How to move from being a 1950s cook to a healthy eater painlessly?

[RoughCollie]

Okay, not painlessly, but successfully....

I get the low fat, no fat, lots of fruits and veggies stuff real well. Understanding and application are worlds apart for me, however.

Today I added *brown* rice to my fat-free Veggie Chick Soup. That was step one -- the brown rice. I am working my way up to actually eating oatmeal for the first time instead of just looking at it in the pantry.

But, I (we) cannot live on soup alone. And the meatloaf, fried chicken, country fried steak and gravy, white rice and gravy, mashed potatoes and gravy, biscuits and country gravy, butter-laden corn bread, white bread, sugar in coffee, fudge, homemade cookies and pies, Miracle Whip, and so forth, has to go -- except on holidays.

My favorite appetizer is brown crispy turkey skin wrapped around homemade cooked-in-the-bird stuffing. That's how bad I am. But only twice a year, when I roast a turkey.

I know what to eat, but I don't want to fail at this -- it should be a transition, right?

Do any of you have any transitioning ideas? My goal is for my family to eat healthily, but I'm not worried about them because whatever I cook, they will eat (or starve, LOL).

For myself, I want to go a lot further -- no meat, no dairy, no sugar or refined flour and so forth. Dean Ornish's diet is what I am aiming for (and if I fall short, I'll still be way, way ahead of the game).

I have serious heart disease. Had a double bypass a few years ago, and 2 stents put in 2 months later.

It's about time I tried maturity for a change, instead of wantonly indulging myself into an early grave.

I'm already taking all the vitamins and minerals suggested in _You: Staying Young: The Owner's Manual for Extending Your Warranty_, by Drs. Roizen and Oz.

Thanks,
RC

[Cathy in TX]

First, I must say I applaud your efforts to cook healthier fare for you and your family.

I grew up on the kind of food you mentioned in your post. Made me hungry just reading it! One thing I noticed, you seem to like some flavoring on your rice or potatoes (i.e. gravy.) We like the same thing around here. But since I have two with dairy allergies, gravy is a no-no. I often marinate my chicken or pork with a marinade so that I can cook it with a minimum of fat. Here's my favorite marinade recipe:
2 TB each lemon juice, water, olive oil
1 tsp. each salt and sugar
2 tsp soy sauce, opt.

I marinate the meat at least four hours in the fridge, then use 1 TB olive oil to oil a skillet. Then I cook the meat until done, adding the marinade with the meat. When the meat is done, I remove it from the skillet, add 1/4 cup water, and 3-4 cups cooked rice. Cook until liquid is absorbed by rice.

Or I make honey chicken wings, with 1/4 cup honey, 3 TB sugar, 1/2 c. water, and 2-3 TB soy sauce. When the wings are done, there is still a yummy sauce to spoon over rice or potatoes. This would work with boneless, skinless breasts, too. (Since my kids don't drink milk, I try to serve only bone-in meat to get a little extra calcium into their diets.)

We don't eat beef, so no recipes there.

Good luck!

Cathy

[PariSarah]

So a year from now, you'll have made lots and lots of changes, but you'll have time to process each one, time to really make it a habit.

January: you could count taking your vitamins as your January habit.

February: eat one piece of fruit or a small veggie salad before every meal. Then just have whatever meal you would normally make. (So, an apple, then your eggs and sausage; a pear, then your ham sammy; a salad, then your shepherd's pie.) You'll be adding three full f&v servings per day, and you might find yourself not eating so much during the actual meal. (That's not the goal--just a happy potential side benefit.) Make a list of five fruits and five salads that you know you really like so that you won't get bored and you won't feel like it's something you have to choke down.

March: For one meal every day this month, try to figure out a way to sneak more veggies in it. Instead of a fried egg, have an omelet with onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Add a big honking juicy tomato slice to your ham sammy. Add twice as many mushrooms to your beef stroganoff as usual. Shred some onion into your meatloaf; add pumpkin puree or shredded carrots to your spaghetti sauce. This is in addition to having your fruit or salad before each meal.

