Intelligent Dietary Defaults (add yours!)

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kccc
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Intelligent Dietary Defaults (add yours!)

Post by kccc » Fri Feb 09, 2007 4:31 pm

I am quite taken with the notion of "intelligent defaults" (dietary or otherwise). Not the choices you HAVE to make every single day, but the choices when there's no other really wonderful choices on the horizon.

Can we start a thread on "intelligent defaults"? Mostly dietary, but feel free to throw in others.

(And Reinhard... while recipes might or might not go in your book, I think a section of intelligent defaults would be great!)

My general default for lunch is leftovers... but when there aren't any, here are my "last-ditch" defaults. I've listed them by protein/carb and fruit/veg, b/d that's how I tend to group them. (And I have a not-too-nasty fridge toaster-oven, and microwave at work, so tend to work with those.)

My lunches are usually one from protein/carb list and two from fruit/veg list.

Protein/carb
- Flour tortilla, shredded cheese - make a quesadilla in microwave.
- Bean dishes, using canned beans - very versatile. Examples - 1/3 can black beans, salsa, a little shredded cheese (optional). Other options - any leftover rice or barley; if none, add whole wheat crackers as a side. Heat in microwave and enjoy.
- Multigrain bagel. I get big ones, so 1/2 is enough. Toast and spread with PB or toast open-face with cheese. Option: Top toasted cheese with sliced tomato.

Fruit/veg
- A piece of fresh fruit or "fun vegs" (cherry tomatoes, sliced bell pepper, salad) if possible... but those don't keep well, so if they run out...
- Little boxes of raisins
- Individual cups of unsweetened applesauce
- Carrots. I always have carrots on hand.

Please add. Again, these are my "oh, rats, there's nothing else to take" lunches. I usually have more fun things.

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Post by thtrchic » Fri Feb 09, 2007 8:05 pm

My two big standbys are that I keep packets of oatmeal at work. Also a jar of raw almond butter, which can be quickly added to an apple for a decent portion of a meal.

Julie

joasia
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Post by joasia » Fri Feb 09, 2007 11:55 pm

-bread with anything on top (keep bread in the freezer)
-fresh fruit
-vegetables with dipping sauce (hummus, ranch, etc.)
-can of beans (soup, quesadilla, salad, taco, burrito etc.)
-Chicken breast with bone and skin (I roast them and use them on sandwiches instead of deli meat)
-pasta with really good quality tomato sauce in a jar
-eggs (hard boiled on a sandwich, scrambled with toast, etc.)
-dried fruit
-lentils (for a fast lentil soup)
-organic mac and cheese from Trader Joe's
-cheese
-canned tuna
The destiny of nations depends on the manner in which they feed themselves. Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin

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Jammin' Jan
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Post by Jammin' Jan » Sat Feb 10, 2007 8:26 pm

Two defaults for me:

Breakfast is almost always 2 eggs, bread/oatmeal, juice

Lunch will almost always be veggie with meat leftover from last night's dinner, and a can of fruit (drained and rinsed).

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Post by reinhard » Mon Feb 12, 2007 4:02 pm

Breakfast: mestemacher black bread. A well stocked fresh "fruit shrine" conspicuously in view. Buy fruit in season and it tends to be both cheaper and better. Squeeze your own citrus juice into fancy wine glass to make the paltry amount that comes out seem like something special. Unrefrigerated tastes much better.

Lunch: you heard all about this already

Dinner: a big pot of short grain brown rice (or some other starch) cooked over the weekend and reheated throughout the week. Frozen veg always on hand for when there isn't time for fresh. The key to preparing frozen veg in a non-nauseating way is 1) cast iron pan with lid 2) minimum of water if at all, you shouldn't have to pour anything of, some veg you can just saute in olive oil 3) butter, pepper and coarse salt at the end. Cheap, convenient, reasonable healthy, and not bad tasting.

Reinhard

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Post by Bee » Tue Feb 13, 2007 2:03 am

This is a good thread! I have found that no-Sing has made me think about what I can have as a default meal because you can't just come home and graze all night. You've got to sit down to a real meal, even if it is stuff from the freezer and pantry. And I find that is a much more enjoyable way to eat and not TOO hard if you've got some stand-bys.

I usually have the same breakfast every day and it is made out of stuff I always have on hand: smoothie made with frozen fruit, milk, and plain yogurt. Add (fresh or even frozen) banana if available. OK to leave out yogurt and/or milk if either are unavailable. Having this breakfast as a default helps me stay away from bagels and cream cheese (which I try to reserve for weekends) but sometimes have on a weekday, just not every day.

Lunch: I'm trying to work on finding some good stand-bys for lunch that I can transport to work! There are some good ones in this thread though.

Dinner stand-bys (if I have nothing in the fridge):

baked potato with vegetarian beans (the kind with tomato sauce known as pork and beans, only I get the vegetarian ones) and shredded cheddar, frozen peas.

Soup + toast or grilled cheese (I keep bread in the freezer too!),

Black beans and rice: start like you're making rice (I go for brown), but then in addition to the normal adding of water to the rice, also add a can of black beans, a TINY bit of grated garlic or onion, and some oregano and/or chili powder, then add random vegetables (optional) frozen or fresh spinach, carrots, peas, etc etc. Cook it until the rice is done. Put some salsa and plain yogurt on top and you've got a GREAT dinner.

I find I can often pull together vegetarian chili without much planning: canned black beans, onion, garlic, green peppers and/or carrots and/or celery, chili powder, canned tomatoes, frozen corn, misc. fresh and frozen other vegetables, with corn tortillas which I usually have around--yummy!

I always keep a frozen vegetable pizza around because if I had NOTHING ELSE in the house, that would make for a reasonably delicious and nutritous meal

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Post by wosnes » Tue Feb 13, 2007 5:09 pm

Breakfast is nearly always toast and grapefruit -- sometimes with cold cereal or oatmeal. I'm not a big breakfast eater.

Lunch is nearly always soup and bread and sometimes a small salad or even half a sandwich. Soup and bread is nearly always the starting point, though.

