What is Digg?120 Comments
- Alchemeron, on 10/12/2007, -0/+44It's the high fructose corn syrup that kills you. If you need caffeine, switch to black coffee.
- maiku00, on 10/12/2007, -1/+43Or tea. I started drinking green tea instead of soda and coffee. I hated it at first, but forced myself to drink, and now I love the stuff. Plus its insanely good for you.
- kimos, on 10/12/2007, -2/+28I love hearing people actually talking about how bad soda is for you. Your body has no idea what to do with something so unnatural as high fructose corn syrup. The calories get turned streight into fat.
- romperthegm, on 10/12/2007, -0/+25watch juices, they tend to be loaded with sugar and/or HFCS
- nesagwa, on 10/12/2007, -2/+20Ramen is terrible for you.
Saturated Fat and Salt, MM MMMMMM - sych0, on 10/12/2007, -0/+17Taste is only relative anyways. Eat/drink something unfavorable long enough, and you begin to enjoy it. You'll wonder how you ever drank syrupy sugary soda to begin with.
- drw2583, on 10/12/2007, -7/+21Yeah, this story is a complete joke, just like anyone who would actually believe it.
You want to eat healthy for cheap? Go buy a cylinder of generic brand oatmeal for 3 bucks; that will last you at least a month if you eat it every morning for breakfast.
A bag of tenderbird chicken breasts is like 7 dollars and should last a few days.
A box of brown rice is dirt cheap and is very nutritious.
An entire BAG of broccoli is like a $1.50
...and so on. - kimos, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14@drw2583: As much as I totally agree with you, the problem is preparing it. People need to learn to cook. Lentils and dried beans are almost free, they're good for you, filling, and a great central part of a meal when combined with a starch like rice. The problem is that they're not easy to prepare. Pizza pops, ramen noodles, or burgers are brainless to prepare. That's one of the main reasons people eat badly...
- sych0, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12caffeine isnt really that healthy either though ;)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/14/Caffeinated_spiderwebs.jpg
Silly spider! - nsummy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+13Hardly any of those foods are actually healthy for you. Cheese and Crackers? That is totally unhealthy. Bascially its fruity, vegetables, and beans. Also it doesn't even list any real protein choices, i.e. meat.
- solidcube, on 10/12/2007, -1/+10When you live in grass houses, don't stow thrones.
- giantrobot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I lost so much weight cooking for myself. I lose approximately 5 pounds per month, which is a healthy rate. (Fast rates of weight loss tend to be temporary and unhealthy.)
Cut the soda out and cook your own food for a month and see how you feel afterwards. Cooking itself is a physical activity that most people have cut out of their lives, even the act along may make you lose calories. - JuliusErving, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11No digg because you're an absurd grammar nazi? Wtf is wrong with you?
- shockwavedave, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9I second that there are a lot of sugars in typical store bought juices. There are some with healthier sugar levels, you just have to look real hard.
- dhuck, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8this was the first year that i lived away from a dining hall (two years at college, four years at boarding school) - i moved off campus to save money and such. i've lowered my food bill to about 40-50 dollars per week. my only vice is soda (and pot, but that's another issue ;) ), but otherwise, here's what i usually get:
- 12 large eggs
- green peppers, red peppers
- vidalia onions
- asparagus
- garlic
- 1.5-2 pounds of chicken breast
- bagels, cream cheese
- shredded cheese
and some random stuff, but not as often. i make mostly stir frys for dinner and omelets for breakfast. i can't say i'm the best cook, and it certainly gets repetitive after a while, but if you've got to eat for cheap (and healthy) this is the way to go. you do have to learn how to cook though - check out the videos at www.epicurious.com, i've found those to be especially helpful. there are plenty of recipe sites, but really - just start playing with the food. buy different spices, add different types of produce, explore a little bit and you'll find something that you like.
if there's anything i've learned... cooking for yourself is not hard. it's intimidating, but it's not hard. the first time you do something, it'll suck, but do it two or three times and you'll get it down...
anyway, this is much too long already, hope it helps. - nesagwa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Go buy tomatos and red peppers IN SEASON from farmers markets and they basically GIVE them away.
Its all about shopping smart and buying produce when its in season.
Suprise Suprise, vegetables and fruits are only really ripe a few months a year! - Funfetus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8Beans and rice are practically free.
