Foods?

[Ashitaka]

Hey all. I need help on what to eat... what can a 17y/o guy eat for meals w/ a limited amount of money and all this junk food around the house?
any suggestions? i could go to the store and buy SOME stuff. i need like simple and quick but really healthy meals?

[Pyrochaos]

RAMEN!

Salads are usually cheap. Most fruits and stuff are not that expensive. Cereal is cheap, dont want too sugary cereal though. Canned foods like soup are cheap and good for you.

[abrannan]

Ramen? Are you serious? That stuff'll kill you! Take a look at the fat and sadium content sometime. Yeah, it's cheap, but it has it's own price to pay, if you know what I mean.

Fruits and veggies usually aren't too expensive, But you'll also want some protein. I've found that the pre-frozen bags of chicken breasts are usually a pretty good deal. They seem pricey, but they'll last you a while, and you can get several meals out of a bag. A simple stir fry of chicken and vegetables cooks quickly, and is quite nutritious, you can vary the spices to get some good variety, too.

[Ashitaka]

yeah, you dont have to tell me about ramen lol we have like 2 cases of it. ughh.

the stir fry chicken sounds good though
i think ill go today and take a look at the store for it
thanks!

[Laura Moncur]

You're a 17 year old guy. Do you live with your parents?

If you do, sit down with them and tell them that you are serious about getting healthy. Telling your closest family members is the first step toward getting a team of people to help you on this path. Ask them to buy fresh veggies and fruits for you to nosh on between meals. Tell them that fruits and veggies are cheaper than junk food and that you would rather have the healthy stuff.

Having a heart to heart talk with your parents about your plans is the best way to get the house "clean" of tempting food.

[luperaz]

Apples are praticly the best Carb you can eat. They have a Low GI(glycemic Index). I limit my most of my carbs to apples, pears and oranges. I have gotten great results with these fruits.

[abrannan]

Luperaz said:

Apples are praticly the best Carb you can eat. They have a Low GI(glycemic Index). I limit my most of my carbs to apples, pears and oranges. I have gotten great results with these fruits.

Give blueberries a try, if you can get your hands on some. Low GI, High anti-oxidant

[nonskanse]

Asking your family to clear the house of tempting foods often doesn't work. My mother has an iron will about what she eats, and is 5'4" at 125 (pretty good for her age and very little activity). She expects that we have the same iron will, so she keeps all sorts of candy around and buys things like fatty sour cream (good for a quick chip dip (dried onions+cayenne+tuna+garlic+*insert favorite spice here*) occasionally, bad if its always around the house) and more and more chips and things. She has a snack when she feels like it, which is once a day.
Since who knows what craving will strike her tomorrow, there are a zillion varieties of snacks about the house.

Luckily i don't live at home most of the time (college), but visiting and the holidays are pretty hard. I don't pig out on candy because I grew up around it and developed a little control, but if I feel like snacking, i don't go for nice apples...

If your family can't/won't help out, then just find something you really really like doing that you can do away from the house. That helped me not gain too much when I lived at home.

[Ashitaka]

yeah trying to ask them wont work. my dad is basically okay (weightwise) and buys like all the junky foods and stuff, and my mom just buys whatever. ehh it would be just hard to. besides i already tried to talk to them about it and ehh nothing.

[abrannan]

nonskanse said:

fatty sour cream (good for a quick chip dip (dried onions+cayenne+tuna+garlic+*insert favorite spice here*)

No offense intended, but that sounds like the most foul creation I've ever heard of.


Parental support can be a tricky thing. It's a challenging exercise in diplomacy, because you're not only asking them to support you, you're asking them to give up something they want, as well. For non-refrigerated goods, see if they'll go for adding a lock to a particular cabinet int he kitchen, so that they can have the foods, they can have the key, but you won't have access to those foods. Compromise is they key.

[Laura Moncur]

The most important thing is informing the people you live with what your plans are. They can be incredibly supportive and they can help you stick with your plan when you are feeling weak.

Additionally, it's a way to show them that you are more responsible. If you tell them that you are planning on eating healthy and then follow through, it will show them that you are able to take control of your life. This responsibility may bleed into other parts of your life, for example being able to take the car or stay out later.

Because so many people just flake out on life, telling people what you plan on doing and then following through is a very strong statement. Keeping your commitments to yourself will give you opportunities that you never knew were available.

[YunieBunny]

fruits and veggies are good to snack on, plus are you taking a multi vitamin? Taking vitamins can cut the cravings some because think about it if you crave a food maybe it is because you are lacking that vitamin. It makes sense to me ;D. Eating fruits and veggies also can burn calories. also try to drink lots of fuild mainly water. Stay away from soda's and sports drinks (sports drinks have lots of sodium in them very bad for you). any who if your parents don't want to encourage or help you then they are kinda sad people. Try talking to them again if you havent' already and let them know you are serious do a search on the rising obesity of Americans or Canadians if you live in Canada. Wieght loss is a serious thing not a fad liek a pet rock in a minute out the next it is your life the way you eat the way you live. these are just some thoughts.
YunieBunny

[StarDrifter]

If you get to pick your cereal, ask for something healthier. Cheerios come in about a half dozen flavors by now.

Fruit is cheap. I did the math last night on my weekly fruit budget. Five oranges, two apples: $3.48

Sugar Free Jello is three boxes for a dollar. If you make it right, all you need is some way to boil water (microwave or tea kettle), a bowl to mix it in, a spoon, and a few minutes.

[thecornfrog]

Just a word of advice to all:

Some things are not as healthy as you think. For example, both milk and chicken are normally considered healty. However, in our socity today they are both pumped full of unnatural chemicals. Milk has tons of growth hormones in it that will pwne you in the long run. And when it comes to chicken the preseratives rival that of ramen noodles
(ok not quite that high, but they are both loaded with MSG, which causes cancer big time)
Check you chicken before you buy it. (and same thing with the veggies too)
i swear that our agrocurtural tecnology is gonna kill us all one day

[Jsn]

Soy milk and some high fiber, low fat, sugar free cereal in the morning is a great way to get a lot of the things you need for the day with a quick meal that isn't too expensive.

[Daedalus]

yeah...when i heard how chickens are brought up i stopped eating all but free range chicken...not so much because of the cages...but because of all the chemicals...you are what you eat and all that