The Eating-Well Thread

@akbogert: Here's a hummus recipe that I've made before. It's pretty easy. The total time including prep usually only takes 30-40 minutes.

http://www.marthastewart.com/316977/spiced-up-hummus

Sabra hummus is so good though that I usually just buy that 9 out of 10 times. :)

@RazzaTazz said:

Something to think about, there are only seven menu items at McDonalds that do not have added sugar. And two of those (coffee and tea) are items that people often add sugar to. By added sugar I mean not naturally occurring sugars. So for instance an apply has no added sugar. Just to illustrate this, all of the salads have added sugar, as do all of their sandwiches. Surprisingly one of the sugar free items are the chicken nuggets, though these are often dipped into sugar sauces (all of the sauces for the nuggets are extremely high in sugar)

Why would anyone go to Mcdonalds?

I enjoy fast food too much and even I know Mcdonalds is horrible.

It's like going from meth to heroin injections in the face.

@InnerVenom123 said:

@RazzaTazz said:

Something to think about, there are only seven menu items at McDonalds that do not have added sugar. And two of those (coffee and tea) are items that people often add sugar to. By added sugar I mean not naturally occurring sugars. So for instance an apply has no added sugar. Just to illustrate this, all of the salads have added sugar, as do all of their sandwiches. Surprisingly one of the sugar free items are the chicken nuggets, though these are often dipped into sugar sauces (all of the sauces for the nuggets are extremely high in sugar)

Why would anyone go to Mcdonalds?

I enjoy fast food too much and even I know Mcdonalds is horrible.

It's like going from meth to heroin injections in the face.

Agreed, I havnt been back to one since I saw a bug crawl OUT OF a french fry about 9 years ago. I dont know how it made it though the deep fryer and dont really care. It was disgusting.

@InnerVenom123: Hahaha. I was going to say something like this, but less well. I've always hated McDonald's.

@Pyrogram said:

@Decoy Elite said:

I...I don't think I should be looking at this thread. It makes me so depressed about how unhealthy I am. ;.;

Well change.

POOF

HE NO LONGER UNHEALTH

I DA HEALTH JENIE

@akbogert said:

@Floopay: Definitely taking notes here ^_^

Question: you said you've cooked Tandoori. I've always been under the impression that one needs a special kind of oven to pull off Tandoori (say, chicken). Is that true? Or is there a way to approximate with a conventional oven? Just in general I'd love to pick up some Indian recipes because that food tends to be quite expensive to buy at restaurants in my experience. Though I also understand Indian cooking tends to use rarer, more expensive spices. Anyhow I'd love advice on that cuisine in particular, from anyone who's done it.

Tandoori is not only a dish, but it technically refers to the oven it is cooked in. So "Tandoori Chicken" refers to the style of seasoning and the oven it's placed in.

However, when cooking at home or even in industrial kitchen's it's unlikely one will buy one of these:

So most places will replicate the spice mixtures, and then use a conventional/convection to cook it as close as possible to the actually dish. There are also a million ways to make a homemade Tandoori Oven using everything from sheet metal, to clay pots, to beer kegs, so there's that too.

Turmeric and Coriander are the big spices to learn to use in Indian cuisine, and you'll see it in many recipes.

CAUTION: Turmeric will stain ANYTHING and EVERYTHING it comes into contact with. The rubber spatulas I use at work are all permanently stained yellow from whenever the last time they were used in a dish with Turmeric in it. If you get it on your skin, be prepared to have a yellow spot on you for quite awhile. And yes, it's that bad....

Thanks for reading,

Floopay

@RazzaTazz said:

@ImmortalT1000: Generally speaking (allowing for some extravagances every now and then) you should never drink something that is neither milk or water as it is going to be bad for you.

To add to this. There was a study done awhile back on kids teeth, and whether or not sweets were solely to blame for kids getting cavities and having eroded enamel. And one of the biggest culprits for the problems observed with kids teeth was Sunny Delight and Lemonade that was being given to kids on a near daily basis for breakfast.

