Trying to Eat Healthy, Ideas??

Get the whole wheat pasta. Most brands taste fine now (unlike the carboard versions of the past). That's how I get in my pasta fix without guilt.

Consider a subscription to Cooking Light. You'll get some super, easy recipes that are healthy. Every recipe we've tried from them has been a winner.

You have some good suggestions so far but I thought I'd add a few more....

Have you ever tried sparkling water? It tastes a little odd at first, kind of a mineral taste, but I love it! I don't drink a lot of soda but I really like my La Croix waters! They come in natural flavors like lime, raspberry, grapefruit, etc. and you can buy them at every grocery store. They come in cans and are carbonated so it feels like you're drinking a soda (kind of) but it's really just water. I don't even think it has artificial sweeteners in it.

Yogurt and cottage cheese are good protein sources that can be low fat. Greek yogurt is great for you but it's also an acquired taste. I'd recommend getting fruit flavored or ones with honey, don't do plain.

You can still eat pasta, just eat less and eat smarter. Use whole wheat pastas. They can be found in normal stores and are either the same price or just a few pennies more. Plus, my store has sales quite a bit. Use tomato sauces instead of cream sauces and put in lots of veggies. You can even add pureed veggies (like spinach or sweet potato or carrot) to a store bought sauce for added nutrients.

Avocado is kind of a substitute for mayo. It is creamy and fatty like mayo, but it is healthy fat. You can slice it thin and spread it or just place it on a sandwich and although it doesn't taste like mayo, it has a similar effect.

Also, you can cook sweet potatoes just like a regular baked potato, that's how we do it. I do it in the microwave and I add the same stuff to it...light sour cream or a bit of butter, some low fat cheese, turkey bacon bits and voila...it's a healthier version of something you really like!

Skip "diet" foods - your brain still thinks they are sweet and dumps unnecessary insulin into your system. Real sugar is better, but in moderation. Moderation is the key. Exercise is part of it (I LOVE Zumba - I actually look forward to it).

Real fruit/vegetables, etc., at every meal if you can. I try to eat something green with lunch/dinner (broccoli, snap peas, edamame, etc.).

Breakfast - protein/carbs/fat mixed in a balanced way - the diabetes diet for when I was having gestational diabetes made me feel like I was eating all the time and was probably the healthiest I ever was.

Portion size, portion size, portion size. Americans eat HUGE portions. If you can take on scoop less of whatever at every meal, that might help gradually retrain your stomach to need less to fill it.

Use google to find substitutes as well - there's all kinds of info out there :)

Good for you! I would echo much of what has already been said to you. I have maintained my same weight since puberty... I am almost 40 now and have 2 kids, and honestly, my consistent weight is simply due to habits that were (thankfully) formed at a young age. I have always "grazed", don't eat fast food, and don't drink soda often (couple of times a month if I go out and want something special, etc.) and have always maintained some sort of exercise as part of my daily life (always walk the stairs versus elevators, walk or ride my bike with the kids, etc. nothing major, it is just part of my daily life). With this in mind... we only have small plates that meals get put on... helps a lot to not overfill your plate. Also, eat REAL food. Stay away from food that is processed even if it says "fat free", etc. Get away from "diet" foods/drinks and just simplify your menu with the REAL stuff. And pasta... my husband's diet is primarily gluten free (we all feel so much better if we are careful about not eating too much Gluten (bread, pasta's, etc.). We have switched over to brown rice based pasta, or "gluten free" pasta and haven't noticed a difference in the taste or texture... maybe consider trying this. There is a particular brand that I think is better than others... it is Tinkyada brand. Also, if you haven't gotten in to Quinoa or Couscous, you should consider trying these options versus your typical pasta/wheat blends. They are delicious, better for you, filled with protein, natural, and might be a nice substitute for the pasta dishes you really like. Good luck and good for you! Sometimes its the small things that will make all of the difference :-)

I also recommend doing things in moderation. Allow yourself to have some "treats"/favorite foods...but maybe substitute things (like it sounds like you're already doing). For me, it's too much work to always make "new" foods all the time . Making something you're used to making, but with a healthier tweak, can help you stay on track when you're just not up to shopping for new ingredients/trying a new recipe.

Mashed/Blended ripe avocado is a good substitute for mayo. It also works really well as a base/substitute for a "cream" sauce. I imagine Idaho is chilly now, so try some low sodium, broth based soups.

