Need help with nutrition (a few Q's)

[Ilurvebroccoli]

So, I've been veg for about two months now. I started out eating real healthy, but now all I eat is crap. Its effecting me because I feel sluggish, and unhealthy.

My day of food usually consists of this:

Breakfast: Cocoa Pebbles or some other sugary cereal with 1% milk.
Morning Snacks: At school, usually chips, fruit snacks, chocolate candy or cheeze its.
Lunch: Some type of frozen meal, usually a pasta/ mac and cheese/ or rice meal.
Afternoon snacks: Can range from a frozen cheese pizza, spring rolls, burritos, chips, ice cream, ect.
Dinner: Usually more snacks. I barely make a dinner, I will just eat some bean burritos, spring rolls, or a frozen cheese pizza.
Drinks: Mountain Dew, Diet Pepsi, and occasionally water/ fruit juice.

So, obviously, I eat like crap. I need help. My mom is taking me to get a blood test done for high blood sugar. I have also felt naseus, had frequent heartburn, and just felt sluggish and unconcentrated.

I'm assuming its because of my eating habits, which need to change no matter what. I was wondering if you guys could each do a sample meal plan, like what you eat that keeps you energized throughout the day.

Also, another question, is frozen food bad for you?? I usually take microwave meals to school for luch. Should I stick to making something fresh to take the night before, and if so, any suggestions??

I'm not much of a cook, I can do it, and follow a recipe, ect I just don't know where to start. Anny and all suggestions/ comments are welcome.

[yblad]

i dont see how a pizza is a snack, they can contain half your daily recomended caleries (sp)
you need to eat more fresh foods, more fruit and vedge in general, and less faty sugary ready meals!

[codemonkey]

Eat more real food. Ditch the sugary cereal and switch it for something whole grain, like Kashi (Go Lean Cruch is really sweet and yummy). Frozen meals for lunch aren't necessarily a bad thing in a pinch. I'd rather see you actually make something the night before but the frozen meals are better than nothing. Make sure you're having some real fruits or vegetables during the day. A frozen meal or frozen bean burrito and a nice green salad would be pretty good. For your snacks, a piece of fruit and maybe some raw veggies with something to dip them in would be good (like peanut butter, hummus, dressing, etc.) A peanut butter and jelly sandwich makes a good afternoon snack too. Try to make actual food for dinner instead of something frozen. There's lots of simple vegetarian cookbooks you can buy or check out of the library. Stir-fries are really easy. So are bean burritos (vegetarian refried beans + tortilla + salsa = YUM! Cheese or avocado slices would be optional). If you get really ambitious, you can help cook some of the family meals (it sounds like you do your own thing for dinners). Some stuff that goes over well with meat-eaters are chili (just follow a chili recipe, skip the part about adding meat and add a couple of cans of beans instead - I served a black bean and veggie chorizo chili at an omni potluck and no one knew it was vegan and everyone thought it was awesome) and spaghetti (just leave out the meat or use veggie crumbles and almost every kind of pasta sauce in a jar is vegetarian or you can make your own, it's crazy-easy). If you're just feeding yourself, you could make something like chili or a stew or something and freeze the rest for future lunches and dinners.

[Kaleigh]

You deff. need to eat more real foods instead of the sugar filled diet you seem to be eating now. I am a student so I may end up eating variations on this, but mY diet is generally the same.

B One egg on a slice of toast a glass of real juice and a yogurt

s1 banana

L PBJ and an Apple

s2 trail mix (nuts seeds dried fruit and chocolate)

D Pasta, sauce, a salad

s3 Really just depemds what Im in the mood for. But generally its something like a granola bar or something. Ask your mom to help you plan more nutritious (sp?) meals, or maybe see if she would let you go see a nutritionist to plan out some meals? Either way, good luck!

[Byzantea]

I wake up 30 minutes before I must be out the door or I'll miss the bus to work. In this constraint, using ancient microwave secrets, I've learned about healthy, quick breakfasts.

Try this: Regular oats (not instant). Throw a bowl with about 1/2 cup of water (and water only) in the microwave. 1:20 later (or less) pull it out. Should be bubbling. Shake in oats until they're the thickness you like. Pour some raisins and walnuts on top. I add wheat germ but maybe you don't care for it.

That's it! The raisins provide the sugary taste and fiber, the oats give you protein and fiber, the nuts give you protein, necessary fats, and so on. Sometimes I alternate between eating an apple in 1 bite and the oatmeal in the next. Don't have time to slice it, usually. :D

[lefty2026]

Ditch the soda - drink water. Other than that, I agree with everyone else. Adding fresh fruits/veggies/salads would help a lot. Definitely check out some recipes here or just search online. Check out the food log for ideas.http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=79569

Lots of homecooked meals are really easy, but nothing is as easy as just eating raw fruit and veggies and they're good for you. I like to slice an avacado in half and eat it with a spoon, or munch on baby carrots.

Maybe switch your snacktime candy for nuts or trailmix or something.

