Disgusting diet

[Disgracefuldiet]

My diet and lifestyle disgusts me but I've no idea where to start when it comes to changing it.

I have a one year old DC who is starting to pay attention to the food I eat and I don't want my DC following in my footsteps. It's also getting to the stage where we need to think about DC just eating what we are eating whereas currently DC has baby food pouches like Ella's Kitchen. Tbh, I'm not comfortable with DC eating the food we eat unless we seriously rethink our diet.

Just not sure where to start or how to make those changes.

A typical day for me includes:

No breakfast. Usually cave mid morning and snack on some chocolate and crisps.

Lunch, again usually nothing and might cave mid afternoon and eat more chocolate and crisps. Though occasionally I'll have chicken or tuna pasta. Heavy on the mayo. No veg included.

Dinner will be something like spaghetti Carbonara with about a ton of cheese and cheesy garlic bread. Or sausage egg and chips. Lots of mayo. Or lasagne and Garlic bread. Again hold the veg. Lots of cheese. Dinners always consist of meat, lots of carbs, the white variety, cheese if I can incorporate it somehow or mayo and 99% of the time 0 veggies.

I dont particularly like vegetables (or fruit) so always forget to do veg with dinner for DH because it just doesnt even enter my thought process.

Then dinner will usually be followed by more chocolate.

Drinks consist of 1.5 litres if caffeinated sugary, fizzy energy drinks and about 300ml of water before bed.

It's disgusting I know but I don't even know where to begin changing things but i desperately want to for my whole family.

Sorry. I did put paragraphs in dont know where they went!

I don't have the answers OP but I'm here to say me too. All of the carbs, all of the convenience foods, all of the snacking.

It's all about control and self esteem in my experience. Hard to get a handle on...

Hi OP would you eat veggies if already in a sauce? Just thinking as a small change if you are already cooking anyway you just need to alter smaller things to make a difference i.e a tomato pasta sauce that is packed full of veg- courgette, peppers, onion etc.
I know lots of people don't rate Slimming World but i really think something like that would help you make the changes you want to make and teach you and your DC some better food maybe

I’d say tackle the veg. Don’t serve veg with the meal. Make veg the meal. Things like vegetable curry or chilli, stir fry’s, baked sweet potatoes etc. Are there any veg you like? It’s just the volume you get from veg is so less calorific than it’s equivalent of carb, not to mention the benefits from the vitamins and fibre.

For a start I would not be describing yourself or your food as disgusting, yes perhaps you could make some changes to be healthier but at the end of the day no food (other than perhaps mouldy stuff!) is 'disgusting' (I for one think chocolate and crisps are actually quite delicious ), I really dislike the narrative we seem to be in these days of food being either 'pure', 'clean' or 'dirty' etc, it seems to be yet another way in which women in particular can be vilified and shamed about their bodies and how they raise children... Maybe an odd suggestion but I really like the AngryChef blog who writes really well and accessibly about how the media and social media etc. present food and diet myths and present unachievable/nonsense 'ideals'.

Anyway, as to how you could actually make changes, I would pick one small, achievable thing at a time and try and make small sustainable changes rather than go for an unachievable overhaul which makes you miserable and can't stick to.

So it could be trying to eat breakfast every day (even if it's just whatever you like rather than something 'healthy' e.g. those horrifying white carbs rather than clia seed and flax!). From there add in lunch as well once you are comfortable? Then cut out or reduce the snacks, or replace with smaller portions and/or healthier alternatives? An easy one could be to swap some of the pop with a diet alternative or better yet fizzy water, and perhaps gradually phase down the amount as well (lots of people on here think diet/sweeteners are the work of the devil but providing you don't get headaches I think they certainly are the lesser of two evils?).

With the veg, do you really not like any fruit or veg, even if cooked into things? Perhaps you could experiment with different types and different ways of cooking them until you can find at least a few that you can tolerate? Personally I really dislike most veg when raw, but like it more when cooked into a curry or blended into a sauce for instance? Again don't necessarily feel you have to be eating 10 portions of different veg a day, I think for many people that is challenging to the point of being unachievable, if you could get to the point where you have 2 or 3 portions a day even with a lot of repetition that would be so much better for your health...

Good luck, really hope you are able to get to a good place where you are happier with your diet!

