A few questions about food...

cunnins4

I'm trying my best to do the whole 6 small meals a day thing, each with veggies and protein, but i've just a few questions:

Is it ok to stir fry chicken breasts? Or is the grill better? it's the oil that bothers me, i just think it's gonna be fattening or something? I find grilling them leaves them quite dry.

Are veggies better than fruit, or are they pretty much the same nutrients wise?

Sliced meats? I was told they're a waste of time because they're just processed muck. Is that true?

Peanut butter and jam sandwiches-there's a fair bit of sugar in the jam, but i find i can't eat peanut butter on its own. Are they okay?

I saw a few people eat ommlettes and scrambled egg in the morning. How many eggs do you use? anything special about the way to cook them?

I'm not fat, trying to lose the slightest bit of pudge around my stomach and just become more lean. I'm in my second season of triathlons, so i do a fair bit of cardio. I need to hit the weights more though.

Any advice is welcome.

tribulus

cunnins4 wrote:

I'm trying my best to do the whole 6 small meals a day thing, each with veggies and protein, but i've just a few questions:

Is it ok to stir fry chicken breasts? Or is the grill better? it's the oil that bothers me, i just think it's gonna be fattening or something? I find grilling them leaves them quite dry.

Are veggies better than fruit, or are they pretty much the same nutrients wise?

Sliced meats? I was told they're a waste of time because they're just processed muck. Is that true?

Peanut butter and jam sandwiches-there's a fair bit of sugar in the jam, but i find i can't eat peanut butter on its own. Are they okay?

I saw a few people eat ommlettes and scrambled egg in the morning. How many eggs do you use? anything special about the way to cook them?

I'm not fat, trying to lose the slightest bit of pudge around my stomach and just become more lean. I'm in my second season of triathlons, so i do a fair bit of cardio. I need to hit the weights more though.

Any advice is welcome.

It would be better to grill them and pour on the oil afterwards although frying can be okay if you keep the temperature down. Assuming you're using olive oil or some other unsaturated fat source then oil is important.

Eat both veg and fruit as much as you can.

Sliced meats are generally crap yes, read the back of the packets for yourself. Go with good butcher meat, lean cuts of beef, proper chicken breasts etc.

Peanut butter is usually not great unless you can get 100% PB or close to it. Jam is not good and having that with white bread (assumptions here) later in the day is not good for fat loss.

I make omellete's with 3 whites and 2 yolks, fry it *lightly* in olive oil and add in some milk, low fat cheese and maybe some chicken or ham, so nothing special really.

cunnins4

cool, thanks for that. Most of the peanut butter and jam sambos are on wholemeal bread. Unless there's only white bread there. I'll move them to earlier in the day for snacks now.

I presume white pasta/rice aren't good either?

mloc

cunnins4 wrote:

I presume white pasta/rice aren't good either?

Not the best really, you're better off using wholegrain pasta and rice. To be honest though, just reducing the quantity of the white pasta a fair bit and using a bit of olive oil over it when it's done can work wonders. Kept me going through my finals when I was trying to reduce carbs (why do finals when you can do carb-reduced finals!)

HammerHeadGym

cunnins4 wrote:

...it's the oil that bothers me...

Get some 'Crisco'. It's an olive oil based spray, used in cooking that contains such a small amount of fat that the manafacturer is entitled to use the word 'nil' in the fat line.

I do, and it means I can fry my chicken and still consider my self healthy.

cunnins4

HammerHeadGym wrote:

Get some 'Crisco'. It's an olive oil based spray, used in cooking that contains such a small amount of fat that the manafacturer is entitled to use the word 'nil' in the fat line.

I do, and it means I can fry my chicken and still consider my self healthy.

nice one, i'll give that a try.

FunkZ

Hey, I have one question about food as well!

You know George Foreman grills, when you cook a burger on them (say a 6oz Big Al) and all the grease comes out, is that saturated fat? And how much comes out? Thanks!

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

cunnins4

So would that be a burger that's 'good for you'? I'm quite new to the nutrition end of things, so i'm quite unsure of what's okay and what's not! Healthgy burgers sound good though! Freezing them wouldn't change the nutritional value would it?

Sorry for the stupid questions!

ali.c

yup pretty much so long as you dont destroy it with mayo and ketchup afterwards! You can freeze them and AFAIK it wont change the nutrional value. 2 things though if you want to cook from frozen, keep them thin so they cook through and also if you make them from de-frosted mince you shouldnt refreeze for food saftey reasons!!

cunnins4

sweet.

yup pretty much so long as you dont destroy it with mayo and ketchup afterward

maybe a little ketchup?:rolleyes:

ali.c

cunnins4 wrote:

maybe a little ketchup?:rolleyes:

Yeah you should be grand, however if you have more ketchup than burger it might be time to worry!

Get the big stuff right, when you have that sorted you can worry about the little stuff!!

cunnins4

cheers for all the advice. I'm quite enjoying the whole health food experience. yesterday my brother put a frozen pizza in the oven while i was chopping up some peppers and chicken fillets for my dinner, and i had mine cooked and smelling great in less time than it took for the pizza to cook, and mine certainly smelled and looked better than the pizza, and it was much healthier. My sister and mother always go on about diets etc....then i find a couple of chocolate bars hidden in a press or something. they're only fooling themselves. They think i'm mad, but i really enjoy running/cycling/swimming - Nutrition's becoming as big a part and i'm enjoying that equally.

Marathon Man

Good on ye cunnins. Its good that your avoiding frozen pizzas as many contain Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (pure poison) which has an RDA of 0, i.e. any amount of it is bad. Check out labels for this unnecessary evil. You'd be surprised how many (usually processed) foods contain this ingredient.