That being said, fruit drinks and etc. may contain vitamins that are good for your body, but they generally have a high acidity that is harmful not only to your teeth, but also to your stomach as well. Generally, they are okay to have once in awhile, but consuming them daily can be as bad for your body as soda and other sugary drinks.

Thanks for reading,

Floopay

@Floopay: Awesome, thanks for the info. Any recipes/websites you would particularly recommend (that would be reasonable to make in a standard household kitchen)?

@Floopay: The drinks are mainly due to the amount of surface area they cover in your mouth. Similar to the commercials for mouth wash, "getting to the places brushing missed." Candy only has the opportunity to rot the areas it touches, as isnt usually as available as the sugary drinks you referenced. All and all good add on to the post. This is turning into one of my favorites so far.

@akbogert said:

@Floopay: Awesome, thanks for the info. Any recipes/websites you would particularly recommend (that would be reasonable to make in a standard household kitchen)?

Not offhand, should check online though.

All my cookbooks are buried right now, I can dig them out later, but as of now that's one project I don't want to tackle. I've got a couple good ones in an International Cuisine cookbook from my days in culinary school.

Thanks for reading,

Floopay

@InnerVenom123 said:

@RazzaTazz said:

Something to think about, there are only seven menu items at McDonalds that do not have added sugar. And two of those (coffee and tea) are items that people often add sugar to. By added sugar I mean not naturally occurring sugars. So for instance an apply has no added sugar. Just to illustrate this, all of the salads have added sugar, as do all of their sandwiches. Surprisingly one of the sugar free items are the chicken nuggets, though these are often dipped into sugar sauces (all of the sauces for the nuggets are extremely high in sugar)

Why would anyone go to Mcdonalds?

I enjoy fast food too much and even I know Mcdonalds is horrible.

It's like going from meth to heroin injections in the face.

The added sugar rule is true of all fast food places, I just used McDonalds as it is the most popular.

@RazzaTazz said:

@InnerVenom123 said:

@RazzaTazz said:

Something to think about, there are only seven menu items at McDonalds that do not have added sugar. And two of those (coffee and tea) are items that people often add sugar to. By added sugar I mean not naturally occurring sugars. So for instance an apply has no added sugar. Just to illustrate this, all of the salads have added sugar, as do all of their sandwiches. Surprisingly one of the sugar free items are the chicken nuggets, though these are often dipped into sugar sauces (all of the sauces for the nuggets are extremely high in sugar)

Why would anyone go to Mcdonalds?

I enjoy fast food too much and even I know Mcdonalds is horrible.

It's like going from meth to heroin injections in the face.

The added sugar rule is true of all fast food places, I just used McDonalds as it is the most popular.

Well, yeah. But still.

Mcdonalds is awful. Like, especially awful. Awful among awfulness.

McDonalds still makes me sick to this day.

And I can easily tolerate Taco Bell.

Seriously, that stuff is poison on a plate.

Hulk trying to lose a little weight.

Just because Hulk have increased metabolism from radiation doesn't mean Hulk can''t gain weight AT ALL. So, Hulk going to try to go for runs for half an hour each day for a week.

@TheHulk said:

Hulk trying to lose a little weight.

Just because Hulk have increased metabolism from radiation doesn't mean Hulk can''t gain weight AT ALL. So, Hulk going to try to go for runs for half an hour each day for a week.

Hulk should know it typically takes 6-8 for the body to adapt and make more permanent changes to its self. For first timers it is actually closer to 12(this period of time is what the P90X timeline is based off of). Working out for a week or two at a time is not going to make any long term changes, simply burn through some stored sugars and water. Maybe think about going 3-4 times your first week and moving forward from there. The easiest way to track your progress is with the F.I.T.T. concept; with each week make sure to increase either the Frequency, Intensity, Type, or Time for the activity you are doing. The body will tend to level off at what your daily activity + the food you take in averages out to. Consistently is the most important but always remember that your body will only add more muscle and increase your metabolism if it has it. Every pound of muscle equals out to that many more calories you burn in a day, also known as your BMR(basal metabolic rate), so unless you consistently reinforce the need for your body to maintain itself at this level, whatever it may be based on your particular goals, it will tend to revert back to where you were before.

