Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with nutrition

Sweet, sweet candy

mjao — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:49:38 -0800

What are some (at least slightly) healthy alternatives to muffins, pudding, cupcakes and chocolate? Everybody I know favours savoury -- but I favour the sweet stuff! My attempts to eat well eventually derail because while I have lots of healthy savoury options, I've got no healthy sweet options. NB: Fruit doesn't count, I already eat it and it doesn't seem to satisfy my cravings.

My diet consists of salads, sushi, nuts, rice, white meats (and sometimes bacon and sausages), soups, fruit, pulses, wholegrains, cereals, yogurt, etc.

I can go fine for a while but, especially when I have PMS, I need sweet stuff. And I am now on birth control that makes me hungry all the time.

So what do you think? Are there substitutes that are healthier than what I crave? You can be as wacky or creative as possible! I'll try anything.

Or should I just accept that I have a sweet tooth and not try to fight it? After all, the rest of my diet is okay. I don't really need to lose weight or anything (although I'd like to, I'm at the low end of healthy in terms of BMI so that's not really necessary, just superficial!)

Is all the hoopla about cacao kaka?

The Light Fantastic — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:30:59 -0800

I've started eating raw cacao beans and I really like them. Are the nutritional claims true? I sort of "inherited" a bag of these raw cacao beans and I've been munching on them quite happily at work for a couple of days. I noticed that they really perked me up and put me in a good mood (and didn't mess my stomach up like dark chocolate does), so I went out to the internets to get more information. I had no idea that they were such a fad right now...can anyone help me separate the fact from fiction? Also, is there a maximum number of these puppies that I should eat? I do get pretty hyper off of them.

Please help me find a diet/nutrition plan that takes into account my lack of a kitchen.

sequential — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:24:45 -0800

Please help me find a diet/nutrition plan that takes into account my lack of a kitchen. My circumstances are rather specific.

1) I travel 100% of the time and have been doing so for a year. Those belongings that do not fit in my suitcase live in a storage unit. I do not have a place of residence. As such, I do not have a kitchen or any of the comforts associated with a kitchen.

2) I train hard, burning more than 1,000 calories a day 5 - 7 days a week. Combine that with an RMR of approximately 2200 calories, I end up consuming a lot of food just to maintain my level of activity.

3) My goal is to lose somewhere in the range of 10 - 20 lbs before my next A race in early June of next year. That's 9 months. That's a little over 2 lbs per month, or 1/2 lb per week, or a calorie deficit of roughly 1750 calories per week, or 250 calories a day. Given that I lost 65 lbs last year and have maintained my weight despite lacking a kitchen, this seems like a reasonable and manageable goal. (Whether or not my body agrees remains to be seen. I will modify my goals as necessary.)

Despite my successes, I have struggled without a kitchen. All of my meals are purchased at the time they are consumed. This leads to impulsive food purchases, especially when my body is screaming for nutrition and I find myself in a drug store (where most of my just in time grocery shopping is done) or at a restaurant. I have come to the conclusion that if I had a diet or nutrition plan that could work for someone in my circumstances that I could, in fact, reach my goal. Without a plan, though, I tend to simply refuel my tank.

I am prepared to put time and effort into both modifying a plan to work for my circumstances and to changing my behavior to meet my goals. Though I don't see my kitchenless lifestyle changing in the short term, it is a top priority for the next six months. In the mean time, I'd like to move forward with my nutrition goals as I move forward with my fitness goals. Given my circumstances, what diet or nutrition plan would you suggest? What other resources would you suggest I investigate?

maximizing late-night workouts

dobbs — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:09:00 -0800

Maximizing the benefits of my late-night bike rides....? I like to go out for a vigorous (to me) bike ride late at night (around 1am). I can do about 30km in 55 minutes or so. However, I'm at a loss as to how to ensure that I'm reaping the most benefit from my effort. I suppose this is a two part question, the first being about the workout itself and the second being about eating/drinking in relation to it.

In the past, I'd always heard to work out on an empty stomach and eat or drink something after (protein shake, whatever). However, I'm also told not to do this prior to going to bed. So, what's the solution in this case? (Note that my #1 goal is weight loss.)