I suppose my default dinner would be a baked potato and salad and/or a cooked vegetable. The potato might be with butter, or it might be with vegetarian baked beans or chili or I might make some kind of twice-baked potato (with broccoli is good). Leftovers, too. Sometimes pasta.

I rarely cook meat or fish at home, but if I'm eating out will often have grilled meat or fish, salad and a potato.
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."

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Post by reinhard » Fri Jan 09, 2009 4:50 pm

I came across this old discussion thread while updating the everyday systems home page today, and think it's worth making "sticky."

For those of you who haven't heard the term before, here's the podcast episode in which I originally introduced it:

http://everydaysystems.com/podcast/episode.php?id=23

You can also find it described (with more examples) in pages 159-167 of the No S Diet Book.

Reinhard

kccc
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Post by kccc » Fri Jan 09, 2009 7:47 pm

Thanks for bringing this back up - the list is quite useful for me right now!

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Post by TexArk » Fri Jan 09, 2009 8:08 pm

My default supper: Tortilla Pizza

Flour tortilla spread with tomato paste
sprinkle garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, basil, pepper
Top with veggies from the frig: bits of green pepper, mushroom, onion
Cut up Canadian bacon with scissors in strips
Top with shredded cheese

I put it on a preheated pizza stone in a very hot oven until it heats through (about 10 minutes). Very crisp and tasty. I don't know if it would get crisp without the stone.

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Post by anwen » Fri Jan 09, 2009 8:43 pm

I had a really nice lunch yesterday which could well become a 'default' (it requires kitchen, so only for days when I'm at home - when I go back to work it will be part time so that's still a couple of weekdays every week):

Cook some pasta (spaghetti's probably ideal but I used penne and it was v nice) and drain it.

Chop up three or four sundried tomatoes from a jar (ie sd toms in oil) into small pieces and stick them in the pan with a small amount of water, probably a tablespoonful, put pan back on the heat. The water will mostly boil off but some of it will 'plump up'/rehydrate the tomatoes a little so they're not quite so chewy.

Chop up some garlic and a chilli if you have one handy (I didn't, so I used some chilli flakes) and bung that in the pan along with a little bit of the oil from the jar (not too much or there won't be any left in the jar!) and some additional olive oil if you want more. Let it all heat through briefly (the garlic will be nearly raw, but it's extra good for you that way - otherwise cook it on a lower heat for a bit longer) then stir in the pasta.

Put on plate, eat as is or add some fresh basil or cheese etc. Yum!

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Post by babyprrr » Thu Jan 15, 2009 12:04 am

My default lunch:

A ton of spinach salad leaves + loads of grated parmasean ( you can use a lot of this for very few calories) + 1 tbsp of blue cheese dressing.

I enjoy dipping the leaves in the blue cheese dressing. It's fun and very yummy and although the dressing is quite rich, it makes a boring salad so much more exciting.

Finished with a non-fat lemon yogurt.

paulawylma
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my defaults come from Peg Bracken's "I hate to cook. .

Post by paulawylma » Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:17 am

My defaults are taken from a cookbook series written in the 60s by Humorist Peg Braken (now unfortuately out of print, but often available on amazon and occasionally in used book stores). The first chapter in her second cookbook, [url]Appendix to the I Hate to Cook Book[/url] (paperback 1966) and repeated in [url]The Compleat I Hate to Cook Book[/url] (my copy is a reprint from 1986) is titled "Alone, Cooking if Eating with your shoes off." Peg Braken lists several eating patterns that "the reluctant solo cook. . . tends to major in. . ." These eating patterns are pretty much what I eat--when I'm not eating Stouffer's Pizza Bread. If I cook, I start with these. Since the copywrite laws permit brief quotations, I'll list the patterns without explanation.

1. The English Muffin (or soft roll) with Something on It.
2. The Egg with Something under It.
3. The Milk Shake with Something in It.
4. The Soup with Something beside It.
5. The Baked Potato with Something over It. (p17)

Remember, this book was written before microwave ovens, so the recipes don't require any special equipment. If you want to update the list you can translate the milkshake into a smoothie or Protein drink--but milkshakes do taste better.:-)

My favs are #5 the Baked Potato and #1 aka the open-faced sandwich.

I highly recommend all of Peg Bracken's cookbooks (the first one is [url]The I hate to Cook Book[/url]). I first discovered them as a teenager in the 70s and after all these years, I still haven't found any cookbook as useful to the reluctant cook, esp ones who love to eat!

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darm, I messed up

Post by paulawylma » Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:20 am

As you probably noticed I used the url tag by mistake instead of the underline tag. Sigh!!! :oops:

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Post by gratefuldeb67 » Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:38 am

English muffin with *something* on it is a fave of mine. :wink:
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reinhard
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Post by reinhard » Wed Feb 04, 2009 3:40 pm

A whole family of IDDs could center around "Plate Division" (what proportion of your plate to devote to vegetables, starch, protein, etc.).

I just posted a link to this in the mods thread, but I think it'll be more effective as an IDD than as an iron clad rule:

http://everydaysystems.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=4650

Reinhard

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bonnieUK
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Post by bonnieUK » Tue Feb 24, 2009 1:19 pm

Just thought I'd share my default meals, these are what I have if I don't have time to prepare properly or am in a hurry:

Default breakfast - half a bagel (toasted) with peanut butter.

Default mini meal - handful of nuts, 1 clementine, 1 apple.

Default lunch - muesli or oatmeal with soya milk + extra nuts. 1 or 2 clementines.

Default dinner - boiled brown rice, frozen petis pois (taste better than peas and cook quicker), a few lettuce leaves, a quick protein of somekind (e.g. random fake meat product from freezer, or canned tuna).

Ideally I wouldn't have all these on the same day!

