Healthy Eating 'Hacks'

El_Dangeroso

I think it would be a good idea to have a tips and tricks thread for how to keep on track.

The tips in these threads should be applicable to any sort of diet (from WW to calorie counting to Paleo), I think we can all benefit from one another's collective wisdom.

I'll start:

1. Eating a decent amount of protein first thing is excellent for reducing hunger all day long. About 30g does the trick for me.

2. Drinking a glass of water before meals reduces calorie intake

3. Plan your week in food, even if you don't stick 100%, 80-90% is still excellent progress.

SunnyDub1

Great Idea. A few tips that work for me.

• Snack (2-3 times a day) in between meals - a lot of people don't and it leads to over eating at lunch/dinner and late in the evenings.
• Ensure you are eating the right portion amount (portion control)- too much of anything inc Veg & Fruit can be bad for you
• Still feeling hungry after eating your snack/meal? Have a hot drink. Preferably a tea. Green tea does it for me.
• Always have a snack (piece of fruit, nuts) with you when on the go. Sometimes you never know how bad the traffic going home will be etc or how long you could be delayed before having your lunch/dinner.

El_Dangeroso

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

Still feeling hungry after eating your snack/meal? Have a hot drink. Preferably a tea. Green tea does it for me.

This works for me too, that or brushing my teeth.

boogle

Count the calories in fruit. You'd be amazed how many cals you could pack in with a healthy fruit salad or smoothie.

Eat at home (or home-prepared food) as much as you possibly can. Eating out is dynamite, even if you think you're eating a healthy option, you're probably packing in way more calories that you think.

doctorwhogirl

Great idea for a thread!

Mine are more for weight loss than general healthy eating but some of them cover both I suppose.

Before I go into my big, rambly list, I would urge anyone who wants to improve their diet to read the STICKIES!. Amazing information. Easy to follow and a good place to start.

• "If you bite it, write it!" keeping a food diary was crucial for me. Even if you don't continue using it, it really helps to make you fully aware if exactly what you're eating. All those nibbles can really hinder weight loss. There are lots of apps now for food diaries too which really help.
• Still on food diaries, if you've had a bad week or you find you're stalling, go back to an old week where you had success. Eat exactly what you ate that week. Sometimes it can help you get back on track
• Small changes. Three years on and I only feel really happy in my eating now. For example, I used to eat a minimum of 3 packs of crisps a day. I haven't had crisps now in about 4 months. My tastes changed but it was a gradual process.
• Come online!!! If you're feeling like you are going to attack the entire tin of biscuits, come on here and read over some of the threads or even post. A word of encouragement from another poster can go a long way to keeping you on track!
• Weigh your food (in the beginning at least) I still like to weigh certain things that I know I can't trust myself with (30g of cereal soon becomes about 90 if I'm eyeballing it! :P ) After weighing stuff out for a few weeks you've a much better sense of portion size
• COOK! Cooking is now one of my favourite things to do and it really gives you control over what you are consuming. When you cook for yourself food goes much further with the result you're much more full! And they're usually much more tasty!
• Bulk up with veg. Veg, along with protein really helps keep you full and it makes your plate look really full so you don't feel deprived! It's also a taste sensation!!!
• Another +1 for the planning. I always plan out my week's dinners etc... because
  1. It saves me money in shopping as I make the list from that and only buy what I need.
  2. It means that I'm more likely to stay on track.
• Enjoy your treats. You can only do so much "healthy eating". It's about finding foods you enjoy eating and making room for the treats that you love, but you know might not be the healthiest.
• READ PACKETS! Packaging is LETHAL for misleading people into thinking something is healthy when it's not. They will stick anything on the label "full of omega 3" etc... but it's only in the small print that you read it's about 600 calories and full of salt! :P I don't mean obsessively read every item you place in your trolley, but I know I've been taken in by clever marketing and packing many times before so it's important to familiarise yourself how nutritional information works...I'm still learning!!!

the world wonders

• Anything that is specifically marketed as "healthy" or "nutritious" almost certainly isn't

(Special K: advertised as a low calorie food for dieters based on a miniscule serving size, packed full of sugar.

