@showmom858, that’s great. DH is good about bringing me cut-up fruit in the morning and fresh veggies from our garden in the afternoon. 
He is in great shape now, at an ideal weight. Now I just have to join him!
I really like MyNetDIary app for food tracking. I started with free version and switched to $4 (one-time payment) to get more trend tracking. Eventually I decided to pay for annual subscription of MyNetDiary Pro (I think $60) to get better detail on nutritional breakdowns and long term averages.
A lot of people I know really like the MyFitnessPal app.
Just back from a week of camping. Every joint in my body hurts. I can tell I ate way too much sugar, salt, carbs. Restarting today with healthy habits.
Hey, the camping part sounds nice.
I’ve learned that things are simpler when you only have one goal (lower calories, OR increase protein OR decrease sugar) … but more complicated when there are multiple goals.
For example, some of my priorities are lower calories (trying to get rid of a few pounds that came back during covid crisis) AND decreased sugar (borderline A1C) AND increase calcium (based on blood test at last physicals and family history of osteoperosis). So now instead of reaching for a granola bar, I try to do half of a lower sugar bar… and pair it with 1/2 cup of 1% milk.
What alternatives have you used as you adjust diet / needs?
I don’t eat granola or protein bars. Nearly all of them have too much sugar, oil and/or other ingredients that aren’t good for you.
I’d stick with whole foods and have a handful of nuts, piece of fruit or a hard boiled egg for a snack.
Are there healthier bars than others? Sure. Can they be homemade and keep quality control? Yes. But if trying to lose weight and not on an all day hike where quick nutrition is needed, then I’d not eat them at all.
If I am hungry I reach for the hummus and a carrot stick. Or I drink a cup of coffee.
Good ideas.
Yes, I agree about concerns about bars. I do fewer of them now (and usually only half) than last year, instead trying to do more produce and nuts and yogurt and sometimes cheese. I’ve always liked bananas but have rediscovered pears and berries… I think maybe I’ll boil up some hard boiled eggs this week - sounds like a good snack, and no sugar concerns there.
FYI - This is an Atkins bar snack that I like for being low sugar (1g), with fiber (7g) and protein (16g). and even some calcium (8% daily). Alas, it has 200 calories and 9g fat… and probably too much artificial stuff.
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Atkins-Chocolate-Peanut-Butter-Pretzel-Bar-5-Bars-1-69-oz-48-g-5-Count/37332438
I am not really a bar person. Most times I would prefer savory over sweet during the day.
You can make your own bars or snacks. Here are a couple favorites that are filling and have some nutrition (but also still some sugar)
Granola Bars
(adapted from Smitten Kitchen)
INGREDIENTS
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, loosely packed
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/8 cup toasted wheat germ
1/8 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup honey (or less, depending on your taste)
3 T. olive oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dried fruit
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter an 9x13 baking dish and line it with parchment paper.
Toss the oatmeal, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ and ground flax seeds.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
While the mixture is still warm, stir in the olive oil, honey, vanilla and salt until the mixture is well coated, then the dried fruit. Pour the mixture into prepared baking dish and press, press, press it in until the mixture is packed as tightly as possible.
Bake for 25 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for 2 to 3 hours before cutting into squares.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Also:
https://restoreyourradiance.com/2020/07/17/my-go-to-pb-chocolate-energy-bites/
https://restoreyourradiance.com/2019/07/23/pb-dark-chocolate-stuffed-dates/
Lately I’ve been on a kick (this could be a snack or a lunch) of cleaning a red pepper and either cutting it in half or quarters and then using two pieces to make a “sandwich” with the pepper acting as the bread. Stuff with leftover rotisserie chicken, cheese, other veggies, chicken salad, cheese spread - whatever you might put in a sandwich. Great crunch and filling without being heavy.
I have tried many different approaches to eating “better” over the decades.
What I’ve been doing since I started barbell training has been the most effective & sustainable approach thus far.
I have a daily protein goal and that goal is primary. Every meal needs to “put protein first”. 150 grams per day (approx. one gram per pound body weight).