Also, you already know this but you need to get into a better routine with breakfast and lunch. Plan light things maybe a poached egg or bowl of soup but you allow your sugars to crash and then swing them quickly back up again.

The only veg I could safely say I enjoy is a buttery corn on the cob.

Vegetables I will tolerate and eat if I absolutely have to, though I cant say I'd particularly enjoy it, are, carrots, peas, broccoli and cauliflower cheese. I'd have to really force myself tbh.

If I ever using a jar cooking sauce that contains any type of vegetables i usually eat round the vegetables

I don't think you need to change much.

nothing wrong with carbonara and garlic bread just don't put loads of cheese on the dc's and do a little garlic bread and some veg sticks.

for sausage egg and chips, don't fry the egg in oil, or you could scramble or poach instead, again shove some veg on even if its mushrooms and tomatoes, or whatever. Doesn't have to "go" with the meal because small kids don't care.

Start eating breakfast if you can, at the same time as them. Weaning DS is what made me start eating breakfast!

you need to quit the energy drinks though for your own sake they are bloody awful!

it just needs to be a balance.

Well done for realising it’s a problem and for reaching out for advice, that’s always the first step.

Second step is making small changes bit by bit. If you were to empty your cupboards of all junk and declare the house a junk free zone you would set yourself up to fail. I recommend starting with one meal at a time. Right now you don’t eat breakfast so buy some breakfast foods and force yourself to eat it. Porridge is always quick and easy as well as filling and nutritious and your 1 yo will love it too. Weetabix is pretty good too, again toddler friendly. Add in some berries or a banana for your toddler if you’re not keen (although I recommend trying your best!)

Once you have tackled the breakfast, work on the lunch then finally the dinner. Ask your DH for help, if you’re not in it together then again- setting yourself up to fail.

Use your DC as inspiration and motivation. You want to do better for them, they can’t eat baby pouches forever!

if you can swap things to low fat (though I believe small kids should have full fat anyway) or just use less.

it takes 21 days or something like that to make a habit. Once you have got out of the habit of smothering everything in mayo or cheese you wont miss it. It will become normal to have a normal amount.

Is there any veg or fruit that you do like?

Im not a huge fan but have a small selection i enjoy : brocolli, sweetcorn, asparagus, sugarsnap peas and peaches,oranges, melon, strawberries.

Where possible i have the above in tinned (in juice) or frozen form in the house all the time. It makes it easy to just chuck into a meal or grab as a snack.

Other than that i choose veg filled options for soups, pasta sauces etc

These are all really fantastic and helpful suggestions so far, thank you!

I'm not looking to be radical in my changes and can't see me ever making use of chia or flax seeds or being exotic in my food choices and making myself smoothies or hitting the gym.

I just want our lifestyle and diet to be healthier than it currently is because although I dont have any obvious health problems currently, I do worry that one day it will be the cause of some serious problems.

Well done for facing up to this OP.

Try this for a week, maybe?

Breakfast with baby:
Cereal: rice crispies, plain cornflakes, 2 weetabix, bran flakes, half coco pops half rice crispies mix, or Cheerios
1 slice of toast, butter and jam

Lunch:
Cheese sandwich (homemade)
Small bag crisps
Apple or a few raisins or a banana

Snack: choc biscuit

Tea:
Lasagne/spag Bol, pasta and pesto, piece of white fish from freezer with jar of korma sauce, with rice and sweetcorn or corn on cob

Telly snack: bag microwave popcorn.

It's not an ideal diet, but it's straightforward and loads better than you're doing at the moment. You feed your baby exactly the same as this (obvs smaller portions!)

Get some sugar free squash (Ribena?) and challenge yourself to drink 1 glass of plain water every day. Maybe after brushing your teeth so it tastes all fresh and you've had water in your mouth already!

Good luck

With vegeatables you could try going for a stews and soups. That way you won't even notice you're eating them. You still lose a of fibre that way, but it's a start.

Also try slices of whole wheat bread for fibre.

What about hamburgers with pickles and unions on them. If you make them yourself they can actually be quite good.

Maybe try some Bananas for fruit. They are quite sweet and easy to eat. Carrots are also quite sweet, best not eat them raw though.

The biggest challenge for me will be tackling my energy drink consumption.

I open a can as soon as I wake up. I have three 500ml during the day. Not the sugar free version either.