Produce is usually really cheap if you go to an ethnic market. I can get several big grocery bags of fruits and vegetables for under $10 at the Mexican or Indian markets around here. Your location may vary, but give it a shot. - ezkiel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8keyword #2 is exercise. if you exercise alot and keep your metabolism up (and heart rate down) you can eat virtually whatever you want (as long as you get proper nutrients) and not get out of shape. People need to start biking, walking and such instead of driving the 10 min walk to the corner store get off your ass.
if you lose weight and arent exercising your just digesting your own muscle and thats not good. ever notice how certain people who are unhealthy seem disproportionatly liable to get hurt from normal mishaps. They have low calcium and poor strength and things that should ordinarily not be and issue now become a torn logiment or broken wrist. - LOUiSSCHiSM, on 10/12/2007, -8/+15Be Vegetarian.
Healthy and REALLY cheap.
But you NEED to learn to cook. Preprocessed vegetarian food has become much more available in the last decade, but it can't compare in taste to freshly homemade, and is also quite expensive.
Get a couple of cookbooks. Study. Practice.
Invite Guinea Pigs to dinner/lunch/breakfast
I highly recommend Madhur Jaffrey's books. I've got "World Vegetarian" and "World of the East" and they are mindblowingly great.
My personal favorite region of cooking is Middle Eastern. Spectacular variety of foods, with the recognition of being one of the healthiest diets available.
Check out "Vegetarian Dishes from the Middle East" by Arto der Haroutunian
and "Middle Eastern Vegetarian Cookery" by David Scott.
Cooking "from scratch" is a cheap, healthy, meditative, and CRITICALLY important skill. In most parts of the world, being a competant cook is essential for life. In most of our wealthy cultures however, we can simply pick up the phone, place an order and pay for it when it arrives.
And continue to pay for it. Cause and effect. - PayneX, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8@kimos
You're absolutely right.
If it's healthy, tastey, and easy to prepare, it's expensive!
If it's cheap, easy to prepare and tasty, it's certainly not going to be healthy.
It's like one of those triangle of choice deals. - DrMindHacker, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8 How much sugar you intake has a *lot* to do with whether or not you get diabetes.
When the level of sugar in your bloodstream exceeds a certain quantity your pancreas
begins pumping insulin (to counter). Over time, the effect of insulin lessens (hyper-
glycemia is the result). Damaged organs can result in hypoglycemia (your pancreas
not producing *enough* insulin to counter sugar levels).
Grab a book and RTFM before your speak bitch. - GnatMan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7I love green tea as well, but I feel the need to add that green tea actually has (almost) no caffeine, and tea within tea bags has very little of it as well. If you want something with a lot of caffeine, you should either go with coffee or black tea (from free leaves). I've pulled many an all-nighter on just a few of cups of black tea.
- drw2583, on 10/12/2007, -4/+10Interesting to see the people who can't follow a healthy diet modding us down. Mod me down all you want, it doesn't make it ANY LESS TRUE.
You are exactly right Kimos. It's much easier to call and have someone bring pizza to your door. The 20 minutes it takes to boil or grill a chicken breast and boil some rice is so much more effort than dialing a 7 digit number and reading a 16 digit credit card number
Not everyone can follow a healthy diet, just like not every one can be accountants or hit home runs. - fanboydcs, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Its hard to eat healthy, I wish I could find good healthy cheap fast food restaurants, oh god that would be nice. I am going to start today not drinking any more soda, only water and juice. I also want to cut down my sugar levels so I don't become a dietetic.
- chezzman, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Keyword is portion control.
- The_Dude, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Since when is calcium and protein (cheese) unhealthy? Yeah, too much will make you fat and raise your cholesterol, but I'd hardly call cheese unhealthy.
- proton, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Normally you don't even have to try and get protein. Eating the beans, for example, would help a good deal with getting your daily protein - along with other types of vegetables. Remember that it's only been since the industrial age that meat has been in such abundance as it is now so that nearly everyone can have meat three times daily. We survived before that.
- dolson, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5It is definitely true.
It's the first thing I say to people who complain about their weight, while holding a can of Coke.
A few months ago, I decided to start eating healthier, but the only real big change was I stopped drinking soda (replaced with mostly water, and also green tea). So far, I've lost 55lbs, but I used to drink 2-5 cans of soda per day, so YMMV. - kimos, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6That's a joke.
90% of restaurant salads consist of the following:
- Iceberg lettuce (almost entirely water)
- Pinch of shredded other veggies
- Oil based dressing
Many of the salads at somewhere like McSicnkess are worse than the burgers, since they don't actually have any healthy parts in them. Just water-lettuce and dressing, sometimes bacon too...
