<p>Now that I think about it, that Watergate Salad probably would be even better with a can of cream of mushroom soup mixed in!</p>
<p>I’ve often thought what a shame it is, that you can buy an extra large bag of Doritos for less than a small selection of fresh fruits / vegetables. For those who don’t have the luxury of paying the premium, how do you preach about nutrition?</p>
<p>Exactly. You can teach about it, and you can even make someone understand that fresh produce is better than chips and such, but unless they have the economic means, it’s not going to happen.</p>
<p>OK, first, I watched the nightline online…it’s only about 10 minutes. The mom in the family drinks two liters of mountain dew per day. She served her kid a raw hotdog, instant microwave mac and cheese plus choc milk for lunch. They went out to Wendy’s for dinner for the kids and and then swung around to Subway for the footlong clubs and chips for the parents. Brought it home, set it up on tray tables in front of the TV. What’s wrong with this picture? (umm… the mom weighed 250, the dad, 380 and both kids were ow). </p>
<p>While I’m sensitive to the economic influences, I also think we have a situation where folks are just making REALLY poor choices. Why buy soda? Why buy fast food instead of cooking? Raw hot dogs? Honestly, they could have purchased and prepared healthy food for the money they spent that day. It’s a combination of being uninformed and lazy. I understand how our country subsidizes the corn industry and this leads to junky cheap food…but this is FAR beyond that. </p>
<p>I don’t know what the solution is. </p>
<p>Back to our topic, it’s raining cats and dogs today so I did the club. Felt good. On the other hand, I went out to dinner yesterday for a family birthday celebration. And I shared in eating a piece of the cake. Today, my scale is up FIVE POUNDS. Salt I guess. Really depressing. (I ordered some sushi and broiled fish…nothing horrible!)</p>
<p>IntDaD… I think you should change your screen name to ipoddad. Very cool what you’re doing. Inspires us all to kick it up a notch!</p>
<p>idad, that “salad” sounds disgusting. I’m sure you can come up with something healthier. I just hope they’ll eat it!</p>
<p>This is normally a day I’d go for an outside walk, but it’s not only raining, but so windy I’m in danger of being beaned by a tree branch. I’m not interested in going to the gym - that’s for tomorrow.</p>
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<p>I’m feeling it today. Oddly, I have yet to really hurt in any one place (as opposed to “all over”), but I can tell that five out of six days wore me down.</p>
<p>Re eating fast food/unhealthy diet: it’s so much easier to easier to “grab and go” by serving prefab food or picking up fast food. I have been making a big effort to cook at home the past six weeks, since I am trying to lose weight. I have been making lots of vegetable dishes. It is a lot more work to go shopping so often for fresh, organic vegs. and fruits, and it’s a fair amount of work to do all the washing, peeling, chopping, and cooking. And then the dishes! I feel like I am constantly doing dishes.</p>
<p>I have commented to my H several times, this is a lot more work than eating out or buying premade from our local organic, healthy store.</p>
<p>Total agreement, bookiemom. </p>
<p>I had a career previously which was high stress but big bucks. This resulted in me working long hours and relying on convenience items (mostly healthy, some not) to feed the family. When that position ended, I was unemployed and working within a budget to feed the family. (Thankfully son was in college at the time.) My new job is less pay but less stress and now I’m trying to adapt my desired way of eating to a new income/budget. It is challenging to say the very least. </p>
<p>What that means? Every week I prepare a huge crockpot of chicken tortilla soup that gets served over brown rice for many, many meals. The pet rabbit and I eat a lot of the same greens so I buy those in bulk and eat them until they’re gone. There’s not a lot of variety in the diet right now because of economics. I’ll be happy for spring/summer because I’ll be able to go to the farmer’s market and hopefully plant my own garden as well.</p>
<p>I took a fruit salad last week to a dinner/meeting. Fresh. Pears, blueberries, strawberries, apple, banana, naval orange. It was delicious and the big bowl came home empty.</p>
<p>See, that’s what I think a fruit salad is and that’s what they’re getting. Yum.</p>
<p>Well, if there are any leftovers, bring them here!</p>
<p>As someone who has worked in education -public and private schools, I know that you can divide the “haves” from the “have-nots” in high school just by weight. It breaks my heart watching kids get off the bus with their half-gallon of turkey hill iced tea in hand, thinking that they are actually drinking something healthier than soda. They are not the kids whose parents are driving them to after-school activities or who are lurking on CC. They are at such a disadvantage. We can teach them about healthy choices, good eating, and portion control, but how many 16 year olds are going to arrive home and decide to take over the grocery shopping and cooking in their home?</p>
<p>I don’t have an answer - I just feel so disheartened when I see the how much worse it is now then when I started my career 30+ years ago. As I said, I work with young adults in different settings - high schools, college, etc. and clearly those young people from disadvantaged situations are much, much heavier than those who come from more affluent homes. A couple of months ago I was asked to do a consultation in an elementary school. It was a school in poorer district. I walked into the sixth grade class and virtually every child was obese. It was in such stark contrast to my Sunday School class (same age) where every child is fit and athletic looking. </p>
<p>So - no answers. Just a sadness. </p>
<p>You know, we get just about everyone into childbirth class - but the truth is, as long as you get to the hospital, the baby will probably come out okay. I wish we spent more time with this captive audience on the real issues of being a parent. </p>
