If you’ve been around for a while, you know about my failed love affair with Weight Watchers. You know about my tepid relationship with the gym. You know about my obsession with doughnuts.
You ought to be especially proud of me today, then. It’s spring, and I’ve been trying to improve a few of my worst habits. Today – I packed my lunch. And not only did I pack my lunch, but I packed a healthy lunch. Impressive, no?
I’ve got a flax-seed roll with a slice of emmental cheese, and a little baggie full of baby carrots and grape tomatoes, and an even smaller baggie of almonds. And since I’ve been going through the motions of educating myself about nutrition (Lord knows, if I left it up to the rest of the family, we’d be dead within the week) I thought I’d share my accrued wisdom on the subject. Try not to laugh. Y’all probably know this stuff already, but I got nothing else to talk about anyway. And I don’t know much, so at least it won’t take long.
For instance, flax seed bread. I knew this was high in omega 3 oil, which is the same thing that makes salmon and other fish so healthy, so for some reason I expected the bread to have a fishy or bitter taste, somewhere between poppy seeds and caraway (yuck) seeds. But these buns are yummy! And healthy, too. I have a serious carb thing going on, so whole grain breads are my new best friends.
About those baby carrots… am I the last person to notice that the package says ‘baby cut carrots’? I saw a thing on kids’ TV the other day (look! More benefits of TV!) and they showed how these are just ordinary carrots, shaved down to baby carrot size. Those sneaky farmers! It hasn’t stopped me from buying them, but at least I don’t feel guilty for eating the babies anymore, secure in the knowledge that I’m scarfing carrots who have lived a long and productive life.
And finally, your edification via my lunch concludes with this segue into organic produce courtesy of my organic grape tomatoes. Do you buy organic produce? I try to shop those aisles of the grocery store first and pick up whatever won’t blow the budget, but the organic produce at my local Loblaws is usually not only twice the price but looks like it was left over from last year. Yes, I know, the whole point of the organic thing is to remove the preservatives and whatnot, but a lifetime of expecting peppers to be plump and shiny is hard to overcome in the face of what looks mealy and anemic.
There was an article in Consumer Reports earlier this year about organic products, and it said that certain foods like asparagus, avocados, bananas, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, kiwi, mangos, onions, papaya, pineapples and sweet peas weren’t even worth the splurge to buy organic. The two things we almost always bought in the organic aisle were bananas and avocados, so that alone has saved me a few dollars each week. A friend of mine who has a diploma in holistic nutrition says that grapes and raisins are one of the worst foods for pesticides, so we always buy organic raisins too.
See how much stuff I can cram into one brown paper bag reusable nylon lunch tote? So, got anything to share with the class? Educate us in your latest nutritional adventures – are you reducing your sodium, watching fat content, going vegan? What’s in your lunch box?
strawberries too are loaded with pesticides, so organic is best when it comes to them. otherwise, i don’t worry about organic that much either…much to the naturopath’s chagrin…
strawberries too are loaded with pesticides, so organic is best when it comes to them. otherwise, i don’t worry about organic that much either…much to the naturopath’s chagrin…
Alright it is down right scary. I packed my lunch today today for the same reasons. I needed an over haul on my diet.
Today I brought a salad of sorts. It has:
romaine lettuce
Grape tomatoes (not the organic kind!)
Mushrooms
Red onion
Garbanzo beans (yes, I know they are chick peas but I like the way garbanzo sounds!)
topped with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
And for my sweet tooth some big read and juicy strawberries!!!
Ok, now I have to wait for lunch. Tick tock.
Alright it is down right scary. I packed my lunch today today for the same reasons. I needed an over haul on my diet.
Today I brought a salad of sorts. It has:
romaine lettuce
Grape tomatoes (not the organic kind!)
Mushrooms
Red onion
Garbanzo beans (yes, I know they are chick peas but I like the way garbanzo sounds!)
topped with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
And for my sweet tooth some big read and juicy strawberries!!!
Ok, now I have to wait for lunch. Tick tock.
That should say “red” strawberries and thankfully yes, they are organic.
That should say “red” strawberries and thankfully yes, they are organic.
Should I throw my cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate shake away now?
Okaaay.
Should I throw my cheeseburger, fries, and chocolate shake away now?
Okaaay.
try to eat dried apricots with your almonds. they are yummy.
try to eat dried apricots with your almonds. they are yummy.
