Can you help me unfuck my diet?

[NellyBluth]

I thought this might be the best board for this.

Essentially, I just eat quite unhealthily and I'm starting to feel it. I need some ideas and inspiration - I don't want to do anything drastic, but I want some good ideas to start replacing all the bad habits and work my way towards a healthier diet. I'm starting to tell I'm eating loads of refined carbs and getting into that sugar high/dip cycle.

I'm ok with breakfast, which is generally a banana at home and then porridge later. Lunch at work I get a sandwich and have a packet of crisps - I know that isn't ideal but I try and get something like tuna or chicken salad, so that's not high up my list to change right now.

My big problems are -

Late afternoon snacks. I have lunch about one-ish. I have a decent commute home, then have to do bath time and bedtime with the toddler, so dinner isn't until 8ish. I tend to give in to biscuits and chocolate about 5 to get me through until dinner. I get quite hungry and really do want something that will last me. Is there anything other than nuts that will be a good slow burn?

Dinner. Three quarters of the time DH cooks and so I get a proper meal. But if he's at work in the evening, by the time I've got the toddler to bed I just tend to have toast or cereal or if I do cook its just pasta and a jar sauce. I really do need to have something better. I'm not a very good cook and we don't tend to have a lot in (we sort of buy what we need as we go along). I need some inspiration here!

Ditto lunches at the weekend (god I'm sounding rubbish now). Often I give DD her lunch while I do something else, and then I'm snacking on some variation of refined carbs while she's napping Her lunch will be pretty good, bread and veg, soup, something like that, but for some reason I'm out of the habit of eating those things with her. Especially as we're often out all morning so when we get in I'll serve her something really quickly. Again, I just need some inspiration for lunches for the two of us!

I think I've got into the habit of DH doing the thinking on dinner, and I need to kick myself up the arse. DD really does eat quite well for her age, she doesn't have my bad habits, but so many of the meals I make for her are sort of toddler-friendly and not something I think I want to eat. If it's just me and her for dinner I will make stew or spag bol, I'm not dire - I just can't seem to get the motivation to feed myself well, if that makes any sense?

If anyone can share any good snack and lunch tips that would be hugely appreciated.

First of all, I feel your pain! It's hard to eat well, along with working, kids etc etc.

Definitely keep on snacking - but on good stuff, higher protein, more veg, less carbs. Good snacks that will keep you going are: cottage cheese and a banana, hard boiled eggs, veg sticks and hummus, apple sauce and Greek yogurt.

Consider having dinner at the same time as your toddler - if you are hungry anyway and already in the kitchen? or just have something light as a late dinner - soup or salad. You don't need massive amounts of potatoes/pasta to get you through the night!

I second what LollieLove says - ditch the crap drinks, you just don't need sodas, lattes etc. Drink black coffee and water.

Nuts and fruit are a much better snack than crisps and chocolate. Another one saying ditch the crisps. Pulses are your friend at lunch time to help you feel fuller. Di you like hummus ? I love lentil salad for lunch (never eat sandwiches). Then you won't need the crisps.

I love snacking so I know hard it is to just have 3 meals a day. The key for me is organisation...making sure to buy things to snack on and take in to work so that I'm healthy and save money. The other key thing for me and hubby is not eating pre-made food or any jarred stuff. So we make stir frys from scratch, chicken in the bag with veg, salads with avocado, sweetcorn etc with chicken. Everything we make is so simple and quick as we too come home late from work after a long commute. We make it easy for ourselves. I also avoid pre-packed salads and sandwiches as they're bad for you, despite what it says on the packet. My other tip is to make a packed lunch for the next day whilst making dinner of an evening, it makes it less of a chore. Popcorn is also my favourite snack, far healthier than crisps! we also keep things in the fridge like chicken, pork etc that you can make with anything...sprinkle cajun powder and serve with rice for example. Once you start it's amazing how much easier it becomes. Good luck!

Fill the fruit bowl and snack on fruit only.

Eat eggs for breakfast not carbs. Protein fills you up and stops you getting hungry. If you scramble egg perhaps toddler can share.

Make the same for you and the toddler.

Take a tin of soup to work instead of crisps. ( assuming you have a microwave at work?) If no microwave take sandwich. Or take both. Not crisps !! Thick soup is very filling as it stays in stomach longer, and even better if some protein in there like lentils, beans or meat.

For on the train try cereal bars with plenty of oats in, oats are magic keep you filled up for longer than other carbs. Or take the banana that you were having for breakfast, and do egg for breakfast.