Salad does not always mean healthy. A bunch of fresh cut veggies of assorted varieties with a light oil and vinegar dressing is way more expensive to make than one big chopped head of inexpensive lettuce, packaged bacon bits, and ranch dressing. Less appealing to most too... - C00001, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5yeah, that's a great plan. a friend of mine has a fairly high metabolism and he ate (unfortunately still eats) anything he wanted, all sorts of junk food, and was still thin. then he started having heart problems, and found out that it was because his cholesterol was dangerously high. there's a lot more to health than whether or not you look a little pudgy.
- DoctorShim, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I haven't eaten processed food in years. I tasted some again, and it was horrible. Taste really is a relative thing, and whatever you do: Don't eat junk because it tastes good! You're only doing yourself harm. I've seen kids that couldn't stomach an apple, and would rather have a pack of Cheetos with Gatorade. xO
- JoeWall, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4silly how could you write mcdonalds and healthy in the same sentence
- solidcube, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Try getting one of those salads sometime, remove everything but the vegetables (shouldn't be much) and put the veggies in a closet or somewhere and let them decompose. Or don't, and just let me tell you what happens. They all turn to this innocuous black dirty water that doesn't even smell much. So you're paying 3.50 for water and dirt.
How do I know this? A large party tray of vegetables got left on a high closet shelf (don't ask). Unfortunately, it was me that found it. Fortunately, I'm tall enough to reach it, so I pulled it out and was about to carry it away but... Unfortunately, it was full of said black water, which sloshed, broke the seal on the tray's cover and splashed all over me. Fortunately, it didn't smell nasty :) - recursive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Being fat and being unhealthy are 2 different things. I am neither, but just because you are not gaining weight doesn't mean you are healthy.
- felchdonkey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I'd half agree with you. People often eat more than they need to, or eat until they're full to bursting.
If you are trying to stay thin, the thing is to eat five or six SMALL meals each day - and don't eat before bed. Anything you eat in the last four hours or so before bed fails to get burned by activity, and goes straight to fat. - The_Dude, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Damn, I want some cookies...
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5dolson:
"princess bride reference"??!
that's it; your man card has been revoked. please hand over your testicles at the counter ;p - seethesky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2---lazy, poor single person's guide to food shopping and healthy eating---
when i was a "starving art student", my rule was simple:
-only buy food that costs under $2 each at a supermarket-
some tips on following this rule:
buy lots of veggies, fruits, grains as suggested by the author. it really is a healthy, cheap way to go.
this rule almost automatically rules out overpriced, over-packaged gourmet foods - though you'd be surprised at "fancy" food that you can find for under $2! (artichoke hearts in a bottle, capers, exotic salad dressing, etc...)
use coupons. look through sunday papers that people toss away and free mailers that fill up your apartment mailbox.
ramen is overrated. yes, it's cheap, yes, it's bad for you. i'm so lazy i munch on it dry as a snack, instead of boiling it. in the end, though, i find cooking my own chinese noodles is a tastier (and probably a healthier) way to go.
i had some fast-food every once in a while (since it is indeed under $2). $1.07 seven-layer burrito at taco bell was a dining-out experience (since it was so rare to be able to afford dining at real restaurants). in the end, it's cheaper (not to mention healthier and tastier) in the long run to cook your food.
snag free "gourmet" condiments from cafes, takeouts, restaurants, etc. (crushed chili peppers and parmesan packets from pizza places, brown sugar and honey from cafes, jams and ketchup packets from restaurants, hot mustard and soy sauce from asian takeouts)
sometimes i can only afford to buy two pieces of fruits/veggies for $2. that was okay - it's portion control and still follow the rule!
ONE EXCEPTION: i invested in a good olive extra-virgin olive oil. you can find a good one at trader joe's for about $7. combine it with balsamic vinegar (under $2) to make salad dressing.
good for stir-frying veggies in medium heat (use sesame oil or canola oil (both much cheaper than olive oil) for high-heat stir-frying)
cook your meals. a lot of posters here are concerned about this, so i'd like to encourage you by saying that basic cooking isn't as hard as it seem. i had to learn how to cook on my own, so i only do basic, simple things that takes less than 20 minutes to prep, 30 minutes tops. i still don't know how to cook meat except for opening a can of tuna and ***luxury of luxuries*** buying sashimi (buy it at the end of the day at japanese market, where you can buy it for under $2), mix it with wasabi and soy sauce, put on top of rice.