Speaking as someone who survived an entire summer by eating almost only cookies, I can honestly say that I am not the poster child for nutrition. Although I try to cut back on the evil fatty foods, it’s still all about the desserts for me. After all, who can say “no” to a white chocolate brownie or a piece of apple crumble pie with ice cream? Do I have a problem? Damn straight! Am I going to do something about it? Well… (insert lengthy pause)…I am a man so I think it sort of goes with out saying…I’ll say it for you anyway…probably not.
They say that recognizing that there is a problem is the first step to recovery. However, since I have no idea who “they” are, and I don’t consider myself to have a “problem” per se, I don’t put a lot of weight on that theory. In my mind, “they” have some serious problems of their own that “they” should resolve before giving other people advice. Besides, if His Holy Noodleness wanted us to eat healthy, He wouldn’t have invented Fettucini Alfredo. It’s got a kabillion calories and it’s oh so good?
Anyhoo, I gotta head ‘er. (What? I’ll be right there.) I think I hear a cookie calling me.
Speaking as someone who survived an entire summer by eating almost only cookies, I can honestly say that I am not the poster child for nutrition. Although I try to cut back on the evil fatty foods, it’s still all about the desserts for me. After all, who can say “no” to a white chocolate brownie or a piece of apple crumble pie with ice cream? Do I have a problem? Damn straight! Am I going to do something about it? Well… (insert lengthy pause)…I am a man so I think it sort of goes with out saying…I’ll say it for you anyway…probably not.
They say that recognizing that there is a problem is the first step to recovery. However, since I have no idea who “they” are, and I don’t consider myself to have a “problem” per se, I don’t put a lot of weight on that theory. In my mind, “they” have some serious problems of their own that “they” should resolve before giving other people advice. Besides, if His Holy Noodleness wanted us to eat healthy, He wouldn’t have invented Fettucini Alfredo. It’s got a kabillion calories and it’s oh so good?
Anyhoo, I gotta head ‘er. (What? I’ll be right there.) I think I hear a cookie calling me.
Salad, Salad, Salad. That is my favorite get back to healthy lunch. Not a simple salad of lettuce and dressing. But, a salad full of protien, veggies and something yummy to keep you going. My new favorite is Romaine Lettuce (the plump juicy kind from Farm Boy… my new best friend), some fresh mushrooms, tomato chunks, slices of cucumber, shredded or diced cheese, hard boiled egg and chopped up slices of ham. Complete with a nice Greek Salad dressing and a tall glass of water with lemon. It leaves me feeling full and satisfied and guilty if I pop junk into my mouth after :). And we switched to Flax bread about two years ago, it was a struggle for Hubby (weaned on Wonder) but he wouldn’t go back now for anything…
Salad, Salad, Salad. That is my favorite get back to healthy lunch. Not a simple salad of lettuce and dressing. But, a salad full of protien, veggies and something yummy to keep you going. My new favorite is Romaine Lettuce (the plump juicy kind from Farm Boy… my new best friend), some fresh mushrooms, tomato chunks, slices of cucumber, shredded or diced cheese, hard boiled egg and chopped up slices of ham. Complete with a nice Greek Salad dressing and a tall glass of water with lemon. It leaves me feeling full and satisfied and guilty if I pop junk into my mouth after :). And we switched to Flax bread about two years ago, it was a struggle for Hubby (weaned on Wonder) but he wouldn’t go back now for anything…
I packed an awesome lunch today – fresh, cut up pineapple, a bag of stringless snap sugar peas, crispy minis, etc. And it’s sitting on my front entrance bench at home. Errr.
I packed an awesome lunch today – fresh, cut up pineapple, a bag of stringless snap sugar peas, crispy minis, etc. And it’s sitting on my front entrance bench at home. Errr.
Jody – I do that so often that it’s a bit of a miracle I managed to remember mine today.
Gah! It’s 2 pm, I’ve eaten my lunch less than 90 minutes ago – and I’m starving!!!
A large coffee and a peanut butter chocolate chunk are exerting their considerably gravity on my spineless self. Must resist….
Jody – I do that so often that it’s a bit of a miracle I managed to remember mine today.
Gah! It’s 2 pm, I’ve eaten my lunch less than 90 minutes ago – and I’m starving!!!
A large coffee and a peanut butter chocolate chunk are exerting their considerably gravity on my spineless self. Must resist….
My eating habits changed alot when we had kids. It’s not the bad foods that get me…my kids don’t like chocolate or most sweets, and aren’t really cookie fiends either. They tend to eat OK stuff (thanks to my wife!), but here’s the issue – they most often don’t eat with my wife & I. That means I tend to snack away on whatever they don’t finish…not a good thing….Usually means a half extra lunch on weekends and at least an extra helping of whatever each night as an ‘appitizer’ before we eat…very bad.
