Shopping ideas

[PheonixJo]

Hi, I'm going shopping to asda on Saturday and wondered if anyone had any ideas of good things to buy for this diet?

[slimpickings 2 stone]

Welcome to this lovely forum and can i direct you to Caz28 recent thread about what s disappeared from your shopping list from 2 days ago. There are loads of suggestions for food swaps and it will give you lots of ideas for long term changes xx

[Caz28]

Hi, here's a link to the post slimpickings mentioned. healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...

You will get lots of ideas there. I buy lots of salad, fruit, vegetables, Greek yoghurt or Skyr, eggs, leerdammer light or maasdam cheese, wholemeal wraps/pitta breads, chicken. porridge oats, low fat humous. I don't like fish, but if you do that's good.

Check all the labels, aim for low calorie, low saturated fat, low sugar.

Have fun shopping and good luck!

[Seuzan]

Low cal jellies and sugar free custard - mmmm! Also fresh blueberries and frozen raspberries to go on porridge. Organic apples, pears, avocado, ginger oat cakes. Look up the ingredients for making a bran cake (on the 12 week plan) also as it is quite low calorie and very filling.... and you can freeze slices of it so just get a slice out of the freezer each day.

ps Don't go shopping if you are feeling hungry - make a list and stick to it so that no temptations drop in....

pps also sugar free chewing gum for emergencies!

[DartmoorDumpling Restart Feb 2024]

Buy lots of brightly coloured fruit and veg, salad ingredients (take care with items containing mayonnaise which are high calorie), crispbreads, cup-a-soups, fruit teas, cottage cheese, fromage frais, yogurts, eggs, ham, porridge oats, fresh fish....a general guide is is it low in fat, high in water, high in protein and low in sugar. If you crave any food in particular, buy some small quantity packets that you can ration out as a daily treat, and include in your daily calories.

[PheonixJo]

Thanks everyone

[bellylaugh]

All good advice there. I've moved almost completely away from carbs like bread, pasta, rice, spuds to proteins like lean ham, light cheese, boiled eggs and veg carbs. Still not eating enough fish but trying! I snack on a small portion of mixed nuts and the occasional very thin rice cake if it doesn't blow away in a draft. I didn't realise how much sugar there is in certain foods that appear healthy. I like granola and my favourite had 19gms/100 of sugar and I've found one that tastes nearly as good with 4 gms, worth reading the nutritional content labels.

[PheonixJo]

I know the sugar content in things is unreal

[PheonixJo]

What could I replace potatoes with in a meal?

[slimpickings 2 stone in reply to PheonixJo]

Sweet potato is delicious and, unlike a potato, count as one of your five a day. Wholemeal rice and pasta are nice but do a half and half mix if its too big a step in one go. I use couscous and quinoa as well. You can scoop out a cooked butternut squash and its the consistency of creamy mash but without the added butter, milk and salt. Hope these ideas help you PhoenixJo. Xx

[radioactiveblue]

What do you like to eat?

[PheonixJo]

Fish, chicken, fruit, veg, yogurt, bacon, crisps, choc, pasta, popcorn

[Claire2stone]

Nothing is out of bound on a healthy balanced diet just think carefully about what you are putting in your trolley. I have tweeked my shopping and bought the healthier options, wholemeal, low sugar, low fat, low salt etc. There are healthier versions for almost everything. You may need an extra hour reading labels but your body will thankyou 😀 happy shopping tomorrow xx

[PheonixJo in reply to Claire2stone]

Thanks, any good snack ideas?

[Claire2stone in reply to PheonixJo]

There are loads of ideas but here are a few fav's:

Melba toasts are a good treat. Low calorie and can be topped with sweet or savory toppings or dipped in soup.

Buy Baked crisps. Lower in fat. Healthier crisps are available just watch salt and saturated fat content.

I buy quark and mix a small amount with low sugar hot chocolate (plain or flavoured) as tastes just like mousse.

Good quality 70% plus chocolate. I only need a couple of squares and it's enough to keep cravings at bay.

Natural yogurt and top with fresh or frozen fruit. Or weight watchers (or similar) low fat ones.

Sugar free jellies for a sweet fix (it find these too sweet now ... my taste buds have definitely changed!)

Love frozen grapes instead of sugar loaded lollies.

Plenty of fruit - fresh, tinned (in natural juice) or frozen

I love various fresh vegetables chopped up with low fat hummous.

I could go on and on but would recommend you take your time and look at all the options. Don't change your diet drastically as you won't stick to it. Try out a few new recipes but I have found by just tweaking you can eat the same.

Obviously it does take will power and everyone is different but if you have healthier options in your fridge/cupboards you can't eat the wrong foods again 😉

Good luck x

[slimpickings 2 stone in reply to PheonixJo]

As its summer, it might be worth investigating mini versions of your favourite ice lollies as a treat snack. They are surprisingly low fat although sugary. Maybe use them as a mini goal reward? You also won t feel like you are missing out on the holiday fun. Xx

[PheonixJo]

Thank you Claire

[Claire2stone in reply to PheonixJo]

My pleasure PheonixJo let us know how you get on 😀 x

[PheonixJo]

So would I be fine with just the healthier versions of what I used to eat?

[Claire2stone in reply to PheonixJo]

It's definitely a good place to start. Over time you can look at different recipes and options but I found that in the beginning it's a bit overwhelming 😯

As long as you eat well 3 good balanced meals, healthier snacks, drink plenty of water (your body can confuse thirst for hunger), weigh your food (portion control) move more and stick to your calorie allowance you will loose weight 👍

I would recommend you keep a little food diary to keep track of calories etc and when you have a successful weight loss week you can look back when your weight stays the same (and it will occasionally) to see what worked!!

... one more thing ...

Breakfast is a biggy for me I have filling healthy porridge every morning with a variety of toppings (banana and seeds, Apple and cinnamin etc). I find I don't snack at all until lunch.

Good luck. Claire x

[PheonixJo in reply to Claire2stone]

I would love to find something that would fill me till lunch

[Claire2stone in reply to PheonixJo]

I buy the little sachets and add semi skimmed milk then microwave. Little fuss and portion controlled. Then add toppings. It's worth a try 😉

[PheonixJo]

I like granola but can't find a healthy less sugar one