Author Topic: Tips for Healthy Food that Doesn't Suck  (Read 2265 times)

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Offline RavynousHunter

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Tips for Healthy Food that Doesn't Suck
« on: September 19, 2015, 01:39:37 pm »
We've all been there, at one point or another: trying to lose weight for whatever reason and finding ourselves a proverbial fish out of water.  Its hard to get right, and when you do find things that are healthy, they almost always seem to end up being bland and lifeless.  Well, why not share our knowledge of various ways to improve our healthy fooding so that its actually fairly good?  I'll get things started...

1 ) Salsa.  I really can't stress how wonderful salsa has been to me while trying to be healthy.  A tablespoon or two of medium-heat Pace picante salsa turns a bowl of otherwise unremarkable, if not outright boring, vegetables into something you actually want to put in your gob.  Boring beans?  Mix in a little salsa, and suddenly, those beans are tasting mighty fine.

2 ) Spices.  Simple spices.  Black pepper and salt are the two most versatile additions to any food you can get.  Other good additions (especially for canned black beans) include cumin (which smells and adds the taste of chili) as well as chili powder, and other staples like garlic powder, onion powder, and rosemary make fine seasonings for lots of things, depending on your tastes.

3 ) Mushrooms.  This more depends on the person, since I know not everyone likes mushrooms, but adding a few slices of cooked button mushrooms to something not only adds flavour, but also fills the dish out, giving it just that little bit of oomph to help stave off the munchies.

4 ) Beans.  Canned or cooked at home, doesn't really matter.  They're a good source of...well, lots of things, especially fiber.  A can of plain, black beans can serve as the base for a number of good dishes.

5 ) Chicken.  This is one a lot of folks already know, but I might as well throw it out there.  Chicken is low in fat (compared to pork and beef) and provides plenty of protein.  Its also damned tasty and usually not too expensive.  Ground or no, chicken has been my one constant companion for this journey, and it has yet to let me down.

6 ) Honey.  Likely more expensive than sugar, honey is a good alternative sweetener, as it has (according to my research) around 25% fewer calories per gram than regular, plain sugar.  Great for sweetening tea, likely good for coffee (haven't tried it, yet).  Honey's also, if memory serves, got a fair supply of antioxidants and other goodies.

7 ) Multivitamins.  I'm quite partial the the chewable gummy variety (don't judge!).  Don't need any special supplements, so long as you eat right, but shoring up a few areas (especially B-vitamins) is a good way to make sure you have enough energy thru the day.

8 ) This one's gonna hurt.  Black coffee.  Plain, no cream, no sugar.  When you start, unless you're used to it already, it will be painful.  Coffee on its own is a difficult thing to drink.  However, if you stick it out, you do get used to it, and sugar and cream add a lot of calories to your coffee.  Without 'em, you still get the caffeine, but not the extra calories.  In this realm, it really is a good idea to spend a little more on the good stuff (like Dunkin Donuts) than to buy in bulk.  Cheap, bulk coffee is very bitter and quite nasty, and will make this process all the more difficult.  Splurging a little on something like Dunkin Turbo is well worth it, trust me.

9 ) This is the last one for now.  Olive oil.  Another good friend of mine.  This one is actually plot-critical.  Your body needs at least some oil to function properly, just like a car.  Olive oil isn't mega calorie-dense (I mean, its still got a fair supply, it is oil), and it adds a nice hint of flavour to things like chicken and vegetables that can make meals much more enjoyable.
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Offline Askold

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Re: Tips for Healthy Food that Doesn't Suck
« Reply #1 on: September 19, 2015, 02:02:14 pm »
I looked at the title and assumed that this was yet another spambot but one that had managed to type a sentence that almost made sense...

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Offline Ultimate Paragon

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Re: Tips for Healthy Food that Doesn't Suck
« Reply #2 on: September 19, 2015, 08:02:33 pm »
I'd like to add another item to that list: yogurt.

Offline I am lizard

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Re: Tips for Healthy Food that Doesn't Suck
« Reply #3 on: September 19, 2015, 08:18:25 pm »
I'd like to add another item to that list: yogurt.
Or better yet: Frozen yogurt.



Also, I'd say pretty much any Mediteranian food is good tasting and good for you.