There are a million different ideas on what "eating healthy" means (low fat, low carb, raw, paleo, vegan, etc). Lots of water is always essential. Good luck!

Change can be really hard so you might be better off adding things to your diet instead of trying to cut too much out at once. I started making 1 change every 2 weeks so by the end of the 2 weeks that change was already a part of my every day routine. You might want to start out by adding in a few servings of veggies every day. The more veggies you eat the less room you'll have for other things. I love pasta and still eat it however I add grilled tomato and green squash as the topping instead of meat sauce. When I also add a large tossed salad I've got around 3-4 servings of veggies in one meal.

O. change is when grocery shopping, but most foods around the edges of the store: produce, fresh meat, dairy, even bakery breads.
The "inner" store locations are where most of the processed crud is located.!if you can eliminate most or all of that stuff and cook from ingredients in natural form, you'll notice a big difference.

For example: replace frozen garlic bread loaves with homemade using reduced fat butter and a little garlic paste, etc. replace jarred pasta sauce with homemade, lighter versions.

We love this recipe for lentil tacos. My hubby was apprehensive at first, but it has become a family favorite. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tasty-lentil-tacos-2/

For something different, we use spaghetti squash instead of pasta when we make spaghetti. Some people use thinly sliced zucchini as an alternative too.

If you like pasta, you may consider trying quinoa. It's considered a "super food". We like it with black beans and a little sliced smoked sausage.

You may also want to try whole wheat pasta versions or soba noodles. Soba noodles are made from buckwheat and are high in protein and fiber.

And within the last year we have my hubby developed an intolerance to all things dairy. I have been pleasantly surprised to learn that many recipes (admittedly, not all) work really well when the milk is substituted with rice milk. We save lots of calories and fat that way.

Didn't read the responses but wanted to say you can still have chips and cookies...just count out one serving and factor that into your day.

Use plain greek yogurt for sour cream - or spice it up with seasonings (like taco or garlic) for a fat free dip for veggies. Hummus is also low in fat and great on veggies.

Try whole wheat pastas....my family does not like them so I still use regular but again - weigh out 1 serving before you put the sauce on it.

Buy a food scale!

Drink peppermint or apple tea with sweetener at night to curb nighttime cravings (sweet). Pickles for salty (not too many since they are high in sodium) or salsa/veggies or hummus/veggies.

I also buy the low calorie cheese triangles...they come in a circle box. I can't remember the name. 35-45 calories each and I have with 1/2-1 serving of Cheese-Its for 100 calories!

I think you have some good ideas. I'm also trying to eat healthier and lose weight. Drink lots of water. Try elimiating sugar substitiute products and only use stevia or natural sugar. The sugar substitute messes with you - look it up I was really surprised about what I read. In that - just drink your regular coffee creamer and measure it out. It's pure sugar - but in moderation it's ok, the sugar free stuff has the sugar substitute. More veggies and fruit. I've vowed to eat veggie/fruit with every snack. I try not to consume more than 2 fruits in a day - but veggies are endless. I even made a ranch dip with just greek yogurt and ranch. Althought it's not the best - it helps me get my raw veggies in. And NEVER go longer than 3 hours between eating.. even if your not hungry, a handful of almonds are great. If you have a carb, make sure you have protein with it.

It sounds like you're making a good start.

Plain non-fat Greek yogurt is high in protein per serving, but it is an acquired taste to eat it as-is. If you put some frozen (no-added sugar) blueberries, mixed berries, etc into it, it will be sweet enough and resemble frozen yogurt without adding a lot of sugar.

I wanted to let you know that sugar substitutes do not help with weight loss and some studies are showing they may promote weight gain due to the way they trick your body. Try to drink your coffee without it.

As a general rule, if you can refrain from eating or drinking things with added sweeteners - natural or otherwise - the weight will start to come off at a healthy pace. It sounds like you already know to be cautious about naturally occurring sugars too, like in juice.

For a mayo alternative, Vegenaise. The grapeseed oil one is best. I love Greek yogurt as a sour cream alternative. I have found eating soup helpful for weight loss for me. It's easy, filling, lots of veggies, low fat protein and fiber. Make a big pot of your fave and eat it for lunch all week. Good luck :).

I like the meal ideas from eatingwell.com

I like to substitute black beans for meat in burritos, I find them to be very filling. Also, any kind of bean soup is usually very filling because of all the fiber.