My eating habits changed alot when we had kids. It’s not the bad foods that get me…my kids don’t like chocolate or most sweets, and aren’t really cookie fiends either. They tend to eat OK stuff (thanks to my wife!), but here’s the issue – they most often don’t eat with my wife & I. That means I tend to snack away on whatever they don’t finish…not a good thing….Usually means a half extra lunch on weekends and at least an extra helping of whatever each night as an ‘appitizer’ before we eat…very bad.
We love the organic raisins, but more cause they are so much bigger than the ‘others’.
Today I was also impressed with my ‘healthy’ lunch…smoked oysters, cheese, a couple of olives, a few pits chips, a glass of some fancy ass silhouette grapefruit green tea drink that I only bought cause the crystal clear bottle was too damn pretty, but ended up tasting way better than I’d anticipated….and then I had a peanut butter cup for dessert. At least it was one of those little ones, from Pres. Choice.
We love the organic raisins, but more cause they are so much bigger than the ‘others’.
Today I was also impressed with my ‘healthy’ lunch…smoked oysters, cheese, a couple of olives, a few pits chips, a glass of some fancy ass silhouette grapefruit green tea drink that I only bought cause the crystal clear bottle was too damn pretty, but ended up tasting way better than I’d anticipated….and then I had a peanut butter cup for dessert. At least it was one of those little ones, from Pres. Choice.
Peanut butter cup that’s protien right… What? Not good? Maybe it was an organic peanut butter cup.
I have been eating frozen lean cuisines for lunch. Low cal, they have veggies and whole grain pasta.
Unfortunately I follow it up with a toasted buttered hot cross bun. I just adore hot cross buns. And it’s only for a few short weeks… And there’s fruit in them. Ok, probably not organic fruit but, I can’t resist.
Peanut butter cup that’s protien right… What? Not good? Maybe it was an organic peanut butter cup.
I have been eating frozen lean cuisines for lunch. Low cal, they have veggies and whole grain pasta.
Unfortunately I follow it up with a toasted buttered hot cross bun. I just adore hot cross buns. And it’s only for a few short weeks… And there’s fruit in them. Ok, probably not organic fruit but, I can’t resist.
I work next door to a sushi restaurant, and have found that a bowl of miso soup either before what I order, or what I bring from home, keeps me from over-eating for the afternoon.
Hahaha! You thought that it was a serious answer! I should say that they also sell four flavours of Pocky and all kinds of little candy treaties that I eat right before I have the miso soup! I’m not doing anything but drinking more water, which leaves me so bloated and bladder strained I’m too busy pulling bumtwad to snack.
I work next door to a sushi restaurant, and have found that a bowl of miso soup either before what I order, or what I bring from home, keeps me from over-eating for the afternoon.
Hahaha! You thought that it was a serious answer! I should say that they also sell four flavours of Pocky and all kinds of little candy treaties that I eat right before I have the miso soup! I’m not doing anything but drinking more water, which leaves me so bloated and bladder strained I’m too busy pulling bumtwad to snack.
I have the worst eating habits. French fries and pizza are my favs.
I rather work out, and then eat whatever I want, then worry about what I’m eating.
Yes, that’s the main reason I work out…because if I go on a tredmill for an hour, I allow myself a chocolate bar….
I have the worst eating habits. French fries and pizza are my favs.
I rather work out, and then eat whatever I want, then worry about what I’m eating.
Yes, that’s the main reason I work out…because if I go on a tredmill for an hour, I allow myself a chocolate bar….
OH NO. I love healthy food I just don’t like to make it for myself. PLUS I’m the pasta Queen! I’m trying BUT No suceeding in eating a salad before my meals so I fill up and not put so much of the main course on.
If your Hungry so soon after you eat you need more more Protien. That’s it. I find if I have an egg for Breaky I’m good till almost lunch time but IF I have a bowl of oatmeal I’m done for by 10.
Of course this is the woman who put on 3 lbs this last 2 months and SHE AIN”T happy about it!
Good Luck Dani..>I guess I dig out my WW book.
OH NO. I love healthy food I just don’t like to make it for myself. PLUS I’m the pasta Queen! I’m trying BUT No suceeding in eating a salad before my meals so I fill up and not put so much of the main course on.
If your Hungry so soon after you eat you need more more Protien. That’s it. I find if I have an egg for Breaky I’m good till almost lunch time but IF I have a bowl of oatmeal I’m done for by 10.
Of course this is the woman who put on 3 lbs this last 2 months and SHE AIN”T happy about it!
Good Luck Dani..>I guess I dig out my WW book.