-----five simple healthy recipes for a lazy single person on a tight budget----
equipment needed (i'm assuming you have access to those things, unless you live in a dorm or a bachelor apartment):
refridgerator with freezer
toaster or toaster oven
stove (no oven necessary)
microwave (optional but very handy for a lazy person)
sink (with garbage disposer for optimal kitchen experience)
tools needed (mine was passes down from my mom. the following are all you need):
wok (can get for cheap at chinese markets)
non-stick pan (can get for cheap at target, bed bath and beyond (use coupons), etc.)
spatula (made of nylon so it can be used on non-stick pans)
long chopsticks, fork or ladle with holes in it for stirring pasta
chef's knife (one is all you need to start)
cutting board (cutting directly on your countertop will not make your landlord happy)
can opener
omelette (open fridge, take out two eggs and leftover veggies, scramble eggs, toss veggies on top of egg, wrap, eat. can melt cheese on top of veggies i you have some.)
chili (open can, dump in bowl, add extra beans/meat. microwave. add cilantro, chopped onions, tomatoes or avocadoes. add hot sauce/salsa to taste. i like to eat this on top of rice.)
stir-fry (open fridge, take whatever vegetables are in there (non-leafy stuff is better; lettuce tastes like wilted, bad version of cabbage when cooked), toss onto hot wok. stir. fry. add peppers, soy sauce/any other asian sauces to taste. eat. optional: can cook with sesame seeds and/or garlic for 30 seconds before adding vegggies. can add leftover chicken pieces, tofu, vegetarian meat, etc.)
pasta (boil water. add pasta. while it cooks (9-11 minutes), chop leftover veggies. drain pasta, toss with veggies and sauce from a bottle.)
sandwich (being ultra-lazy, i tend to go for peanut-butter and jelly)
above five recipes have infinite variations depending on ingredients and spices. mix and match according to what's in your fridge at the moment.
look through flyers for local supermarkets - believe me, there are deals! ralph's actually had vine-ripe tomatoes on sale for $1 a pound last week!
shop at ethnic markets for cheaper and more exotic produce and spices.
thanks to that rule, i never caught a cold, remained right weight for my height, and had lots of energy.
here are the specifics:
some things i bought:
-rice (i cook 8 cups at a time, divide and saran-wrap into single serving portions, toss in freezer. microwave for a few minutes as needed. go for brown rice if you want to be super healthy.)
-oatmeal in a canister. trader joe's have a version that is microwavable.
-pasta (barilla is good, and sometimes it's on sale for 99cents)
-whole grain bread (freeze, toast as needed)
-beans (in a can - i'm too lazy to soak them! garbanzo, kidney, refried, or chili.
89 cent can of garbanzo + stir fry in curry powder = delicious!)
-dozen eggs (look for sales and coupons for best deals, though they're usually under $2 anyway)
-veggies.
some cheap staples:
broccoli
green onions (great for stir-fry)
green beans
onions (always have it on hand - very versatile)
garlic (ditto)
green or red peppers
carrots (buy baby carrots or pre-shredded ones in a bag (on sale, of course) if you're too lazy to cook them and would rather eat them raw)
potatoes (cheap but takes a while to cook unless you have a microwave to make a baked potato)
cabbage (will last you a long time)
cilantro as needed (cheap, but wilts quickly)
basil (this is an expensive herb hitting right at $2, though i like it for italian dishes)
yams, sweet potatoes in season can be had for under $2. asparagus is one vegetable where i was only able to afford twice, in may during peak season (using under $2 rule).
-fruits.
some cheap staples:
apples
oranges (can get a giant bag at costco)
bananas (19 cents each at trader joe's)
avocado (one or two - i never buy them unless they're $1 or less each)
strawberries, blackberries, mangoes, watermelon wedges and melon can be had for under $2 in season.
snag lemon and lime wedges from mexican fast-food places if you must, though they're pretty cheap (at least here in california)
-drinking water (tap water tastes horrible where i live, so i bought drinking water. $1 for a gallon container, $2.50 for 2 1/2 gallon - can split the cost with a roomie to save $. your strategy may vary)
-pasta sauce (plain ones are more versatile. can save even more money by buying tomato paste if you're a more ambitious cook than me and can make your own pasta sauce)
-frozen food (only if they're under $2 each. try budget gourmet, lean cuisine (look for coupons) or things at trader joe's)
-canned soups and chilis. (try to get lower-sodium or healthier ones. eat half the can per meal (which is one serving anyway) and fill up on rice or bread to stretch your budget)
-bagged salad mix if it was at or under $2. you can get around 1-3 servings for $2, which is perfect because as a single person, you can't finish more than that before lettuce starts to go bad. you actually don't need to eat too much salad to be healthy if you're eating cooked veggies all the time.