Should I just drink lots of water when I return and then go to bed? Or should I eat a peanut/banana sandwich or... ? I also find coconut water extremely refreshing. It seems to hydrate me better than plain water but again, how is it for a pre-bedtime drink? Bad idea?

Second, for the workout itself: I generally just hop on the bike and go as fast as I can. My time/speeds are definitely improving (when I started I was in the low 20s for km/hr average speed, now I'm in the low 30s), but should I just ride whole hog as I've been doing or is it best to use a tiered system like something in Body for Life. That is, sprint for a couple minutes, medium pace for a couple minutes, sprint, coast, etc? Should I be using the last leg of my workout as a cool down?

Also, when I return, I'm usually high on adrenaline and not ready for sleep for about an hour (though when I am ready, I really crash, which is unusual for me). Should I do light weights in that time? Again, confused about the cool down part of the workout, which at the moment I'm not really doing at all.

I realize there are both questions about diet and workouts in past askme questions but the food/drink at night time part is the thing that's really the crux of the Q. I'm not really super hungry when I return (I usually eat about 8pm), but if a sandwich or couple eggs would actually beneficial, I'd do it. (Note that I'm veg.)

Lastly, I'm not really willing to change the time of my workouts. I like doing it at that hour because there is no traffic, the lights are green, and the temperature is good. It really helps clear my head of the day's crap as well.

Thanks!

X% of my Recommended Daily Amount of Y

fishmasta — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 17:54:50 -0800

How do I figure out how nutritious my meals are? So every packaged food in the supermarket and everything at a restaurant chain has, somewhere, a nutrition chart stating the calories, vitamins, fat, etc. found in a serving of that food. But what about when I cook for myself? How can I replicate that sort of easy to comprehend nutrition information when I'm putting a meal together from many different ingredients? Or is that nutrition information not that great anyway and I should focus on broader nutrition goals? What do we even really know about nutrition? Please help me make sense of the overload of conflicting information that exists out there.

Vitamin Blecchh

granted — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 14:48:33 -0800

Recommendations for a Vitamin B-Complex supplement that won't make me want to vomit? I have for many years tried to incorporate Vitamin B supplements into my diet, but they taste so awful that I feel nauseated for several hours after I take one. I've never actually puked one up (THANK GOD) but unless it's a developing embryo in the far-off future I'd prefer to avoid all sources of daily morning nausea. I was taking the tablet form for awhile, then switched to capsules, and both suck. Know you of a less vile form? Unfortunately it has to be unsweetened, too.

How do I maintain a healthy lifestyle...

prunes — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:38:55 -0800

How do I main a healthy lifestyle while traveling for work? I work for a major multinational. Recently I was blindsided by the news that I had "volunteered" for a project that will involve significant travel, upwards of 75%, for around six months. There will be many different locations, so I don't think I will be staying in extended stay suites.

Now, I'm a very health conscious individual. I take great pride in not having succumbed to the obesity/grossness that plagues most people in my position. A large part of success is due to my near fanatical eating habits. I never eat fast food. I hate it. And after a day or two of eating out I feel gross. Daily I bring in to work multiple pieces of fruit; today I brought a pint of berries, two bananas, and a peach.

So my question, bluntly stated, is as follows: how will I be able to adapt to this new lifestyle with out my body turning to pudding?

Also, a related question while we're at it: given the great amount of responsibility and the crummy lifestyle I will be adopting, what demands should a person in my position reasonably be able to make (e.g. admiral club access, flying first class, health club access, etc.) ?

Nutrition for weight training.

2or3whiskeysodas — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:59:46 -0800

Favorite books or websites dealing with good muscle-building nutrition? I have seen the light, maybe: I've been weight-training to add some muscle but eating to lose weight, and that's not working. I'm thin enough at this point, so I'd like to try a new diet or two and see what works.

I'm down to hear the hive's general advice, tips and such, but am more interested in books and web resources. I do best with "programs". Also, this isn't terribly important, but I'm not really into the macho bent at sites like t-nation.com; if that could be avoided, great. But if there's exceptional information within, I could put up with it.

Thanks in advance!

Looking for a diet regimen recommendation, like a daily meal guide (also, vegetarian).

