Come forward EatBetterers and unite - it's the second happy healthy eating thread!

[fuzzpig]

Here's the previous thread where it all began!

EatBetterers are trying to improve the diets of ourselves and our families. No weighing, restricting, calorie counting etc - just finding joy in nourishing ourselves by making positive changes one step at a time. All welcome! :)

Oh and peanut butter on apple, as Sleep suggested. I haven't tried that. I looove pb too. Could eat a whole jar of it with a spoon .

Try out almond butter Holmes, I know you don't want to nitpick over micronutrients etc but it has more vitamin E and magnesium than peanut butter and there's some evidence to show it's more satisfying so people tend to eat less (I'm not sure why .

Other snacks I love-some mashed avocado and chilli on a slice of sourdough or wholegrain bread, feta and beetroot or feta and watermelon, some blueberries and raw nuts, crudités and houmous, Greek yoghurt and berries - go for things with fat and protein and lower (or no) carb ratio, more satisfying and more good things for your body, less blood sugar spike.

Actually, Sleep I just bought some today that's a mixture of peanut, hazelnut and cashew. I've had almond before but they didn't have any. This one is nice though.
I am just cooking dinner - roast chicken thighs with a few sweet potato chips and a pile of sautéed courgettes, mushrooms and broad beans. And a glass of white wine.
Interestingly, I am finding that when I am not eating sugary carby crap, I am more capable of having a small glass of wine and stopping at that. Wonder why that is...?

Hello - I've been signposted here - haven't read the thread yet but I'm 16 and a half stone and need to change...

Welcome Beatrice, what do you think you need to change ? We all about baby steps and sustainable changes. Take some time to read through the thread (and the original one) to get a real feel for it all and maybe find ideas for things you think you would like to/could eat and enjoy . Any specific questions just shout!

Interesting about the wine Holmes, I wonder of you just aren't craving more sugar as a result of the sugar/carbs?

I read that article sleep and thought it was very interesting - basically it confirmed a lot of my thoughts about the food/diet industry.

Things are going OK. I haven't lost loads of weight, just a bit, but that is good, slowly but surely is my aim. This has to be an eating plan for the rest of my life, not a quick-fix diet.

I also struggle with is healthy snacks, both for me and the DCs. I have stopped eating biscuits, but my DD1 has a really sweet tooth. I do have nuts, or cheese and oatcakes, or fruit, or humous, but it's still tricky especially that 4pm time... and I just can't seem to persuade my DD to have an apple instead of a biscuit.

I have stopped drinking beer altogether, which I think has helped with the stomach / bloating. I drink wine (or occasional G&T) instead - I don't drink loads, but do like a glass or two to relax at the weekends, but should probably have less....

(BTW I tried an M&S superfoods salad at a picnic at the weekend - delicious! It felt like quite a treat!)

Mealtimes are getting easier, instead of opting for pasta as an easy meal, I am having to be more creative.

At the weekend DH made a chicken stew for him and DCs with potatoes and vegetables, they all gobbled it up, I don't eat chicken so I made a mushroom stroganoff with a little bulgur wheat and green vegetables on the side, it was delicious. It was really quick to do - only took me about 30 minutes.

Tonight we had baked salmon with lemon, ate it with asparagus and brown rice. The DCs aren't so keen on baked fish so for them I did home-made crispy salmon fingers - dipped in flour, egg and breadcrumbs. Served with some peas and broccoli. They really enjoyed it (although DD2 did have quite a lot of tomato ketchup with hers.....)

I am particularly enjoying eating bread again, having viewed it as the enemy for a while. I am finding that if I make my own or buy it from the farm shop or local awesome bakery and stick to wholegrain, it doesn't feel so addictive and bad. Just had a slice of lovely sourdough with my poached egg. And I've stopped using spreadable butter because it is mixed with vegetable oil. Only proper grass-fed butter now!