Having healthy ingredients handy helps, e.g. I keep a supply of pre-split bagels in the freezer (they defrost while toasting), plus stashes of nuts, clementines, apples, soya milk and a box of muesli at work. I'm kind of like a squirrel ;)

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Post by Mrs. H » Thu Feb 26, 2009 2:52 am

I eat the same breakfast every day. A grilled panini made with whole grain bread, 1 slice of oven roasted turkey and a slice of cheddar cheese. Very delicious and very filling. It will keep me full for at least five hours.

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Post by jexica » Thu Feb 26, 2009 8:05 pm

My breakfast is similar to the classic dietary defaults thing, except the oatmeal is slightly more processed, I'm allergic to nuts and it gets to cook a bit longer.
Most days I take a two cup canning jar and add bulk rolled oats -ususally two or three shot glass scoops- then add half as much or less frozen blueberries or dried cherries and raisins. Top with some freshly boiled water from my electric kettle, screw on the top, toss in my bag and eat it when I get to work (about 20 mins later). Before I leave home I often have a small glass of orange juice. The oatmeal kinda cooks, and if I use blueberries it turns purple and good. Very breakfasty and keeps me full 'til almost lunch.

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Y Goddodin
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Post by Y Goddodin » Thu Mar 19, 2009 4:05 pm

good thread; removing (most of) the element of choice from my meals over the past 18 months has given me the most consistent results I've ever seen.

-Breakfast is always oats with fruit and maybe some nuts if we have them.

-Lunch is always a home-made vegetable/bean soup. Maybe a bread roll if there's one going.

-N Day dinners are more varied, but not ridiculously so; I have a 'menu' of about 8 or so meals I rotate. All either vegetarian or the odd one with fish.






S days however are all about choices and variety....

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Post by bluebunny27 » Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:46 pm

Ok, since I have researched this extensively in recent weeks, I thought of posting here a list of the healthy things
i do eat on a regular basis, to give other people ideas.

I've been working on the list for a while, trying to find the most nutritious food you can get... and things I like to eat too.

i try to look at supermarket flyers to find good deals on this or that item so i have some variety and i can pick and choose
while trying not to waste food of course. I pick up items from my list that are on sale, good plan.

I've lost 51 pounds in the past 5 months (280 to 229.4 this morning)
by eating better food, smaller portions and exercising nearly an hour almost every day, so i think i must be doing something right ... ;-)

Of course some of these items must not be eaten in large quantities but having a lil' bit at a time should be good for you ...
(peanut butter, dried fruits, nuts, etc.) if you eat 10 huge table spoons of peanut butter,
it might not be the best thing for you, but if you have one tablespoon daily, no problem ... i've been calling them 'micro-bites',
;-) but i find it works really well for me ... I have smaller portions so i can enjoy the foods i like without feeling guilty. you can
micro-bite on a lot of things and it won't be a big issue, as long as you are reasonable, it's all good.

I can eat almonds and it's all good, just not the whole bag of salted almonds as I was doing before ... now I just
have a handful of unsalted ones, and I'm happy.

If you eat canned items, it's better to rinse them up to wash out the excess salt,
or try to find the low sodium cans. i've been cutting down on salt and sugar a great deal. so you see a lot of
'unsalted' this and that in the list, canned fish in water instead of canned in oil, much more healthy and nutritious too !

Eating fresh food is better, i buy a lot more fruits and vegetables now
compared to before and i find that food tastes a LOT better now... when you can't have everything
you want all the time, and you're not adding sugar and salt as well, you can taste the difference after a while.
I find everything is more tasty now and I know it,s good for me too.


The Master List. I try to mix it up and have something from all the food groups at every meal if possible :

** Breads
Cereal With Fibre, Oatmeal, Whole Wheat Bread, Whole Wheat Bagel, Whole Wheat Pita Bread, Flaxseed (Grounded)
Plain Air Popped Pop Corn, Brown Rice, Whole Wheat Pasta, Barley, Couscous, Bulgur, Quinoa,

** Meats
Lean Ground beef, Chicken without the skin, Pork (cut the extra fat before cooking), Eggs, Ham, Tuna In Water, Sardines
In Water, Salmon In Water, Oysters And Mussels In Water, Unsalted Sunflower Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Unsalted Almonds,
Unsalted Peanuts, Peanut Butter, Chick Peas, Red Kidney Beans, Lentils, White Kidney Beans,

** Milk
2% Milk, Low Fat Yogurt, Low Fat Cheese

** Fruits And Vegetables
Bananas, Oranges, Raspberries, Pears, Apples, Kiwis, Dried Raisins, Dried Dates, Dried Prunes, Pineapple,
Blueberries, Melon, Cherries, Strawberries, Grapefruit, Fruit Juices (Cranberries, Pink Grapefruit In Particular)

Brocoli, Spinach, Green Peas, Celery, Carrots, Tomatoes, Cucumber, Mushrooms, Bell Peppers, Onions, Turnips, Potatoes, Unsalted Tomato Juice,

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brotherjohn
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Post by brotherjohn » Thu Apr 09, 2009 9:40 pm

I've hit upon a series of standard things that seem to keep me going with a minimum of hunger between meals.

Breakfast-- Oatmeal cooked on the stove with a little bit of olive oil cooked in them instead of butter. I don't know if that is disgusting or not, because I was born without a sense of smell. No joke. I use the olive oil instead of butter or oleo because it is better for my heart. A runny yolk egg on top makes it very satisfying, or some nuts mixed in for protein. (Believe it or not, the cardiologists are not against their patients eating one egg for breakfast now. They are more worried about trans-fat and saturated fat than cholesterol.) I drink a glass of soy milk with this.

Lunch--Sandwich on good 100% whole wheat bread, a tiny bag of chips (or some raisins) and an apple. The apple is the key thing here, folks! I eat a big one, preferably a Fuji or a Gala, because they are so sweet and sour. After I eat the big apple, and drink some water, I feel **almost** uncomfortably full.

Supper--Whatever my wife is cooking, or some brown rice with vegetables and some protein source. Also, the Blessed Suppertime Hunger-Killing tonic: Six olives, six pecans, some dried cherries or apricots, and a spoonful of blackstrap molasses. Swallow the molasses down like you're taking a dose of quinine! :lol: It may be magical, or maybe only psychological, but this concoction kills hunger.