Jason and Laszlo — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 05:43:52 -0800

Looking for a diet regimen recommendation, like a daily meal guide (also, vegetarian). Looking to lose a few lbs. Please let me know if you have seen something helpful online or in a book, like monday: toast, fruit, veggies, xxx calories. etc. I'm a vegetarian but eat some dairy like cheese (and chocolate, heh)

thanks!

Help me prepare food for a vegetarian new mother

kamikazegopher — Sun, 25 May 2008 20:42:35 -0800

Post-partum vegetarian healthy food help. I've been tasked with providing food for my sister-in-law who recently gave birth. I would like to prepare food that can be frozen and re-heated in individual servings. I'm a bit stumped.

heart health & my new diet

luriete — Fri, 16 May 2008 10:30:34 -0800

I am 37, 5'9", 185 & just had a minor heart attack. Diagnosis: diffuse coronary disease. I swim several times a week, and eat well. But I have questions about my new diet, the one that will help me lose 30 - 50 lbs in 2 years, as my cardiologist wants. Since the angioplasty & 3 stents, I'm changing the way I eat - eating more whole grains and fruit, hardly any meat. I am taking fish oil (1750 a day) plus my plavix and other drugs. My cholesterol is not particularly high, but my blood pressure was (I haven't smoked in 5 years and even then I never smoked more than a pack a week).

One thing a friend said was to eat lots and lots of sushi, which I love. I know that shellfish is high in cholesterol, but what about my favorite - unagi? It's very fatty, but is that the good kind of fat or the bad kind? I looked up how much fat was in it, but it didn't tell me if that fat was OK - are fish fats better than meat fats, or is it just a case of them being less bad for me, but not actually good?

I think I can do this new way of eating - lots of low-fat middle eastern, no salt, very little animal grease. But I am looking for other suggestions for interesting dishes and things I can order in restaurants that will keep me from getting bored of green salads when my friends are eating steaks and chicken wings (my favorite junk food!). Are turkey meatballs from trader joe's OK? I like them.

Anyway, just wondering if people could share their favorite low-fat recipes & tips for eating safe in restaurants. I have reservations at Incanto in SF in 2 weeks so I hope there's stuff I can eat there... :(

Daily Recommended Dose

Electrius — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:41:45 -0800

TMI about digestive tract, papyrophagy inside. I have an uncontrollable craving for paper, especially (unused) toilet paper of which I eat a disturbingly large amount in the day, in the range of 20-40 of those little squares. I know this probably isn't the best for me but I haven't noticed anything besides the pleasant and predictable effect of a lot of fiber.

So, should I freak out about this? Does it reflect something I'm not getting in my diet? Should I see someone about this? Is there a brand that's better for me?

Can you suggest meal planning software or services?

komilnefopa — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 17:06:17 -0800

I'm looking for software or a service that allows me to plan balanced meals that are free of acid reflux triggers. At present I'm using the meal planner on the Nexium website. I like it because it's tailored to my specific condition and is easy to use, but it has some annoying limitations (it gives you the same lunch options every week with limited ability to make changes, and substitutions are only allowed at lunch but not dinner).

To plan a week's meals, what I would like to be able to do is to start with a large database of recipes sorted by the approximate amount of preparation time needed. For weekday lunches, I would like to be able to pick from a list of super-quick cold or microwave-only recipes (sandwiches, soup, etc.). Ideally, once I've picked out these meals, the program would then fill in suggestions for side dishes and snacks or just tell me what I need to balance the rest of my diet (2 vegetables, 3 fruits, etc.) for each day.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Answers to previous questions have suggested Big Oven, Master Cook, and Cook'n, but none of them really fits my needs. The nutrition trackers like FitDay and thedailyplate.com don't seem to have the meal planning capabilities that I'm looking for.

I'd also be open to personalized meal planning services, if anyone has any recommendations. The ones I've found through quick googling seem to be little more than a list of recipes sent to you each week.

