The foods I eat, should I cut some of this stuff out? - Diet & Nutrition Message Board

QweenyBluEyes · 04-01-2003, 12:46 AM

I am on a healthy, balanced diet where I am supposed to get the right amount of protein,carbs,and fat in one meal. So here are my main problems.. (I am 16 btw, so notice that I cannot decide what not to buy in the store, so these things will always be around..)

DAIRY- I am a BIG fan of cheese, I eat it almost everyday. (Which is probably really bad since it is very high in fat.) How can I cut out my addiction of cheese? I also like milk, but I am going to go for soy since I also like it as much as milk. But are eggs bad for you? Is this something I should change? I try not to eat the yokes, although I have heard they have some nutritional benefits, but they are also high in fat.

TUNA- I eat fancy white albacore tuna a lot also. I know fish is good for you, but can it cause problems? Can the odor of the fish come out in your sweat?

PEANUT BUTTER- yuuummm... I love this stuff.

I will see if we can get the freshly ground peanut butter in the natural food section, since it is a lot healthier for you. But what are the health benefits on peanut butter?

SALT- How much will salt effect my diet? Can it prevent me from losing weight?

Just a few things that I enjoy, please give me some advice! Thanks. ~Qweeny

Magpiezoe · 04-01-2003, 06:55 AM

Hello, Since you're 16, I wouldn't worry about cutting out any of the foods you mentioned. You need the calcium, carbs., fat, and protein since you're young. Just try to use portion control and eat single servings. Also, stay away from junk foods like cake, candy, cookies, chips, fast food, TV dinners, etc. Make sure you eat 3 meals per day and try not to snack at night. Don't forget to get your body moving...some form of fun exercise you like to do will help you loose weight. (Bicycling, hiking, etc.)Be sure to exercise at least 20-30 min. everyday. You can do it.

------------------
Magpie

Angelene · 04-01-2003, 07:36 PM

Well, all the foods you mentioned are pretty high in fat, but have pros and cons as well.

See if you can reduce the amount of cheese you eat, even by just a little. Tofutti makes a really good vegan cheese in slices (like Kraft singles sort of thing) that's actually pretty good for you and tastes really good (unlike other brands of soy cheese).

I don't eat meat, so I won't comment on the tuna. Just if you're making tuna salad use reduced fat mayo or not as much as usual.

Try hard to get the natural peanut butter. The fake stuff like Jiff and Skippy are very high in partially hydrogenated oil, or saturated fat. The reason you have to mix natural pb is b/c it's not hydrogenated and is much better for you in terms of fat consumption. So make that #1 on your parent or guardian's shopping list!

Salt isn't inherently bad for you, but I doubt you're licking salt directly. The problem is the chips and other salty foods that you might be eating. When you say you love salt I think potato chips, and for being healthy you want to stay away from that.

Lowering your salt intake lowers your blood pressure but eating more of it doesn't increase it, so you do the math. I don't know if high blood pressure is a problem in your case.

Salt can make you retain water, so if you feel bloated you might want to drink lots of water and eat fruits and veggies for awhile.

Good luck!

------------------
"Never give up, never surrender!"

QweenyBluEyes · 04-01-2003, 08:51 PM

Actually, I do try working out for 20-30 minutes 3-4 times a week. I either do biking, stairclimber, running, etc. I also do sit-ups, lunges, and use the weight machine a little bit every morning. I eat 5 small balanced meals each day. I also do eat pretty healthy, its just these main things that I have trouble with.

I really don't think my age should effect my diet, I would like to grow up a healthy, fit person. Just because most young people are thin, doesn't mean we should stuff ourselves with junk food and diet 20 years later.

I'm pretty thin myself, but I'd like to lose a little bit of extra fat on my stomach, thighs, butt, arms, etc. so my muscles that I have gained will show. I have been losing some weight because I started eating right about a month or so ago.

With Tuna, I use fat free mayo. So I think I'm pretty good with that.

With Peanut butter, I got the natural stuff where you grind it yourself right at our local store! I love it

tastes so fresh and healthy.

I put salt on/in most of my foods. I do feel bloated quite often, so I probably should cut some salt out..

------------------
Quitters always lose, and winners never give up.

Magpiezoe · 04-02-2003, 06:54 AM

Hello, I'd like to add to the cheese list...Lite string cheese is excellent and low-fat with only 60 cal. and 2.5 g. of total fat per serving and high in calcium....Neufchateau/1/3 less fat/lite cream cheese is also great with only 4.5 g. of total fat, which is a lot less fat than butter or regular margarine. Then there's the Lite Laughing Cow cheese, which comes in cool flavors like garlic and herb and is also very low in fat.

------------------
Magpie