That's all I'll drink until bedtime when I'll have 1-2 mugs of water before I go to sleep.

As well as being unhealthy, they cost me so much money too.

In regards to the vegetables, taste is an issue with quite a few but a lot of them come down to texture.

Forgot to add: I used to love mashed strawberries on slices of bread. These days I prefer to cut the strawberries, but mashed is very nice too.

Grapes are nice and sweet and juicy. I recommend trying those too.

Try substituting energy drinks with coffee and tea. I only ever put milk in my coffee, that's enough sugar for me. You just have to wean yourself off the stuff. I used to be quite the sugar junkie too.

I would agree with the suggestion about making one small change at a time, letting that bed in, and then adding another.

What if you and DD had a piece of fruit each morning for morning tea? Modelling good habits and exposing your DD to healthy foods is the way to make sure she eats a good diet - you'll thank yourself for it later, trust me!

Maybe a banana? Or a handful of grapes each?

Put a post-it note on the fridge, and the fruit in front of where you put the choccy and chips so you can't 'forget'. . .''

Then I'd look at adding one vege to your evening meal. Peas or broccoli? Bed that in for a couple of weeks. Again, post-it notes in places that make it very hard for you to 'forget'! After a couple of weeks, add another vege. And repeat until you're up to four veges.

Then you and your DD are getting your 5+ a day. Try some different veges - you might find you do like some that you haven't in the past. I'm a sucker for asparagus, and stringless green beans. And you're giving her the chance to try and to hopefully come to enjoy a wide variety of really good foods, that will provide her with so much vital nutrition.

If you're doing a lasagne, then do a salad to go with it. It's lovely mushing the lasagne with the salad with its' dressing!

When mine were little I used to do them vanilla ice cream, or custard, with stewed or tinned fruit for dessert. Or there's berries and cream?

I totally get you about the texture of vegetables but I've found that experimenting with different ways to cook them has been really helpful - I'll eat almost any veggies if they're roasted I've found. I also try to add an extra portion to whatever I'm cooking so I'll always throw in some frozen peas when cooking pasta or a couple of handfuls of spinach to curries/stews etc. We always have salad leaves in the fridge and I serve a lot of our meals with a portion of that.

Don’t try too much OP, forget about veg for the minute. You need to get regular eating on track and you’ll feel better and more motivated.

I would start by eating breakfast and lunch. A bowl of cereal? Slice of toast? Cheese sandwich? Just something you like, force yourself to eat it

Could you swap one of your cans to a sugar free version each day? Then gradually up your intake of your sugar free ones. I did this with coke and now haven’t had any for nearly a year. Take it slowly though, just swapping one can will improve your health.

A nutribullet or similar is a good way to get some fruit in you.

Make green smoothies by adding spinach (you can't even taste it).

This is such a lovely, supportive, nonjudgmental thread

Try adding 'invisible' veg to your meals, you can grate a carrot or courgette into a pasta sauce or spag bol for example, it bulks it out and boosts your intake without it being really noticeable. Sweet potato wedges are nice too, that's a vegetable. Make tuna pasta, add sweetcorn if you like it.

Could you make a smoothie with natural yoghurt and fruit for breakfast or lunch? Chuck in a few porridge oats too.

I had a sweet tooth and managed to get down from two sugars in my tea to a quarter of a spoon. It's hard but you can do it. I also have chocolate rice cakes now as a treat with a cuppa instead of half a pack of biccies

Do you like tortilla wraps? I do a lot of fajita chicken, crispy chicken, even chinese chicken in wraps, you don't notice the veg so much because of the flavour and sauce.

If I were you I'd make my focus eating 3 proper meals a day as your starting point. I wouldn't even worry what they are just now. If you want chocolate, include it as your dessert.

Then start to experiment with getting vegetables into your diet - evening meal is a good one, cottage pie, spag bolognese etc. Try and have a smoothie for breakfast followed by some toast with peanut butter or similar.

Agree with smoothies- I love pineapple, spinach and cucumber blended with some water, it literally only tastes like pineapple.

I would highly recommend you read Michael Moseley's The 8 Week Blood Sugar diet. I wouldn't recommend you do the diet itself as probably too intense a change and unsustainable, but it explains why you crave chocolate and energy drinks all the time. I found it a very interesting read.