April: Make one meal every day this month that is vegetarian. Nice vegetarian, not just "oops, I forgot to make meat today!" vegetarian.

And so on.

Does that help?

[unsinkable]

Parisarah has great advice, as usual.

I was thinking of something similar, like trying steamed veggies w/ a bit of seasoned butter or stir-fried veggies w/ seasoning at every meal.

unsinkable

[nuthouse]

you can have your meatloaf and mash, but in moderation. Try making your meatloaf with leaner meat and some grated carrots. Use Yukon gold potatoes and a little chicken broth for the mash. Steam some veggies and serve fresh fruit for dessert.

Chili and corn bread. Use lean meat, and lots of beans. Add a small can of creamed corn to your cornbread batter. It will be moist enough not to need butter. Don't forget a nice big salad with this meal.

Turkey and stuffing, go right ahead. Use a turkey breast have a small amount of stuffing. Serve several green veggies, steamed of course. How about apples and walnuts for desert.

Hamburgers and fries. Yep. Lean meat and broil them. Have ketchup, mustard and pickles, pass on the mayo. Make your own oven fries with olive oil. Salad on the side and watermelon for desert.

Fried Chicken: Go ahead but only rarely. Try a "baked" fried recipe. Or we like to add our favorite spices to some lowfat yogurt and then dip our skinless chicken pieces in the yogurt and roll them in crushed corn flakes. Bake untill done. It's a pretty good substiute. Serve with buttered corn. Use real butter but very, very, lightly. Side it up with a grean salad. Serve fresh pinapple for dessert.

The fifties are fun. I love to collect cookbooks from the late 50's and early 60's. I love the recipes. I just pair them up with lowfat sides and plenty of vegetables.
Hope this helps. Ms. D

[Julpost]

I'm doing the same thing. It's really hard for me because I love the kind of food you described, it energizes me and makes me very happy. Unfortunately it's going to make me very fat if I don't knock it off!

So...
I'm beginning to add a green salad to our evening meal every day. I season it with 3 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. apple cider with a pinch of sugar, salt, and pepper. I am also sauteeing frozen veggies in olive oil with garlic powder, minced dried onion, and salt and pepper. I got the recipe from one of Andrew Weils books years ago. I used to make the worst frozen veggies. Now I just steam them with the seasonings I mentioned and they are absolutely delicious. I could seriously just sit down with a bowl and eat just those! Another thing I am trying to do is eat fruit in the evening instead of my usual bowl of popcorn. I almost begged my dh to make his yummy popcorn but he refused because he's trying to help us both. So I got myself a pomello instead-they're like giant grapefruit. Very easy to peel and pretty sweet. I ate half and was stuffed!

Last suggestion....I'm trying to get at least 15 min. a day on the treadmill. My little ones make it almost impossible and I find the treadmill about as boring as it can get, but every little bit helps!

Good luck! You're helping not only yourself but your family. My dad always fed us pot pies, pizza, and frozen dinners. However, my mom always served us vegetable dishes and fresh fruit. So, unlike a lot of people I know, I love eating lots of veggies and fruits. I credit her with helping me develop the palate to do so.

[OnTheBrink]

It gets easier to get off the high fat stuff as time goes by. I used to live on fast food; now most of it makes me *need the bathroom fast!* Once you get used to not having it, going back to it makes your tummy react and not favorably!

[RoughCollie]

Thank you for all your great suggestions.

Cathy in TX, the marinades sound delicious. I am going to try them next week. I bought a bunch of skinless, boneless chicken last week because it was on sale and because it made me feel virtuous. Now it will taste a lot better when I cook it.

PariSarah, I like the way you think. I will try the one change per month idea. Thank heavens January has been taken care of with the vitamins!

Unsinkable, I like steamed veggies, I just don't usually have room for them. I'll make room!

Ms D, I collect cookbooks from the 50s and 60s too. I like to browse through them and look at the pictures. I don't cook from them, though -- every recipe I cook, pretty much, is just from decades of cooking the same old thing all the time. I'll try your ideas. I think my family will like them a lot and they won't know they are eating healthier.

