Eating healthier questions?

[WendyZ]

After seeing Food Inc and Jamie Oliver's show last week, we have decided it time to make a change. My son is huge on organics and eating non-processed. So that has been a huge help to me because he is my picky eater. It seems so overwhelming at this point sometimes.

We cleaned out our cupboards this weekend and threw out a bunch of the processed foods. We did keep some until I figure out how to replace them.

I have a ton of questions that I'm hoping you guys can help me with while I'm trying to figure this out...
1. What do you do for pasta? There is no way I can make homemade everytime I want to make a pasta dish. Although I have had homemade and it was great.
2. What do you do for pizza crust? Mine is currently the WalMart package that you add water too.
3. What about soups? I needed tomato for my goulash. I thought there must be a better way than this.
4. Do any of you make you own spaghetti sauce or diced tomatoes? I thought about trying that over the summer while I'm not working.

I know it will be a process and I'm just going to figure out things as the come. We have found some organic cereal everyone like, it's Cascadian brand. I just tried a granola bar that way yummy as well. I'm going to buy more fruits. I have a strawberry, blueberry and raspberry patches started. We also going to start going to farmers markets for items. I'm hoping to be able to freeze enough veggies to get us through the winter.
I know we have a long way to go, but it's a start. Any tips for a starter trying to do better? Thanks!

 

[MommyBell08]

You can buy things like pasta, pizza crust and exc. at Whole Foods, or Trader Joes made with whole grain, organic, and minimally processed. If you still want to eat those things and not switch to a organic raw food diet. Good luck on your switch. To try not get overwhelmed. Every little thing you do will help!

 

[Forevryoung]

My mom is a registered dietician and a healthy food nut. I'm going off her choices/brands and rules of thumb

Soup- Pacific brand (go for the sodium free/low sodium) are wonderful. Usually found on sale in the NY area for $2 for a large carton, they have a website

Pasta- we substitute spaghetti squash frequently for pasta and use similar sauces with ok success... pasta (regular) is very rarely the main course, it's simply a small portion size side around here... have everyone measure out 1 portion and stick to it and it's not horrific for you

Pizza crust- purchase the whole wheat dough from the local pizza shop easy and not too expensive ($4-$5 for the large blob of dough)

 

[ali2000]

After seeing Food Inc and Jamie Oliver's show last week, we have decided it time to make a change. My son is huge on organics and eating non-processed. So that has been a huge help to me because he is my picky eater. It seems so overwhelming at this point sometimes.

We cleaned out our cupboards this weekend and threw out a bunch of the processed foods. We did keep some until I figure out how to replace them.

I have a ton of questions that I'm hoping you guys can help me with while I'm trying to figure this out...
1. What do you do for pasta? There is no way I can make homemade everytime I want to make a pasta dish. Although I have had homemade and it was great.
2. What do you do for pizza crust? Mine is currently the WalMart package that you add water too.
3. What about soups? I needed tomato for my goulash. I thought there must be a better way than this.
4. Do any of you make you own spaghetti sauce or diced tomatoes? I thought about trying that over the summer while I'm not working.

I know it will be a process and I'm just going to figure out things as the come. We have found some organic cereal everyone like, it's Cascadian brand. I just tried a granola bar that way yummy as well. I'm going to buy more fruits. I have a strawberry, blueberry and raspberry patches started. We also going to start going to farmers markets for items. I'm hoping to be able to freeze enough veggies to get us through the winter.
I know we have a long way to go, but it's a start. Any tips for a starter trying to do better? Thanks!

As far as pasta, they have whole grain pasta - Ronzoni Smart Taste. I don't know if whole grain would be an option for you if you wanted to go completely organic, but it may be something to be used for transition.
I think the same goes for pizza crust.
I know there is also organic spaghetti jar sauce.

Question: Are you wanting to TOTALLY go off all processed foods or just trying to change to organic? There are many organic options for "processed" foods, i.e. your soups. Also, if you are also just trying to change some habits, you can change things like soup to a lower sodium option. There are lower sodium/fat options for almost any processed food - that can at least be a transition change until you find a way that you like.

 

[cdrn1]

Kashi makes a good pizza, and also Amy's brand at Target. Whole wheat low fat and vegetarian.