Nestle breakfast cereals: promoted as "whole grain", full of sugar.

Kellogg's Bran Flakes: promoted as high in fiber, 22% pure sugar.

Even white bread is advertised as a health food now)

Antisocialiser

Roast vegetables are delicious.

Cumin roasted carrots
Garlic roasted asparagus
(think of a vegetable and then google 'paleo vegetable' or 'roast vegetable'

No extra cals* and tastes far better than boiled veg imo!

*adding oil may add cals but those 1 cal sprays aren't a bad shout. If you're more health conscious than weight conscious melt some coconut oil and use it instead!

vitani

Seconding the food diary tip. Even if you're not tracking calories or nutritional info, writing everything down makes you a lot more mindful over what you eat. As good as 3 chocolate bars taste, having to look at it in black and white means you're much more likely to only have one. Or none at all.

If you find cooking time-consuming or boring, look at cooking double/treble portions and freezing half of it. I'm not a massive fan of spending an hour a day at a cooker, but I'll happily spend an hour or two cooking if it gives me dinners for two or three days.

Homemade soup is delicious, quick & easy to make and very filling. And works out much cheaper than chicken baguettes every day

thegreatiam

one word: stirfry

Fast, convenient and versatile.

At the basic level it is:

• Cook and flavour meat
• Cook veg
• Add sauce and flavours
• Serve in a warm bowl

If you prechop your meat and veg for a few meals then you can be eating a hot tasty meal in 5 mins.

chop up, 2/3 onions, 3/4 peppers, carrots, green beans, any veg you can think of.
you can buy packets of baby corn, green beans, snap beans and freeze them, cook them in the wok from frozen.
get pre-crushed garlic and ginger paste from the asian stores. jars of chopped chillis.

that'll do you for a few days, in the fridge. then just grab handfuls and throw them in the wok straight from the fridge.

cook it all with olive oil (or the oil of your choice)

Add the meat first, then add veggies in order of hardness. carrots before peppers etc.

add salt pepper and spices last.

cook it all on a high temp, will take 5-10 mins max.

Just because the chinese invented it doesn't mean that a stirfry has to be a Chinese. I stir fry plenty of 'western flavour' dishes

boogle

Another thing I've learned:
Every meal does not have to include a starchy carb (bread/pasta/rice/spuds etc). I can have a perfectly tasty and satisfying meal with just meat and veggies.

April O Neill

Antisocialiser wrote: »

Roast vegetables are delicious.

Cumin roasted carrots
Garlic roasted asparagus
(think of a vegetable and then google 'paleo vegetable' or 'roast vegetable'

No extra cals* and tastes far better than boiled veg imo!

*adding oil may add cals but those 1 cal sprays aren't a bad shout. If you're more health conscious than weight conscious melt some coconut oil and use it instead!

A teaspoon of olive oil or clarified butter melted in the oven before adding the veg will do little harm to a weight-loss plan and will make them soooo much yummier than that crappy spray oil.

Lemon juice and a teaspoon of honey can really make roast veg too, again without doing much harm.

aliaslinden

Love this thread! I'm a student and only started cooking properly recently but one thing I've found great are one pot meals. Like this : http://www.foodforfitness.co.uk/#/cajun-jambalaya/4554314392

Everything goes into the one pan, including rice, reduces clean up and hassle, it's all healthy, and can be done in large portions for freezing. Love to know more recipes like this.