Between meals I drink about 8 oz. of soy milk, or have a cup of coffee or tea, or a glass of iced tea.
"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." --St. Paul


Read my free weekly devotional rural adventures at:

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kccc
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Post by kccc » Fri Apr 17, 2009 5:40 pm

Another tip... if there's a restaurant you go to a lot for some reason (work lunches or such), take the time to look up their nutrition information and figure out a few decent meals.

Restaurant meals are just not as healthy as home-made and can harbor unexpected fat/calories. For these reasons, if I eat out a lot, I make an exception about "counting."

This week, I have ended up at Panera THREE TIMES (all work-related). I am so glad I knew what to order, because a lot of the stuff on their menu looks reasonable but isn't - incredibly deceptive in places.

My standard is the "you pick two" soup and salad, with no dressing at all on the salad (only because I genuinely don't need it when there's lots of stuff on the salad). There are a number of reasonable soups, though a few aren't, so it's good to look. In general, the sandwiches are incredibly high fat/calorie, and best avoided even in half-portions.

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brotherjohn
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Post by brotherjohn » Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:12 pm

KCCC,

I agree with you completely. The TODAY Show had a segment last week about how some meals (at chain restaurants, especially) looked like they would be reasonable, but had a bazillion calories.

The one that comes to mind was a subway style sandwich that had 1,300 calories! :shock:

Jarrod (on the Subway commercial) lost a ton of weight eating nothing but Subway's, but they weren't like the one on the TODAY Show! :wink:
"Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." --St. Paul


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Post by Nichole » Fri Apr 17, 2009 6:15 pm

brotherjohn wrote:KCCC,

I agree with you completely. The TODAY Show had a segment last week about how some meals (at chain restaurants, especially) looked like they would be reasonable, but had a bazillion calories.

The one that comes to mind was a subway style sandwich that had 1,300 calories! :shock:

Jarrod (on the Subway commercial) lost a ton of weight eating nothing but Subway's, but they weren't like the one on the TODAY Show! :wink:
The thing about Jared, and I read this a few months ago, is he ate very "boring" and low-cal sandwiches. He would eat 6" turkey subs and veggie subs with no mayo, oil OR cheese. This is what people don't realize. Here is an article that says more: http://walking.about.com/cs/howtolosewe ... aydiet.htm .
"Anyone can cook." ~ Chef Gusteau, Ratatouille

tasogare
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Post by tasogare » Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:10 pm

My default breakfast is two (or three if I'm very hungry) Special-K or Nutri Grain whole wheat low fat waffles with non-fat whipped topping spread on them and sliced bananas or blueberries over the top of them. It is very filling and doesnt have the syrup or butter. Plus you get your fruits in it.

At lunch, if I don't bring anything from home, I default to subway. What's bad about this is that at subway I get a six inch spicy italian, doritos and a large dr. pepper. I can't eat subway without the doritos and the dr. pepper. HELP!!! The subway is the closest place to my work and I can get there without driving, so I usually fool myself that the few minutes spent walking there and back are making up for the soda and chips.

Default dinner is homemade tacos. Just about a tablespoon of meat in a taco shell, occassionally with a pinch of cheese or a dab of salsa. Only I eat like 3 or 4 of them. Is that bad? lol

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Post by dockanz » Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:07 pm

tasogare wrote:I can't eat subway without the doritos and the dr. pepper. HELP!!!
One thing I find helpful is to change my language to put the responsibility back on me. The truth is that you can eat Subway withouth Doritios and DrP, but you choose not to. Subway is a reasonable option and the Doritos may be too, but make sure that you don't set yourself up as "powerless" over certain restaurants. The balls in your court.

Jason
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winnie96
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Post by winnie96 » Thu Apr 23, 2009 5:31 pm

I used to be completely hooked on the Subway Italian BMT (12-inch, with oil and mayo), with chips. Fortunately (and amazingly), I've gotten to enjoy a 6" turkey (without cheese, oil, or mayo -- just mustard) and the fat-free chips. I would always get a diet soda, but am finding that I like the turkey subs with black coffee.

I don't eat this very often, and actually consider it a treat now! Am mentioning this just as an example of how you can change your destiny at any given restaurant. If anyone had told me I'd be leaving Subway with anything but the full-boat BMT, I wouldn't have believed it, but it is actually possible.

Best wishes!

kccc
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Post by kccc » Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:26 pm

tasogare wrote: At lunch, if I don't bring anything from home, I default to subway. What's bad about this is that at subway I get a six inch spicy italian, doritos and a large dr. pepper. I can't eat subway without the doritos and the dr. pepper. HELP!!!
The whole point of this thread is figuring out "intelligent defaults" - things you have on hand or easily available that are a GOOD choice for you. :)

It may be something at home that you always have and can pack easily, so you're not tempted by Subway at all. Or it may be a different choice at Subway (at least that's one place that DOES have some decent choices).

Scan the thread and think about what you can do differently and better, without making yourself crazy.

Good luck!

kccc
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Post by kccc » Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:38 pm

A new default... I have started keeping some organic soups and grains in my office. (I have a microwave available, and keep a pyrex bowl at the office.)

Pacific's Cashew-Carrot-Ginger (which comes in two-serving resealable boxes) is my current fave for soup - don't mind having it two days in a row.

Kashi's has also come out with some grain mixes that can be microwaved. Technically two servings, but I sometimes eat the whole thing if I don't have other sides.

These are a little pricey, but cheaper than eating out. They're generally for days when I'm caught without lunch from home because I expected to go out with someone, and they bailed on me...

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~reneew
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Post by ~reneew » Thu Apr 30, 2009 6:32 pm

my defaults usually are...

Breakfast: none, unless there's something great, like homeade bread. I don't feel like eating before 11:00 usually.

lunch: leftovers. I find a toaster oven crisps things up better than the microwave.

