Lately, however, I've been making a concerted effort to try to eat healthier throughout the day. I still don't write down everything I eat most of the time, but I have been checking the nutritional information on each package. And let me tell you, some of the information has come as quite a shock.
For example, recently I have become somewhat addicted to cheddar cheese. But tonight I looked at the nutritional information and almost had a heart attack on the spot. Can you believe 110 calories per one one square inch cube? Whatduheck? Does that seem like a lot to anyone else? That means that in one snack, I might have eaten 1/10 of my daily caloric intake. [Or more. Don't judge.]
Due to this newfound awareness, I have been eating a lot of salads at lunchtime. And I am not usually a salad-eating kind of girl. I have been experimenting around with different ingredients and have even come to [mostly] enjoy this almost-daily ritual. But again, did you know that avocados are high in fat and that pecans are high in calories? A painful betrayal from two of my favorite ingredients. The tricky thing is that those two facts don't necessarily mean "bad for you." It just means, "limit your intake." Am I right?
One of my experiments. Before I found out about the traitor, Pecans.
This nutrition stuff is tricky, I tell you.
I think I almost liked it better when I wasn't so aware. But I'm hoping my body will thank me for it later.
Do any of you have any suggestions for me? I would love to hear them.
10 comments:
No suggestions, just here to tell you I also love avocados and felt betrayed when I found out how much fat there was in them. And then I decided I don't care, because 400 calories of avocado has to be better than 400 calories of ice cream, right? (That logic isn't very good, but its 4 am...)
I think the key is how it makes you feel. Bad fats will leave you craving more, but you should be able to have a few pecans on your salad and be satisfied. The same goes for olives. Anything that causes you to crave more after a full serving isn't meeting the nutritional need.
haha oh dear. I thought pecans were healthy!! haha well... try almonds?
Isn't avocado fat the good kind of fat? Unsaturated, maybe? I dunno.
I like snacking on cheese too. I buy the snack stick things, and the ones I have in my fridge are 80 calories per stick.
Veggies are always good, right? I think you can even dip them in things (ranch, hummus, peanut butter, low-fat cream cheese), as long as you go easy on the dip. I think salads are kind of the same way, in that the dressing is what can really get you. Or so I've heard.
Um...that's all I've got. Also, Dr. Pepper is good for your soul. And you gotta take care of your soul.
Haha Katie! Yes I try to eat healthier! I have a few books you could borrow about foods! What to eat what to substitute. Avocados are a good fat and are considered a superfood! Almonds are also a superfood. You have to be careful with cheese try the part skim mozzarella it's half the fat of cheddar. I have been driving Wade crazy with this health stuff. I have this app for my phone you can also do online I'll show it to you, you put in weight height blah blah and enter your foods as you eat and calculates everything for you! It is how I have dropped most of my baby weight!
Katie,
Avocados are GREAT for you! Don't be scared of the word fat! They have so many great properties and help aid in digestion and absorption. I have at least one a day and Luke eats lots too. Pecans (or any nut) are also very good for you just limit your intake per meal. I serving size should be about 5-6. Not anything to really get excited about, but they are good for you in small doses.
Your diet really should consist of Meat (lean as possible), LOTS of veggies, healthy fats (coconut oil, avocados, etc) and some fruit. Try to limit ALL processed garbage! When you do eat breads, etc just try to make them the whole grain. Eating things without food labels is best (ie: veggies)!! Watch out for sugar...it is in EVERYTHING (including most salad dressing, so be careful)! Those oh so yummy Bahama Bucks are pure sugar and food coloring (which is horrible!). This is not to say you give up your favorite things...just limit.
You may not think that processed food or sugar have that much of an effect on your body but when you go without for a while (being very strict) and you reintroduce some of that stuff your body will immediately tell you NO THANKS!
Eating clean (meats, h.f., veggies, fruits) gives your body a break for the bombardment of crap we are exposed to everyday. The body can and will fix many problems that may be going on when it is given the proper nutrition to do so.
Green smoothies are a great way to get tons of good stuff all at once. Google some recipes and find some you like and make it a habit.
Don't worry so much about calories...if you are eating the right stuff you shouldn't have to count calories.
Sorry, that was all some scrambled info...hope it makes sense. If you have any questions let me know. I love this stuff and am constantly learning more!
Some great documentaries you and Tim could watch are Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead. Food Inc. Food Matters. These are all really great!
Anyways, hope I was of some help. And I know there is always conflicting info, so do your own research.
Oh, by the way I saw your mama and brother at the temple on Saturday. So good to see them! We should meet up and go the temple together some time!!!!
Nutrition stuff is tricky! Also, I might wish that I didn't know how many calories were in cheddar cheese! Gah! I need to feed the baby though, right?! ;)
Amber is right on :) Avocados and nuts have the kind of fat your body needs. Of course, moderation in everything! As for cheese, I stick to low-fat, low-moisture mozarella, since it's one of the healthiest cheeses you can eat. I use it for everything, even enchiladas (which my Hispanic boss thinks is weird).
She's also right about the salad dressings...even the no-fat versions aren't all that healthy for you. I try to make my own, so I know exactly what goes in and how much. For a super basic vinaigrette, just mix olive oil (another good fat) with some cider or balsamic vinegar, and a little salt and pepper. You could also use lemon juice instead of or in addition to the vinegar.
Good luck trying to eat healthier! It's definitely not easy...I know I've been slacking lately. Thanks for a little motivation boost!
Yeah in case you don't know, avocados and pecans have a different kind of fat in them that they're actually antiinflammatory which is REALLY good for you for a thousand reasons. Fat isn't bad. It's a nutrient. It just gets a bad rap because it has a higher density of calories and the bad saturated and trans fats can do bad things like raise cholesterol and whatnot. And cheese isn't so bad. Mozarella has less calories if you're worried. But 110 calories probably isn't 1/10th your need. We have a pretty similar body type and my needs are around 1800. But good for you for trying. And if all else fails, have a Dr. Pepper. :) then maybe an apple. Then maybe some ice cream. ;)
oh my goodness you said the magic words. Bahama Bucks. I miss that almost the very most about arizona! that makes me very sad about cheddar cheese. I've been known to freely snack on a giant brick of cheddar cheese because I love it that much. kudos on eating healthier!!
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