Do you eat ‘well’?

[fetaccompli]

I’ve been reading the various guidelines about eating well and want to see how MN measures up.

5 a day - definitely every day. Nearer to 9 or 10.
Processed meat limited to x2 a week - less good on this. We often will have bacon/sausage/pate/ham/salami/breaded chicken/fishfingers 3-4 in a week.
14 units alcohol a week - I don’t drink alcohol but DH definitely exceeds this
Fish x2 a week incl x1 oily - only once really and I’m trying to stop eating so much salmon as it’s so awfully farmed
Dairy x3 a day - probably 1 portion of milk in hot drinks and maybe some cheese
6-8 glasses of water - I’m bad at this but I do drink a lot of herbal tea and I think that counts
Red meat 350g week - always have more than this and there’s bowel cancer in my family so I will work on this.

How are the rest of you doing? Any aims to improve?

Farmed fish is equally bad (and possibly worse) for the environment than wild
https://www.sustainweb.org/goodcatch/environmental_impacts/#:~:text=Pollution,and%20impact%20surrounding%20marine%20life.

Fish feed
Farming carnivorous species, including salmon and prawns, requires large inputs of fish-feed composed largely of fishmeal and fish oil made from wild-caught fish. This demand for fish-feed places pressure on the wild fish used to make it. Vegetable protein, such as soy, can also be used in fish-feed. In some parts of the world soy, and other land based protein crops, are produced in an environmentally damaging way.

Pollution
Waste from fish-feed and faeces can pollute the water and seabed around intensive fish farms leading to poor water and sediment quality. Chemicals and pesticides (used in some fish farming to control parasites and disease) can also contaminate the area and impact surrounding marine life.

Parasites and the spread of disease
Farmed fish infected with diseases or parasites can spread these to their wild counterparts, affecting the health of wild populations near fish farms. One notorious example is sea-lice parasites from high-density farmed salmon harming juvenile wild salmon in the surrounding water systems.

Escapees impacting wild fish populationsFarmed fish, such as Atlantic salmon, can sometimes escape and interbreed with wild fish populations. The farmed fish are not genetically adapted to the surrounding environment; as a result any hybrid offspring have reduced chances of survival. Escapees can also compete with wild fish for food and resources, adding pressure to the wild populations.

Habitat damage
Sensitive natural habitats are sometimes converted into fish farms and this can have dramatic environmental implications. For example, historically, significant damage to delicate coastal habitats such as mangrove forests was well documented when establishing tropical prawn farms. This damage resulted in loss of beneficial ecosystem functions including natural coastal flood-defences, nursery habitats for young fish and water filtration.

Yes, I work in the food industry so already have quite alot of knowledge in this area. I have visited many fish farms globally, & whilst processes vary, it is not cruel.
If you believe fishing is cruel then you should probably not eat fish at all (or any other animals).

We eat pretty well but probably too much cured meat and crisps!

Yesterday was a typical weekend day -

Breakfast - sour dough toast, scrambled egg, natural yoghurt with unsweetened museli on top, small apple, tea.

Lunch - water, packet of tortilla chips, chicken and mexican bean salad wrap.

Dinner - can of craft lager, home made (totally from scratch) chicken curry and lentil dhal, steamed rice, two squares of dark chocolate, G&T.

Kurt Cobain says fish don’t have feelings?

That's a lot of lovely food! I am post menopause so have to really limit what I eat even just to stay the same size. It's rubbish.

I'm not losing any sleep over cruelty to farmed salmon.

Salmon is better for you than red meat, beef farming is far more destructive to the environment. Agree with others that say smoked mackerel is a bit "much" - the flavour can be very strong. Nice with salad and crackers for lunch but it can repeat on you all afternoon. Not a fan of sardines and tuna doesn't count as oily fish.

We have a freezer full of packs of salmon with yellow stickers on it - I never pay full price for anything if I can help it!

I don't. But if I had to eat fish I would eat line caught fish.

Thats your choice- I would choose to eat fish farmed specifically for human consumption & leave wild fish to recover & thrive, this has a direct positive impact on the species itself (obviously) but also on other related species within the ocean & food chain. Different strokes for different folks!

@WaterHound Mr Monkey is marathon training so I can't seem to shovel food down him fast enough!

No comment on alcohol . Actually been fine this week maybe 7 units but wasn't feeling well so drank water instead of gin at home, unusual.

We eat fairly healthily from a calories point of view but not enough veg, fish it depends whether I've been to Morrisons as locally the fish is ropey, ignoring butcher's sausages which aren't processed, probably ok on the cured meats but have red meat more, but on drs orders as 2 of us anemic.

Gin monkey - 2 squares of chocolate? You have amazing willpower! Though I'm now fancying dal - I like it for breakfast with freshly made roti

This! Though I picked up cheap wild smoked salmon via ocado.. but tinned wild is great too

5 a day - almost always and often more

Processed and red meat- this is one I’m working on. I’d happily eat meat every day. DH would happily be veggie. My kids are completely carnivorous so finding a way that works for everyone isn’t easy. But I’m increasingly thinking about cutting it right down to once a month or so, esp as there is bowel cancer on DH’s side.

14 units alcohol a week - I don’t drink, DH only at weekends. We both used to drink way over 14 units so this has been a change but well worth it in every way.

Fish x2 a week incl x1 oily - easy for me as I love it. Rest of the family less keen so I try to do things like fish tacos to encourage them.

Dairy x3 a day - Didn’t know this was one! I must have about a pint of milk a day.

