5Feb/101
What Would I Want in a Food Plan?
Having ranted for a couple of posts about food choices, and thinking about my upcoming appointment with a dietician, I thought it might be interesting to explore what an ideal food plan for me would be. If I was just handed a pamphlet, what would I want in it? If I can figure out what I really want, maybe I can find it or even produce it.
- Flexibility -- but not too much. I don't want to be tied in to a regimented plan, but can also be frozen in the face of too little structure. Maybe something on the lines of having a few choices for things to do at each meal.
- Basic recipes -- included recipes should be easy, and more aimed at demonstrating what to eat than proving it can be delicious. I'm not a horrible cook, and even enjoy it from time to time, but I tend to get a bit freaked out by recipes. Tell me how to get nutritious food on the table fast, and I can add the fancy touches.
- Guidance on how to cheat -- sometimes my body just doesn't feel like I've had enough to eat, and another serving of broccoli just won't cut it. What can I do that would be less harmful than ordering a pizza?
- Easy recordkeeping -- I'm not especially good at keeping records, logs, diaries, etc -- but I've been known to do it when given the tools to do it quickly.
- As close as reasonable to "normal" eating -- I think I'd do best with an approach focused on good choices and portion control rather than a whole new way of living. I suppose I could do the initial phase of the South Beach Diet to save my life....but I'm not sure I could.
Hmm. This is interesting. I'll have to think about it some more.
If you have any ideas about what your ideal food plan would be like, I'd love to see 'em in the comments.
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May 28th, 2011 - 23:50
I envy my pets. I feed them good food. They eat it. They get enough and are healthy. I give them an occasional treat, usually very healthy. Today it was beastly hot, so I let my ratties fish for frozen baby peas in chilled filtered water. A great break from the grain and dried fruit/veg mix and the rice/oatmeal/babyfood mush.
In my heart of hearts, food was a battle for my mother at home for so long, and then for me, that I just want somebody to feed me. Without choices, I do great. My spouse and older daughter continue to be amazed at how unfussy I am. And the amazing thing is that I really like good food–high fiber cereal and lowfat veggies and lean meats and skim milk.
Cereal? Great! You put the skim milk on and remembered the SPOON? What a sweetheart! If someone is willing to stick something in my face for me, I will 99.99% of the time eat, enjoy and appreciate it. The only exceptions have been something cooked with way too much salt, I mean to the point of crunchy with salt; chili’d beyond my tearful endurance; or with “off” oil that only I can taste or smell. These exceptions have been separated by years.
It is taking the time to plan the shopping list, with other people’s needs and wishes in mind; and to keep the planned ingredients in the house; and to maintain the right clean dishes to prepare them with (as my girls get older and do more for themselves, and my husbands’ disabilities increase, breakage has become continual). Since the sickness before my gall bladder was out portion control has been less of a problem, but before it was–too much and I feel sick and gain; too little and I starve later and go into ketosis and gain on nothing, or if out of the house with money buy a snack and feel sick and gain.
But when Jeeves has, at times, miraculously cooked for me, I have complied. Maybe I am a bum, or maybe others are like that. Meals on wheels as a community health solution?