Since finding myself single again, I've discovered that I really am a lousy cook.  Guess all those jokes my exes, rest their souls, made about my culinary skills (or, rather, lack thereof) were warranted.  I would appreciate any recipes you would all be willing to share, as well as basic advice.  For instance, how do you make palatable hollandaise?  Mine is lumpy, grainy and generally vile.  My custard is more like an omellette (do I really have to use all that sugar?).  Can't I make these things in a crock pot?  I'm not adverse to butter and eggs in moderation, as Razz mentioned, and I enjoy cheese (esp. camembert).  Although I have a sneaking suspicion that the foods I keep attempting are a bit... delicate for my current level of expertise.  Advice would be accepted.

@satyrgod: I would start out with a cookbook, there's a lot of good ones out there. Then, as your experience grows you'll find yourself not using the book so often and going more by feel. After that you'll probably try new things out and create your own dishes.

@RazzaTazz: This thread is actually going to be a lot of use I only just moved out to live on my own and i've been living on pasta for the past few days! This might give me the kick i need to actually start cooking stuff!

I'm literally just cutting down on sugar in my diet, eating more fruit and having smaller portions.

My Dad always used to go on a high protein low carb diet after a significant injury (like a broken collarbone) to lose weight and that seemed to work quite well.

@RazzaTazz said:

I Will say this- my eating habits are pretty terrible. I add sugar to everything (cereal, tea, hot cocoa), eat out all the time (I'm catered in University), and tend to have "a few" drinks every Friday or Saturday on a night out. However, my weight is under control (My BMI is 23.5), and I exercise pretty much everyday (walk everywhere, gym, routine at home). So I am I doing any damage to myself at this rate or am I doing okay, since I'm "Burning up everything I consume" ?

@Strider92 said:

@RazzaTazz: This thread is actually going to be a lot of use I only just moved out to live on my own and i've been living on pasta for the past few days! This might give me the kick i need to actually start cooking stuff!

Pasta, I swear is that the staple diet of every young person/student apart from me?

@laflux said:

@Strider92 said:

@RazzaTazz: This thread is actually going to be a lot of use I only just moved out to live on my own and i've been living on pasta for the past few days! This might give me the kick i need to actually start cooking stuff!

Pasta, I swear is that the staple diet of every young person/student apart from me?

I've never much cared for pasta, so if nothing else that makes two of us.

Actually, my doctor recommended cutting out all bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes from diets to both my father and I (we've both always been pretty overweight). Obviously if you're in good health and have great metabolism then you're probably fine, but I've seen my dad lose a lot of weight since adapting to that diet and, quite frankly, it makes a lot of sense not to be putting extra carbs in your body when it already has plenty of stored energy waiting to be expended.

After my initial relationship, a friend tutored my in cooking pasta as a basic introduction.  And it's cheap for those just starting out.  But it's insidiously devoid of nutrients and catabolizes down to sugar, which spikes insulin that, in turn, causes the body to store any glucose that it doesn't require for immediate function as fat.  Now I eat low-sugar, low-carb, low-refined closer-to-Nature real food as part of a general health routine.  It's all about lifestyle choices and taking responsibility for our own health and well-being.

@RazzaTazz: Thanks for the advice.

I learn something new every day.

@Strider92: There are a lot of forms of pasta which can be quite good. Red sauce is ok, but there are easy things to throw in with it to change it up completely

@laflux said:

@RazzaTazz said:

I Will say this- my eating habits are pretty terrible. I add sugar to everything (cereal, tea, hot cocoa), eat out all the time (I'm catered in University), and tend to have "a few" drinks every Friday or Saturday on a night out. However, my weight is under control (My BMI is 23.5), and I exercise pretty much everyday (walk everywhere, gym, routine at home). So I am I doing any damage to myself at this rate or am I doing okay, since I'm "Burning up everything I consume" ?

