What do you guys eat?

[KungPoweChicken]

Who here consciously tries to eat healthily? How do you go about doing it? What kind of foods do you eat? And how do you find enough time to prepare all your food and not have it become too time consuming? 

Here are a few easy things I do: I make sure I drink enough water throughout the day--simple enough, I hardly ever drink soda--if I do it would be diet, and I hardly ever eat fast food--the seldom times I do it's usually a food emergency. Other than that, I watch my sodium, sugar, and bad fat intake. I should admit though, it does get a little boring and time consuming to be food conscious--especially when you ate lots and lots of junk food as a kid. Generally, I try and eat the foods that are highest in nutrition per calorie. But pizza is definitely a guilty pleasure of mine, and the few times I do eat at a fast food place it's always pizza . So what do you guys eat? How food conscious are you? And what are some of your tricks to the trade?

[Lucky17]

I'll preface my comments by saying I'm not saying this is a "healthy diet;" these are just the choices I make when it comes to what I eat. 

I no longer/very rarely eat red meat or pork. Pretty much chicken, turkey, fish, and eggs for my protein, organic/free range, and not from big farms either.

I've pretty much eliminated high fructose corn syrup (no soda) and artificial sweeteners from my diet. I try to avoid anything artificial in my foods.

Still eat pizza though. I put half-and-half in my coffee, and I still have plenty of butter, cheese, and olive oil (and the occasional ice cream) in my weekly diet. I could probably stand to cut down on my salt intake too. I could also do better about drinking more water (does beer count?).

I have the luxury of living somewhere (Portland, OR) where I have access to good quality local organic produce and markets where I can buy organic food without paying through the nose to get it. My SO is a fantastic cook, and we enjoy the time we take/spend together cooking, so we are also fortunate in that respect. If we both worked 9-5 and had kids, perhaps we'd have to cut some corners.

Any heartburn sufferers? Read this article below. I have to say that it works: I pretty much follow this diet (and also take probiotics), and my heartburn frequency has seriously declined from my post-college bachelor days:

http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/62/mediterranean-diet-cure/

[cordobes]

[Roy Hobbs]

I'm over-dependent on red meat, and eat way too much processed food.  I limit calories where I can, and drink a ton of water in lieu of other drinks, but my diet is far from healthy, unfortunately enough. 

[celticmaestro]

I try to eat healthily. For example, snack food would be olives or cherries (some sort of fruit) or carrots and I stay away from processed foods and chocolate, although the latter is unsuccessful.

[bdm860]

With me it's just an ever-evoliving process.  Of course when I was a kid, I ate junk food all the time and drank soda at every meal.  It's hard to completely turn around a diet like that, so I found it best for myself if I just slowly made changes.  I found places where it was easy to make a small change and just built on that.

First I replaced the soda with juice and water.  At first it was weird, but got used to it after about a week, now I rarely ever drink soda, and love the taste of water and juice.

Then I replaced the white bread in my sandwhiches with wheat bread.  Didn't really like the taste at first, but got used to it after a couple of weeks.  Now I actually like the taste of wheat bread.

Then replaced some of the junk food (cookies, chips, candy) with fruits and veggies.  Used to eat cookies and chips with my lunch.  Then shortened that up to just one or the other.  Then replaced it all together with carrot sticks.  Replaced other snacks with other fruits and veggies too.  Used to have a candy bar mid day, now I cut up an apple and spread peanut butter on it.

Recently started chopping up parsely and putting it in my sandwhiches to get a little extra healthiness from that.  I think it's really easy to just make small changes here and there.  If you continually look or are open for areas to improve, you'll easily be able to find things.  A lot of little things add up over time.

And once you decide to make a healthy change, you just got to give yourself a chance to get used to it.  Give it a couple of weeks and see if you grow to like it.  Of course at first you might not like it, but you'll get used to it after not too long, or find something good to eat it with to help offset the taste.  Like celery by itself doesn't taste too good to me, but I love celery and peanut butter.  If after a couple of weeks you still can't stand whatever it is you're trying, just try something else, tons of options out there.

[Hoyo de Monterrey]

I am not good at eating healthy. However, there are a few things I try to do, and some that I even actually do  

I generally drink only water, with a glass of skim milk a day (I just really like skim milk), and every once in a while an iced coffee (once a week or so). I used to love Vitamin Water, but the carbs in it are murder. Haven't tried the new stuff, but I try to use as a rule of thumb don't drink sugary drinks at all, be it gatorade, vitamin water, any soda, whatever. That I don't have a problem following, and it does help a little bit. I also am lucky that I don't usually go overboard on beer, so I can do a few in a weekend without worrying.

