Struggling with healthy food

[Primelle]

It's as the title says really.

I started the 12 week plan last Tuesday and although I've persevered and have been on plan every day, I don't look forward to eating and meal times.

I have an incredibly sweet tooth and for the last 10+ years I've never eaten breakfast or lunch then just had an unhealthy main meal (with no vegetables) at night followed by dessert.

Breakfast I'm not too bad with. This week I've had been switching between scrambled eggs, fruit granola and yoghurt and overnight oats with fruit.

Lunches I have trouble with. We don't have many kitchen facilities at work, if you bring your own lunch. So anything I bring has to be ok to eat cold. I'm trying not to bring pasta as I wanted to cut down my carbs a bit so I've been bringing salads instead. Today I brought a rocket, cucumber and celery salad with fat free cottage cheese, grilled chicken and a hard boiled egg. I couldn't eat it, it was vile.

Evening meals are ok. I'm good with any meats and I have some carbs but try to fill half my plate with some kind of veg again which I usually struggle with.

Is there anything I can do to make meal times a little more enjoyable again? Or is it just a case of pushing through it and breaking my old habits.

I really want to stick with it this time but am worried if I start dreading meal times I'll fall off the waggon

[Caz28]

Hi, how about a couple of ryvita crackers and a slice of gouda, some fruit and nuts for lunch, you could also have a slice of this bran and banana cake, tnhs.uk/change4life/document... satisfy your sweet tooth, I've just made one and it's yummy. You could take home made soup in a flask? Search the recipe section on the NHS page you should find lots of things on there to give you ideas. Try and not deny yourself all the things you like, just count the calories, otherwise your new healthier eating won't be sustainable. Hope this helps x

[julie58]

Hi Primelle,

I have found that if you weigh your food it helps, if you have time of course. I know it's sounds boring and a chore but do it to start with until you get an eye for the portion sizes, it does make a difference and I've lost nearly 2 stone now. I still eat quite normally but like yourself cutting down on carbs, I rarely have butter or white bread, I do eat Ryvita for lunches with various toppings, such as Philadelphia and wafer thin ham, cherry tomatoes. tuna or avocado. Rice cakes too. If possible introduce some light exercise such as walking or swimming but always speak to your doctor beforehand.

Good luck and keep going it will come off slowly which is the best way so we are told.

[Hidden]

I think you've been having a lot of salt as well as sugar in your old eating habits.

Add some chopped grapes /apples /oranges /other fruit to give sweetness.

Add chopped nuts or seeds for texture

Add black pepper, mustard, horse-radish, etc for spiciness. If you can grow some spicy salad leaves in a pot, they will give a nice 'hit' as well. I find the commercially available rocket is nowhere near as spicy as the stuff I grow myself.