Dinner: I plan ahead for the week to stay organized and so that I don't have to think about food all day. I then also have dinner to look forward to so I might not snack. On Tuesdays I'm usually running most of the evening with one kid or another and have a default dinner of soup, salad or sandwiches (subs, grilled etc.). I have always had pizza every Friday because I'd have it way too much (my hubby thinks) if I don't limit it.
Last edited by ~reneew on Fri Feb 26, 2010 9:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by arlene55372 » Mon May 04, 2009 1:40 pm

I don't like working hard at creating a meal. I use the foil packages of tuna and chicken and a plateful of romaine lettuce and shredded carrots, quick and easy and doesn't need refrigeration.

The crockpot is my friend as well. I toss in chicken breasts and throw in a jar of salsa and let it cook while I am working. Pick up some al dente pasta and you have a filling meal.
Arlene

masher
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Default meals

Post by masher » Wed Jul 29, 2009 10:18 am

I like to go to the gym at lunchtime which means my actual lunch has to be easy and quick.

Summertime: bag of washed salad or rocket as a base. Then I add canned salmon or tuna, with olive oil or caesar dressing or mayo, and lemon. I keep wasabi powder at work which mixes in water and gives a powerful punch to salad dressing or mayo. Other times I add ham with blue cheese and fresh figs if they are in season to the salad and toss with walnut oil and a few nuts.

I keep olive oil, walnut oil, mayo and sometimes salad dressing at work. I always have some nuts available too and a lemon or lime in the tiny refrig.

I always keep Ryevita (Wasa multigrain in America) at work. I crisp them in the toaster for a few seconds.

This combo gives me about 5 different choices for a week's worth of lunches.

Wintertime? Fritatta warmed in the microwave or soup with cheese.

Masher
Last edited by masher on Thu Jul 30, 2009 10:12 am, edited 2 times in total.

Bushranger
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Post by Bushranger » Wed Jul 29, 2009 10:53 am

In IT security there is a well known policy called “default denyâ€, basically what it means is that unless explicitly allowed something is denied entry/access. No S is vaguely a dietary version of this where the S’s are denied access by default (except on S days).

To take it one step further these “intelligent dietary defaults†could be seen as the whitelist which is the things that are expressly given permission to bypass the “default deny†policy. I know this is probably fairly cheesy to most people but being a 10 year IT veteran I can’t help but think of things like this, more often than I’d like to admit actually. :oops:

Anyway, moving on to my IDD, since I only have one that comes to mind, breakfast always defaults to a glass of milk and a banana if I either don’t have access to something better or I can’t be bothered preparing something better. I find this always holds me over until lunch and is quite filling.

I think this IDD concept is an excellent idea and could potentially form a very strong fail safe to be implemented into people’s No S plan. It is, after all, a lot easier to avoid the wrong foods when you have a solid default to fall back onto when you are otherwise unsure what to consume for any given meal.

Kudos to KCCC for wording this concept so well, it fits right in with the whole ideals behind the way things are named here.

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Post by Jishin » Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:28 pm

Breakfast default in my house is usually:

Take a small bowl -- I use Japanese-style rice/miso soup bowls -- and plop two soup spoons of plain nonfat yogurt in the bottom. Top with granola and fresh fruit and nuts. Grapes are particularly tasty.

For those of you folks who need to look at granola labels before eating -- my husband is diabetic and so needs to do that -- Nature's Path makes the lowest-sugar/carb granolas I've seen, they're healthy (all real-food ingredients) and they taste good.

Lunch for us is usually leftovers from the night before, but if that fails, it's either quesadillas or pb&j made with my homemade low-sugar jam. If I have a little time, I usually have some sort of smoked fish stocked in the freezer, so I'll make onigiri or rice bowls if I want something a little fancier.

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Post by kccc » Fri Jul 31, 2009 9:20 pm

Bushranger wrote: Kudos to KCCC for wording this concept so well, it fits right in with the whole ideals behind the way things are named here.
While I would dearly love to deserve the credit, the IDD terminology is actually direct from Reinhard. I think he links to the podcast in which he mentions them above in this thread.

Like you, I see them as a real "fail-safe," which is why I started this thread originally - I love the concept. If I know there's SOMETHING I can take for lunch, I'm less likely to eat out. If I have a collection of "quick pantry meals," I'm more likely to eat dinner at home. (In fact, my collection has SAVED me on busy weeks when I don't have time to do my usual menu-planning. Good thing the family likes black bean chili, tuna melts, quesadillas, pasta with various toppings, and that sort of thing!)

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Post by clarinetgal » Thu Aug 20, 2009 5:05 am

I'm still working on my IDDs, but breakfast is either 1 C of Kashi Go Lean with 1/2 C of rice milk, one piece of whole wheat toast with Smart Balance spread and some jam, and fresh fruit (or I'll sub a couple of Morning Star sausage patties for the toast and jam). My other option I'm enjoying lately is two whole grain waffles with Smart Balance spread, a couple of sprays of Reddi Whip and some cinnamon sprinkled on top, two Morning Star sausage patties (or sometimes a regular sausage patty), and some fresh fruit. I'm finding that the waffle breakfast keeps me full for 5 hours!
Lunch is evolving to be a sandwich on whole wheat bread or in a whole grain Pita pocket, a handful of raw veggies with fat free salad dressing for dip, a handful of berries, and a 3.9 oz. container of Mott's Healthy Harvest applesauce.
I'm still working on dinner ideas. One I made the other day which was good was some Rice A Roni whole grain Spanish rice and mixed with a can of black beans and a can of mushrooms. I spread the rice mixture on a whole grain tortilla, added a partly cooked Garden Burger chopped into little pieces, sprinkled some grated cheddar cheese and a little sour cream on top, and microwaved it for about a minute or so. This filled my 9 inch dinner plate, and it was VERY filling and delicious.

