a healthier choice in choosing my WholeGrain Double Fiber Whole Wheat bread instead of the Nature's Own Light Wheat... first ingredient on the light bread list was NOT whole wheat, but it's first on the list for the new bread. :) I supposed I could look for a smaller/lighter slice and it'd be less calories, but I like the one I got for now... maybe next time.
i never stopped eating real food.
k9: I agree that whole grain is healthier. Absolutely no argument from me there. However, since I eat only pizza crust made from whole grain flour, I feel that eating the 40 calorie bread is a good choice for me. I also eat only whole grain pasta when I do fix pasta (Barilla Plus). But, yes, whole grain bread, even with more calories, would be a healthier choice. But since I get plenty of whole grain fiber into my diet, the low-calorie bread is a great choice for me.
Original Post by pgeorgian:
i never stopped eating real food.
i guess i am similar in the sense that there are certain things i cut out completely but i don't eat many "diet" foods anyway, just healthier choices in general. so, i don't eat diet fettucine alfredo, instead i'd just east pasta primavera. I don't eat diet french fries...lol. i either eat a small french fry or something else like apple slices.
i didn't cut anything out completely. i still eat fettucini alfredo and fries; i just eat them less often, and i don't eat more than i need.
sorry that's not what i meant, i meant that i won't have a substitute for fettucine alfredo with some diet version, if i eat it at all then i eat fettucine alfredo, but i would rather just choose something else than a "diet" version, so in that sense i've always eaten real food. i don't know if that makes sense.
Original Post by k9stylist:
I've been analyzing the foods I'm eating lately and have realized that I still eat a lot of the "diet" type of foods... low/empty calorie type food. I want to be healthy and be good to my body, so I think there are better choices out there and I should start swapping out some of my old favorites.
- I drink a LOT of water, but have been neglecting drinking any other calories since I like to eat them, rather than drink them. I've recently started adding an 8 ounce glass of Trop50 orange juice to my breakfast routine.
- I LOVE peanut butter so I've tried out the low cal options: Better'n PB, PB2, etc. But, I've come to realize that PB contains lots of healthy fats that are GOOD for your body, so I've switched to the Skippy Natural now or Naturally More.
- Trying to eat more nuts... usually avoided them because of the high cals
- Low cal Bread... been using Nature's Own Light Wheat bread, but I think I'd get more benefit from eating one of the less-processed looking types. I'm trying to incorporate the Pepperidge Farm Double Fiber Whole Wheat now instead. It's tough though because it's 40 calories versus 100/slice, but I think it's worth it...
What do you all think about this and what "diet" foods have you swapped out w/others? Any suggestions?
Thanks!
I think you are a smart girl. Whole/natural foods are best. Diet foods, sugar free and fat free, artificially sweetened foods, processed foods are crap. They don't fuel your body and give you the vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, fiber you need to be strong and healthy. Not drinking your calories is excellent. I do the same thing. Why drink a 150 calorie drink when you can eat real food instead. That has always been my philosophy. I drink tons of water. It helps with weight loss and helps to digest your food.
Clean/balanced eating is key and being aware of what you are putting in your mouth. How many calories and what type of food.
The people that are loading up on diet foods and taking vitamin and mineral supplements to make up for what they are not getting in their food are misinformed and not doing themselves any good. Better to choose your food wisely and get all of your vitamins/minerals from that. I am not saying that vitamin supplements should never be used. There are people with certain health conditions that need them but they are not the same as getting vitamins and minerals from foods.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Suppliments-vs-real-f ood-to-encourage-good-health
http://www.emaxhealth.com/11/586.html
For the most part I will eat real food. Exceptions are dairy (I choose low fat most of the times, since I`ll add nuts/seeds to it anyhow) and crackers and biscuits (I go for no sugar added).
Original Post by ily51:
For the most part I will eat real food. Exceptions are dairy (I choose low fat most of the times, since I`ll add nuts/seeds to it anyhow) and crackers and biscuits (I go for no sugar added).
Lowfat diary is best. Milk and yogurt are different when it comes to lowfat than say cookies and chips. Most of the time when manufacturers remove the fat they add sugar, salt or chemicals/preservatives to make it taste better so you are not really benefiting.
I think you are a smart girl. Whole/natural foods are best. Diet foods, sugar free and fat free, artificially sweetened foods, processed foods are crap. They don't fuel your body and give you the vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, fiber you need to be strong and healthy. Not drinking your calories is excellent. I do the same thing. Why drink a 150 calorie drink when you can eat real food instead. That has always been my philosophy. I drink tons of water. It helps with weight loss and helps to digest your food.Clean/balanced eating is key and being aware of what you are putting in your mouth. How many calories and what type of food.
The people that are loading up on diet foods and taking vitamin and mineral supplements to make up for what they are not getting in their food are misinformed and not doing themselves any good. Better to choose your food wisely and get all of your vitamins/minerals from that. I am not saying that vitamin supplements should never be used. There are people with certain health conditions that need them but they are not the same as getting vitamins and minerals from foods.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Suppliments-vs-real-f ood-to-encourage-good-health
http://www.emaxhealth.com/11/586.html
littleshelly - Thank you. Great response and you helped to reassure me that I'm making a good move. I'll definitely check out your links, thanks!
everyone else - thank you for your responses, it's nice to see what everyone else is doing :)
I tend to drink 2% or 1% milk just because I like it better than whole milk. Natural Yogurt is more expensive in whole fat, so I just buy low fat.
But things like PB I buy the real stuff. And always whole grain- my bread is 120 per slice but whole grain and NO corn syrup.
Original Post by k9stylist:
I think you are a smart girl. Whole/natural foods are best. Diet foods, sugar free and fat free, artificially sweetened foods, processed foods are crap. They don't fuel your body and give you the vitamins, minerals, micro-nutrients, fiber you need to be strong and healthy. Not drinking your calories is excellent. I do the same thing. Why drink a 150 calorie drink when you can eat real food instead. That has always been my philosophy. I drink tons of water. It helps with weight loss and helps to digest your food.Clean/balanced eating is key and being aware of what you are putting in your mouth. How many calories and what type of food.
The people that are loading up on diet foods and taking vitamin and mineral supplements to make up for what they are not getting in their food are misinformed and not doing themselves any good. Better to choose your food wisely and get all of your vitamins/minerals from that. I am not saying that vitamin supplements should never be used. There are people with certain health conditions that need them but they are not the same as getting vitamins and minerals from foods.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Suppliments-vs-real-f ood-to-encourage-good-health
http://www.emaxhealth.com/11/586.html
littleshelly - Thank you. Great response and you helped to reassure me that I'm making a good move. I'll definitely check out your links, thanks!
everyone else - thank you for your responses, it's nice to see what everyone else is doing :)
You're welcome.
Original Post by littleshellys:
Original Post by ily51:
For the most part I will eat real food. Exceptions are dairy (I choose low fat most of the times, since I`ll add nuts/seeds to it anyhow) and crackers and biscuits (I go for no sugar added).
Lowfat diary is best. Milk and yogurt are different when it comes to lowfat than say cookies and chips. Most of the time when manufacturers remove the fat they add sugar, salt or chemicals/preservatives to make it taste better so you are not really benefiting.
i was drinking skim milk long before i was trying to lose weight (and long before i needed to). i don't think of it as "diet food"; it's just milk ;)
