something for your health...

[chilli]

To celebrate myself means for me also to take care about its own health. So I decided to introduce 2 (minimum), 3 (ideal) days per week, where I don't eat meat or products made of meat.

This is the first week where I'm doing this, and for the beginning it is not so difficult for me to replace meat with other food. With a meatless dinner today, I already have 3 days.

I'm not doing this for diet reasons; I only want to be healthier (and to keep my health)

A next step for me would be to reduce the usage of sugar but it is much more difficult for me (cookies, ice cream, chocolate - I love these things... )

Chilli

 

[starflake]

This is something I've been doing, too. It's a powerful journey.

You know what has been a great replacement for my cravings? Good ol' fruits and vegetables and whole grains/rices/etc. And there is such a variety that I previously had not even begun to tap into. I also replace milk with soy or rice milk. Don't miss a thing.

My motivation is health and wellness -- nutrition, digestion, fuel for mental/physical/etc energy, and "prevention is key" all in one.

Good luck on your path! :flower:

 

[SparkleNana]

Great topic! There are now delicious alternatives for meat in many grocery stores. They are high protein, low fat, cost about the same as the meat they replace and even look like meat. One is the "Quorn" label - which has vegetarian "chicken breasts" that you cook in the microwave for one minute. They are delicious! They also have vegetarian substitutes for ground beef, turkey roll, meatballs - all kinds of things. :-D

 

[starflake]

Great post, SparkleNana. I LOVE Quorn (for those unfamiliar, it's pronounce "Corn" and is a mycoprotein-based product -- i.e. mushroom). DH's workmate introduced us to it a year or so ago, and we tried it on a whim. We immediately loved it; it is so rich and tasty. And don't forget all of the great veggie burgers out there. DH and I especially love black bean burgers. Mmm...

 

[luludou]

Well, from their website they don't seem to have any of these here in Canada :frown: ... well we have other varieties of meatless meat and they taste good too! My doctor and my naturopathe both told me to cut down on red meat as much as possible (replace with fish and a bit of chicken + tons of vegetables)..... it seems it's better for the overall health.

 

[Terrylee5151]

Because of acid reflux I have been using rice and soy milk for months now. Silk has a Very Vanilla soy milk that tastes just like a vanilla milkshake. It is sooo good.

I have given up gluten because it can errode the lining of your stomach so I eat a lot of rice. In the oriental food section of Giant Eagle they have rice noodle sticks that are wonderful. I would eat them every meal but I feel like I should eat some of the other noodles that are gluten free, like corn noodles that are really pretty good. They also have bean thread noodles that I like. A week after I gave up gluten my stomach started to heal.

Alvita has a caffeine free ginger root tea that aids in digestion.

You are right SparkleNanna there are a lot of alternatives.

 

[christmascreations]

wow!! I am definitely working my way in that direction. Problem is money for me and the boys is soooo tight that it is hard to pay for the higher priced "healthier" foods these days!!

 

[SparkleNana]

Christmascreations - let me share some things that have worked for my grandchildren!!!

A dozen eggs - no hormones or pesticides. Stir like scrambled and fry hard (like a frittata.) Cool. This is a "sneaky" base to hide under foods they love and get protein into them. Eg. with a bake-your-own-pizzza - cut the cold eggs to fit over the pizza. Then completely cover with tomato sauce. Sprinkle a little cheese or/and pepperoni over that. It sticks together when it heats in the oven.

A packeage of plain tofu is - what - $1.25 and lasts pretty long. (Always check the sell-by date, because you can get a REALLY sick stomach from expired tofu.) Plain tofu has no taste. So dice & fry some onion in olive oil - and start mushing up the tofu in the pan When it has pretty well dissolved and heated - add say 1/4 pound hamburger. Continue to cook and stir. The fat from the hamburger and the fried onions gives the only taste to the sauce. Then, pour in your kids favorite tomato sauce and heat. Serve with pasta.

But don't let them catch you. Be as sneaky as the CIA.

I was at the bookstore with my 7-year old grandchild. She saw the book that Jerry Seinfeld's wife wrote about "Sneaking Vegetables Into Your Children's Favorite Foods". She picked it up and said "I'll kill my mother if she gets this book and tries to do any more of this to me!". She would not kill, but she does feel strongly about healthy things being sneaked into foods. So be very careful! :slap:

 

[jackfrosty]

I SO know what you mean, CC! We've been trying to eat 'low cholesterol' and kraft dinner is sooooo much cheaper!LOL! But it really can be expensive! :frown:

 

[christmascreations]

SparkleNana that sounds like a great plan for you but my boys continue to be the pickiest kids I have ever met in your life. They sure don't take after me when it comes to food!!!

The vegetable battle is comical and draining at the same time. Sometimes sooo draining I give up for a few days before going back to battle again....lol

I know one day their taste buds will change so I am still hopeful!!!