 

[WendyZ]

Question: Are you wanting to TOTALLY go off all processed foods or just trying to change to organic? There are many organic options for "processed" foods, i.e. your soups. Also, if you are also just trying to change some habits, you can change things like soup to a lower sodium option. There are lower sodium/fat options for almost any processed food - that can at least be a transition change until you find a way that you like.

Right now I am looking to reduce the amount of processed food we eat while adding in a few organic things. We'll probably never be totally non-processed or organic. But if I can learn to do reduce one while increasing the other with healthy alternatives...that would be great. My DH needs low fat, low sodium and low sugar because of health issues...so that can't change. Most things I buy now are lower fat/ sodium, but I'm always on the lookout for something better.

 

[ali2000]

Right now I am looking to reduce the amount of processed food we eat while adding in a few organic things. We'll probably never be totally non-processed or organic. But if I can learn to do reduce one while increasing the other with healthy alternatives...that would be great. My DH needs low fat, low sodium and low sugar because of health issues...so that can't change. Most things I buy now are lower fat/ sodium, but I'm always on the lookout for something better.

I think the easiest thing for you to do would be to start substituting the regular pasta sauce and carbs (the pizza crust and pasta) with the organic ones. Then, slowly, replace your items that can be with organic ones as you find them. It's not cold turkey that way.

I'm telling you this like I have been doing it for years... hahaha!! I NEED to be doing this, but am too lazy (and let's be honest, cheap) to do it the healthy way.

 

[Be1021]

The best pizza crusts I have found are from berkshiremountainbakery.com. AWESOME! They are a local organic company that make spelt, wheat, and sourdough crusts and they are awesome. My freezer is loaded with them and it is so easy to just thaw a crust and top. Their bread is great too. They will ship anywhere.

 

[DisneyWorldbuff]

I make my own pizza crust... so easy. We usually have Friday night "pizza" night. You can make your own dough and kids can make their own personal pizzas. (Top with veggies and reduced fat 2% milk mozzarella.) They have a lot of fun1 It is also very inexpensive. (Use half whole wheat flour and half unbleached flour at first rather than all whole wheat to get the family used to "healthy" pizza. )

 

[Sagginit]

second amy's- had a veggie pot pie today and veggie soup yesterday. pacific soups are great too, i sometimes use the tomato roasted red pepper as a base or quick sauces. in the summer i slice zuchini i grow in strips and cook it in that soup, its like veggie pasta. i am GF so i eat a brown rice pasta, brwn rice is considered a whole grain i believe, i even have a non GF fried who eats it b/c she thinks its better than whole wheat pasta, not organic though. check your local foodstore for a natural food section and see if they have a store brand organic. i have found that sometimes the store brand organic food on sale may be cheaper than name brand. my local foodstore stop & shop has their own organic brand and run promos, buy $15 and get a $3 off for your next purchase. health food stores have stuff you may not find elsewhere but can be pricey. in the summer i grown my own tomatos to make sauce and my own herbs. a plus of organic milk is the expiration date is often better than a regular brand which for us saves us money since we dont use a lot.

 

[LuLuO]

Soup- Pacific brand (go for the sodium free/low sodium) are wonderful. Usually found on sale in the NY area for $2 for a large carton, they have a website

I love Pacific brand soup. I also buy Amy's Kitchen Soups and love this brand. Yummy.

http://www.amys.com/products/category_view.php?prod_category=14

I have to eat gluten free and a lot of the gluten free pastas are made from brown rice and are organic and they are very tasty. Many of my local grocery stores carry them and even our local Wal-mart has a couple of brands.

I also buy Dr. Schar Gluten-Free Pizza Crusts. They're not organic and they are very pricey but they are tasty.

http://www.glutenfreemall.com/catalog/schar-glutenfree-pizza-crusts-p-1028.html

I haven't made my own spaghetti sauce yet but once I go through the stockpile of jarred sauce I plan to give it a try.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

For goulash and chili use low sodium V8 juice or Tomato juice. You can also puree your extra tomato's from the garden and freeze.