[codemonkey]

Here's my super-easy microwave breakfast

1/2 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. frozen blueberries (or strawberries or whatever other fruit you like)
3/4 c. soymilk (or you could use dairy milk if you're not avoiding it)
Some kind of sweetener (stevia or maple syrup or whatever)
some chopped up walnuts or a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds (I keep them in the freezer already ground up)

Stick it all into a bowl with tall sides (so it won't boil over) and nuke for 3 minutes

You can also cut the time in half if you put all the ingredients together the night before and stick it in the fridge overnight (the oats will soak up the liquid and get soft and the berries will defrost)

I eat this for breakfast almost every morning except I put it together in a container and microwave it at work and eat it at my desk.

[Animosity]

Sounds like you eat a lot of refined sugars, Artificial additives and I don't think you need dairy at every meal. I know when I went vegetarian I only ate dairy once a day and I was fine. Maybe for breakfast get a cereal sweetend with agave or brown rice nector, For lunch have a fruit or veggie salad, For dinner make some sort of grain, vegetables and have your dairy then if you want it. For snacks i'd say just fresh or dried fruits, Fresh veggies, Something like that. Replace soda with fruit or vegetable juice and water. You don't have to completely give up unhealthy foods just cut back.

[Shamandura]

Also, another question, is frozen food bad for you??


Fresh fruits and vegetable have better nutrition than frozen, because alot of that is lost during packaging/freezing. There is of course flash frozen foods that are believed to hold in nutrients better.

Beside that alot of your food is not healthy, I am however seeing alot of cheese items on your list. I know your vegetarian not vegan, but I know when I went veg I started eating ALOT of cheese and I did the sluggish thing too.

[Ilurvebroccoli]

Thanks. I will try and cut back on the dairy. I have some frozen fruit right now(I bought it thinking I would make smoothies, but still haven't). I think I'll try the oatmeal recipes you guys gave me. And I'll rummage through the recipe boards and see what I can find. I'm going to prob start making my own meals homemade/ semi homemade. Lets see, I have some Kashi stuff, just not the cereal. I buy the frozen Kashi meals sometimes, I have one for tomorrows lunch.

Also, do you guys know what could be causing the heartburn?? I get it after I eat, nearly everytime, and I never eat spicy foods because I don't care for them.

[mazikeen]

Also, do you guys know what could be causing the heartburn?? I get it after I eat, nearly everytime, and I never eat spicy foods because I don't care for them.

Have you considered Acid Reflux (http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=571)?

[Shamandura]

Also, do you guys know what could be causing the heartburn?? I get it after I eat, nearly everytime, and I never eat spicy foods because I don't care for them.

Here's some foods that can trigger heartburn other than spicy foods:

Alcohol
Caffeine, carbonated beverages
Chocolate
Citrus fruits and juices
Tomatoes and tomato sauces
Spicy or fatty foods, full-fat dairy products
Peppermint and spearmint

Here's a more extensive list I found:

Food Group Foods To Avoid
Fruit
• Orange juice
• Lemon
• Lemonade
• Grapefruit juice
• Cranberry juice
• Tomato
Vegetables
• Mashed potatoes
• French fries
• Onion, raw
Meat
• Ground beef, chuck
• Marbled sirloin
• Chicken nuggets
• Buffalo wings
Dairy • Sour cream
• Milk shake
• Ice cream
• Cottage cheese, regular
Grains
• Macaroni and cheese
• Spaghetti with sauce
Beverages
• Liquor
• Wine
• Coffee, decaffeinated or regular
• Tea, decaffeinated or regular
Fats / Oils
• Salad dressing, creamy
• Salad dressing, oil & vinegar
Sweets / Desserts
• Butter cookie, high-fat
• Brownie
• Chocolate
• Doughnut
• Corn chips
• Potato chips, regular

Most of these are foods best to eat sparingly anyway.

[LucidAnne]

ILB (the OP).. i agree w/ all the others. i would say to start off w/ making at least one change every couple days/ each week...that way, it will seem more managable and not as overwhelming.
def. start w/ breakfast...its usually in the same place, so it can be the easiest new habit to start.
you need a better whole grain cereal, toast w/ nut butter or granola, fruit and yogurt. some good carbs and protein.

baked potatos in the microwave are awesome for meals (even breakfast). they take only miins and you can pile em up w/ beans, tofu, mash em, salsa, cheez em, etcetc.
you can make leftovers into hash browns for any meal the next day.
couscous is superfast and easy too.
keep on hand froz veggies to throw alongside pasta, rice, etc.
simple soups are good for lunches too... broth, some veggies, tofu if you like, beans, and pasta/rice are a easy fix.

if you cook a meal at dinnertime, make enough so you have leftovers for the next day.
i usually make a whole lotta rice or quinoa one day and eat it thruout the week.

[LucidAnne]

oh, you can also get heartburn (or gas pains) from high doses of sugar, esp if eaten w/ dairy. increasing fiber helps.