Julpost, my Mom always fed us well-balanced, nutritious meals, with 3 veggies (2 raw) at every meal, no junk food, fruit if we wanted a snack. How I ended up the Queen of the Unhealthy Eaters is a mystery to me. I'll take your suggestions for sure. The treadmill -- well, I did join a health club last summer with intentions of using one, but I haven't been yet. Nope, not even once! Guess I'd better get my butt in gear!

SolaMichella, I don't eat much fast food, but I know what you mean. In the distant past, when I went on Weight Watcher's, regular fatty food tasted yucky to me -- like it was laden with fat, which it was. You are right that once I get used to eating more healthily, my present eating habits won't be as attractive as they are now. Thanks for the reminder.

[Arch At Home]

Another thing that has really helped my transition is to venture out into new foods. We really like Asian foods. I found some good cookbooks and am now able to cook acceptable stir fry, fried rice and noodles. PariSarah's favorite How to Cook without a Book, LLL's Whole Foods for the Whole Family, books from the Saving Dinner series have great healthful recipes.

[Catherine]

but to teach your children, who if they are your biological children, are also at risk for premature heart disease. As one of the other posters pointed out, a gift we can give our kids is exposure to healthy foods, so that they develop a taste for them.

Hugs to you. My dh has premature heart disease too. I'm so grateful he is still alive and here to see his boys grow up. It helps to think of your dietary changes as insurance toward seeing your children reach adulthood, settle down and present you with grandchildren!

[Quiver0f10]

So a year from now, you'll have made lots and lots of changes, but you'll have time to process each one, time to really make it a habit.

January: you could count taking your vitamins as your January habit.

February: eat one piece of fruit or a small veggie salad before every meal. Then just have whatever meal you would normally make. (So, an apple, then your eggs and sausage; a pear, then your ham sammy; a salad, then your shepherd's pie.) You'll be adding three full f&v servings per day, and you might find yourself not eating so much during the actual meal. (That's not the goal--just a happy potential side benefit.) Make a list of five fruits and five salads that you know you really like so that you won't get bored and you won't feel like it's something you have to choke down.

March: For one meal every day this month, try to figure out a way to sneak more veggies in it. Instead of a fried egg, have an omelet with onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Add a big honking juicy tomato slice to your ham sammy. Add twice as many mushrooms to your beef stroganoff as usual. Shred some onion into your meatloaf; add pumpkin puree or shredded carrots to your spaghetti sauce. This is in addition to having your fruit or salad before each meal.

April: Make one meal every day this month that is vegetarian. Nice vegetarian, not just "oops, I forgot to make meat today!" vegetarian.

And so on.

Does that help?


Excellent post! Thank you :)

[Amy in MD]

So a year from now, you'll have made lots and lots of changes, but you'll have time to process each one, time to really make it a habit.

January: you could count taking your vitamins as your January habit.

February: eat one piece of fruit or a small veggie salad before every meal. Then just have whatever meal you would normally make. (So, an apple, then your eggs and sausage; a pear, then your ham sammy; a salad, then your shepherd's pie.) You'll be adding three full f&v servings per day, and you might find yourself not eating so much during the actual meal. (That's not the goal--just a happy potential side benefit.) Make a list of five fruits and five salads that you know you really like so that you won't get bored and you won't feel like it's something you have to choke down.

March: For one meal every day this month, try to figure out a way to sneak more veggies in it. Instead of a fried egg, have an omelet with onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Add a big honking juicy tomato slice to your ham sammy. Add twice as many mushrooms to your beef stroganoff as usual. Shred some onion into your meatloaf; add pumpkin puree or shredded carrots to your spaghetti sauce. This is in addition to having your fruit or salad before each meal.

April: Make one meal every day this month that is vegetarian. Nice vegetarian, not just "oops, I forgot to make meat today!" vegetarian.

And so on.

Does that help?

Thanks for the suggestions.
Amy
Your photo is precious...

[Tutor]

Last suggestion....I'm trying to get at least 15 min. a day on the treadmill. My little ones make it almost impossible and I find the treadmill about as boring as it can get, but every little bit helps!

