Tiny food goals

[TwistedFlax]

Eleven weeks left on my 90 Day Challenge. 

I'm trying to use this time to actually push myself outside my health comfort zone.  Each week I want a small food goal that will move me in the right direction.

This week, I'm leaning toward at LEAST one veggie a day.  (I don't hate veggies, I just often forget work them into my diet).

One week, I'll probably force myself to eat breakfast that isn't cold cereal.

I need 9 more.  Thoughts?  These can be super small.

And I'm not committed to adding each goal to the previous one.  For now I'm trying to learn HOW to fix the issues; too much and healthy eating will seem unattainable and not fun.

[TwistedFlax]

Oh, and my general eating pattern:

B: cereal, coffee with skim milk
S: Yogurt or string cheese.  Coffee and skim again
L: Lean Cuisine or a turkey & cheese sandwich
S: Granola bar
D: often frozen pizza, a skillet meal from a bag, a Lean or sandwich (whichever I didn't have for lunch)
S: I've been trying not to snack after dinner because it tends to be a Problem Time, so I've been having loose leaf tea.  I'd be open to another snack, or not.

I'm pretty sure you're all probably crying in fear

Challenges:
-I'm very much on a budget.
-I'm not a foodie at all, so my boring diet doesn't bug me
-I am not a fan of smoothies.

[MiniDriver]

Work veggies into your present routine.  A slice of tomato and a few spinach leaves in your sandwich, for example.  Buy a small bag of baby carrots and have a few for snacks.

[blue sleep]

Replace lunchtime Lean Cuisine with something a little better for you.

1. Buy a thermos.
2. Make a big pot of turkey chili or soup or something on Sunday night. 
3.  Bring to work everyday.

and. if you're feeling really ambitious...

4.  Buy a big bag of broccoli florets (from, say, Costco).  Before you shower in the am, put a big handful in a 1 or 2 cup pyrex measuring cup.  Put .5 to 1 inch water in bottom.  Nuke for 2.5 minutes.  Run under water to cool, drain while you are getting ready.  Bring in a separate container.  Dip or mix into your chili/soup whatever at lunch.  We do this and it tends to make the lunch go much, much further.

[TwistedFlax]

I have no idea how to make soup in a way that doesn't involve a can.

[Mom of Scooby]

I would try to make a goal of having a lunch that is not processed for a week.. ie.. lean cuisine etc.. I firmly believe real food is better.. for the same calories you can have a sandwich on whole grain bread with lettuce, tomatoes (veggies) and a lean protein, either turkey breast or lean roast beef etc.. try to get natural, not processed....

It's better for you and in my opinon more filling...

Bottom line.. eat as much "real" food as you can.

[Run Amok]

Mix 1/2 cup of a pure fiber cereal (like the original fiber one kind) into your morning cereal. Add some fruit- 1/2 cup of melon, a small apple, 1/2 grapefruit, 4 prunes are all great.

Add in drinking a big glass of water before each meal.

Sub the granola bar for something that has some fiber or protein and less sugar. A small apple, orange, 1/2 cup of melon or berries (for example) + 8 almonds or cashews; two lf string cheeses; half a red bell pepper in strips + a string cheese; 2 hardboiled eggs (I like to top them with some dijon mustard and a little seasoning salt, or douse them in soy sauce)... those are my go-tos.

Add a salad to dinner every night. Mix up the dressings and the toppings so you don't get terribly bored.

Soup is so, so easy and so, so cheap. In the winter I make a pot of soup a week (or every other week) and freeze it in individual portions. Then I always have 2-4 different soups to choose from to take to work with me. They also make great quick dinners.

This one is super easy and delicious. It makes way too much so I cut out two cans of beans (leave everything else the same). You could definitely make it with ground meat  and meat stock to make it a little heartier if you wanted. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/vegan-black-bean-soup/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=vegan%20black%20bean%20soup&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

[TwistedFlax]

These are good so far.  Thanks! Keep em coming!

[Magic Microbe]

Add a fruit to your lunch
Add a raw veggie to your lunch
Add frozen veggies to your microwaved dinner
Maybe cook a real dinner a few times a week
Add desert if you want to anck after dinner in the form of fruit

[Run Amok]

Oh, yeah, I was also going to suggest cooking a meal once a week (and then bump it up from there). Here is a list of a bazillion "under 300 calorie" meals. http://search.myrecipes.com/search.html?Ntt=300+calorie+meals&x=0&y=0

DH really likes those frozen skillet meals. I have to say that I'm not a huge fan because I think the portions end up really small, they are expensive, and I always end up still hungry after a frozen meal.

For dinner I'll often do a veggie pattie with a slice of cheese, sauteed veggies and a salad. A huge plate of satisfying, hot, food- for around 300 calories. I'm stuffed after that.