 

[Ashlotte]

Here is how I shop. When evaluating an item, I look at the ingredient list. If it is organic, I don't have issue with it (if it is still fattening, though, like organic oreo-like cookies, I still pass). Next best is "all natural," which means there are only God made ingredients in it and no creepy man-made lab foods. If neither of those things are listed, I check the ingredients and rule it out if it contains 1) partially hydogenated oil, 2) high fructose corn syrup or 3) artificial food coloring. Other than that, I opt for whole grains rather than processed (it should say "whole wheat flour" as the first ingredient rather than "enriched wheat flour"). For dairy if I don't buy organic, I try to buy something that says it is "not from cows treated with rBST." (The controversial growth hormone).

So, to answer some of your questions, I buy whole grain pasta, organic spaghetti sauce (in a jar, although I would like to make my own and freeze it), and I make my own pizza dough in the bread machine.

Also, I am not sure if this would interest you, but signing up for a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a great way to get local, fresh produce during the growing season. We did one last year and loved it. I found myself trying new dishes just to use the vegetables, which I would not have sought out on my own at the store. Check this site for a CSA in your area: http://www.localharvest.org/ Also, local, pastured meat is not too hard to find also. Check this site: http://eatwild.com/ If you watch "Food, Inc." you would find this alternative a bit of a relief.

Also, I wanted to add kudos to you for changing your diet! It seems overwhelming at first, but you will get used to it and you will feel a difference. It may not be noticeable until you try to eat one of the old processed items, but after a while you will find you don't even like that food anymore and will prefer whole foods.

P.S. I really recommend reading "In Defense of Food." It is great! ("Food, Inc." is also a great DVD rental!).

 

[bettymae1121]

I make my own pizza crust at home, though it helps I have a Kitchenade mixer to do the kneeding! I do a lot of shoping at Trader Joes and they also sell fresh pizza dough if you don't have the time or inclination to make your own. For pasta I buy packaged organic whole wheat dried pasta, and the occasional package of fresh (ravioli, yum!), also from TJ's. I don't make my own tomato sauce from scratch, but I do buy canned organic tomato sauce and canned organic diced tomoatos and then "make" my own sauce by adding my own seasonings and organic ground beef.

 

[WendyZ]

bettymae, would you like to share your pizza crust? I have a kitchenaid mixer, so that would be great! I wish we had a Trader Joes around her but there's nothing. =( Great tips and ideas...I'm making notes for my next grocery trip. I'm learning a lot that's for sure.

Oh, we got your beef from my brother in law. So at least I'm doing that right. I have bought beef at the store in years. We get a half of cow once a year. If I run out of hamburger I refuse to buy any from the store, I will use turkey burger to get buy.
I also heard there is a farmers market that sell fresh chicken, so I want to go check that out. It suppose to be a great market and I guess it gets in full swing about May/June. I'm very excited for that.

 

[bettymae1121]

bettymae, would you like to share your pizza crust? I have a kitchenaid mixer, so that would be great! I wish we had a Trader Joes around her but there's nothing. =( Great tips and ideas...I'm making notes for my next grocery trip. I'm learning a lot that's for sure.

Oh, we got your beef from my brother in law. So at least I'm doing that right. I have bought beef at the store in years. We get a half of cow once a year. If I run out of hamburger I refuse to buy any from the store, I will use turkey burger to get buy.
I also heard there is a farmers market that sell fresh chicken, so I want to go check that out. It suppose to be a great market and I guess it gets in full swing about May/June. I'm very excited for that.

It's very simple, from the receipe book that came with the mixer, actually! Makes enough dough for 1 medium thickness 14" pizza.

2-3 cups all purpose flour (I use organic unbleached)
1 cup warm water (no hotter than 115)
1 packet dry active yeast
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon honey (optional, added to help the yeast grow, you don't taste it in the final crust at all. I don't bother to measure it either - I just eyeball it)

Attach dough hook to mixer. In warmed mixing bowl, add water, oil, and honey (optional) and stir until honey is disolved. Add yeast packet and let it sit for a few minutes until it "blooms". Add two cups of flower an set on speed 2 until ingrediants are combined. While mixer is still going on speed 2, add salt and then slowly add more flour 1/4 to 1/2 cup at a time until dough comes together (you may need less than 3 cups of flour, I find I usually only use 2 1/2 cups). Let it kneed on speed 2 for about 5 minutes or so. Remove from mixer and put on floured surface and kneed by hand a few times, then form it into a tight ball. Place in bowl and cover dough lightly in oil to keep moist, cover bowl with a kitchen towel, then let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour, or until dough doubles in size. Punch down and then kneed on floured surface a few times, then form your crust in a pizza pan. Add toppings and bake at 425 for about 15-20 minutes.