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Post by buttercreampillow » Fri Aug 21, 2009 6:57 pm

I'm so new, I'm not sure I can be said to have a dietary default, but the lunch I'm often having is a hot dog (Nathan's) and fruit--grapes, cherries, figs, peaches, etc. The fruit is delicious and nutritious, and the hot dog, which I love, gives me the sense that I'm having what I like, not what I'm obliged to have.
Natural Eater

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Post by NoelFigart » Wed Sep 02, 2009 4:58 pm

Breakfast: Prepped Before Porridge (Throw some steel cut oats in a pot. Add 4x as much water as oats. Bring water to a boil. Turn off heat. Let sit all night. Heat up in the morning), sometimes an egg and fruit to go along with it.

Lunch: Usually it's a bento. For me this means either stir-fried protein, some rice (usually onigiri) and cut up fresh fruits and veggies. Sometimes I make a wrap with lunchmeat, cheese, a torilla and some lettuce instead. Always with the fruits and veggies.

Dinner: Default isn't really applicable here. I tend to plan meals carefully. I just look at the calendar the night before in case it's a crock pot meal I need to set up for the next day.
------
My blog https://noelfigart.com/wordpress/ I talk about being a freelance writer, working out and cooking mostly. The language is not always drawing room fashion. Just sayin'.

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Post by reitschule » Sun Sep 06, 2009 7:04 pm

Veggie/Berry Smoothie: I mix a combination of broccoli, carrots, cucumbers, spinach, green beans, bell peppers, celery, and frozen mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries), with 2 cups water, in a blender. My blender jar holds about 8 cups and I make it every 2 days, and keep it in the fridge. I drink about 2 cups with breakfast and a cup or two through the day between meals.

It took some willpower at the beginning to keep from increasing the fruit to veggie ratio, as well as from buying a juicer to remove the pulp, but I don't mind the taste now. I also blew the motor on two cheapo blenders before ponying up for a 700watt "ice-crushing" model. You need a pretty heavy duty one to pulverize hard raw vegetables.

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Yay for soup

Post by bizzybee » Tue Sep 15, 2009 10:15 am

I have to do a soup shout-out. It is almost autumn after all. I make some every Sunday and eat it with lunch all week long. It gives me an extra serving of veggies (or two) and warm liquids are comforting and filling. I had soup twice yesterday, butternut squash for lunch and split pea (crock pot) for dinner. Also, soup is something even my pickiest kid eats with gusto.

We like, taco soup, broccoli and white bean, Tuscan butternut squash, lentil, black bean, summer corn chowder, split-pea, minestrone with whole wheat spirals, The Great pumpkin soup (my DD's favorite) and French onion though I save that for special occasions and do the whole cheesy bread slice in it presentation.

You can also buy good soup from Pacific foods, Imagine and V8 is making awfully good soup now as well. Check sodium levels, they differ widely by brand.

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Post by frugaltexan » Tue Sep 15, 2009 1:24 pm

It must be this time of year. :) I was looking at various soup recipes yesterday - split pea and lentil (vegetarian versions) being two of them. :D
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Post by Dandelion » Wed Sep 16, 2009 3:33 am

I think this is an interesting thread. I just started and one of things I have to work out is my 'emergency' food to keep at work. Most days I come home and cook a proper meal, but once in a while I get stuck there - and I never know when that will be.

I don't eat stuff out of packages - and I don't use a microwave. I do have a refrigerator with a tiny freezer section and a mini crock pot. So far all I've come up with is pate.

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Post by LadyCheshire » Sat Nov 21, 2009 4:01 am

When I was following a diet plan for gestational diabetes, I came up with what we nicknamed the "breakfast of champions" - two scrambled eggs and a hot chocolate (8 oz milk with a tablespoon of cocoa, two teaspoons of sugar, and a dash of vanilla) - my post-meal numbers were so low I ended up adding an orange to this, and that seemed to be just right. My other default is cottage cheese with berries, a slice of whole-wheat toast, and either hot chocolate or tea with milk in it.

My default lunch at the moment is a peanut butter and no-sugar-added raspberry jam sandwich on good bread, baby carrots, and either a yogurt or a piece of fruit.

I have "afternoon tea" which defaults to crackers or a granola bar, another piece of fruit, and either cheese or nuts. And, of course, tea.

We have a rotating list of default "I don't know what I want to eat!" dinners. Two, actually. One for dinners that need to be made fast, and one for when we have a little more time. These include steak with baked (microwave) potatoes, grilled cheese with tomato soup, and pasta with sauce and lean ground beef for the "fast" options, and various stir-fry creations for the "slower" options (mostly because brown rice cooks slowly).

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Post by Tricia » Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:01 pm

Water or hot water with lemon

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Sat Jan 16, 2010 4:05 pm

I didn't realize I had mostly IDD's around until I got here. My big problem has been bingeing on sweets even after nice meals. (I'm also shocked by how little satisfies a lot of people. If I don't have the whole shebang at a meal, I get authentically HUNGRY! after 3 hours- no half a bagel and PB for me, sadly. Maybe I'm not going to lose as much as I'd like) I've been buying the components to make these meals for years.

Bkfst: Fiber One + milk + walnuts/pecans/flaxmeal + protein powder/egg whites. maybe fruit
Slow-cooked oatmeal/steel-cut/whole oats + same as above + sometimes fruit versions or sometimes savory versions (oat is a grain, after all) cottage cheese + 2 T. yeast powder + 1 T Parmesan cheese
Sometimes over-easy eggs + smaller versions of above.


I just usually have
fresh and frozen vegetables,
same with fruits,
some cooked grain-whole rye is my favorite-
or potato,
awesome wheat bread from Costco,
hi-fiber tortillas from Trader Joe's (West coast?),
animal flesh (I usually cook several servings at a time, plain)

and the secret for me has been keeping a collection of sauces, mostly low-to-moderate fat East Indian sauces/dishes, around that I use to flavor the other stuff. Also got Chinese sauces, spaghetti sauce, and buttermilk dressing.

So, lunch and dinner are usually veggies+protein+starch+sauce and a fruit. Sometimes the starch and fruit are either/or. I have compartmentalized containers to take to work. I dont' have a fridge there and I've never gotten sick. A frozen veggie thawing often keeps things cold.