Orla K

Hanley posted a link to this on the revfit page, I thought it would be good here

http://www.burnthefatblog.com/archives/2013/01/50-amazing-fat-loss-and-fitness-tips-from-a-pro-trainer.php

50 Fat Loss And Fitness Tips, By Mike Howard
1. Slow down… enjoy, savor and nurture the process of preparing and eating food.
2. Do some form of squat or deadlift variation at least 3x/week.
3. Move often… move with intent.
4. Nail the basics… Don’t get wrapped up in the minutiae. Success is about mastering fundamentals.
5. Self-talk is powerful. Use “I choose/choose not to” rather than “I have to/can’t”. This is the genesis of personal accountability and sustainable health.
6. All diets work (or fail): What “works” is consistent adherence. Find an eating pattern that is nutrient-dense and that gets you into an energy deficit.
7. You don’t need to “cleanse” or “detox”… EVER. Your organs do a wonderful job of that.
8. Eating 6x per day can work well… so can eating only 3x per day. Customize your meal frequency to suit your lifestyle.
9. “Bodybuilding” can be (and often is) “functional”. What most people perceive as “functional” training is in comparison pretty useless.
10. Have only 10 minutes for a workout? Spend 2-3 minutes on mobility/warm-up then jump into a metabolic circuit. Pick 2-6 exercises multi-joint exercises and repeat – little-to-no rest.
11. Yoga and Pilates can be effective but if your goal is fat loss or performance-based – they should be “extra’s” when you’ve done your strength/metabolic/cardio work.
12. Fat loss simplified: Get in a deficit and get adequate protein – the rest is details.
13. Foam rollers, muscle rollers and other myofascial release tools are your friends. Make them part of every workout.
14. Your thoughts and your environment shape your behavior. Nurture them and use them to your advantage.
15. There is a fine line between open-mindedness and gullibility. Be skeptically open-minded but not so much that your brain falls out.
16. Have an exercise and nutrition mission statement. Having a clear idea of why you are doing what you do will solidify your habits as your core values – rather than just abstract thoughts.
17. You will never regret working out once it’s done. You will, however regret skipping it.
18. Set aside 7-10 minutes every morning to prepare food for the day.
19. Hit a grocery store at lunch or on the way home rather than a drive-through.
20. Need a 5 minute grocery store fix? Mixed nuts, beef jerky, flavored tuna (grab a plastic fork too).
21. Moderation: It’s less than you think it is.
22. Enter into and re-commit to your health journey knowing that it won’t be easy
23. Definition of insanity? Doing the same things this year as you did last year and expecting a different result.
24. Work out because you love your body – not because you hate it.
25. No single food (or category of foods) makes you fat and no single food (or category of foods) will make you thin.
26. Educate yourself: Read, absorb and apply the information to your situation.
27. Do something daily for your posture and mobility. This may be as simple as getting away from your desk more frequently.
28. 2 bad days can ruin 5 good ones: Use your weekends to capitalize on healthy living instead of an excuse to “let lose”.
29. Learn the difference between “hunger“ and “appetite”. Hunger is a physiological response placated by eating enough while appetite compels us to eat beyond that point.
30. Comparison is the thief of joy. You are unique and you and you alone should be your only barometer.
31. Vitamin D, fish oil a multivitamin/mineral and protein powder are “bordering-on-necessary” front line supplements.
32. Write down what you eat. Be specific and honest. Food logging creates instant self-awareness and accountability.
33. Only 10 minutes to train? Pick 6 exercises and superset them with minimal rest in between sets.
34. Treat workouts like work commitments in that they are set in stone. Take this a step further, however and treat your training sessions like “rewards” for a day of work.
35. Every exercise trend oversells itself. There is a place for zumba, pilates, dance-fitness, P90x, crossfit, etc but no one system is right or better overall for anyone.
36. Attack your weaknesses and challenge yourself until form breaks – not until you’ve completed an arbitrary amount of reps.
37. Pubmed: It knows more than your guru.
38. Be aware of your posture and how you carry yourself in seated, standing, walking, running or training. Awareness is AT LEAST half the battle.
39. Your true test is not keeping on track when you are motivated and life is smooth but rather keeping at it when life throws you curve balls and you don’t feel motivated.
40. To help organize your eating – try designating foods on different nights to simplify things; ie. Meatless Monday, chicken on Tuesday, fish on Wednesday, etc…
41. Join a challenge. While getting and keeping fit is a lifestyle with no time-constraints, transformation challenges can provide the right platform to propel you towards your goals.
42. A new body won’t change who you are as a person. It is not a missing link to happiness or fulfillment. It IS, however, capable of many amazing physical and psychological benefits that can make you feel better about whom you already are and what you are capable of.
43. Long-term success often comes down to preventing lapses from turning into full-blown re-lapses. You will slip and stumble. Get back up – as many times as it takes.
44. Strength training is your front-line intervention for health benefits. Make it your foundational form of exercise.
45. Learn 3-4 good healthy and quick recipes. These can be your go-to meals when in a pinch.
46. Populations have not only subsisted but THRIVED on diets both low in carbs and high in carbs. It is silly to think that there is one eating pattern that is universally superior.
47. If you are capable of moving faster – DO IT! You will gain more benefit in a shorter period of time.
48. There is no universally-decided-upon definition of “clean eating.”Strive to eat well most of the time and allow for occasional indulgences and “dirty” foods. Try not to categorize foods as “good” and “bad.”
49. Learn the finer points of some of the more complex lifts (squats, deadlifts, pulls, pushes) – even if you hire a trainer for a few sessions.
50. Have fun… no matter what your path, learn to be process-oriented rather than product oriented. Enjoy the journey and don’t put much stock in the “when.”

