I'm not overweight or looking to put on muscle; I'm just trying to live a healthier life in general. I feel like I have a general idea about what I should eat. I usually eat eggs and whole wheat toast for breakfast with a V8 and I feel like that's pretty healthy and manageable. The problem is with my other meals. I live in an apartment so I cook all of my meals, besides 5 a week (I eat 5 meals a week at the dorms). When I eat at the dorms, I usually eat a burger or chicken patty, and fill up the rest of the plate with veggies and fruits. My meals at home usually consist of some sort of hotdish (like chicken hotdish or tater tot hotdish) that contains some meat, vegetables, and of course cream of chicken soup . I like making hotdishes because I can reheat them for about 3 meals and they contain vegetables and some protein. Along with the hotdish, I have a glass of milk and usually some sort of fruit and vegetable if there isn't many vegetables in the hotdish. I'm curious, first, about your opinion of what I eat now. Second, I'm curious if you have any recommendations on cheap fruits and what types of fruits I should get. I usually get applesauce, apples, raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries, but I don't know when they start going out of season, and they can get to be pretty expensive. Third, I'd like to know what you recommend for vegetables. I usually try to fill up half of my plate with fruits and veggies so what I normally use are the frozen vegetables that you can steam in the microwave. I generally use the mixed vegetables with corn, carrots, and green beans the most, but sometimes I use broccoli or just other types in general. Any opinions on which of these I should eat more of. Last, I feel like I probably am not getting enough protein in my diet. Any suggestions on snacks high in protein, or any other advice on getting more protein on a budget? Thanks for you thoughts!!
Generally, your diet is pretty good. Depending on what V8 brand your drinking, I might cut that one out. While V8 seems "healthy" the fruit variety tends to be loaded with sugar, and the vegetable variety tends to have a ton of sodium. V8 is fine for the person who has no other vegetable/fruit intake which isn't the case. I'm sorry but I have no idea what a hotdish is. Frozen fruits and vegetables tend to be just as good as fresh varieties. Don't worry about eating particular fruits and vegetables, just eat a variety of them and you'll be fine. The best sources of lowcost protein are eggs and tuna. Buy tuna that is low in sodium and/or some sort of indication on the can that is mercury free. But all in all, you are in college. Your income is limited (or non-existence), you are crunched for time, etc. If you don't have the "perfect" diet it isn't a big deal. I'm sure you are eating better than 90% of other college students out there.
With eggs, make sure you try to avoid too many yolks. One egg yolk contains 185 mg of cholesterol (egg whites have 0), and the daily recommended limit is 300. Overall, try to cut down on fats like butter and oil (try using olive oil -don't use expensive extra virgin oil just for cooking). Try making omelettes. Even just some onions, tomatoes, and bell pepper will be fine and create a healthy meal. +1 to getting frozen fruits and vegetables. I've started buying frozen mixed berries because I never seem to finish fresh berries before they spoil. Almost always my breakfast is a hot cereal (Grape Nuts, Cream of Wheat, or oatmeal) with honey and raisins or the frozen berries. These are also quite cheap in bulk. You can never have enough vegetables, but they spoil quickly. Try getting the smaller frozen packs of mixed vegetables or even meals that you can quickly add to some staple grain like rice or pasta. I really like pasta, and I often buy store-bought sauce and make it better by adding things like onions or lean ground beef (try to get 90+% lean). Use the entire container of sauce because it spoils quickly after opening; I often freeze separate portions because the containers are quite large and too much for a single serving of pasta.
Thanks for the replies! Ryan: I'll definitely have to check out the amount of sugar in my V8 because I do have the fruit and vegetable kind. Oh and you may know a hotdish as a casserole or bake. I'll have to actually try some tuna. Resu: Thanks for the tip with the eggs. I usually have two per morning so, I should cut back. I love the frozen vegetables, but I'm curious if you find frozen fruits to be a pain. I know it's nice that they don't spoil, but I've only used them in smoothies. I also, do eat pasta occasionally. I feel you with the sauce. I had one open one half full jar in the fridge and accidentally opened up a new jar and used half of it because I forgot about the one in the fridge. Now I have two halves in there which will probably spoil over break.
