the sun and the moon and the stars (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
eleanorjane) wrote2011-08-01 08:01 am
eleanorjane) wrote2011-08-01 08:01 am
Snack food - help!
I know a lot of you are keen cooks and/or knowledgeable about food, so I'd like to ask for some advice and input. I'll put it behind a cut for the sake of those with eating/food issues.
(And for those with food issues who've braved the cut, I want to be clear - any judgemental language I use ("too much", "should" and so on) applies entirely to my own desires for healthier eating habits. If I talk about "too much" of X, I mean "too much for me", not too much for you or anyone else.)
So, I don't eat as healthily as I would like. I mostly try to avoid junk (although I need to cut down on my sugary drink intake), but my diet is not as well-rounded as it could be, and as I would like it to be.
Specifically: I eat too many carbohydrates (starches generally, rather than sugars). Particularly in the form of bread-and-breadlike-items, pasta and noodles (what Americans would call ramen, I believe). This is for several reasons:
* It's not convenient for me to nip out for fresh food on a regular basis; I get groceries (delivered) on average about once a week, and dried/frozen carb-y food tends to keep the best. By the end of the week, any remaining fruit & veg look rather wilty and unappealing, and any remaining meat is probably not in good shape.
* My appetite has mostly tended towards smaller, more frequent mini-meals and large snacks, rather than Three Square Meals A Day. When you're not hungry for much, it's hard to make that balanced, you know?
* Carb foods are generally a) quick and easy to prepare, and b) do not require attention while cooking.
So what I'm looking for, I guess, is suggestions for easy snacky food that's high on fibre and reasonable for protein, to replace some of the carbs. I'm particularly interested in stuff with low prep time, stuff that will keep well, and stuff that's easily snacked-on. Huge bonus points if it's savoury and satisfying.
Nutritionally, I'm somewhat Vitamin D deficient and low on both good and bad cholesterol. My blood pressure's a little high, and I wouldn't mind more calcium. I'm mildly lactose intolerant (I can cope with most dairy, but not full-fat milk) and I generally prefer savoury to sweet. And obviously I want to be sensible about calories, but I'm not asking for the sake of dieting; this is an effort to improve the balance and healthiness of what I eat, not control calorie intake.
Thankyou for any input you can offer!
(Cross-posted to a community and my own journal.)
(And for those with food issues who've braved the cut, I want to be clear - any judgemental language I use ("too much", "should" and so on) applies entirely to my own desires for healthier eating habits. If I talk about "too much" of X, I mean "too much for me", not too much for you or anyone else.)
So, I don't eat as healthily as I would like. I mostly try to avoid junk (although I need to cut down on my sugary drink intake), but my diet is not as well-rounded as it could be, and as I would like it to be.
Specifically: I eat too many carbohydrates (starches generally, rather than sugars). Particularly in the form of bread-and-breadlike-items, pasta and noodles (what Americans would call ramen, I believe). This is for several reasons:
* It's not convenient for me to nip out for fresh food on a regular basis; I get groceries (delivered) on average about once a week, and dried/frozen carb-y food tends to keep the best. By the end of the week, any remaining fruit & veg look rather wilty and unappealing, and any remaining meat is probably not in good shape.
* My appetite has mostly tended towards smaller, more frequent mini-meals and large snacks, rather than Three Square Meals A Day. When you're not hungry for much, it's hard to make that balanced, you know?
* Carb foods are generally a) quick and easy to prepare, and b) do not require attention while cooking.
So what I'm looking for, I guess, is suggestions for easy snacky food that's high on fibre and reasonable for protein, to replace some of the carbs. I'm particularly interested in stuff with low prep time, stuff that will keep well, and stuff that's easily snacked-on. Huge bonus points if it's savoury and satisfying.
Nutritionally, I'm somewhat Vitamin D deficient and low on both good and bad cholesterol. My blood pressure's a little high, and I wouldn't mind more calcium. I'm mildly lactose intolerant (I can cope with most dairy, but not full-fat milk) and I generally prefer savoury to sweet. And obviously I want to be sensible about calories, but I'm not asking for the sake of dieting; this is an effort to improve the balance and healthiness of what I eat, not control calorie intake.
Thankyou for any input you can offer!
(Cross-posted to a community and my own journal.)
no subject
I love salad, so shopping once a week took a while to get the hang of how to buy and store lettuce - I buy a whole lettuce, don't wash it or tear off the excess leaves, but wrap it up in paper towel and store it in a plastic bag. When I want some lettuce, I tear off the leaves I want, wash and drain them, and put them in my salad. It's worked well for me. Celery goes floppy in the fridge, but if you give the ends a trim and float the sticks in cold water, they become crispy again. Carrot, cucumber, capsicum all keep for a week in a plastic bag.
no subject
And yeah, when I first started this project I was all about cutting down on carbs; now my focus is more on cutting down *and* switching to low GI stuff. It's a work in progress.