Trying to get healthy eating ideas...?

Question

Currently my diet is very unhealthy.

I'm 21, male and live at home with my dad. He doesn't cook anything, and doesn't have the time, so I feed myself - but end up eating crap. In a week I probably eat 4-5 Goodfellas pizzas to myself, or fry a load of onion rings. I'm starting to feel very unhealthy, although I don't believe I'm overweight. I've started jogging again, but I need to improve my diet.

My problem isn't a lack of willpower, it's more a lack of knowledge. If I knew how to eat healthily, I would.

I need ideas for meals that are easy to make, not too expensive (eg Tropicana orange juice is out as my dad won't buy it - I'm at uni and can't afford to buy food) and healthy.

I'm thinking:

Cereal in the morning with skimmed milk - but which 2/3 types are best?
Sandwich when I'm at uni - with wholemeal bread. Things like tuna salad, turkey, ham etc.
I have no idea what I can do for an evening meal.

Please help!

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hi

For breakfast I like to eat bran flakes for breakfast with fresh fruit or dried fruit and nuts sprinkled over. Musli is great too you can get some tasty combinations with tropical fruit etc in them, cornflakes are great too or any basic cerial like weetabix etc (dont add sugar to these if you need to add anything add dry fruit such as raisins, apricots etc. As for fruit juice does it have to be tropicana - there are plenty varieties at the supermarket that cost less - I buy 3 cartons for £2 which would last the week if I had one glass per day (there are some cheaper than this)

I think a sandwich at lunch is fine - try to add some salad whether just cucumber,tomato or lettuce. You need to eat 5 portions of fruit and veg a day. add an apple or banana to your lunch box and maybe a yoghurt. try using pitta bread, tortillas etc for a change. you could even take a simple pasta salad (recipes can be found on the net).

For you evening meal there are many quick and easy recipes to try out - try makeing your own pizza base -a scone base is easy- you can get a packet mix for about 40pence then you can top it with passata your favourite veg, meat and fruit - its using excess cheese that makes pizza unhealthy.

If you cannot change what your dad buys you can change the way you cook. DO NOT DEEP FRY YOUR FOOD. You can grill or ovenbake most things, if you need a little oil try a small amount of olive oil which is much healthier (not to be used excessively) pasta with home made sauces are easy too.

Many website have recipes on how to make healthy food, then perhaps you can cook things for your dad to eat too. You may find that buying fresh food and making things from scratch is less expensive and tastier that buying pre packed things. Dont expect your dad to change his shopping list in one go. Maybe if you buy the food to make a healthy meal once a week that you both like, he will encorporate the ingredients into his usual shopping list.

Hope that this helps.

PS for the 5 portions of fruit and veg, have a glass of orange juice, and a handful of raisins with your breakfast, an apple at lunch, lettuce and cucumber on your sandwich and hey presto you have consumed your 5 portions by lunch time.

Hope that this helps.

Try some of these recipes:
http://www.nestle.com/Interest_Areas/Cooking/Recipes+of+the+world/College+cooking/

Answer 2

Roasted Vegetables 1/2 pound of mushrooms cut in quarters 1 zucchini 1 yellow squash 1 red onion 1 orange bell pepper 3 cloves garlic 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary 1/4 cup olive oil salt & pepper Preheat oven 425' Chop all veggies into large bite size pieces and mince garlic. Toss with olive oil, rosemary, and a generous pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet in an even layer and roast for 30 minutes shaking the pan up half way through to stir up the veggies. This would be good cold the next day as a salad just add feta cheese, kalamata olives, and a drizzle of balsalmic vinegar.

Answer 3

Maybe a salad for lunch/dinner with some lowfat ham/cheese. Try shopping at Aldi for food if you have one, that's realitively inexpensive. also, if you eat the cafeteria food you WILL gain weight, take it from one who's done it. Check out ediets just to get ideas or surf for ideas. Also have fruit with you at all times or carrots/celery in a bag in case you get hungry. Get cereal with protein in it such as Quaker weight control and some dry cereals as well. Fried food while it tastes good is generally bad and will eventually catch up with you. Avoid the "freshman 15" and good luck!

Answer 4

hi, my hubby and myself, eat fresh pasta with a tomato sauce with garilc, you can buy a bag of dried pasta for less than a pound and fresh egg pasta for just over in all major super markets and even a really basic sauce, ie tinned tomatos, garlic and some mixed herbs is healthy, we also buy fish, if you buy some frozen cod steaks or smoked haddock, put it in a large oven proof dish lined with tin foil. pour over tinned tomatoes, some sweetcorn and season and wrap in foil and bake for 45-60 mins, serve with loads of veg, even fozen veg, also we make homemade kebabs, buy some basic salad ingredients, either pitta bread (i like garlic and herb pittas, my hubby uses tortilla wraps), and some diced chicken or lamb or beef or even pork, if you like it marinaded then marinade it and then we use a yogurt, based sauce with a bit of lemon juice and throw it all together, finally i would invest in a george foreman grill, we have a few of them in different sizes, even if you buy unhealthy foods if you cook them on the george foreman a lot more fat will drain off than if you just grill them, as far as cereal, porridge is really good, we dont like it so i have all bran and my hubby either has shredded wheat or good old fashioned corn flakes, we have only just started eating like this since my hubby found out he was diabetic, but we feel better for it, also, brisk walking is just as good for you as jogging, you will find that for the first week of healthy eating you will feel a bit crappy, this is while your'e body detoxes from all the crap, you are sensible to do it now, my hubby is 44 and maybe you can avoid some of his health probs by changing your'e eating habits now, good luck

Answer 5

You already know what foods to eat. We all know what is better for us but few of us have the power to do so. It is the habit that dominates and that takes lots of willpower to overcome and do what is the better.

Answer 6

You like chicken? Make quesadilla's, or tacos, they have a lot of veggies in them.
Breakfast: make omelette's with frozen veggies
so many receipes online! www.heinz.ca has amazing choices!!!

Answer 7

http://www.realbuzz.com/healthy_living/healthy_eating/index.php?pmid=193&gmid=161&mode=1&aid=826

Try this link

Answer 8

RUM and Pizza.