Am I eating a balanced diet?

[Theoryofrelativity]

deleted in protest to really poor moderation

[Absane]

Looks fairly good to me. But what you should do is see how many calories they/you are taking in.

1 gram of: Protein = 4 calories
1 gram of carbs = 4 calories
1 gram of fat = 9 calories.

Also, there is this awesome site I found that I know will help you out. Check out this same of cheerios: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-B00001-01c20OY.html

As far as I can tell, access to all information is free.

The reason I found this site is because early today I was trying to figure out a good diet for my workouts. I figured I need 3000 calories a day if I want to gain weight. Also I am trying to eat 6 meals instead of the standard 3 (because it's better to have consistant energy all day than ups and down). It's a pain in the ass but I should be used to the new eating habits in two weeks or so.

But why do you want to cut meat?

[Absane]

Also, figure out your basal metabolic rate. Just to be able to live and do basically nothing, this is your BMR.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calrmr.htm

Add calories for any exercise you do.

[Theoryofrelativity]

Looks fairly good to me. But what you should do is see how many calories they/you are taking in.

1 gram of: Protein = 4 calories
1 gram of carbs = 4 calories
1 gram of fat = 9 calories.

Also, there is this awesome site I found that I know will help you out. Check out this same of cheerios: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-B00001-01c20OY.html

As far as I can tell, access to all information is free.

The reason I found this site is because early today I was trying to figure out a good diet for my workouts. I figured I need 3000 calories a day if I want to gain weight. Also I am trying to eat 6 meals instead of the standard 3 (because it's better to have consistant energy all day than ups and down). It's a pain in the ass but I should be used to the new eating habits in two weeks or so.

But why do you want to cut meat?

Thanks for that Ab I will check out those links and it is cheerios I feed my kids!
I want to cut out meat for many reasons, environmental, cruel and unhealthy farming practices and general poor quality of meat.

Meanwhile how is counting calories important re my kids, they are a good weight, no problem re fat/thin, they eat as much as me and burn it all off. I make sure they don't have processed foods, artificial additives etc.

[Theoryofrelativity]

Also, figure out your basal metabolic rate. Just to be able to live and do basically nothing, this is your BMR.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calrmr.htm

Add calories for any exercise you do.

ahhhhhh, will do.

[Absane]

Meanwhile how is counting calories important re my kids, they are a good weight, no problem re fat/thin, they eat as much as me and burn it all off. I make sure they don't have processed foods, artificial additives etc.

Well you don't really need to count them. It's just that my concern is taking in more calories than they really need. Just an excess of 100 calories a day added up to 3500 calories in 35 days. That 3500 has to go somewhere. It gets stored. And 3500 calories of fat is about one pound. Which isn't a lot... but over the long haul it adds up. Make sure they are getting healthy fats, too. Like a good balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. I forget the ratio, but I think it is 1:3.

HOWEVER, considering they are just kids.. I wouldn't worry about it so much. They will definetly need more calories because they are growing. Just make sure they aren't stuffing Twinkies and Twix bars in to their mouths. And I just wouldn't let them eat a lot of apples and oranges and think they are healthy if they are not doing something physical. People do get overweight eating healthy and natural food.

But we should get samcdkey in on this. She'll know a lot more than I do.

Edit: this kind of stuff is really confusing. I am learning a lot about nutrition since I started exercising. Basically, I do not trust what dieters and such say about cutting carbs, cutting fat.. all protein diet or whatever. Just do what you feel is right. Is eating a banana better than eating a frozen dinner? Yes! Anything that nature made as food is fair game. However, anything that is placed in a box needs to be examined before eating it. Much of what we eat is poison

[Theoryofrelativity]

Well you don't really need to count them. It's just that my concern is taking in more calories than they really need. Just an excess of 100 calories a day added up to 3500 calories in 35 days. That 3500 has to go somewhere. It gets stored. And 3500 calories of fat is about one pound. Which isn't a lot... but over the long haul it adds up. Make sure they are getting healthy fats, too. Like a good balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. I forget the ratio, but I think it is 1:3.