The problem with that is as metabolism drops, you will notice negative health effects.

@akbogert said:

@laflux said:

@Strider92 said:

@RazzaTazz: This thread is actually going to be a lot of use I only just moved out to live on my own and i've been living on pasta for the past few days! This might give me the kick i need to actually start cooking stuff!

Pasta, I swear is that the staple diet of every young person/student apart from me?

I've never much cared for pasta, so if nothing else that makes two of us.

Actually, my doctor recommended cutting out all bread, rice, pasta, and potatoes from diets to both my father and I (we've both always been pretty overweight). Obviously if you're in good health and have great metabolism then you're probably fine, but I've seen my dad lose a lot of weight since adapting to that diet and, quite frankly, it makes a lot of sense not to be putting extra carbs in your body when it already has plenty of stored energy waiting to be expended.

Complex carbs are better than simple cards for losing weight , Mostly complex carbs will fill you up more so you eat less, eating simple cards will not fill you up but give you much much more calories and this makes you overweight, For example eating 500 calories worth of pasta will fill you up and give you energy but not make you fat, but you can eat 1000+ worth of Simple carbs and not even feel half full. Pasta is one of the wonders of food I think and has only benefits. Your body does not store Carbs in the way your thinking also, It is the Fat that your body will need to burn to lose weight, not complex carbs, simple carbs will create more fat, so its working against you not eating complex carbs. It may work for a bit and make you lose weight, but the long term effect on your body is very bad.

Sweet Potato Fries

Sweet potatoes are good complex carbohydrates which help feel full longer, take longer to digest, have fiber, good source of vitamin C, don't send blood glucose levels up very high, and are just yummy all together.

1. Preheat oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Peel the sweet potato(es)
3. Cut them up into fry shapes.
4. Add all the fries up in a big bowl.
5. Coat in a small amount of egg whites (3 tablespoons of egg whites or 2-3 egg whites if shelled eggs)
6. The egg whites are used to create a coating so spices stick.
7. Use your fave spices ( garlic powder and paprika is delicious)
8. mix the bowl with your hand so everything gets coated and covered.
9. Spray an aluminum foil sheet with a non stick oil.
10. Bake for 20 minutes.
11. Done.

GS fun fact: I was going to be a chef (to pay for wrestling) about 8 years before I thought of becoming a trainer. I decided this when I was 9 or 10. So I have been cooking for awhile.

My Oatmeal Recommendations.

Oatmeal by itself is boring. I don't think people should really get the flavored stuff cause it is relatively small in packs, and 2 together is around 24 grams of sugar. Buy the tub of the plain, quick oats which take a minute to make.

1. Put oats in a bowl. Add water. Cook for one minute.
2. Add a spoonful of all natural peanut butter. I buy the non stir kind so it looks like regular peanut butter and not the crap in a jar looking stuff. If that is what you like then feel free to use that. Stir the pb.
3. Add some cinnamon and stir again.
4. If you don't like PB, I've used vanilla whey protein powder and adding the cinnamon with a spoonful of stevia and it tastes kind of like cinnamon rolls.

Egg whites and salsa.

Quick recipe. Low fat, high protein. Good for any time of the day. Tastes like salsa, not egg whites. Cause they kind of suck plain.

1. Throw a few spoonfuls of salsa in a skillet and cook it for a few minutes so it gets hot.
2. Throw in some egg whites (I tend to use 4 shelled eggs and separate them.)
3. Mix them around.
4. Done.

You can supplement this meal easily. Cooking some broccoli or other vegetables in the microwave for some veggies to add to it.

Egg white, Salsa, Cheese Breakfast Sandwich. (Takes about 5 minutes to make)

1. Add a bit of olive oil to a pan. (Olive oil is a great fat. It is a monounsaturated fat. It lowers low density lipoproteins and raises high density ones so it is good for the heart and healthy cholesterol. It also helps ease blood glucose levels if I am not mistaken.) If no olive oil, spray with a bit of canola I guess.
2. Toast 100% whole wheat bread.
3. Throw the egg whites (2-3 shelled eggs; separated.) They take a minute to make.
4. Sprinkle some seasonings on the egg whites ( for this recipe I tend to use like basil or oregano.)
5. Add some hot sauce or salsa to the egg whites and mix a bit.
6. Sprinkle on some low fat mozzarella cheese. (Any low fat cheese would be good. Just my preference.)
7. Let the heat of the stove melt the cheese.
8. Then when it is all cooked and melted, put it on the toast. There you go.