FunkZ

Marathon Man wrote:

many contain Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (pure poison) which has an RDA of 0

Thanks for that piece of info man!

And thanks Dave, I'll try making some burgers tomorrow, looking forward to it!

Hanley

ali.c wrote:

Get the big stuff right, when you have that sorted you can worry about the little stuff!!

Finally people are coming around to my way of thinking!!

nesf

A questions. Cutting carbs and concentration. Anyone else find that they had trouble concentrating or doing relatively intensive mental work (essay/paper writing, exams etc) when cutting back on carbs?

Hanley

nesf wrote:

A questions. Cutting carbs and concentration. Anyone else find that they had trouble concentrating or doing relatively intensive mental work (essay/paper writing, exams etc) when cutting back on carbs?

Yup.

Your brain, liek all your other muscles runs off carbs first and foremost!! If you cut out the fuel then it's only natural it won't function as effectively.

nesf

Hanley wrote:

Yup.

Your brain, liek all your other muscles runs off carbs first and foremost!! If you cut out the fuel then it's only natural it won't function as effectively.

So is it just a case of trial and error to find a level that you can function effectively at or do you just try and limit carb cutting to times when you won't need your concentration to be at its best?

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

nesf

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

I was finding it hard to do some tasks when I cut back on carbs. I suppose I can experiment and find a level that I'm sharp enough at now since the exams are over. I didn't feel like experimenting during the exams for obvious reasons.

Hanley

nesf wrote:

I was finding it hard to do some tasks when I cut back on carbs. I suppose I can experiment and find a level that I'm sharp enough at now since the exams are over. I didn't feel like experimenting during the exams for obvious reasons.

Yeah good call there!!

I'm similar to Dave. < about 175 and my brain shuts down. BUT anymore than like 250-300 and it;s; the same story (probs because I eat alot of sugary stuff when my carbs are that high)

MA

Watch when you eat fruit, try stick to eating it in the morning its packed full of sugar (good/natural sugar but sugar all the same). Also Bananas are high in carbs ,eat them in the morning.

If you use a tea spoon of olive oil your grand, there are good fats and bad fats. Olive oil is a good fat, but in moderation – I wouldn’t eat stir fry every day. Also you lose a lot of vitamins when you stir fri vege, but you have to be realistic and plain boiled vege tastes like crap – if u want this to be long term be realistic, if you don’t be strict.

Sliced meet- no, not all are processed. Read the back, Balally chicken slices BREAST aint processed. Id eat a packet of them at night or when I get hungry. Stay away from anything processed though.

Get sugar free jam – use wholemeal or wholewheat bread, not ‘brown bread’ – little nutrition in brown its basically bleached white. You can get sunflower spread from health stores. Peanut butter has a lot of salt generally, u shud try switch to tahini.

Omeletes – make them 2 yolks, 3 whites. Don’t use bacon, loads of sugar. No just cook them in a pan, little bit of oil and milk!! Put it under the gril to cook the top for a few secs. If your training try eat the bulk of your carbs in the morn, eat the omelette for dinner – make sure ur getting enough energy from complex carbs to get your threw your training, you don’t wanna burn out!

If you wanna be more lean, stock up on protein. Cut back on saturated fat and processed foods.

MA

Defo - if you cut back on carbs you lose energy, over the years ive manged to find the right balance. Ill have a pure complex carb breakfast, 10am carb snack, half protein half carb ratio for lunch, protein snack for 3am, then dinner and just before the gym mainly protein with little carbs for energy to get me through training

Monty_123

What's peoples views on protein bars??? Ok for a snack, or stick to whole foods???

MA

what type of bars are you eating? depends some are for energy ie high carbs, some are for low carb diets etc...
In reality eating whole food can be hard for the busy lifestyle, id have them as a snack or before a workout for a kick. Promax diet, low enough carb and taste good.
If you have a choice, go with whole food. protein bars are basically just that, PROTEIN ... no nutrition

cunnins4

I'll try that tahini stuff next time. just bought a fresh jar of 98% peanut butter. Feckin gorgeous. much fuller taste. (what's tahini by the way?!)

Thanks for all the replies, i've got a much clearer idea of things. Anyone else got any tips-keep 'em comin!!!

Monty_123

MA wrote:

what type of bars are you eating? depends some are for energy ie high carbs, some are for low carb diets etc...
In reality eating whole food can be hard for the busy lifestyle, id have them as a snack or before a workout for a kick. Promax diet, low enough carb and taste good.
If you have a choice, go with whole food. protein bars are basically just that, PROTEIN ... no nutrition

I don't take them, just wondering about them. Where's the best place to get them?

MA

are you in Dublin? Health stores, Holland and barrat have them. id stick with maximuscle promax or promax diet - they have creatine ones to but you need to ensure your doing serious training to take those bad boys!!
Dont go to tony quinn...
There are alot of dodgy protein bars out there but u have to read the back and no what your looking for to distinguish between good and bad.

If you can drink whey protein shakes instead there even better - benefit wise, for a meal take the bars

mloc

MA wrote:

...id stick with maximuscle...

Avoid maximuscle. If you want protein bars or otherwise, contact Jon or Easygainer here on boards and safe yourself from being ripped off from second class rip off products.

I could go on about MM, but I won't. It's enough to say theres cheaper and better out there.

Monty_123

mloc wrote:

Avoid maximuscle. If you want protein bars or otherwise, contact Jon or Easygainer here on boards and safe yourself from being ripped off from second class rip off products.

I could go on about MM, but I won't. It's enough to say theres cheaper and better out there.

Does easygainer have a site because I tried pm him before. Is his stuff good?