Gorilla Rising

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

Great Idea. A few tips that work for me.

• Snack (2-3 times a day) in between meals - a lot of people don't and it leads to over eating

I think it should be noted that it doesn't matter how often you eat as long as you're hitting your calorie and macro targets.

'Over eating' at meal times is fine if you're going for two/three meals per day.

You might feel hungrier though, depending. I don't really snack and just eat a few large meals. It fits better with my schedule and I feel much more satiated without the need to snack.

..or am I wrong!?

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

no you're right. meal frequency only helps some people stay within their calorie limits by not gorging at lunch/dinner times, it doesn't actually do anything for your metabolism or weight loss.

the groutch

weightwatchers or similar "diet" foods usually just replace the fat with sugar, especially when it comes to desserts.
and alot of them just have less calories because the serving size is smaller, and still have the same macros.

SunnyDub1

False 9 wrote: »

I think it should be noted that it doesn't matter how often you eat as long as you're hitting your calorie and macro targets.

'Over eating' at meal times is fine if you're going for two/three meals per day.

You might feel hungrier though, depending. I don't really snack and just eat a few large meals. It fits better with my schedule and I feel much more satiated without the need to snack.

..or am I wrong!?

Different eating habits will work for different people.
I don't disagree with what you are saying but for me I have breakfast at around 9am and don't get lunch till 2pm and then dinner at 8pm, if I didn't snack on something small between these times, I'd end up eating my body weight in food at 8pm cause I'd be so hungry

I find having a snack in between meals keeps me satisfied,
nd I'm not counting down the hours till my next meal, It also helps fight away late evening hungry.


But as I said that's just what works for me and maybe others.

hardCopy

Greens. Add more of them to your plate.

If your calorie controlled portion looks tiny just add a massive pile of green beans/peas/asparagus etc. It'll fill the plate and fill your belly.

Flimbos

Homemade soup - a great way to up your intake of fresh veg, really healthy compared to all the packaged soups. And it's fun to experiment with different recipes.

I usually make a batch, blend, eat one and have another two servings for the fridge/freezer.

PS. new to this forum, some great info/advice here

Gorilla Rising

Flimbos wrote: »

Homemade soup - a great way to up your intake of fresh veg, really healthy compared to all the packaged soups. And it's fun to experiment with different recipes.

I usually make a batch, blend, eat one and have another two servings for the fridge/freezer.

PS. new to this forum, some great info/advice here

Actually was just going to come on and ask for tips on how to make veg taste nicer!

Soup is a good way to go alright. I like to make some nice beef stew too based on a paleo recipe, but I throw in a few spuds too.