I have definitely found that I eat healthier on days when I exercise. Even if it's just down the street and back. Too much guilt if I exercise then throw all the benefits away by eating junk food.

[Barb F. PA in AZ]

Okay, not painlessly, but successfully....

Today I added *brown* rice to my fat-free Veggie Chick Soup. That was step one -- the brown rice. I am working my way up to actually eating oatmeal for the first time instead of just looking at it in the pantry.

Hey that's a good start!

Do any of you have any transitioning ideas? My goal is for my family to eat healthily, but I'm not worried about them because whatever I cook, they will eat (or starve, LOL).

Try going from there to change recipes you already love before trying to branch out and start all new things.

Here goes:

meatloaf:
try buy the 93% lean ground meat, and depending on your recipe, substituting egg whites or egg beaters for whole eggs, toasted crumbled whole wheat bread for bread crumbs, and yogurt for sour cream.

fried chicken: Oh, that's a tough one to give up. Save the real thing for the occasional birthday dinner. I haven't tried this, but it looks like it might be worth a shot: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Oven-Fried-Chicken-IV/Detail.aspx
Although I would try skinning the chicken pieces and using lowfat yogurt in the place of sour cream.

country fried steak and gravy: Um, yeah...no way to fix this one. That's got to go.

white rice and gravy: Okay, how about brown rice and defatted gravy? Use the drippings and lose the fat. Do you have a separator? These are great: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-2-Cup-Separator/dp/B000BGTZSG/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1203573932&sr=8-2

mashed potatoes and gravy: Best saved and eaten sparingly, but red potatoes have a lower glycemic index and if you can get used to sweet potatoes, they are a wonderful alternative either baked or mashed.

biscuits and country gravy: Nope, I can't think of a substitute.

butter-laden corn bread: I'd still indulge in the cornbread at first, but leave off the butter laden part. Try switching to the healthiest oils possible. Hopefully you don't put sugar in your corn bread...ick :))

White bread: To wean yourself, look for whitewheat. It has the fiber of whole wheat with the texture and sweeter taste of white. Nature's Own has a brand called Whitewheat made with unbleached white flour and has 5g of fiber per 2 slices. Sara Lee also has a brand. Here's an article on it: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2005-03-16-white-wheat_x.htm

sugar in coffee: Have you tried Stevia? I hate sugar in my coffee, but my husband swears by it. Try going half sugar and half Stevia to transition.

fudge: Maybe the occasional piece of really dark chocolate?

homemade cookies: If you do make cookies, try using half whole wheat flour (King Arthur sells a light whole wheat that is closer in texture to white flour) and making a half batch...just enough for everyone to have a 3-4 and then give the rest away to a neighbor.

pies: Yep, that's gotta go, but how about stewing apples or peaches and then sprinkling a little brown sugar and cinnamon on the top?

Miracle Whip: :eek: Oh yes, please lose the Miracle Whip.

I know what to eat, but I don't want to fail at this -- it should be a transition, right?

You can't possibly fail unless you completely fail to try. Each day is a fresh start. The secret is to make good individual choices that add up to an overall healthy diet. If you indulge a little here and a little there, it can really add up. Keep a food diary for a while to see where you are doing well and where you trip up. On the flip side, deciding to make a half batch of cookies is not a failure as long as you eat a few and then get rid of the rest. Decide where you're going to expend the calories and do it consciously to reward yourself in the context of your overall diet. When tempted to eat 3-4 bites of leftovers or a handful of chips, ask yourself, "is this worth wasting calories on, or do I want to save the calories for something I really want? Food is one of life's richest sensual pleasures, so even in the context of your health situation, don't unwittingly punish yourself by holding out on yourself too much. Make it work for you. Maybe you'll get into Ornish range, but trying to do it all at once could really shatter your motivation. Find ways to make healthy food more flavorful (start shopping at Penzey's spices...they are out of this world and often cost less than what you spend at the store).

I hope you find some helpful things in here. Good luck on your new adventure!

Barb