Signing up to read at my leisure.
when I am not on Hay Day

Sounds like you are doing brilliantly donteat . I wouldn't get too stressed about a biscuit and ketchup for the kids, really, it could be a lot worse and they don't have the same understanding of food and health as adults-not should they! I think if they are eating the good stuff regularly and don't label food as good or bad then you are doing pretty well, just keep giving them choices and trying to stop the sugary side always taking precedence.

Holmes so lovely to hear you are really enjoying your food . I love bread too, far too much to give it up. Having the best quality version you can get of whatever it is you eat makes a big difference, whether it's eggs, bread, tomatoes, chocolate or fish and chips!

Koala hi - love your name! If you want to follow a diet then you'll still probably find the principles of mindfulness that we try and follow will work well for you .

Last night I made salmon, brown rice and beansprout stir fry and Dh declared it delicious! Baby steps...

I'm managing to up my water intake loads atm, if I add ice cubes I can down glasses of it!

Wrt bread-I don't eat butter at all now but I'll have some fruit bread or brown soda bread with my eggs. I freeze it and just get out one slice and that way I don't chomp my way through a loaf

Things I have enjoyed over the past week:

Looking forward to meals out, bbqs etc without worrying about what I will eat.

Planning meals and food shopping around what I fancy rather than what fits in best with weightliss strategies.

Buying cherries and strawberries to take as a post-school snack for the dc and them being pleased.

Using chard and broad beans from the garden.

Being able to have a glass of wine with a meal and a square of dark chocolate afterwards without being tempted to go back for more and more.

The constant and confident knowledge that this really is it. No more diets!

Yay- everyone's sounding positive!

I'm in a roll with my new Hemsley and Hemsley book - it's fab - salmon for dinner later. I'm enjoying using coconut oil everywhere - I really like coconut. Tempted to make my own nut butters this week - anyone do that? Making Brazil nut pesto later though which sounds divine.

Caught up in Wimbledon too... Makes me happy...

Mmm. Brazil nut pesto sounds fab. I just had lunch out - slow roast pork in a wholemeal bap with a bit of apple sauce and a big salad. Off to a bbq for dinner - hope it's a good one. Bbq can be so fab or so so awful (blackened cheapo sausages and flabby white rolls etc).

Bleugh I hate cheap burgers etc... Love bbqs with spiced meats and posh salads.

Will report back on the pesto!

Mmm. Posh salads! I know it sounds rather worthy but I really do love a posh salad, particularly the kind you get in France, stuffed with nuts, cheeses, cured meats and so on.

• I did a blog post last week on nice salads to go with bbq...

Ooh - sounds fab!

Sleep - blog link again, pretty please?

Here you go Natural Balance

Oh and Sleep... no need to whisper!

Thank you! Lovely salads. Oh and the Jamie salmon recipe is an old favourite of mine!

Made salmon chimi churri tonight with braised lemon and rosemary fennel - divine! Brazil nut pesto earmarked for tomorrow. With beetroot and quinoa. Mmmm.

Yum cantdo - recipe for the salmon chimi churri please?

No problem - the sauce is 3 handfuls fresh parsley, one small onion or three spring onions, 4 garlic cloves, tsp dried oregano/thyme, fresh green chilli or pinch of chilli powder, 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil,1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar. Finely chop all ingredients other than the oil and vinegar then stir through the oil and vinegar - you can blend it smooth or leave it chunky.

Fry salmon skin side down for few mins till crispy then transfer to oven at 180 for 5 mins or till cooked through. Serve with the sauce or cool salmon, flake it and make up a salad with it for packed lunch the next day with the chimi churri sauce as dressing. Was yum.

If eating hot, serve with fennel with lemon and rosemary - essentially just quarter each a fennel bulb length ways and brown in a pan with butter , remove, add fresh rosemary, zest of a lemon, chopped garlic, cook for a minute, return fennel to pan, add water or stock and the lid and simmer for 40-50 mins. Delicious.