Pimp my oatmeal!

catlet — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:52:56 -0800

I eat oatmeal for breakfast pretty much every day. Help me build a bowl that is as jam-packed with nutrition as possible, while still tasty. I've never been much of a breakfast person, so whatever I eat in the morning has to be worth it in terms of nutrition and flavor, or I'll skip it and just drink extra coffee. Recently, I've figured out a process that works for me: I make a big batch of steel-cut oats in my slow cooker once a week or so, and store in serving-sized plasticware in my fridge. It's just oats, water, and salt. In the morning, I dump a serving into a bowl and add a fistful of frozen fruit from the various bags in the freezer - blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches, or cherries - and microwave. After it's hot and the fruit is thawed, I add some raw walnuts or pecans, cinnamon, a spoonful of ground flaxseed, a spoonful of Benefiber (powdered guar gum supplement), and either unsweetened almond milk or regular cow milk. It's very "one from Column A, one from Column B" and it is delicious.

What else could I add that would boost the nutrition even more? I am interested in both sweet and savory approaches, vegetarian or not, that will fuel my day. (Bacon's nutritious, right?) Ideas involving other grains (rice, wheatberries, groats, but probably not kasha first thing in the morning) are also excellent.

Will Sunrider Take Me For A Ride?

partner — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:11:48 -0800

Does anyone have experience with Sunrider nutritional products? We have friends who tell positive, though anecdotal, stories about their physical effects. I know about MLMs, and have no intention of making a business. I'm just wondering if it is worth buying this stuff, or is there equivalent in our little, rural health food store. We are healthy people with a good diet, not looking for miracle cures.

Can I gain weight from soda alone?

destro — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 10:57:06 -0800

Based on calories alone and ignoring any other nutritional deficiencies, could I gain weight off of drinking just soda and nothing else? Since current nutritional science links calories to weight gain, shouldn't a high calorie soda made with HFCS cause weight gain even without any solid content? And a low calorie diet of something like celery would cause weight loss even though it does have solid content?

Do I have something misunderstood or is it all a vague science?

How can I find out the caloric info of Chinese chestnuts - without a food scale?

invisible ink — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 18:57:24 -0800

Now that chestnuts are in season, I've been buying sacks of freshly roasted Chinese chestnuts almost every week and eating them like crazy. Problem is, I cannot locate nutritional information in a format that's easy to understand. For example, I don't have a food scale, yet almost every listing I find on Google has one serving of chestnuts as 100 grams. Also, how do I know if the nutritional info is referring to nuts still in their shell, or the actual nutmeats? Thanks to everyone in advance.

What's recommended to consume right after a work-out ?

hboogz — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 13:31:10 -0800

What should i consume immediately after a work-out ? If i'm not a fan of powdered protein ? I've heard that consuming a high-glycemic carbohydrate after a workout is idea -- could anyone give me feasible ideas of this ?

How do I know which fats are which?

Defenestrator — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 16:40:24 -0800

Nutrition label says food has 5 grams of fat, 3 of them are saturated. There is no other information. Would the other fat be trans, polyunsaturated, or monounsaturated? This seems so simple but I can't find an answer on the net.

I decided to use FitDay to make sure I'm taking in the right amount of calories (and that they're from the right sources) while I try to build muscle. (Nothing seems to be happening and I'm pretty sure its cause of my nutrition)

But it asks for saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat. The nutrition label for the serving of milk I'm entering says it has 5 grams of fat and 3 of them are saturated...thats it. What about the other 2 grams? Fats have to be either saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, or trans correct?

Why eggs? Why now?

dmaterialized — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 20:59:13 -0800

In my family we've always said that if you have an intense craving for a food that you don't normally eat, it's because your body really needs something in it (and that all efforts should be made to acquire said food-- this has led to some funny stories). Following this (seeming) logic, I am curious if any nutritionists understand why I get insanely intense cravings (only about once every 6 weeks or so) for egg salad sandwiches. Because, you see, eggs normally make me really nauseated. Scrambled especially (I basically can't eat them, for whatever reason). But when I need egg salad BAD, it's literally the only food that appeals to me in the entire world. (And it's ALWAYS egg salad-- I don't have too many other of these sudden cravings.) It doesn't even need to be good egg salad. It can even be warm (yuck). But nothing else seems to fill the need. Any idea what might be in it that my body is so sorely missing? This is perplexing, since I have the cravings again tonight.

Is the sweetness gone?