I prefer to have salads with meat as you can do more with them than veg to get a nicer flavour.

Anyone have any ways to make broccoli taste nicer!?

Stench Blossoms

False 9 wrote: »

Anyone have any ways to make broccoli taste nicer!?

I put broccoli in all my curries.

I don't know if this is just me but I think curry and broccoli go well together.

Gorilla Rising

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

I put broccoli in all my curries.

I don't know if this is just me but I think curry and broccoli go well together.

Nice one. I'll throw some in my stew as well.

Paddywiggum

Dont be afraid of oils when cooking, olive, coconut, walnut, you need those healthy fats and it makes food tastier win win

Take a multivitamin each morning

Buy a high dosage Vitamin D Supplement min 5000iu per day

Enjoy your coffee for its caffeine, if your dont like coffee start drinking green tea

juke

False 9 wrote: »

Anyone have any ways to make broccoli taste nicer!?

I like to have it with it is this salsa, from Jamie Oliver
http://hotcooking.co.uk/recipes/24/jamie-oliver-30-minute-meals-sausage-cassoulet
Points 9-11 on recipe.

Easy to make and keeps for easily a week in the fridge, if you make more than you need for one meal.

Gummy Panda

Stench Blossoms wrote: »

I put broccoli in all my curries.

I don't know if this is just me but I think curry and broccoli go well together.

It's nice on a pizza. Not exactly the healthiest option but still who would think broccoli pizza would be nice

bluecherry74

False 9 wrote: »

Anyone have any ways to make broccoli taste nicer!?

Roast it in the oven. Just toss it in some oil and put it in at a medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Mix in a bit of parmesan or cheddar if you like. Its much nicer than steamed.

April O Neill

False 9 wrote: »

Nice one. I'll throw some in my stew as well.

Don't think it'd be the best in stew, it would get overcooked and soggy.

Mr. CooL ICE

Soup is great. I make a batch once or twice a week and freeze the leftovers, so always have it as an evening snack and is one of my most important intakes of veg. Here is a typical recipe of mine:

1) Fry a chopped onion in a big pot with plenty of olive oil and a bit of butter. Add fennel seeds (this bit is important!)
2) Chop and add leeks, celery, carrots and parsnips.
3) Add some stock. I vary this, but its usually one knorr veg cube and 2 tsp bouillone with enough water to fill out the pot.
4) Add a few chunks of celeriac and sit until the celeriac and parsnips are soft, then remove from the heat and blend. Add seasoning to taste.

I vary it greatly so I don't get bored. To give it an Indian twist, I add cumin seeds at step (1), a tin of chopped tomatoes at (2) and exchange the celeriac in (4) for a cup of red lentils and throw in a tin of chickpeas at the end, along with garam masala or whatnot.

Spinach can be used to up the green veg intake. But I found its best to chop this finely and only add it in at the very end as you take it off the heat.

Oisinjm

False 9 wrote: »

Anyone have any ways to make broccoli taste nicer!?

Steam your broccoli. Roast pine nuts/cashew nuts/pumpkin seeds. Mash up the broccoli, add the nuts and seeds. Delish.

Oisín

El_Dangeroso

April O Neill wrote: »

Don't think it'd be the best in stew, it would get overcooked and soggy.

Agreed plus broccoli (and all brassica vegetables) impart a bitter flavour to a stew.

I'd chop the florets (just the top) up really finely and pop into mashed potato, you won't even notice it there.

syklops

April O Neill wrote: »

Don't think it'd be the best in stew, it would get overcooked and soggy.

I add it to Guinness stew all the time, I just add it 30 minutes before the end.

This is probably a famous one here but I didnt see it mentioned yet. Cauliflower rice. Put cauliflower in a food processor and then treat it like you would normal rice. I like it fried with egg in a wok for fried 'rice'. tasty and very low calorie. A plate full of the fried rice will only be about 150 cals. Very filling too. Never tried it with broccoli but it might work as well.