[Doktormartini]

http://www.thewolfeclinic.com/acidalkfoods.html

Eat less foods on the acidifying side :)
Only thing wrong with that chart is they list Cucumber as a vegetable when it's a fruit.

[Tofu-N-Sprouts]

Personally I wouldn't eat anything that had been microwaved, but that's me. Also, with modern refridgeration and flash freezing techniques, most plain frozen veggies and fruit (the kind without added sauces, salt or sugar) are going to be BETTER nutritionally than fresh.
How long has that "fresh" carrot been sitting around since being pulled from the ground, transported to the store, sitting in the produce bins, purchased by you and used in a salad? Usually 4 - 6 DAYS even for more "fragile" things! Think how many antioxidants are lost.

Frozen veggies and fruits, on the other hand, are processed within hours of being picked, making them a very sound nutritional choice and convenient for single people or those who don't want to clean, store, prepare and eat a large amount.

That said, I think most of the suggestions above are excellant!!

[nilrecurring]

I used to do the microwaved oats thing in the morning, but here's what I've recently discovered:

1/2 c muesli (any kind)
3 tbsp flax seeds

Put the muesli in a bowl, cover them generously with boiling water (tea kettle style, or sauce pan style), let it soak for at least five minutes, then add the flax seed, -after- grinding it in a coffee/flax grinder.

Seasonings and sweeteners, like cinnamon, cloves, a little agave/maple syrup or a pinch of salt, are good.

[Gwendolyn]

A lot of things that cause heartburn are also things that have copious amounts of grease. I can pretty much assure you that if you put some hot peppers into a pot of soup made with fresh veggies or frozen, I doubt very seriously you'll have the heartburn.

You know this is a very easy thing....Eliminate the grease, eliminate the sugary crap, and perhaps become a stricter vegetarian or go entirely dietary vegan. It's simple!

[heatherann027]

I've found the best way to eat healthy is to not buy junk food. Like... you can't eat frozen cheese pizza or sugar cereals if its not even in your house. Whenever I go grocery shopping I head straight for the fresh produce section first and load up. And avoid asiles like the chips and soda asiles. Also I keep snacky foods like nutrigrain bars (yummm <3) on hand incase i get really hungry and have no healthy options.

I hope you start eating and feeling better!!

[luvuhunny]

Here's my super-easy microwave breakfast

1/2 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. frozen blueberries (or strawberries or whatever other fruit you like)
3/4 c. soymilk (or you could use dairy milk if you're not avoiding it)
Some kind of sweetener (stevia or maple syrup or whatever)
some chopped up walnuts or a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds (I keep them in the freezer already ground up)

Stick it all into a bowl with tall sides (so it won't boil over) and nuke for 3 minutes

You can also cut the time in half if you put all the ingredients together the night before and stick it in the fridge overnight (the oats will soak up the liquid and get soft and the berries will defrost)

I eat this for breakfast almost every morning except I put it together in a container and microwave it at work and eat it at my desk.

Um....I love it!! I am totally gonna make this!! I rush out the door in the morning and usually take oatmeal...but this sounds wonderful!! Question you ya though....I have never had flaxseeds, do they taste like nuts?

[luvuhunny]

P.S. I really agree with what everone else is saying about more fresh foods vs the frozen processed foods! Bascially your body is telling you to "cut it out with all the crap foods" and that is why you have all those aches and pains! Listen to your body....it's pretty smart!! ;)

[Ilurvebroccoli]

Thanks everyone!!! I've been getting the crap out of my house, and feeling lots better, but still getting heartburn. I have a doctors appt already to get my blood sugar checked (I might have diabetes), so I'll mention it to him when I go.

[codemonkey]

Um....I love it!! I am totally gonna make this!! I rush out the door in the morning and usually take oatmeal...but this sounds wonderful!! Question you ya though....I have never had flaxseeds, do they taste like nuts?

Flax seeds taste very nutty. You need to grind them up before you eat them though. I have a coffee grinder that I use to grind up flax seeds, spices, pretty much everything but coffee.

[yblad]

yuk i realy cant eat them. I tried eating them on thier own and couldn't, i tried putting them onto things and there really not for me lol. i just use a suppliment made from them instead.

[rabid_child]

I don't know how old you are and how much responsibility you have for food purchase and preparation, but I find that planning meals for the week, at least dinners, and then shopping for the foods you will need from those meals and sticking to your plan helps you to eat healthy. For one thing, you're not home and hungry and going "uh oh... what can I make for dinner?" because you know what the meals are going to be. Also, it's hard not to stick to it when you've already spent money on all the food and it's right there in the house. Make extra for dinner, then pack it for lunch the next day with a piece of fruit or something.
Homemade muffins are a good choice for a quick breakfast if you do it right. Today I made oatbran muffins with spelt flour and bananas and applesauce. There is very little fat in them, lots of fiber, and could have nuts and dried fruit in them as well for more nutrition. Make them over the weekend when you have more time, and they'll be easy to grab and go, and better than sugar cereals.