Dieting for picky eaters

[lonerchick]

I've been on a "diet" this week. I'm really just trying to eat healthier. My problem is that I am picky. I like very few health foods. Most diet books and programs have the grossest sound/looking meal plans. Or they are out of my budget. For example: Flaxseed, Greek yogurt, Mixed berries or Chocolate Banana Protein Pancake. Ew.   Those are my recommened breakfasts from Daily Burn.

Oh and then I get bored with my food. This week I have been having a salad for a snack so I can make it to lunch without the desire to order fast food. However I know this salad routine will not last for much longer.

Any healthy ideas for a broke and picky eater?

[--jaj--]

I try drinking a bottle of flavored water mid morning and any time during the day when I think I want to eat something. It helps me get in quite a bit of water.

[bettysmith]

For healthy snacks I've found that nuts/nut butters work really well to hold me over between meals. I keep raw almonds in my purse when I'm out or at work, and when I'm at home, I slice an apple and eat it with peanut butter (I prefer Smucker's natural style smooth PB). Goldfish and peanut butter is a favorite too when I'm craving something salty. Also cheese and crackers. I weigh/measure out a serving or two of cheese and reduced fat Wheat Thins for yummy mid day snack. Hope this helps!

[Caramammal]

it took me a while to find foods that a) tasted nice, b) filled me up and c) were low calorie....i have now have an array of the foods that meet that criteria and i just rotate them throughout the week.  The great thing about calorie counting is that you can basically have what you want as long as you're prepared to work it off to create the correct deficit.

About salads, i'm not keen but those things are **ahem** healthy so i basically douse them in a moderate calorie dressing which equates to about 120 cals, plus the actual salad which equates to about 60 calories, and i eat it when i'm literally starving hungry so that i really enjoy it.

[divedragon · Accepted solution]

I try to stay away from 'canned' diets - those diets that lay out your meal plans.  Instead, I look at the types of foods I eat.  Start with Protein and center your meal around that.  Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Fish, Eggs are all great sources.  Then for veggies, use the rainbow!  In other words, eat a variety of different colored.  Reds, oranges and other 'warm' colors have lots of caritanoids.  Green is for you iron and calcium.  Then toss in a few grains if you so desire, but make them whole grains:  brown rice, whole wheat, beans, corn.

Think of food in terms of these categories and build a meal you can enjoy with good portion control to maintain your caloric target - then take that meal and cut it in half and adopt the Hobbit way of eating.  Eat 1/2 for first breakfast and 1/2 for second breakfast.  Same with lunch, same with dinner.  You'll eat 6 times a day, not exceed your target intake and rev your metabolism because your body believes another meal is always around the corner and gladly lets go of those unwanted pounds.

Good Luck.

[JulieLamb · Accepted solution]

My husband is limited on foods he prefers as well.  Our secret is to stick with the cleansing meats and veggies and spice it up.  For instance with chicken you can

Cut it up, toss in zero calorie buffalo sauce and you have baked chicken wings.

Put the chicken in the crockpot with some salsa for tender salsa chicken.  Great this way or shredded for a meal and then add leftovers to a salad.

Marinate chicken breast in low fat ranch dressing and low fat balsamic dressing.  Grill

Try this to see if this fills you:

Apple and low calorie yogurt for breakfast

Salad with strawberries, grapes, turkey or chicken, and low calorie dressing for lunch.

Yogurt for afternoon snack

Baked buffalo chicken with green beans for dinner.

Add 8 bottles of water in the day and you will be full.

Good luck.

[lonerchick]

I'll have to try some of these suggestions.

Junk food is just so tasty!

[SunsetRunner]

Im a very picky eater. I have texture issues. Anything soft or mushy makes me gag.

i eat about 10 things when and when im not dieting.

Bread
cereal
Milk
Pb
Pizza
Lettuce
Eggs
Carrots
And grilled chicken

and thats it

My diet plan is very simple
Lots of lean protein and good carbs

For pizza, i make my own healthy pizza
Through a quick salad together with some grilled chicken and im set

its boring but i dont crave pasta, cheese steak, hamburgers etc...

other than being overweight (due to lack of exercising) im healthy as one can be..

my yearly bioscreening come back perfect

[SunsetRunner]

The moral of my story. Works with what u like.
U can always eat in moderation or fine alternatives healthy options for say that pasta u love..

[JulieLamb]

You can do it!!!!!!

[MsMichelleyk]

I wouldn't say I'm picky, but I'm certainly not going to eat things I don't like to eat just because they're healthy. I do love fruit, so I'm happy to eat anything I can get my hands on, and I usually will have fresh fruit, low-fat yogurt (plain w/honey or fruit flavored), and granola for breakfast. But eat things you like. Eggs are a great source of protein, and I eat bagels and cream cheese, white bread (gasp!) and even Eggo waffles for breakfast on occasion. A hard boiled egg, or just the white, is a great snack, as are almonds, bananas with peanut butter (I slice the bananas, make little sandwiches and freeze them). I also like to roast chickpeas in the oven, or make sweet potato chips as a snack. However, that being said, I've had some McNuggets because I wanted them, and budgeted them into my daily intake. Eating healthy doesn't mean giving up delicious food...it just means changing your relationship to food, portions, and why we eat what we do. I find for me, to avoid unhealthy choices and momentary weakness, I plan my meals the day before and have everything ready so I don't waver. I've got quite a ways to go to get to my goal, but so far the journey has been pretty enjoyable! 

Hope this helps! 

[DominicJ]

I had chicken kiev and chips (fries for you who dwell over the pond) for tea (Dinner for, well, you get the picture).

I've mostly ditched bread, pasta and beer,

I havent suddenly started eating steamed kale.

[bellerophon30]

I'm on a 1500 calorie per day diet, which seems to work for me.  I eat a lot of protein bars, some cheese and fruit, and go for 7 small meals per day.  I don't eat meat, but since I don't like beans or tofu, going full vegan isn't an option for me (I need milk products or it would be all nuts all the time).  It's a plan to be sure, but one I've created and evolved over time (this isn't my first diet rodeo recently).  My cynical response to food is "I'm starving, everything tastes good."  So I can eat the same thing day after day.  It works though, even if I ride my bike past restaurants and go nuts from the smells.

[diaryofafatgirl]

I feel ya....I'm a picky eater too and really don't like veggies and the few I do like, I tire of pretty quick.

To compensate for that, I watch my calories and have to make sure I exercise to offset the extra calories.  I don't cut anything out, like pasta or sweets, but I do watch portions, when I am on the ball and focused.

Try making substitutions where you can.....switch to light peanut butter or 1% milk instead of 2%.  Egg whites in an omelets are actually great and so many fewer calories.  As for flaxseed....it's not bad at all and you wouldn't eat it by the spoonful on it's own.  I add it to yogurt (about a teaspoon) or will toss some in when making pasta sauce or muffins, etc.  Just make sure you use ground flaxseed, your body won't digest it whole.

Start with one small change you don't think you can do....whole wheat pasta for white for example.  Once you have conquered that one, move on to the next.

I still struggle with it and just wish I could wake up and love salads and veggies....would make things so much easier!!

There is a great site from a woman who follows Weight Watchers, but doens't really like veggies and has a sweet tooth.

www.drizzlemeskinny.com

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[lavabelle]

Instead of "dieting" which really sucks...why not rethink how you view losing some weight. Keep eating the foods you like, just eat less or try Intermittent fasting, or exercise more, walking is great for helping you lose weight and still allow you to eat a bit more...there's no need to do something you hate for a short time, that just makes life miserable. 

Choose something you can do for the rest of your life, something you can be happy with, and you will stick with it in the long run.