<p>Okay - sorry to be so off topic.</p>
<p>I saw Nightline, too. I think a family like that would need some intensive coaching that lasted for quite some time in order to make any real changes. </p>
<p>I don’t think they addressed the topic of feeling hungry in the Nightline piece. A serving of most cereals is 3/4 - 1 cup. Have you ever eaten that amount of cereal? I would SO still be hungry! Now that I’m on weight maintenance, I’ll sometimes have 1 cup of Kashi Lean (dry) as a snack, but for breakfast it wouldn’t be filling enough for me. That’s 140 calories.</p>
<p>I read somewhere that people can lose weight for a time while feeling hungry, but long term, no one is going to go around feeling hungry. I totally believe that. I think that people who are naturally thin probably do not feel as much hunger as heavier people.</p>
<p>I am learning what kinds of foods are filling for me. Protein shakes work great in the morning, but later in the day I need something with more substance. I’ll often have a bowl of oatmeal and 1/2 c. of cottage cheese. I hated cottage cheese before I began my diet, but it’s a really good low-fat source of protein, so cottage cheese and I have made peace.</p>
<p>worknprogress, that reminds me of when my mom visited my son at his big state university for the first time. She said, “the kids here are all thin!” She had gotten so used to seeing overweight young people that it shocked her to see a bunch of thin ones all in one place. You are right…they are the “haves”.</p>
<p>We were very strict on t.v. viewing (for lots of reason) when our kids were young, and limited them to 5 hours per week. I am sure you can imagine the battles that went on for years over that. A few months ago, S1 saw a show that correlated childhood weight gain with how much t.v. they watched. He came to me and said, “Mom, thank you for not letting us watch t.v. whenever we wanted. I know we gave you a hard time, but I sure am glad now.” Ahhhhh… <sniff, sniff!=“”> These are the moments a mother lives for.</sniff,></p>
<p>worknprogress, I think your comments are very appropriate and on point to this topic. We’re talking about health and wellness. IMHO, even sadder are the overweight kids on subsidized lunches- who have no choice in their breakfast and lunch selections. </p>
<p>timely, when I started this “program” I actually started measuring my cereal for the first time in my life. I had probably been eating 2-3 servings every morning. I quickly realized that I needed something more substantial than cereal in the morning so I usually have eggs. A big part of my protein for the day. I also like an apple and an ounce of hard cheese. Or an apple or banana and again, measured peanut butter. Cottage cheese wouldn’t do it for me. I think it’s a textural thing.</p>
<p>wip…agree that it’s very sad. I get angry when I think about the adults…and sad when I think about the kids. But perhaps being angry at the adults is wrong…I guess they were never taught the right way to eat…especially on a budget. </p>
<p>I grew up in a very modest household…we were exposed to lots of junk food and soda in addition to our three basic meals per day (which were homemade and quite good). But
we were also VERY active, with very little vegging out in front of the tv. </p>
<p>In my early adult years, I drank LOTS of soda. I think the sugar is close to being addictive. I gave it up many years ago, but I guess if you’re depressed about your state in life, it can be easy to comfort yourself with sweets and fat. It’s just such a same to see the kids impacted… the combo of bad food and inactivity is literally a killer. </p>
<p>There’s a new show coming up about some chef from England who went into a town in WV to try to influence eating habits in the general population (which is very fat!) Maybe we can learn from whatever success he has.</p>
<p>I watch very little television but plan on watching this program. I think it’s Jamie Oliver that’s doing it. I find his approach to food very interesting.</p>
<p>We had no soda pop in our house when I was growing up, except for ginger ale or maybe Sprite which was stored in a special place and was just for settling your stomach if you were sick. I did not taste Coke until I was in junior high!</p>
<p>I did not have soda in my house either for my D and stepsons. Also very few snack items. There was usually popcorn or cheese and crackers, fruit or bread and peanut butter, of course, but no chips, no candy, few cookies. I can remember my D multiple times standing in front of the pantry, moaning, “Why are there no snacks in this house?”</p>
<p>It worked. She wasn’t overweight. Multiple dance classes from 4th through 9th grades also helped. As previous posters noted, this is what happens in a family that is part of the “haves.”</p>
<p>Well, now that you allowed me my lament, here’s a recipe that is easy and very healthy.</p>
<p>Chitpotle Bean and Sweet Potato Chili</p>
<p>Olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium red pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tab. chili powder
1 1/2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can black beans (rinsed very well and drained)
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 - 1/2 tsp chilpotle powder
1 peach/mango peeled and chopped</p>
<p>Heat a very small amount of oil in large skillet or heavy stock pot or cast enamel pot
Add onions, peppers, garlic and cook until softened. Stir in chili powder and continue to cook, add sweet potatoes, stir to coat with spices.</p>
<p>At this point you can do one of two things</p>
<p>a) transfer to crock pot and add tomatoes, beans, water, cover and cook 6 - 8 hours. Before last hour, add chilpotle into chile to taste.</p>
<p>OR</p>
<p>You can add ingredients and simmer over low heat for about an hour. </p>
<p>Before serving, add mango and little cilantro if you have handy. </p>
<p>I serve as eithr a chili or make brown rice and serve over rice. It is really very good.</p>
<p>Is that one and a half sweet potatoes, or one and a half pounds of sweet potatoes? If the former, I’m wondering what one does with the other half yam.</p>