HOWEVER, considering they are just kids.. I wouldn't worry about it so much. They will definetly need more calories because they are growing. Just make sure they aren't stuffing Twinkies and Twix bars in to their mouths. And I just wouldn't let them eat a lot of apples and oranges and think they are healthy if they are not doing something physical. People do get overweight eating healthy and natural food.

But we should get samcdkey in on this. She'll know a lot more than I do.

Edit: this kind of stuff is really confusing. I am learning a lot about nutrition since I started exercising. Basically, I do not trust what dieters and such say about cutting carbs, cutting fat.. all protein diet or whatever. Just do what you feel is right. Is eating a banana better than eating a frozen dinner? Yes! Anything that nature made as food is fair game. However, anything that is placed in a box needs to be examined before eating it. Much of what we eat is poison

agreed

[Theoryofrelativity]

I am concerned with nutrition from an immunity point of view. We are neurotic and diseased today becuase of the crap we eat and I believe most ill health issues can be prevented by eating correctly. Thus I want the kids consuming anti cancer (like beetroot which they love) immune system boosting foods.

The best gift I can give my kids is their health and I am brainwashing them with healthy eating for when they are adults.

[Absane]

Thanks for that Ab I will check out those links and it is cheerios I feed my kids!

OMG I just realized how great that site is. I can even search for foods with specific nutritional values. Sweet! <3

[The Devil Inside]

i havent taken the time to read the rest of the posts, but i would avoid the white bread. it does terrible things to your insides.
eat grain bread.

[Absane]

100% whole wheat bread for me. Same for when I must eat a frozen pizza. The crust must be made of wheat. Sure, it's still bad for me but better than normal.

[The Devil Inside]

i had a roommate that worked in a retirement home...

a lady died and there was a giant glob of white goo that was the remnant of her white bread diet. it was like a giant ball of playdoh, except it was elastic.....

after that, no more white bread.

[phlogistician]

On the subject of calories, I read a study about bodyweight and children, and it's better for their mental development to be slightly overweight, than slightly under. I guess the body has it's priorities and making us clever is not high on the list! You have the Omega3 oils covered, although a recent study kinda lessened the supposed benefits of those, but as fats go, they are still the best to eat, so stick with it.

As for the diet, looks pretty good, but I would try and throw in some beans and pulses, just for variety, and to widen their tastes. I had a very 'meat and two veg' upbringing, but have since explored the variety of stuff available in my adult years. I guess yor kids are still very young, but if you tell them about different vegetables, and get them involved in the preparation, it will be more exciting, and they will accept new things more readily. Try making 'burgers' from various pulses, check out Gillian KcKeith's book, good recipe for chick pea burgers (not dissimilar to felafel I guess) and a roasted loaf made using red kidney beans etc. Good opportunity to introduce them to ginger too. (one of my fave spices.)

If you are trying to get them to eat more fish, make fishcakes. They are a halfway house to eating fish by itself, and if you make them yourself a healthy option if served with veggies or salad.

On meat, well, I was vegetarian for 8 years, only issue if you cut down on meat is vitamin B12, you'll need to supplement this somehow. Tofu and Seaweed are good sources naturally. Reckon you could get yor kids to eat Sushi? It's fun finger food, and you could use smoked salmon instead of raw tuna, for instance, and with some crunchy carrot rolled inside, they should like the texture. Just go easy on the Wasabi.

Glad you don't feed your kids pre-prepared meals, as a lot of the 'reclaimed protein' (which includes cartilage) in them can cause kids to have mood swings. Absorbtion of these proteins in the wrong part of the gut can make some children irritable and angry. This is sometimes diagnosed as ADHD, but that doesn't exist, it's a bad diagnosis for many other issues, not least bad diet. (Similarly, doctors sometimes diagnose adults with ME, but in several cases this has actually been a symptom of diet, such as lactose or gluten intolerance in the patient).