6-8 glasses of water - Yes if I can include herbal tea.

Tesco finest wild caught sockeye salmon is £34.35 a kilo if you don't have a clubcard. Their standard fresh salmon is £18.65 a kilo - almost half the price. And salmon is an expensive choice anyway compared to pork loin steaks at £7.25 a kilo or beef mince at £5 a kilo.

Fair enough if you want to spend the extra. I don't, and am very comfortable with that choice. Salmon farming also supports hundreds of jobs here in Scotland.

Does tinned in water tuna count as healthy or does it have to be fresh tuna. If fresh do you fry it?

Oh it's healthy - but just doesn't count as oily fish if you're trying to increase that. Oily fish is salmon, trout, sardines, herring, mackerel.

I eat lots of vegetables
I don't eat any processed meat (because I'm a fussy fucker, not for health reasons)
I eat red meat once a week (always steak)
I don't eat any pork at all
I drink alcohol probably once or twice a year
I drink loads of water
I don't drink fizzy/sugary drinks whatsoever, it's water, coffee, tea or nothing

But I snack on biscuits and crisp daily. I don't eat much fruit, maybe 5 fruits per week. I eat lots of cheese, lots of carbs, lots of salty stuff, lots of UPF cereals and whatnot. The bad parts of my diet probably outweigh the good.

I'm thinking all farmed salmon isn't equal? Responsibly sourced - is it?

I only eat meals I’ve made from scratch. At least 8 fresh veg and fruit daily.
Veg and fruit smoothy for breakfast every day.
No meat, no fried food.
I’ve eaten one takeaway in the last 20 years ( a pizza , on holiday)
Never eaten ready meals.
Dont drink, never smoked.
i should be the healthiest pensioner in the county. But no I’m not. ☹️
I wonder what I’d be like if I ate convenience food and takeaway.

I eat well about 75% of the time. Weekends are my downfall. Currently sat eating waffles (although I did put flaxseed and chia seeds in them). Next Friday we're having pizza for dinner.

I eat around 11-15 plants a day and include things like nuts and chia in that. Breakfast could be avocado and poached egg on sourdough but I'll add pesto and pinenuts too which count.

I don't do well with fish. I forget about it and generally only eat tuna if I do remember. Awful with water. Every day I tell myself to drink more but forget.

Very little processed meat. If I do it's at the weekend - yesterday I had a sub roll with ham, peperoni and cheese (but it did also have tomato, peppers and red onion). If my children have sausages, I'll do chicken sausages for myself which are slightly better.

Alcohol varies. If I do, it's Friday or Saturday night. Haven't had anything this weekend but some weekends we might share a bottle of red and then have a few g&t's after.

After years of dieting and being unhappy I'm trying to find more balance and not spend my life restricting myself.

It's definitely a different world on here
None of this is representative of what I see on social media of people cooking, what people have in their trolley and what colleagues eat etc

I generally see
Cereal/toast for breakfast
Meal deal or a sandwich from home for lunch, maybe an apple or banana
Pasta or something with a jar sauce for tea or possibly meat and some veg

I try to eat well and cook from scratch, but it's not perfect (I eat too much chocolate!) but compared to what I see.. mine is good!

@Paw2024 that was me before I was told my cholesterol was too high. I ate whatever was quickest and easiest. And got away with it until I hit my 50s.

5 a day - maybe not every day but would average out over a week. Will try harder on this though as feeling rubbish at the minute.

Processed meat - pretty good, maybe have sausages or bacon once a week and add a small amount of chorizo to some meals.

Dairy - going to start having Greek yoghurt for breakfast so will hit this.

Fish - we have fish at least twice a week and also prawns and mussels.

Alcohol - not great on this but trying to reduce to just one day a week. At present I don’t drink at all in the week but come Friday it’s a free for all.

I struggle to do so as I have a number of intolerances, need to be gluten free and am generally fussy.

Alcohol - never as I have histamine intolerance. Haven't had any for around 5 yrs. Don't miss it.

Fish - my main source of protein. Either tuna or cod (the latter frozen without any batters etc), salmon occasionally, prawns often.

Meat - only chicken breast, haven't eaten red meat for 50 yrs.

Can't eat cereals, toast or anything like that, gluten free bread isn't nice. No nuts or seeds due to histamine and/or tooth issues.

Vegetables - certainly get 5 a day, usually more.

Fruit - hardly any due to intolerances. Will have a banana if I can get some that are neither too ripe nor unripe!

Pulses - yes if I remember, red lentils are the simplest and quickest to make.

Eggs - yep, try to have one or two per day.

Dairy - yoghurt daily, no milk, no cream, no butter (the latter 3 I dislike).

Mainly drink apple juice with occasional water.

No processed foods.

And after all that, have a variety of health conditions so even though for most of my life I ate well (better than I do now), it either wasn't the 'right' food or I am just doomed! 😂

Veg. Easily eat five a day, probably more like ten.

Meat. Predominantly white meat or fish eaten, although we did have a BBQ with beef burgers last night. I do try and limit processed meat intake to one day a week. Saturday, usually. Not all main meals have meat in them.

Dairy. Cheese, butter, full fat milk.

Water. Rarely drink it unless I am in a hot climate.

Alcohol. I don’t generally drink during the week but sometimes it can add up to over the recommended 14 units.

Never eat ready meals. All meals are cooked from scratch in true MN fashion and are quite heavily southeast Asian inspired.

I don’t really have any plans to change anything except the quantity consumed.

Food is easy for me as I’m not a fussy eater and have been called a human dustbin.