Then, I have a daily calorie goal set at 2000. Some days might be 1800, some days might be 2200, but I dial it in pretty darn close.
I use My Fitness Pal to track. I take most meals at home, and I eat a lot of the same foods day in & day out. I find it’s easier that way. It’s food I like, but not food that lights up my reward centers like a Xmas display & makes me want eat more & more (I’m looking at you pizza…)
IME, “high” protein is satiating.
Eating this way plus barbell training is the first time in a very long time that I’m seeing my body recompose with more muscle and less squish — no easy feat in your late 50s & being female.
Veggies and hummus or cheese and a handful of nuts are my go to snack in the afternoons when I start to feel hungry. I also drink a lot of water everyday (75 to 85 ounces) and believe this helps keep me feeling full.
@abasket - Thanks for the recipes and the clever idea to make a “sandwich” with red peppers.
@mathmom / @showmom858 - I think I should try hummus again. Hubby didn’t like it when we tried it years ago, and I just don’t buy it. But now that I’ve given up on him following my lead on nutrition and food tracking I’ve started stocking up on healthy foods for myself. (He actually should watch what he eats. even more than me … sigh. But at least he is gracious listening to me as I log my food, making comments along the way).
^^^ For me there is NO comparison of homemade hummus to store bought hummus. Not the same animal at all! If you aren’t comfortable making hummus I would recommend stocking up from a local Middle Eastern or Mediterranean restaurant. It’s SOOO much better than the store stuff.
You can also make humus like stuff out of different beans. You can use different spices. Figure out what you like.
For store bought hummus read the labels, some of them are filled with a lot of added ingredients and different consistency. I don’t care for a lot of Trader Joe’s hummus offerings but I like the smooth consistency of the Mediterranean hummus. I also like Cedar’s brand for store bought. I like to eat my hummus middle eastern style. I spread it on a plate and top with olive oil and paprika.
I added some hummus to our Walmart to-go order… Marketside Roast Garlic Hummus (“no artificial flavors or colors”. Actually it’s pretty good.
The ingredient list seems mostly reasonable - chickpeas, water, canola oil, tahini paste, roasted garlic, citric acid, sea salt, red peppers, cumin. A 2T serving has 80 mg sodium, but that is less of a concern for me than DH (and he probably won’t touch the stuff anyway).
I do intend to have it with celery or pepper strips. But for this first taste I used saltines because I was in the mood for some non-veggie crunch.
I like to make avocado toast - mashed avocado (usually fresh, but i’ve used frozen), everything-bagel seasoning and chia seeds and sometimes minced garlic (jar from fridge). Today I omitted the seasoning and garlic and added 1T or hummus - it was very good.
If you are looking for ideas for adding more fiber to your diet, check out Fiber One Original - https://www.fiberone.com/products/cereal-original-bran/
Per the Nutritional Facts, a 2/3c serving has:
- 90 cal
- 18g fiber (that’s a lot… my food app suggests 14g per 1000 calories)
- 0g sugar
I usually have about 1/2c of it for breakfast, with milk and sometimes berries. But I also like a little bit of it mixed with plain yogurt and sometimes berries as a crunchy snack.
Do you have a favorite summertime food from your garden or local farm stand?
My new favorite this year is RASPBERRIES. In the past, I rarely splurged on them($6, for a small package - both red and yellow variety at our local farm stand). This year it’s been a pleasure to have them to cheer up our stay-at-home summer and support the farmer.
Due to Covid, we have not visited our beloved local farmer’s market (even though they have done a good job online with timed entry reservations). Instead we’ve been taking advantage of the farm stand run by one of its vendors. It’s pricey, but giving money to local farmers for nutritious foods is something my husband and I like to do.
My favorites this summer have been strawberries from a roadside vendor. They are fresh picked but go bad quickly but so much flavor. The store bought berries last but a lot of the time they lack that juicy squishy fresh berry consistency.
Other is passion fruit which I have gotten several times this summer from a friend. I love the tartness and love using them in my overnight oats. Other great fruit this summer was cherries.
Anyone drinking tumeric or ginger tea?