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 07:33:09 -0800

I am in my third trimester of pregnancy - from the moment I knew I was pregnant, I cut out artificial sweeteners (in addition to other things) from my diet. I replaced my usual diet sodas, drinks and nutrasweetened-foods with naturally-sweetened beverages, and having small amounts of sugar, agave syrup, or honey in or on foods. It wasn't too excessive.

Now I've been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I have 'backslid' into having a few packets of splenda in my daily tea, and having a few bottles of splenda-sweetened fizzy water. But I think I should cut back, or try to cut these things out again.

Is there any sweetener that is safe for both a diabetic *and* a pregnant woman to consume? I'm afraid the answer is no, but as a woman with more than two months of pregnancy to go, and whose every tooth is sweet....it has been hard and depressing to have to modify my diet so much at this stage. I know it is for both my health and the health of my unborn child, but it is quite challenging to not have *anything* sweet, at all.

Lots of questions about calcium

otherwordlyglow — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:09:54 -0800

What the best formula for Calcium supplements? I'm trying to get at least 1000 milligrams of calcium every day both through dairy products and calcium supplements but I'm confused about the best way of taking calcium. I'm 40 and pregnant. First of all calcium comes in lots of different forms (cal citrate, liquid cal, cal carbonate......). I seem to recall hearing the calcium from coral wasn't a good idea because of impurities but what about all the rest? Do some absorb better?

And then there's the accompanying supplements. Quite often, calcium is mixed with Vitamin D which I guess helps with absorption but if I'm already taking a multivitamin with plenty of Vitamin D, can I skip it? I usually take calcium in the morning and the multi at night so the Vitamin D isn't taken at the same time but I know D is fat soluble so it'll get stored so i don't need to take it at the exact same time as the calcium, right? I'd like to avoid taking too much D, if possible. Other calcium comes with magnesium and does that do the same thing for absorption?

And if I want to take 1000 mg entirely as a supplement (if I know I haven't been having enough dairy lately), should I take it all at once or stagger it? Somewhere I read something about your body not being able to absorb more than 500 mg at once.

Help me have strong bones!

Which cruciferous vegetables should I eat?

Kwantsar — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:59:38 -0800

Which cruciferous vegetables should I eat? I hate them, but science has convinced me of their nutritional necessity. I have further been convinced that they should be eaten raw. But I really, really hate them. Every last one of them, in fact. As I do not believe that I can mind-over-matter my way into enjoying these repulsive greens, I suppose that I ought to be tough, and find a way to put them down. Please help me find a way to do this painlessly as possible.

I'd like to maximize along a few variables:
1. Nutrient density-- The less I have to eat, the better. This is most important.
2. Shelf life-- If I can buy in bulk only twice per month, my life is easier.
3. Palatability-- Do any of these vegetables pair nicely with any specific sugarless and starchless foods?

What say you?

Fear of Catabolism

gmodelo — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:07:04 -0800

Is running 3+ miles 4 or more times a week hurting my muscle mass gains? I'm alternating jump rope in 1-2x a week with it for 30 minute sessions. The real question is: do any of you have experience with making terrific muscle gains accompanied by good fat loss? I know we gain, as well as lose, muscle and fat in tandem when we're in an anabolic state. What about you guys?

I am estimatedly around 16% bodyfat right now, looking to bring that down without losing (or while building more) muscle. My nutrition is great; only natural foods (occasional sweets, but never regularly, I don't like them much), good protein and carbohydrate sources, as well as moderate saturated fat intake. I shoot for around 60-20-20 macronutrient breakdown, but definately not always on target with that.

I also drink 1-2 cups of coffee a day (with honey), and unfortnately chew around 1/2 can of tobacco a day. Are these greatly affecting my results?

Nutrition Tracking Software.

munchingzombie — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 19:33:29 -0800

I need software that will track my nutritional intake. It would track calories, carbs, protean, fats and keep them in a date base for reference. It should have a good sized date base of foods already in it and be able to have new ones added. This is for a pre-intel Mac preferably, or online if need by. Free or cheap would make me happy. I am trying to tighten up my exercise and nutritional regimen and should probably make sure I am not getting too much fat or carbs.

What do you fitness buff mefis use for such a purpose?