On anti-cancer, don't forget the anti-oxidant benefits of a good old cup of tea! I know green teas are very trendy, but regular blended is just as good.

[Theoryofrelativity]

On the subject of calories, I read a study about bodyweight and children, and it's better for their mental development to be slightly overweight, than slightly under. I guess the body has it's priorities and making us clever is not high on the list! You have the Omega3 oils covered, although a recent study kinda lessened the supposed benefits of those, but as fats go, they are still the best to eat, so stick with it.

As for the diet, looks pretty good, but I would try and throw in some beans and pulses, just for variety, and to widen their tastes. I had a very 'meat and two veg' upbringing, but have since explored the variety of stuff available in my adult years. I guess yor kids are still very young, but if you tell them about different vegetables, and get them involved in the preparation, it will be more exciting, and they will accept new things more readily. Try making 'burgers' from various pulses, check out Gillian KcKeith's book, good recipe for chick pea burgers (not dissimilar to felafel I guess) and a roasted loaf made using red kidney beans etc. Good opportunity to introduce them to ginger too. (one of my fave spices.)

If you are trying to get them to eat more fish, make fishcakes. They are a halfway house to eating fish by itself, and if you make them yourself a healthy option if served with veggies or salad.

On meat, well, I was vegetarian for 8 years, only issue if you cut down on meat is vitamin B12, you'll need to supplement this somehow. Tofu and Seaweed are good sources naturally. Reckon you could get yor kids to eat Sushi? It's fun finger food, and you could use smoked salmon instead of raw tuna, for instance, and with some crunchy carrot rolled inside, they should like the texture. Just go easy on the Wasabi.

Glad you don't feed your kids pre-prepared meals, as a lot of the 'reclaimed protein' (which includes cartilage) in them can cause kids to have mood swings. Absorbtion of these proteins in the wrong part of the gut can make some children irritable and angry. This is sometimes diagnosed as ADHD, but that doesn't exist, it's a bad diagnosis for many other issues, not least bad diet. (Similarly, doctors sometimes diagnose adults with ME, but in several cases this has actually been a symptom of diet, such as lactose or gluten intolerance in the patient).

On anti-cancer, don't forget the anti-oxidant benefits of a good old cup of tea! I know green teas are very trendy, but regular blended is just as good.

excellent advice phlo!

I drink green tea myself (and decaff brown tea) went very anti cancer after CIn111 result.

Have tried feeding fish to my kids in many forms including fish cakes, I think the smell put them off. So if you or anyone else has any non smelly fish recipes I'd love to hear them! When they were babies I mashed fish into their youghurt but they are not so easily fooled now!

I'll give the pulse burger thing a whirl, sometimes I crush nuts and sprinkle them on their cereals. Not sure how much is effective though.

[Absane]

Have tried feeding fish to my kids in many forms including fish cakes, I think the smell put them off. So if you or anyone else has any non smelly fish recipes I'd love to hear them! When they were babies I mashed fish into their youghurt but they are not so easily fooled now!

I used to like fish as a child but for some reason I just hate it now. The only way I can get the fish oils now is by taking supplements. It's just as good for the most part.

[S.A.M.]

Eat fresh as much as possible, have as much variety as you can in your foods, stay away from sugar and saturated fats as far as possible, avoid canned and tinned for the preservatives.

Get at least 90 minutes of outdoor exercise a day.

That's all.

[Oli]

Cheese on toast. One slice in each hand....

[Theoryofrelativity]

Cheese on toast. One slice in each hand....

On troll duty today Oli?

[Oli]

Nope, just describing my balanced diet... it's what I eat.

[Theoryofrelativity]

Nope, just describing my balanced diet... it's what I eat.

you strike me as more of steak and chips man with loads of onions on the side.