 

[shoney]

making your own sauce is incredibly easy...it doesn't have to be the all day process....

1. put evoo (extra virgin olive oil) in a pan
2. add chopped onion and garlic
3. stir until soft
4. add canned tomato (I prefer crushed)
for a little texture...if you like it smooth use puree
5. add a bit of sea salt and fresh basil
6. some parmasean cheese

Simmer for a 1/2 hour and it is done....

For meat sauce....add ground beef once onions and garlic are soft. I also add a little bit of flavored bread crumbs and cheese. Brown the meat a little bit...don't cook through...drain fat...then go to step 4. I let this cook a bit more say an hour on low heat.


Also if you don't want tomato based pasta....

1. evoo with garlic and oil
2. once soft add organic low sodium chicken broth and fresh basil

In a roasting pan, cut any veggies you like. Toss in a bowl with evoo and salt. Put in oven for 20 to 30 minutes on 350. Once done add to the chicken broth mixture. Toss your cooked pasta in and garnish with cheese. Delicious and easy!!!!

I always have stock and evoo on hand!!!!!

 

[shoney]

Oh and watch Rachel Ray...I know a lot of people really don't like her...but she does have great ways of making fresh meals very quickly.

 

[npmommie]

After seeing Food Inc and Jamie Oliver's show last week, we have decided it time to make a change. My son is huge on organics and eating non-processed. So that has been a huge help to me because he is my picky eater. It seems so overwhelming at this point sometimes.

We cleaned out our cupboards this weekend and threw out a bunch of the processed foods. We did keep some until I figure out how to replace them.

I have a ton of questions that I'm hoping you guys can help me with while I'm trying to figure this out...
1. What do you do for pasta? There is no way I can make homemade everytime I want to make a pasta dish. Although I have had homemade and it was great.
2. What do you do for pizza crust? Mine is currently the WalMart package that you add water too.
3. What about soups? I needed tomato for my goulash. I thought there must be a better way than this.
4. Do any of you make you own spaghetti sauce or diced tomatoes? I thought about trying that over the summer while I'm not working.

I know it will be a process and I'm just going to figure out things as the come. We have found some organic cereal everyone like, it's Cascadian brand. I just tried a granola bar that way yummy as well. I'm going to buy more fruits. I have a strawberry, blueberry and raspberry patches started. We also going to start going to farmers markets for items. I'm hoping to be able to freeze enough veggies to get us through the winter.
I know we have a long way to go, but it's a start. Any tips for a starter trying to do better? Thanks!

I second the racheal ray suggestion, I have one of her 30 min meal cookbooks and the recipes are yummy and easy.

I get our milk from a local dairy
beef and chicken for hubby also comes from a local farm

I am concentrating more on eating local fresh "food" as micheal pollen describes it in his books.
food your great grandmother would recognize as food

for pizza dough, I am starting to make my own, very easy,
i too am going to try freezing local veggies this summer, and making my own tomato sauce.

I am just trying to cook from scratch, eat local, eat real food.
even though something is organic it can still be processed. its possible to eat a completed organic processed food diet

don't worry about everything being organic

 

[branv]

As much as I like Jamie Oliver, a look at his recipes is a little Many of them are full of fats, calories. They may be made with "wholesome" ingredients, but that doesn't make them healthy per se. Sure, healthier than at some chain restaurant, but still not ideal. Of course, most of us understand it's also about portion control and you can indulge as long as it's not in vast quantities, but I actually know a surprising number of people who think that they can pretty much eat whatever they want as long as it's "organic", unprocessed, or homemade. Errrr...if only that were true I'd be eating my weight in this local places all-natural coconut cupcakes if that were so...ooooh, if only I could

I highly recommend Cooking Light's website. I get wonderful recipes off there, some that are quite indulgent tasting, but have been pared down to make them not a gut/heart buster. I'm snooty about food taste, so I'm not your steamed veggies and brown rice convert (would be much thinner if that were true), so if I can find recipes I think are tasty enough, surely anyone can. Mmmmm, there was one mushroom pasta recipe that even used cream...but just a little bit of it. SO good.

And I've enjoyed this website, though it has grown short with the recipes: http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2004/02/master-recipe-list.html