Have a small snack then WAIT 10 minutes then the hunger goes away, dont do what I do and keep stuffing in the food until hunger goes away.

As an aside, I'm amazed by how many people snack! As if going without food from 12ish til 8ish is unheard of or something.
I honestly think stopping snacking is your key here, or only snacking on fruit.

Most people I know don't snack - too busy with work, exercise, children etc. It's just not on the radar to go off and buy food to snack on, or to have a chocolate bar in the bag or something "just in case."

I don't think it's a coincidence that the few women in my office who are forever at sugary treats like Muller Lights are the ones who are overweight.

Three balanced, nutritious, unprocessed meals a day is more than enough. Eat plenty of protein at each meal to stay full though, as crisps and white carbs etc will just leave you hungry a few hours later.

running
Too right.
Snacking makes you fat.
Train your body not to need snacks and the whole metabolic system starts to work properly.

Don't do change it all at once. It will become something that is an effort, and you resent.

Chip away at bits.

I am a snacker. I agree, you don't need to snack, but on the basis that I am going to I take lots of fruit to work to munch on (before opening the biscuit drawer some days it even stays shut.)

Likewise, if I go from after work until tea without eating the children end up in bed so fast we don't blink, as all In ca think is that I want to eat. So I have a piece of toast or fruit when I get in, rather than biscuits and cake.

I don't "not count" the snacks, if that makes sense, and it means my five a day are easy to get in because I have most of them at work.

I am slightly lazy at cooking for just me, and would happily eat "on toast" for just me in the evening. Double up dinner a day or so before, so leftovers are quick to reheat on those days.

Lunch with the DC - meh, I still only get around to this half the time. Pick something you like - avocado on toast/favourite soup/posh bread - that wil get you sitting down to eat it.

I'm sorry for butting into this thread - but I have question for you non-snackers. I have mastered it during the day so I can go between breakfast, lunch and evening meal (7.30pm-ish) with no snacks but I am rubbish when we eat with the kids at 5pm. I really like eating together but there is no way I can go all the way to bedtime (10pm-ish) with no food. I just hate going to sleep hungry. I can't sleep.

Do you non-snackers ever eat early with your kids? If so what do you do?

Not read all the others posts so apologies if this has already been said - but would 'family meals' be possible? It does seem like a long-ish gap between your lunch and tea if you eat at 8pm, esp if you've given a meal to your toddler inbetween! We've always tried to do this even from when our kids (now 7yo & 4yo) were toddlers, so we have our food around 6.30 after getting in from work around 6pm. Half an hour is usually enough time to get food if I've already planned what we're having, whether something done in the slow cooker or a healthy noodles type soup/meal which only takes 15 mins and involves as many veg as we can get away with using (leeks, carrots, celery, peas, sweetcorn etc etc) plus a bit of meat for me and the kids, and quorn for DH.

For the times you are tired, try and get in the habit of bulk cooking and freezing. I used to do this for DS's nursery meals, but now also do the same with any amount of leftovers - if it's enough for a meal, I'll use it another evening, if it's a portion for one I'll use it for lunch. We also do a lot of soups.

Re feeling hungry if not eating, part of that is habit, but also I find it much harder once I've had something to eat, if that makes sense. I'm tending to fast one day a week now, and find I can go a whole day without eating up until around 6.30 - but if I eat, I snack, so I then have to watch myself afterwards! I used to think even on a fasting day I should have something for lunch, but if I did the afternoons were my downfall! Sugar is also terrible for making you crave more: I'm trying to replace sugar with savoury tastes where I can, or drinking warm water with lemon (I find tea insipid after I gave up sugar, but like warm water with lemon), or drinking fizzy mineral water (as I only seem to drink tap water at night). I've decided sugar is definitely evil and am now not buying biscuits, much to DH's disappointment .

Also, final tip to try - if you have a dip of energy in the afternoon that prompts your looking for sugary snacks, try taking some deep breaths through your nose and breathing out through your mouth - it sometimes helps getting that rush of cold air up the nose to clear the brain... or does that just work for me?!

Toowit
Ah yes, its hard when kids are small.
If you can, cut your meal calories a bit, eg by reducing your carb portion, and then have a large mug of hot milk or a banana before bed
just make sure you avoid carbs or sugar.

And enjoy the quiet evenings while they last - my kids go to bed later than I do

Ah TalkinPeace, this is where I go wrong - hot milk and bananas don't go well with wine!! Weekend evenings usually involve wine!

toowit
Ah well, weekends are different. Wine evenings always end with cheese.
But I only drink 2 days a week - which helps a lot on snacking control as well.