As a college student I am really jealous of your diet. I eat most of my meals on campus at the little restaurants. And occasionally I buy groceries on campus, but it is very expensive, a dozen of eggs are $3.50, milk is $1.80 a quart or $7.20 a gallon and butter is $6.50 a pound, so I can't really afford to buy to many groceries on campus. I am guilty of making hotdishes when I am home. I make a bunch and take them back to school and completely fill up my tiny little freezer and frig that I share with my roommate. I also have a collection of random foods in mason jars that my family has canned. My roommate is welcomed to help himself to whatever he wants so that helps save space.
Honestly, your diet doesn't sound that bad. I've heard of much worse. You seem to be making a good effort with the fruits and veggies. I'd cut out the V8 because it's not the best source of fruits and veggies (it's pretty dead by the time it's in a can and on your table), it's probably quite expensive compared to real fruits and veggies, and chances are it's full of sodium. Just eat a regular fruit or veggie instead. The other thing I'd cut out is tater tots. Can't be healthy. =/ Have you tried tuna casserole instead? You can also make it with chicken instead of tuna. Just avoid the recipes with potato chip toppings and pick plain white cheddar cheese instead. If possible, get a low-sodium soup (one that doesn't contain potassium chloride, though, cause that's not really better than salt...). Two eggs a day doesn't phase me personally, but I must admit cholesterol isn't something I'd really looked into. Maybe replace one of them with some unsalted peanuts or something that will also fill you up but without the cholesterol. The spaghetti idea is good. If you buy frozen berries, try a smoothie with blueberries, plain yogurt, some milk and some soft-ish tofu. Put it all in the blender with a tablespoon or so of sugar. If you don't mind eating the same thing day after day, I find the Old El Paso chili spices work really well. With a pound of meat, some canned tomatoes and basic veggies (one green pepper, some frozen corn, a few carrots), you have enough for a while. It would surely freeze very well, too. Hope that helps! ---------- Post added 15th Dec 2013 at 09:01 PM ---------- Heh, these are barely higher than the typical prices here---at the grocery store... -.- I feel your pain, thank God for sales.
Cut soda altogether if you haven't already. I did that back in April and have lost 20 lbs. I would also say, depending on where you live, walk everywhere you possibly can. It helps burn calories and keep your heart pumping. As for that, I would also say to steer clear of the V8. It seems like a good idea, but there is so much sugar in those drinks that it blurs the actual healthiness of it all. I would say take a multivitamin instead. I try my best to cook my meals in my apartment with some regulation on the pasta, rice, and bread. I try to add spinach, carrots, or even dried fruits to my meal as a way to balance things out It's also about portion control. Know when you are full and can stop.
Thanks for the replies again everyone! Phoenix: Those are some spendy groceries! They are ridiculously overpriced on campus, but I have a car and just go to walmart in the burbs to get them cheaper. I'm also glad you enjoy a nice hotdish! Apostrophied: I'll cut the V8. I don't even like the taste anyways, so if it isn't that healthy, I'll stop wasting my money. I'll check into the chili and smoothies too! Ninerw: Thankfully I don't drink pop in general because I hate the taste and carbonation, plus it damages my teeth. Also, I do walk miles a day around campus so thankfully I get a decent amount of activity from that.
if you want a better and really good inexpensive source of protein add some varied beans/lentils and rice/grains very inexpensive and if spiced rice also delicious & very healthy. For healthier and cheaper fruits and vegetables get frozen, they keep better than fresh and are actually picked when they are riper and keep longer than fresh. They are also usually cheaper due to having been picked in season and then stored. drink lots of water and no soda