However, the rest of my diet isn't too pretty. No fast food, but too much processed food (Wheat Thins, graham crackers, any packaged carbs). Working on cutting back and substituting carrots, celery, apples, oranges, and pineapple. Celery's great for you, but I just plain don't like the taste. I'm trying though. Also, try stuff from wheat flour rather then white flour. Wheat bread is similar enough to white and it's worth it nutritionally.

I love pizza too. Which sucks, because it is terrible haha.

Grilled chicken is a big part of my diet, and that is boring I agree haha. Experiment with different spices and rubs though, and that will help. Sugary sauces will kill diets without even realizing it, but you can do a lot with spices that are fairly okay and can change up the taste enough.

I'm a big red meat fan though, and tend to go there when the chicken gets too monotonous, plus my bad pizza habit. Nobody's perfect  


EDIT: Wow, bdm, nice tips haha I think I echoed a lot of it. TP for you.

[bdm860]

Oh ya and I love my juicer.  It's surprising how good you can make things taste with that thing.  You can make alot of nasty tasting vegtables come out really good by juicing a couple of strawberries or grapes or apples/oranges along with it.

But it is a drag constantly buying fresh fruits and veggies, and then preparing the juice and cleaning the juicer.  So the juicer sometimes gets put to the side, but when I have the time I love it.

A great way to add alot of nutrients from fruits and veggies to your diet.

[Redz]

I've been working on it.

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=26831.msg456177#msg456177

My main issue, I think it's mostly portions and idle time snacking issue.  I don't eat much junk food or sugary stuff.

That said

I'm barbecuin' and lighting a backyard fire tonight for the first time of the season, and I'm pretty excited about that.

TURKEY BURGERS!

(the fire part is the first of the season - I barbecue in the snow!)

BTW - I've become an expert grilled salmon guy.  Love me some salmon.

[bdm860]

EDIT: Wow, bdm, nice tips haha I think I echoed a lot of it. TP for you.

HDM, BDM, it's like we're brothers!

[Lucky17]

I've been working on it.

http://forums.celticsblog.com/index.php?topic=26831.msg456177#msg456177

My main issue, I think it's mostly portions and idle time snacking issue.  I don't eat much junk food or sugary stuff.

That said

I'm barbecuin' and lighting a backyard fire tonight for the first time of the season, and I'm pretty excited about that.

TURKEY BURGERS!

(the fire part is the first of the season - I barbecue in the snow!)

BTW - I've become an expert grilled salmon guy.  Love me some salmon.

Love me some salmon too, Redz. Also a fan of the turkey burger.

Opening day for the grill for me last weekend. Chicken, with homemade barbecue sauce. Turned out pretty darn good.

[indeedproceed]

Snacks: I recommend raw carrots. Stupid thing, but virtually no calories, and actually no bad ones and supposedly you burn calories just chewing them because they're so fiberous.

[ACF]

EDIT: Wow, bdm, nice tips haha I think I echoed a lot of it. TP for you.

HDM, BDM, it's like we're brothers!

Boyo De Monterrey?

[Hoyo de Monterrey]

EDIT: Wow, bdm, nice tips haha I think I echoed a lot of it. TP for you.

HDM, BDM, it's like we're brothers!

[KG Living Legend]

 Studied nutrition for four years. General tip don't drink Milk. It's filled with Pus. Yes Pus. the farmers who have to milk the cows get warts all over their hands.

 Try Almond milk, they sell it in stores now. Blue Diamond is my favorite Vanilla plain and Choc. are all really good.

 For those looking to lose weight. Start shifting to a diet of 50% raw food. Meaning More Fruits, veggies like Cucumbers (best food for your kidneys) Celery Ph balance food and #1 source of organic sodium the good kind, Salad's try half an avacado on your salad, Avacado is a perfect food meaning it has a balance of Fats carbs and protien.

 Also I put nuts and seeds on my salads and they taste great too.

 Guys. Pumpkin seeds are the most important food for your prostate. Because they are loaded with ZINC. Their cheap and taste good too.

 Well that's all for now. Any questions I'll be happy to answer.