You need eggs and/or meat/cheese for breakfast. There are lots of recipes on Pinterest for breakfast 'muffins' involving these items. They can be baked ahead, frozen and microwaved.

Part of what's going on here is that you are not planning any meals. To get on top of things, you are going to have to do that. To motivate yourself, you have to stop buying the carb laden stuff you rely on.
Cook ahead about two weekends a month. You and DH can devote one day to this out of the fourteen. Freeze the meals and then just reheat. You can make your own sugar free tasty sauce ahead of time if you want too, so you won't rely on jars that have a good deal of extra salt and hidden sugar in them.

Or -- cook chicken breasts or a roast of beef or pork loin (lean protein) on weekends and keep them in the fridge or freezer all sliced and ready to go for 5 o'clock. Buy wholegrain rolls or pasta or basmati rice (has some protein) and just cook the rice or pasta quickly, toss with some meat and some sort of sauce and easily prepared veg (lettuce, green beans, broccoli/cauliflower florets, peas, carrots, chinese cabbage). Veg can be steamed or cooked in pasta water or with the rice.
You can freeze rice, so if you could cook some brown rice you can divide it into four portions in a freezer bag and take out enough for dinner whenever you want.

Or have cheese and nuts ready for five o'clock or for you to nibble on your commute? You could have the banana when you get out from work too.

How about bringing some hearty, real soup with you to have with lunch? Real soup = made from broth, not a cube or packet. Soup can be made easily and frozen. Or buy hearty soup in tins. Split pea soup, bean soups -- nutritious and filling and freezable. Protein shakes are another possibility. Ditto tub of Greek yogurt.

Look at the schedule -- could the toddler be bathed every second day and get away with topping and tailing on alternate days? Could DH do bathtime and you do bedtime or vice versa?

Get back in the habit of eating a decent lunch with the toddler.

Do not drink your sugar. Fizzy water will give you some fizz but no carbs.

Toowit - usually I eat at half 7ish but, if I eat early, I still don't let myself eat again before bedtime. I've had my tea, so that's it.
If I've logged everything on MFP, too, then I'm "done" for the day and can't have any more. That really helps with the willpower.
If I go to bed a bit hungry then that's fine, I know I can eat in the morning.

But if I'm really REALLY hungry and can't resist (only ever if I've had a drink and willpower is out of the window!) then it's a small block of cheese, maybe with one or two crackers. We don't have cake/biscuits/ crisps in the house, so it's not an option to eat anything too bad!

I've made tomorrow's dinner today. It's cooling now and will go in the fridge for an easy heat-through meal tomorrow (and possibly the day after too). It's rice. As long as you cool it quickly and store it properly then it should be fine. (If it has gone 'off' then no amount of heating it through will kill the thing that will make you sick. But I've never had a problem and I've reheated all sorts of takeaway and homemade rice over the years).

Also, eating with your toddler is nice. Can you push back bathtime (which doesn't need doing everyday anyway) and sit down to eat something when you come in. Something quick that your toddler can have a taste of too would be good.

I know I would do the same at 5 if it was not for the fact that I have now taken to having a mini-meal at 5. Basically, a side plate of food with salad, pasta and a bit of protein - probably about 150 kcal and much more appetising than a biscuit. I also have a general no snacking policy as for me, this is the slippery slope.

I agree planning is key.

I am a lone parent with quite a demanding job but I spend a lot of time thinking ahead, planning and preparing food to make sure dd and I eat decent food. I don't have time to do lots of cooking during the week so I always make extra on the weekend that I can freeze - that way I always have some healthy home made "ready meals" for evenings when I can't be bothered to make any effort.

Get yourself a slow cooker for those stews.

We don't do kiddie food in our house. The kids and adults in my family eat the same meals. We have good eaters - curries, falafel, bean chilli, prawn stir fries, mussels, liver, exotic salads. We like to try new dishes out on them once or twice a week.

Flick through a recipe book. Think about the foods you'd like to eat, then learn to cook them. Serve them to DD.

The whole snack or not snack thing depends on your metabolism. If I didn't snack, I would go from underweight to seriously underweight. And there is no way I can go more than a couple of hours without eating.

I agree that family meals sound like a good idea.

amummy
no, you just need to increase the calories in your meals - same number of calories eaten in fewer sessions

skinny snackers have tiny meals so feel the need to snack

fat snackers have normal meals and snack as well

non snackers have massively reduced risk of metabolic disorders later in life

Can you enlighten me re 'no snacks'. I am going to sound like a twat , I don't mean to honest. But, I am 43, size 6/8 and always have been. If I am hungry, I eat. If I am not hungry I don't. Including snacks.