I make a lot of stir fry's with cut up chicken breast and whatever veggies I have on hand. Served with whole grain rice it's healthy and low-fat.

I also can't go cold turkey on sweets, it's everything in moderation for me, so I'll still have a cookie or two...just not the whole box.

Doing the treadmill workout for 30+ /day is an awesome start!! You could add in some light free weight exercises for building muscle and burning extra calories.

I substitute greek yougurt for sour cream. I also use sugar free cremer in my coffee and I measure the serving. I think that's the biggest thing is reading labels and sticking to serving sizes.

Kudos for working on a healthier diet!

One thing to keep in mind is moderation. If you go cold turkey on all of your favorite foods, you are more likely to take backward steps.

Think smart when you prepare your foods.. allrecipes.com has good ideas. I find recipes I like and then I alter them to our family's taste. I NEVER add salt to any recipe.

Drink a LOT of water, good for you on cutting soda.. they are nothing but empty calories. When water gets boring, add a slice of lemon, orange, grapefruit, lime, etc Drink water before every meal, it fills you up.

You said you tend to overeat.. put your meal on a small salad plate or cereal bowl and that is it. NO seconds.

I don't diet but I do maintain healthy eating habits. I love salads... my favorite dressing is plain lemon juice. Eat lots of fruit... even frozen fruit can be yummy if your favorites are not in season.

We tend to graze meaning I might eat 4 very small meals in 1 day vs 3 main meals (examples... 1/2 sandwich, small salad, grape tomatoes with mozzeralla, handfull of almonds, fruit, etc) Dont eat after 7pm. Make breakfast your largest meal of the day.

Best of luck to you!

Yay! Working out with someone is SO much better than working out alone.

I try to stick to portions...meat portions no bigger than the size of my fist, side dishes no bigger than 4 fingers, carbs no bigger than 3 fingers, alcohol = 2 fingers, dessert = 1 finger.

South Beach diet says you only need 3 bites of dessert to feel satisfied. Weight Watchers is all about portion control. All that to say alot of people have lost weight successfully with those rules so there HAS to be some truth in it, right?

I know it sounds extreme but I've worked hard to eat by these portions and it has helped quite a bit eating at home or eating out...even if I live in meat loving culinary diverse Houston.

Good LUCK!!!!!

Hubby and I have been doing the same thing for a few weeks now. No soda and very very limited ground beef and noodles.

Buy a George Foreman grill if you don't already have one.

A few days ago I made turkey meatloaf burgers. Take a lb of ground turkey and add 1 egg and 1/3 cup of breadcrumbs. Add veggies. I used green peppers and onions. Seasoning will up the flavor. I would also add a bit of shredded cheese to combat dryness. Then form into patties and grill.

Eating healthier doesn't have to be extreme. Just focus on eliminating extras like sugar, salt, fat, grease, etc.

My husband has already lost 10 lbs!! :)

Okay, I just made this for dinner last night and it was AMAZINGLY good. Only thing you might want to change is to use low-sodium chicken broth. I did the 10 hour cook time (although upped it to 15 since we're in a "high altitude" area and my cookbook said to add 30 min per hour of cook time for high altitude). I also cut back to 1 jalapeno to make sure the kids would be okay eating it, but I think 2 would still be pretty mild. This was listed in my cookbook as low-fat (6 g total fat per serving), and with all of the peppers and beans, it's got all sorts of good stuff!

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/soups/white-chicken-chili/

ETA: This one is also good, just make sure you don't use a "fishy" fish. I tried flounder (wild-caught, I believe) and the ingredients used just don't provide a strong enough flavor to combat a fishy tasting fish.
http://www.bhg.com/recipe/seafood/fillets-and-spinach-wit...