Breakfast Burrito

1. Olive oil the pan to prevent sticking.
2. Scramble 2-3 shelled eggs worth of egg whites, then add one whole egg.
3. Add some seasonings to the eggs if you wish.
4. Add a spoonful of salsa or a bit of Tabasco sauce.
5. Warm a 100% whole wheat tortilla shell in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Or you can griddle it if you want but you want some mobility to it to wrap.
6. Put the eggs on the wrap and it's done.
7. (Optional) You can add some other things like cooking up some peppers, sprinkle a bit of low fat cheese or a turkey breast slice for an extra protein source.

Chicken Fajitas

1. Olive oil the skillet.
2. Slice chicken breasts into strips. Cook them in a skillet until they are done. Feel free to add seasonings to the chicken while cooking.
3. Add some peppers when the chicken is done and cook them until tender, yet crisp.
4. Warm a whole wheat tortilla shell up in the microwave or cook it in another skillet.
5. Put the chicken and peppers on the tortilla when done, wrap, enjoy.
6. (Optional and recommended) You can add other veggies. I have used squash, tomato slices or cherry/grape tomatoes, zucchini and onions. If you don't want to use the tortilla wraps too, you can eat this like stir fry.

Mass Attack Snack Wrap

For the bulkers. As gross as this will sound, it tastes pretty good and is a good way for some extra calories.

1. Whole wheat tortilla shell or brown rice wrap.
2. 2 tbsp of all natural peanut butter.
3. Add one banana.
4. Top with a slice of low fat cheese.
5. Wrap and eat.

@god_spawn: These are super sweet!

@Pyrogram: Oh, I may have phrased it in a way that suggested I thought something other than I did. I know the fat is what gets burned, the stored energy. I'm saying that since a fat person has all that stored energy waiting to be used, they don't need to supply a lot of new energy in what they eat; just enough to get the body burning, and when it's not getting the energy from what you're eating, then it will go for what it has saved up. So yeah, eating smaller, lighter meals, frequently enough to have the metabolism constantly at work, and as few carbs as possible because your body already has all the energy it needs hanging off of you :P (That was a really pedestrian way of putting all that, I'll admit)

@god_spawn: Thank you. A lot.

@akbogert: I understand you, buts its a bit more complicated then your body doing that but It will work after time, body's are pretty reluctant to shed excess fat when not eating complex carbs, not the healthiest method of weight loss but it works lol But don't listen to any old advice, if it works for you, who am I to say otherwise?

@Pyrogram: I understand the body is actually likely to attack muscle first (over fat) if you're not careful (i.e. people who just stop eating), so I get that there's more to it. And yeah, I know to some extent it works because my father really has gotten much healthier over the months he's been following that diet. I will definitely keep in mind what you're saying here, though. It's not an area I'd even pretend to be knowledgeable about.

@akbogert said:

@Pyrogram: I understand the body is actually likely to attack muscle first (over fat) if you're not careful (i.e. people who just stop eating), so I get that there's more to it. And yeah, I know to some extent it works because my father really has gotten much healthier over the months he's been following that diet. I will definitely keep in mind what you're saying here, though. It's not an area I'd even pretend to be knowledgeable about.

Remember , if it works for you most of the time stick to it :)

Off to the closest thing to a whole foods store around here today. Figured that's as good a reason as any to bump this bad boy back up. I'm quite looking forward to trying some of these things out ^_^

I don't even know what the difference truly is (if any) but I'm trying to switch to organic. :]

Snack on fruits and paprika is your best friend

bite one when hungry

can be eaten raw

must be washed first