You can also do 1 cup of cooked pasta, plus a ton of sauteed veggies, sauce and 2tbs of parm (and a salad). That feels like a  big satisfying pasta dish, but the pasta portion is really small. You could easily add in some chicken (you coul even buy the pre cooked plain chicken pieces).

[debbatx]

DH and I cut up fresh veggies after our weekend grocery run - usually broccoli and bell peppers, and then we buy bags of baby carrots and sugar snap peas and a pint of cherry tomatoes. I take a sandwich bag full of them with me for lunch and keep a container of hummus in the fridge at work as dip.

[blue sleep]

I'm going to start a soups for Jamers' lunch thread -- I could use a few suggestions myself.

[TwistedFlax]

Just got back from the grocery store.  Fruit & cottage cheese to improve my breakfasts (I'll have to cut the fruit the night before so I don't get too lazy).  Veggies to snack on that I'll cut when I get home.

I'll dive into the soup experiment probably next weekend.  I tend to do too much, then freak out and fall back on old habits.  This will hopefully be more sustainable.

[picote]

I agree with the goal of a home cooked meal.  We make very simple salmon on the grill, but you could probably make it in the oven and have it come out well too. We just put a piece of salmon in foil with a bit of balsamic vinegar, some lemon slices and salt and pepper and capers if you have them. It's so easy--takes 2-3 min for prep and any leftovers make a great lunch!

[Run Amok]

Jamers- depending on the fruit- you can cut it up for the whole week in advance. It'll keep just fine.

[caribougrrl]

Jamers, do you not like food, not like to cook, or not really know how to cook?

[caribougrrl]

okay... my question was partly answered in the soup thread

my suggestion for a goal: sometime before the end of your challenge, find a cooking class near you and sign up.  You live in a big enough city there is likely a community center or community room in a grocery store that has cheap cooking classes... there are probably also private companies that offer beginner and basic classes...  get your husband to take them with you... I can almost guarantee you will like food more if you feel confident about it

[teetime]

What about veggie filled omlets or for busy work days, veggie filled baked egg cups (make omlet mix, spray non stick muffin pan, bake in oven until set)

[triciaflower]

Some of my small goals in the past:

Drink a certain # of glasses of water
See how long I can go without eating bread/refined carbs. I go meal by meal, day by day.
Plan meals ahead of time. Fix tomorrow's lunch tonight.
No frozen meals.
No processed foods.

A good site to help with small goals.. 100daysofrealfood.com

[Dagstag v 2.0]

Green smoothies - great way to work in veggies.

1 cup spinach (fresh, get it in the bag/container) - about two handfuls
1/2 - 1 banana
Pineapple chunks (can be frozen)
I add fresh ginger and some coconut oil, too.
Enough liquid to make it blend (water, kefir water, coconut water, etc.)

You can vary it with other greens (kale, celery, etc.) and other fruits (berries, pears, apples, etc.)

It helps if you have a kickass/powerful blender - not a $30 one from Target, but you don't need a VitaMix, either.

[TwistedFlax]

Jamers, do you not like food, not like to cook, or not really know how to cook?

A little of everything.  I love indulging, but "actually good" foods don't excite me. I'm equally excited about a fancy salmon as a box of oreos.  But oreos are easier.

Back in HS I asked mom to reach me to cook.  She said "if you can read, you can cook" and passed me the box of Shake'n'Bake.  True story.

I don't dislike cooking, but I resent the time it takes.  When I make it an event it can be fun, but it seems like just one more thing that NEEDS a half hour priority every day.  Among all the "must" priorities, it slips.

[Run Amok]

How's it going jamers?

[TwistedFlax]

GREAT, actually.  I'm in second place for the challenge. 

I've swapped veggies in for my morning snack; cutting them on weekends make it much easier.  Switched my morning cereal for fruit and 2% cottage cheese.  I've added veggies to sandwiches.  I went one week without touching anything sweet at work.  Added a multivitamin and fish oil, which may or may not be helpful, but this is all about experimenting

I've also had success looking for a lesser evil.  I miss my morning cereal, so sometime I sub a small bowl of cereal in for my chips and queso after dinner.  Moving in the right direction while still feeling a little splurge-y is a huge help.

I hope to try a soup recipe (probably the turkey chili) this weekend.  The leans and convenience food dinners are the most insurmountable challenge at this point.

The best part is this really is bringing about sustainable changes.  I'm coming in lower on the calorie scale without really trying (probably due to the veggies).

My energy level has been amazing lately.  And it wasn't even a problem to start with, it's just BETTER now..

[Run Amok]

 

That's awesome!

[caribougrrl]

 

[redkitty]

That is awesome. I may "steal" this idea of challenging myself for x amount of time. I will see if I can get the people at work to join.  (not necessarily a weight loss challenge...but a health challenge.)