I have PCOS too and am always struggling with finding new recipes/modifying old ones so they are more PCOS-friendly (lower-carb, higher protein). I found quite a few recipe ideas at pcosdiva.com - you should check out that site if you haven't already. Here is one recipe that I *think* came from that site, but not 100% sure. I've modified it based on our tastes & recipe reviews; it's originally an Ellie Kreiger (Food Network) recipe. Even my husband, who can happily eat as many carbs as he wants without any concern, LOVES this recipe. I serve it with a ton of roasted broccoli (rather than potatoes or dinner rolls). I know, "meatloaf" sounds so blech, but this one is really good! :)

Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:

* 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
* 1/2 cup skim milk
* 1 medium onion, peeled
* 2 pounds ground turkey breast
* 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
* 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1 carrot, shredded
* 1/2 tsp. paprika
* 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
* 1/2 tsp. onion powder
* 1/8 tsp. thyme leaves
* 1/4 cup ketchup
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together the oats and milk. Thinly slice 1/4 of the onion and set aside. Finely chop the remaining onion & the red pepper. In a sauté pan, cook the onion & red pepper for about 5 minutes, adding the garlic at the very end. Allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl combine the turkey, oat mixture, cooled onion/pepper/garlic mixture, shredded carrot, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, spices, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix just until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches high. If mixture is too soft to form into a good loaf, place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes and then reshape. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the sliced onions. Bake for about 1 hour & 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees.F.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to15 minutes before slicing.

Stevia is great! Stay away from artificial sweeteners, so sugar free creamer is worse than just reducing the amount of creamer you use. Try to drink less coffee and keep it to the morning. Also warm tea with local honey is very good and keeping your metabolism up without causing weight gain, plus you get the added benefit of reducing seasonal allergies. With PCOS you will want to make your main meal at night, but still keep it light. Focus on proteins and vegetables. For example eat cottage cheese and pineapple for breakfast. For lunch try a green salad with strips of chicken on it. For dinner have something hearty like turkey chili. Red meat would be best to limit as well. For your pasta and potatoes make sure you only eat those once a day or once every other day. A healthier version would be to eat whole wheat pasta and red or sweet potatoes.
Good Luck, and don't get discouraged if the weight doesn't start to fall off. Women with PCOS find it more difficult to lose weight. Walking is perfect, and make sure that you keep your body warm the entire time you work out, so wear long sleeves and long pants. It will help to ignite your metabolism.

actually don't try to substitute. you'll just pig out on the real thing when you get it and/or it may be worse for you in the long run! just use less....we have found that using real butter tastes so much better that we use 1/3 of what we would for margarine. i do buy the butter cut with olive oil for spreading.

pasta and bread - just switch to 100% whole grain and watch portions. you can try spaghetti squash - my kids just won't do it and I can't either but I gag on anything that is remotely tasting of pumpkin. lots of people really like it with marinera though.

read labels - no, not the "health" info but the ingredient list. if it has something that is not food, don't buy it or eat it. do not buy anything with the word "hyrdogenate" in the ingredients. do not buy anything with high fructose corn syrup. do not buy anything with more than 3 kinds of sugar in it (rice syrup, corn syrup, sugar, honey, any fruit juice, malt syrup, malt barley are all kinds of sugar). those three steps will make diet immensely more healthy.

do not buy things that have unneccessary added ingredients. peanut butter comes to mind - the natural ones have peanuts and maybe salt. have you read a Jif or Skippy label recently? ice cream is another - if you're going to have any get the full fat real thing (Haagen Daaz) - it's made with all real food and really, 4-5 spoonfuls will satisfy you. my favorite is canned bean (i.e., kidney, black) - many brands have 5-6 ingredients including added sugar! drives me nuts - I just don't want to soak and cook all day not buy beans with lots of extra stuff!

you'll find you may have to cook more but that allows you to add more veggies to bulk it up without eating more calories.

also, plan your meals around veggies, add a small amount of carb and a small amount of protein (we tend to legumes and nuts with animal products only occassionally).

lastly, I buy organic processed products almost exclusively because they don't have non-food ingredients. doesn't mean they're lower calorie but they taste better without all the chemicals and I spend less time in the store reading labels. I also find that a small portion is all I want when it tastes like real food.

Good luck!

oh - and make only one or two changes each week or your family will rebel! start with say peanut butter and whole wheat bread. next week switch to a pasta sauce that has no added sugar. the next week add a veggie to each meal and remove a carb. it'll be easier for you and them!

FYI:
Advoid prepackaged individual cereals, as the real stuff only takes about 30 seconds longer to prepare. Prepackaged individual ones have been found to increase one's appetite 1-2 hours later.
Non fat creme is worse for you then full fat; as are most low in fat or non fat products as they do contain more sugar and salt then the full product.
Also avoid any and all prepakaged foods and make your own for less.

For more substitutes such as using full fat plain yogurt for sour cream please see the cookbook:
Love More Feed Less.