-canned tuna. supermarkets now sell pre-packed tuna + cracker + dill & mayo mixes + plastic mini-spatula + mint for under $2 (look for coupons). handy for making tuna sandwich with whole grain bread. keep the crackers as snacks.keep the mint when you need something to freshen your breath. keep the plastic mini-spatula to clean grout around faucets.
-canned fruits.
pineapple (in 100% juice - cheaper than buying fresh, and still good for you)
lychees (look for it in chinese markets. cheaper and tastes the same to me as fresh ones)
mandarine oranges (my guilty pleasure. yes, it's packed in sugar)
-dark chocolates (at trader joe's! yes, they are healthy for you...)
...think those are the basics. good luck on your healthy eating journey on a budget! - dolson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3Usually grammar nazis should be dugg down, but Alchemeron shouldn't be because he/she used a Princess Bride reference!
- JuliusErving, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2If you have a costco or BJs nearby, a 28 pack of poland spring sport botttles costs $6. Also, you can usually get a gallon of bottled water at the grocery store for $1. Not overpriced if you ask me. And yeah, a brita filter is always an option too.
- AeonTorpor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2What about Chef Boyardee and PB&J sammiches?
- FederalSource, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@Kimos
You are correct and it is sad that people can't learn to simmer lentils for 20-35 minutes (depending on the lentil). Plus, you can make a huge batch of lentils and brown rice that lasts almost all week!
Indian specialty sources are amazing sources for lentils and relevant spices - snapcase, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Hmm, Ramen is much cheaper than fruit a lot of times, fresh fruit can be expensive. And it's not like you can't eat healthily with processed foods. You can, and it takes a lot less effort. As for the switch water, to soda thing, don't do bottled water. Talk about a waste of money, bottled water comes from municipal sources (sources you already payed for with your tax money), and they sell it for more than Gasoline. Use tap water, if you don't like your tap water, put a couple of ice cubes in it, or even buy an inexpensive filter if you have to. And as for what it is in soda that makes it unhealthy, it isn't just the high fructose corn syrup, or any one ingredient, it's the overall caloric value. Soda has a lot of calories, and if you drink primarily soda for you source of fluids, then you will up on weight unless you are actually burning all those calories.
- theven7, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4I think that's a glass house...
- kimos, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Empty carbs, high oil in the beans/sauce, high fat in the processed cheese. Almost no nutrients.
Better than pizza pops or McSickness, but still not very good. - maiku00, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Tea. Extremely healthy. And there are many different types to try out!
- theven7, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Most of the vegetarians I've ever seen looked pasty and unhealthy. Maybe they're thin, but they don't appear to be the picture of health.
- Alchemeron, on 10/12/2007, -12/+14"I also want to cut down my sugar levels so I don't become a dietetic."
I don't think that word means what you think it means. - darkbytes, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@GnatMan
"I love green tea as well, but I feel the need to add that green tea actually has (almost) no caffeine..."
Actually, in regards to studying (as per for finals), green tea is purported to have more mental benefits than caffeine is traditionally thought to provide:
"Controlled experiments have shown that Teanin (a basic constituent of green tea) has a positive effect on the mind and improves memory by increasing Dopamine levels. The experiments also show that alpha waves increase 40 minutes after consuming Teanin. People can take advantage of their full mental capabilities when they are relaxed. So try a cup of green tea 40 minutes before work or study!
You might wonder how a cup of green tea which contains so much caffeine can be relaxing. The answer is Teanin. Teanin tempers the effects of caffeine which can cause nervousness or excitability (as you might find with coffee) and works to relax the mind. So, although much caffeine is included in green tea, green tea does not cause nervousness or excitability because of Teanin."
I wish I could link this information but I received it in an email newsletter from http://www.hibiki-an.com some months back and they don't appear to reproduce their newsletter articles on the site. I, being an avid tea drinker, can attest that green tea aides in focus and concentration (and energy) while never producing the jittery, nervous effects I normally get with other drinks high in caffeine, including black teas. - VeganG, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"If you’re looking for healthy food on a small budget, then fruits and vegetables and other whole foods are the way to go. They’re the basic building blocks of a nutritious diet, and they’re much cheaper than processed foods."
People need to be TOLD this?! -
Show 51 - 100 of 125 discussions
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is 