Agree re a lot of the rest. We cook mainly from scratch, eat healthily most of the time, eat together mainly, but there is crisps, chocolate cake (and teenagers!) in the house, which I sometimes fancy, other times I grab some fruit, or cheese and crackers etc. Take out once a week. Wine 4 nights.

Sorry, I read and read about carbs, fat, slimmers world, calories counted etc and it just bamboozles me. Comfort eating, yes, I get that.

Using jars will be contributing to it all, as well as buying as ypu go - I know. This is how I was until the start of this year.

Now I cook from scratch, meal plan and do one shop a week. I do "click and collect" so I order when I have the chance and on collection day just drive up to the van in the carpark and they fill my boot.

Each evening meal is made for three, so DH and I have a portion each and then the third will either be dds lunch the next day or if she is at the CMs, I have it for my lunch.

I try and pack my meals with as much veg as possible, so last night I made spag bol, but chucked in carrot, leek, peppers and onions, mince in last so it was more like a half veggie half meat bolognaise.

Ive also cut out all bread. I hate brown bread so its easier to have none at all. I also used to be a "sandwich and crisps" at lunch person too so it has made me a bit more creative at lunches.

I also dont snack but have never been a snacker tbh. I think you just either are a snacker or arent one.

I know the feeling - I love good healthy meals, but if DH is away I do find myself picking at crap rather than eating properly. I spent years dieting and feeling like crap so it's taken me a long time to learn how to nourish myself properly without either depriving myself or guzzling junk.

I am a breakfast skipper because I don't like eating if I'm not hungry. If I do have breakfast it's usually scrambled eggs or a croissant for a treat at weekends. I do drink about two pints of water and a proper coffee in the morning.

Lunch is usually a salad (a proper one with plenty of protein, not just leaves!) sandwich (sometimes cheese on toast, but this has been cut down to a once a week habit) and some fruit. Loads of water.

I usually have one or two biscuits in the afternoon, or a cereal bar, and more decaff coffee. Sometimes I'll have something savory like a mini babybel cheese or some cooked chicken instead. More water.

My favourite ''I'm on my own' dinner is a veggie rice bowl -
brown rice (I tend to halve of one of those microwave packets if I can't be arsed to cook rice), fried up with one or two eggs,
some form of veg (spinach usually)
some form of protein (often veggie sausages or some tofu, cold meats would also work well)
some form of sauce (pesto, soy, whatever's in the fridge)
and some grated cheese (because I love cheese. LOVE it. So I find if I have some with dinner it stops me picking later)
Sounds a bit bizarre but it works for me - a complete meal in a bowl with plenty of sustaining protein and fats, that can be tailored to your own tastes, in the time it takes to make or order something much less nutritious.

Thanks for all the tips and advice, especially on good snacks to replace the chocolate and crisp attack in the late afternoon! I can see I need to plan to have something much more slow burn.

Unfortunately there's no room to move my day/schedule around. I work M-F and am out of the house 8-7, so other than at weekends, where I clearly need to make more of an effort to share lunch with DD, there's no room to change my meal times. I'm trying to fit all this around getting me and DD up and out in the mornings (so no time for a cooked breakfast) and then being either on a train or at my desk all day.

I've basically got the stereotypical 'dad' routine - DH picks up DD early afternoon and does the dinner prep for us when I'm home doing bath time and bedtime. It's only 1-2 days a fortnight really where it all goes catastrophically wrong and I can go through a whole day surviving on toast and biscuits - and as I'm getting older I really feel that.

I'll look a bit at meal planning but we like, as a family, shopping as we go along as it allows us to use all the local markets and shops, rather than doing a weekly supermarket shop. I do need to plan what I'm doing though; half my problem is I forget I have a few days of DH not being at home and then have nothing in the house to cook for me!

Thanks also to those who've shared that I'm not alone being a bit busy/flustered with work and young DC and not being overly organised at everything. I'm not looking to change drastically - I don't want to low-carb or cut out cakes and biscuits entirely (contrary to how it sounds with my diet, I'm short and slim) - but I want to slowly alter my habits so that I genuinely and naturally reach for healthier foods a lot of the time to balance out the less good food.

learn how to nourish myself properly without either depriving myself or guzzling junk. - KnitFast, yes, that's what I want to learn how to do. Drink plenty of water, reach for fruit and veg and slow-burn snacks when peckish, balance it with rounded meals.