healthy food.. help my brain please

[sarack]

you all know that i've lost over 100lbs eating 'right' and exercising. however, all of my healthy food generally isn't cooked with oil, there is no sauce or anything to the mix, very low in sodium, and sometimes not so delicious i could eat it every day for the rest of my life.

can you please share your fav healthy meals that are to die for? am i just not using the right seasonings? most times, food doesn't hold any appeal to me.

[sarack]

unless it's pizza.. and we all know that that counts as a vegetable.

[joenali]

Go see my post on H&F about Bob Harper's new book. He has lots of ideas for healthy food choices in his book!

[Deleted]

I gradually phased out salt, butter and oil out of my cooking. H had high blood pressure because of all of the salt that he was eating, so I just started using a little less and a little less till he didn't notice that I wasn't adding salt and using oil very sparingly. Your taste buds get used to it.

I make pretty much everything without salt and very, very little oil now.

[joenali]

Remember, if you are exercising you are going to need salt!

[georgeharrison]

For us, I have found that using the leanest meats has made a massive difference. I use to get the middle of the road ground beef, but when I switched to the 94% or the ground turkey, I could use the same recipes without the calories (tacos, spaghetti, cheeseburgers, etc.).

Also, since my family isn't dieting, I try to just make a reasonably healthy dinner and then have a small portion of it with a big salad instead of the potatoes or other not so great sides. Last night, I made grilled steak, sauteed mushrooms, roasted potatoes and corn. I had a small portion of steak, the mushrooms and a big salad.

[mkate710]

So take my thoughts with a grain of salt (teehee, pun intended) because we eat low-carb and don't shy away from fats. So, I cook with EVOO and/or butter fairly frequently. If we are working out a lot, I'll add more salt to the food, but if you have an H w/ high blood pressure I definitely understand cutting back. That said...

Herbs and spices are my friend for adding flavor. Do you guys like spicy food? Even if you don't, adding fresh herbs (I grow them in pots on my deck) and lots of freshly pressed garlic makes simple, healthy food really flavorful. I also cook with wine and/or balsamic vinegar a lot.

BabyA, you just made up my mind for me. I want steak and sauteed mushrooms for dinner

[sarack]

i also eat very low carb.. maybe i need to reintroduce a little oil into my diet. i'm use to eating this way, i think i'm just bored..

[Deleted]

Oh, also, I forgot to mention, a while back I found this liquid smoke stuff. There isn't any sodium in it, but it adds a ton of yummy smokey flavor.

www.wrightsliquidsmoke.com/product.asp

[emyinpink]

honestly, I would look at slowly introducing fat back into your diet. fat really doesn't make you fat . it makes food taste delicious and you'll be more satisfied with smaller amounts.

I also don't shy away from using salt in cooking. the studies that show that salt is bad for you tend to be around people with existing high blood pressure problems. in addition, it's really the excess sodium in processed foods that's the real problem, not the salt that you add in cooking.

[sarack]

neither of us have high blood pressure. i just SWELL when i eat sodium. my mom is the same way and takes water pills.. but she also has diabetes and high blood pressure and all that. lol.

also- i do use spices, salsa, hot sauce, onions, garlic, all that. sometimes it's just so bland. i think what is missing is rice.. lol. i think i was supposed to be asian. i love rice so much. so much.

[sarack]

seriously, nothing is better than veggies/meat/saucey goodness over rice. i LOVE ASIAN FOOD.

[Deleted]

IMO if you love rice, have it! Just have it in moderation and get the good stuff. Don't get the crap minute rice, get the good brown rice and have some of that.

[joenali]

Have you tried Farro before? It's better for you than even brown rice. It tastes very good and you cook it just like you would rice.

[sarack]

nope, never seen the cauliflower recipe and never had farro.

uw- i'm not even in the competition and you're telling me to eat carbs. lol. just joking.. i have a cupcake in the freezer and i'm about to thaw that baby out and enjoy!

[Deleted]

Jul 24, 2012 11:55:09 GMT -5 joenali said:

Have you tried Farro before? It's better for you than even brown rice. It tastes very good and you cook it just like you would rice.

What's farro? Does it taste like rice? Where can I find it?

[Deleted]

Jul 24, 2012 11:57:02 GMT -5 sarack said:

nope, never seen the cauliflower recipe and never had farro.

uw- i'm not even in the competition and you're telling me to eat carbs. lol. just joking.. i have a cupcake in the freezer and i'm about to thaw that baby out and enjoy!

lol. I don't think carbs are all bad! Tons of carbs are bad, but carbs in moderation is fine.

It's all about moderation!

[joenali]

Jul 24, 2012 11:57:49 GMT -5 @uwhuskygirl said:

Jul 24, 2012 11:55:09 GMT -5 joenali said:

Have you tried Farro before? It's better for you than even brown rice. It tastes very good and you cook it just like you would rice.

What's farro? Does it taste like rice? Where can I find it?

I've only had it once at my mom's house, I'm assuming she found it at Central Market, but I bet you could get it at QFC, Whole Foods, maybe Trader Joes.

It has a nuttier taste than rice. I think it's better tastint than quinoa too.

[sarack]

yes we def have a rice cooker. h is obsessed with rice. and he makes it all the time. and i just smell it. lol.