I'm considering keeping the fixin's for Reinhard's oatmeal at work and just bringing the vegetables for a side.

And I often make a lot of soup broth and then flavor individual servings Italian, Greek, Mexican, Indian, etc. and throw my solids in.

But the true go-to is probably half a can of salmon and some starch, but I rarely don't have meal-type food around. I really like meals
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

Izbiz
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Post by Izbiz » Thu Feb 11, 2010 9:21 pm

We make our own muesli: 1500g rolled oats (porridge oats, not jumbo), 12 big weetabix crumbled up c, 200g toasted flaked almonds, 200g roast chopped hazelnuts. Lasts about 3 weeks between two of us. Default breakfast = 3 tablespoons muesli, 3 or 4 dried apricots, chopped small, 1/2 cup of semiskimmed milk. I've just started adding a small grated apple as well, so it's really substantial. We've been eating this for years and I miss it if we're away from home.

We've also just swapped our daily 100ml orange juice for grapefruit juice - two weeks into no S and orange juice is like syrup, it's so sweet...on the weekend we have the real deal, half a grapefruit each.

My DH nearly always has cheese sandwiches for lunch but I try to avoid eating too much bread, even though I make it myself - it makes me bloated if I eat too much. So my lunches are usually a bit strange and comprise leftovers or things that nobody else likes, such as prawns. Default "nothing else in the house to eat" lunch would be wholenut peanut butter on toast, or Nairns cheesey oatcakes with a mini pot of light Philadelphia cheese. Always have fruit.

Supper is nowadays comprised of whatever the vegbox includes - I try to give us a balance of meat/poultry/beans or lentils/cheese/bacon or sausage/fish/nuts/eggs as our main protein source with dinner - a balance over the week. I start with the veg as the primary ingredient and work from there, and always always have a menu plan for the week and shop accordingly - so dinner never catches us unawares with nothing in the house.

Default pudding is plain greek yoghurt (Total) - just a dollop - with fruit and a teaspoon of honey or dark sugar. At the mo we are into baked apples. Need to remember to leave space on my virtual plate, though. And having read the book, I figure that if other people are allowed a teaspoon of sugar in tea/coffee then I can have one teaspoon in my yog and it's still not a sweet... Since doing no S I have sometimes had just the fruit, not the yog, particularly if my main meal has included dairy eg. milk/cheese in mac'n'cheese.

The other default, if you can call it that, is to never or rarely eat processed food. We buy raw ingredients and work from there. The exceptions are crumpets (I've lost my crumpet rings...) and stuff like low fat Philadelphia and mayonnaise - coz they have other stuff added to make them low fat, a bit "mystery food"...

pirateman2k
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Post by pirateman2k » Wed Mar 17, 2010 2:03 am

I'll go.

This is my current list, based around this Men's Health article (http://www.menshealth.com/men/health/he ... 0013281eac) on lowering your cholesterol with diet:

Breakfast: Grapefruit plus hard boiled or scrambled eggs
Lunch: Almond butter (natural) plus 1 oz pecans, 3 oz pistachios
Dinner: Meat and vegetables or salad.

S-days feature extremely dark chocolate and steel cut oatmeal.

rose
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Post by rose » Wed Mar 17, 2010 9:31 pm

My last-ditch empty-fridge pantry meal would be:
- rice/pasta/noodles (any kind, including kid's noodle soup - though I prefer the little stars to the alphabet soup so I'm less tempted to play with my food :mrgreen: ),
- tinned sardines
- canned long beans
- fruit if any is left (most often apple), else a raw carrot (need to munch on something) or no dessert at all.

The "too lazy to make an omelet but did buy fresh food" version would have:
- fresh bread or fresh pasta
- ham or dried sausage
- one or several kinds of vegetables (raw and/or cooked)
- fruit
(this one is sometimes quicker to... erm... prepare than the previous one, since no cooking/reheating may be needed)

I also have some take-away defaults, but the only intelligent thing about that is that I have learned to split a single portion Kebab dish into two meals, and add some vegetables on the side to make the meals a little less greasy :roll:

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Wed May 12, 2010 9:45 pm

I would be very hungry on several of these defaults, but mazel tov to everyone!
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

lbb (Liz)
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Post by lbb (Liz) » Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:34 am

I like to fill up on lots of healthy food and try to stray from canned/processed stuff, which make me have to keep on my toes all the time to have fresh stuff available. I also don't want to binge or not feel fulfilled with a sub-par meal, so the pressure is on pretty hard to make each of my meals exactly what I want at the time. Tough stuff.
Thankfully, I'm home a lot and have to cook for my family anyways, so it makes it easier.
However, I have noticed, for me, even though I've only been doing this for a little while, I have some"go-tos"/staples I must have around:

breakfast: oatmeal with berries with egg whites flavored with a little natural peanut butter. always yum. always filling. i always have dry oats, eggs, PB, and frozen berries available, so this is possible!

lunch: freeze any kind of WW bread or sprouted bread, turkey, veggies to make a sandwich, hummus, and fruit (i LOVE fuji apples), sometimes yogurt or chips

dinner: meat, starch, lots of veggies.
i like to grill chicken breasts and eat them thru the week.
i also always have easy microwaveable whole grain brown rice (love trader joes) on-hand
sweet potatoes are also WONDERFUL done in the microwave. so filling and yummy seasoned with spray butter or cottage cheese or

Since starting "no S" I can't stand eating frozen veggies. They just don't taste that good, but they do the job if I need them.
Love to always have fresh spinach or romaine to make a salad, almonds for accents, etc. I usually turn my dinner into a huge salad anyway...

What I'm learning is to keep the food simple, but season it well. I love good sauces/dressings (lo-cal)/fresh herbs--they make all the difference. If you have that stuff around, you can make anything taste wonderful!
Liz

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Lorelei
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Post by Lorelei » Sat Sep 11, 2010 2:48 pm

Always in my desk at the office:

Oatmeal
Prunes
Jar of PB
Can of soup
Packet of palak paneer from Trader Joe's

The oats, prunes, and PB make a great breakfast (or lunch in a pinch). The other two simply need to be poured into a dish and zapped for a hearty meal.

