Starting Over Talk - Peer Coaching Support Site

I'm doing a lot of research on nutrition this year... I'm experimenting with new food choices... trying new foods... trying new recipes.

I have always been interested in food... new resturants... new diets, but this year my focus has been on health.

I have added a lot of raw vegetables... raw unsalted nuts... and fruits. I'm making an effort to buy organic, but it's just too expensive.

I've cut down on the quantity of meat and poultry I eat, and am trying to buy grass fed... hormone and antibotic free food, but it is awfully expensive.

I'm still buying farm raised shrimp, but not eating it as often... seems there are a lot of chemicals in the farm raised fish.

Here's a great lunch or dinner meal that I've made for my husband and myself:

Romaine lettuce
shredded red cabbage
thinly sliced red onion
thinly sliced red beets
2 or 3 oz grilled chicken, or shrimp, or crab cakes
1 tablespoon raw nuts

dressing: few teaspoons real lemon juice or apple cide vinegar and 1 teaspoon oil.

I'd love to share healthy... nutritious food info, and diet info with you all.

Hey Mazzy, sounds like you are on the right track there with your new food plan.

I know what you mean about the difference in cost for organic verses regular, especially produce. I don't know where you live but in some areas you can grow some of your own produce. We have friends that grow their own lettuce, tomato, broccoli and many other veggies organically. Of course, in the winter they can't but they can their tomatoes and freeze some of their stuff to eat over the winter. That is my dream someday - to grow my own veggies. For now I try to buy 1/2 and 1/2 organic and I definitely buy organic, non hormone fed chicken eggs.

One more thing: I love fresh tomatoes so someone suggested I get a large indoor pot to grow indoors. I haven't researched this yet but if it's true you could grow organic tomatoes indoors. It's at least a start!

Good luck!

hey mazzy,

great sharing idea! i did some research on organic foods and definitely the meats are one of the best to replace first if you can. it is expensive, but we have friends that raise cattle and so we get 1 cow a year. No hormones, antibiotics, etc. And they only charge what it costs them and the butcher. They don't do it for profit, but to be able to have their land designated as ranchland and get a tax break. maybe there are some local folks who do that near you???

but in any case, even trying to replace some foods with organic and just eating healthier in general is HUGE. All of us have lots of weight to lose, but we are baby-stepping so we don't take on too much and then totally give up.

here's a very simple meal we just had tonite:

1 very lean pork loin (we cut the only fat there was around the very outside off) rubbed with olive oil and roasted garlic seasoning

broccoli

1 small biscuit


YUM! The biggest thing we are doing is changing our portion size and point of view.............it's amazing how we grew up thinking serving sizes were as big as they serve in restauraunts!!!!!

1putter wrote:

QUOTE:
:) Hey Mazzy, sounds like you are on the right track there with your new food plan.

I know what you mean about the difference in cost for organic verses regular, especially produce. I don't know where you live but in some areas you can grow some of your own produce. We have friends that grow their own lettuce, tomato, broccoli and many other veggies organically. Of course, in the winter they can't but they can their tomatoes and freeze some of their stuff to eat over the winter. That is my dream someday - to grow my own veggies. For now I try to buy 1/2 and 1/2 organic and I definitely buy organic, non hormone fed chicken eggs.

One more thing: I love fresh tomatoes so someone suggested I get a large indoor pot to grow indoors. I haven't researched this yet but if it's true you could grow organic tomatoes indoors. It's at least a start!

Good luck!

Hi Putter... let me know how your tomato project goes.

I loved gardening when I lived in New York... I loved growing flowers, lettuce, tomatoes, herbs.

I'm living in Florida now... the snakes and red ants have turned me off to gardening as well as community rules re gardening, however, I've thought of trying my hand at small scale container gardening.

I've also switched over to organic eggs... I find they taste fresher... the yellow of the eggs seem more yellow. I've also tried organic egg whites... they taste delicious.

Breakfast or lunch dish:

1 organic egg
1/4 cup organic egg whites
chopped red pepper
1 shallot or chopped red onion
1 or 2 cloves chopped garlic
1 teaspoon organic coconut oil -- unrefined
cajun spice, pepper -- dashes

Over medium heat I saute chopped veg in 1 teaspoon coconut oil toss with dash of cajun spice for a minute or two... add 1 egg and 1/4 of egg white with dash of pepper... cook to desired consistancy.

1 ounce whole grain bread

I've also served this with organic baby spinach and chopped garlic sauted in 1 teaspoon coconut oil. I'm missing my spinach... I understand it will be coming back on the market. Talk about baby steps... I really must be getting older... talking about missing spinach. LOL<br><br>Post edited by: mazzy, at: 2006/10/29 12:20

grizzlys4 wrote:

QUOTE:
hey mazzy,

great sharing idea! i did some research on organic foods and definitely the meats are one of the best to replace first if you can. it is expensive, but we have friends that raise cattle and so we get 1 cow a year. No hormones, antibiotics, etc. And they only charge what it costs them and the butcher. They don't do it for profit, but to be able to have their land designated as ranchland and get a tax break. maybe there are some local folks who do that near you???

but in any case, even trying to replace some foods with organic and just eating healthier in general is HUGE. All of us have lots of weight to lose, but we are baby-stepping so we don't take on too much and then totally give up.

here's a very simple meal we just had tonite:

1 very lean pork loin (we cut the only fat there was around the very outside off) rubbed with olive oil and roasted garlic seasoning

broccoli

1 small biscuit


YUM! The biggest thing we are doing is changing our portion size and point of view.............it's amazing how we grew up thinking serving sizes were as big as they serve in restauraunts!!!!!

Sounds great Grizz... how did you cook pork chop?

I've discovered... or rather rediscovered yogurt. I love Fage Authentic Greek Yogurt or Organic yogurt... plain. I started off with whole milk... then went to the 2%... now I'm enjoying the 0% fat. It just taste lighter. I've been adding honey with slivered amonds, or nutty granola, or sliced apples or banana or pear with slivered amonds and raw sunflower seeds. For a snack this is very satisfying... for a a light breakfast or lunch I'll add an ounce cheese and some brazil nuts.

I love nuts and seeds... I need to be careful because they have a lot of calories even though they are healthy.

grizzlys4 wrote:

QUOTE:


The biggest thing we are doing is changing our portion size and point of view.............it's amazing how we grew up thinking serving sizes were as big as they serve in restauraunts!!!!!

Grizz... changing portion size is a big deal... congrats!

There was something on one of the early morning news/talk shows last week on portion size. They compared portion sizes from the 1960's to present day, and they showed how the portion sizes have become supersized. They compared bagels that went from 160 calories to 300 calories without filling/toppings, hamburgers... keep getting larger over the years, and a popular sandwich made with rye bread... approx 300 calories has been replaced with a hero that is approx 800 calories.

We all have different calorie requirements... we all have different activity levels, but the supersize mentality is hurting too many people.

The awareness was an eye opener... the media jokes about supersizing, but it really is not funny anymore.