Offline rookie

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Re: Tips for Healthy Food that Doesn't Suck
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2015, 10:56:42 am »
Fresh veggies. If you're lucky enough to have a small garden that is. If not, lettuce and spinach can be grown in pots on a balcony. As can many toes of tomato (hybrids work much much better than heirloom varieties). Seafood (provided is not an alpha predator like tuna or shark with outrageous levels of mercury) is a wonderful source of protein.
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Quote from: davedan board=pg thread=6573 post=218058 time=1286247542
I'll stop eating beef lamb and pork the same day they start letting me eat vegetarians.

Offline Ghoti

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Re: Tips for Healthy Food that Doesn't Suck
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2015, 07:51:21 am »
  • Rice: it's cheap, versatile, filling, and it keeps pretty much forever in an airtight container. Get a plastic microwave cooker and the base for a good meal is only 15-20 minutes away at any time.
  • Broth: if you can use a slow cooker, you can make your own broth. One of the staples in my household is picking up a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store on the way home from work/school, having chicken for dinner, then tossing the bones in a crockpot and making a second and third dish with the meat and broth.
  • Garlic: adds flavor and depth to nearly anything you care to put it in, as well as important nutrients. Keeps practically forever once it's dry, and isn't too hard to grow yourself if you're patient and have the space.
Edit: forgot dumplings. Flour, baking powder, salt, and milk or water combine to form a not-sucky comfort food. Pairs well with chicken.
« Last Edit: September 22, 2015, 07:55:36 am by Ghoti »
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Offline rookie

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Re: Tips for Healthy Food that Doesn't Suck
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2015, 08:06:11 am »
I really like this thread. Eating well is one of those things I feel very strongly about. So on that note, grilling meats is one of the healthiest ways to prepare it. A simple trick is to drink a very large glass of water right before sitting down to eat. You actually easy less of whatever it is. Another little trick is to make the dish visually appealing. Salads with the green lettuce, yellow peppers, cherry tomatoes. You eat with your eyes first (then nose and finally taste). So if you're making healthy foods that look super yummy, you're more likely to really enjoy it. Fruits are a wonderful way to sweeten a dish. If you can do it, frozen veggies are much better than canned.
The difference between 0 and 1 is infinite. The difference between 1 and a million is a matter of degree. - Zack Johnson

Quote from: davedan board=pg thread=6573 post=218058 time=1286247542
I'll stop eating beef lamb and pork the same day they start letting me eat vegetarians.

Offline Ghoti

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Re: Tips for Healthy Food that Doesn't Suck
« Reply #7 on: September 22, 2015, 09:26:29 am »
More random tips:
If you're working with canned beans/veggies, gently drain and rinse them if you can. It washes off some of the excess salt without messing up the flavor or texture.
In the summer, there's almost someone at a nearby church who grew way more [whatever] than they could conceivably eat and will be happy to give it away. In my neck of the woods it was usually tomatoes, green beans, or zucchini (god, I'm still sick of zucchini) but I've also had apples, raspberries, potatoes, and various canned goods shoved into my arms. So even if you aren't religious, it might be worth stopping by. Free/cheap food from somebody's backyard beats the grocery store any day.
More about potatoes: Eat. Potatoes. Git gud at making 5-7 different potato-based dishes, and as far as carbs so you're set for life. Go easy on the fats though, and try to look for alternatives to butter.
Olive oil can replace butter on any frying pan or griddle, even if you're making pancakes. More versatile and less goofy stuff than nonstick spray, healthier than butter, and no one can tell the difference unless they're looking over your shoulder. It's also easier to work with IMO, because it "sparkles" and gets thin when it's the proper temperature.
Baked apples are absolutely divine and almost impossible to fuck up, so I make them all the time. All you need are apples, cinnamon, and nutmeg (but lots of people add some brown sugar and/or melted butter).
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Offline RavynousHunter

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Re: Tips for Healthy Food that Doesn't Suck
« Reply #8 on: September 22, 2015, 09:48:04 am »
Another good'un is eggs.  Not a tonne of them, but one in the morning provides a good source of protein to get things going.  Salt, pepper, and a little garlic powder make some damn fine scrambled eggs.
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