I also try to keep at least 2 Kashi or Amy's frozen meals in the freezer at work.

For the most part, I eat breakfast at home and pack a lunch. As we all know, sometimes things do not go as planned. I love knowing that there is something healthy and yummy on hand so I don't have to resort to going out if I don't want to.

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Post by oolala53 » Sat Sep 11, 2010 3:44 pm

Another fan of palak paneer!
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

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Murphysraven
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Post by Murphysraven » Tue Sep 28, 2010 12:40 pm

My defaults

Breakfast
Hard boiled Egg + 1 slice whole grain toast
Cottage cheese and fruit (about 1/3 cup w/fruit)
oatmeal (low suger kind)
yogurt and fruit or granola (again low/no sugar kind)

Lunch
Salad wrapped in a tortia
Sandwich on thin bread or tortia
tuna fish and whole grain crackers

Dinner
Salad with chicken
veggie stir fry
7oz or smaller steak w/ small potato and green veggies
low carb pasta with fresh mozzarella, basil, pine nuts and chicken sausage
When I asked for all things, so that I may enjoy Life, I was given Life, so that I may enjoy all things.

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sisiromy
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Post by sisiromy » Fri Dec 03, 2010 5:43 pm

Good grief I eat JUNK next to you all!!! As a real Frenchie i add butter everywhere!!!

like this evening (one meal):
cheese rolls in puff pastry
two sausages with mashed potatoes and mushrooms (with butter)
a very small slice of bread with cheese
a sweet yoghurt... I know no sweets but there wasn't much in it, about a teaspoon (which is allowed according to the website, on S days)

And the best part is that i've lost today!!!

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Aleria
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Post by Aleria » Mon Feb 28, 2011 6:05 am

My "end of the month, out of money, cheque is late" meal is
1 cup short grain rice
1 cup lentils
1 cup frozen veggies (corn, peas, mixed, etc)
Throw in rice cooker. TA-DA, 20 minutes later, dinner (and lunch for the next day) are ready.

My default drink is either green or white tea, or sparkling water with fresh squeezed citrus juice and a touch of sugar.
"I'm not here to decorate your world"
Start: January 2010: 160 pounds, 39" waist
During: December 2010: 152 pounds, 33" waist

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dockanz
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Post by dockanz » Mon Jul 11, 2011 4:32 pm

I eat the same thing for breakfast about 345 out of 365 days a year.

1/2 c. oatmeal
1 scant cup water
1 T. cocoa
1 T peanut butter
dash cinnamon

If quick oats, 90 seconds in microwave
If rolled outs, 3:33 in microwave at 50% power

Sweeten with brown sugar.
Make the Better Choice

allimac
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Post by allimac » Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:04 am

I'm new to this site and have been reading this post with interest.

My IDDs would be

Baxters Spicy lentil soup - always keep a couple of tins in my drawer at work.
Mackerel in tomato sauce (tinned) with pumpernickel bread or Wasa crispbread.
Boiled eggs - always have a few ready in the fridge
Avocado - perfect for a quick salad or even spread on top of a slice of bread

I often pick and mix out of the above and add a bag of pre-washed salad - so might have avocado and mackerel salad or avocado, egg and ham salad if i have ham at home. I just put the ingredients in a bag and prep at work - takes no time at all and I keep olive oil and balsamic vinegar at work to use as a dressing

I also stock my freezer with home made soup so that I can just grab a portion as i head to work - butternut squash and carrot / lentil are my favourite flavours.

:D

allimac
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Post by allimac » Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:04 am

I'm new to this site and have been reading this post with interest.

My IDDs would be

Baxters Spicy lentil soup - always keep a couple of tins in my drawer at work.
Mackerel in tomato sauce (tinned) with pumpernickel bread or Wasa crispbread.
Boiled eggs - always have a few ready in the fridge
Avocado - perfect for a quick salad or even spread on top of a slice of bread

I often pick and mix out of the above and add a bag of pre-washed salad - so might have avocado and mackerel salad or avocado, egg and ham salad if i have ham at home. I just put the ingredients in a bag and prep at work - takes no time at all and I keep olive oil and balsamic vinegar at work to use as a dressing

I also stock my freezer with home made soup so that I can just grab a portion as i head to work - butternut squash and carrot / lentil are my favourite flavours.

:D

Sweetness
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Post by Sweetness » Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:19 am

I love this thread, thanks Reinhard for making it a sticky. I came today ready to start one if there was none, ready to search through the posts, and here it is a sticky and I can come back to it whenever.

This will be a source of help for me for many days to come.

Our suppers here in Mexico are the light meal (cena). A default lately has been tuna and mayo on whole grain toast. Add some chopped celery to the tuna if I have it. Add cheddar cheese if I have it. I also usually spear a couple olives with toothpicks and place in each sandwich half. On the side sliced apple and or banana, with a few raw pecans or almonds, all arranged decoratively on the luncheon size plate. Something about the food looking good makes it more satisfying.

In the late evening if I feel a bit hungry, I make a hot vanilla drink. About a tablespoon of real vanilla in a mug, fill 3/4 full with boiling water, then fill with whole milk. Sweeten to taste- I use stevia. Yum.
Patty

Anxiety in a person's heart weighs him down, but an encouraging word brings him joy. (Proverbs 12:25 NET)
I'm a glutton for encouragement.

losingforgood
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Every day Defaults

Post by losingforgood » Sat Feb 25, 2012 3:37 pm

I'm not really sure what my daily defaults are. I'm at a starting over point in my life, back with my parents. I do help with some of the grocery shopping and meal planning, but my mom does most of it. I do the clean-up ;-). It's helping ME alot to know that she's trying the NO S way of life too. She's struggling with the snacking more, but she's made huge strides. We don't bring alot of junk into the house to begin with, so our problem is just eating when we're not supposed to, and probably the amount of fat in our diets. Although, she does choose the leaner beef and other meats, and we cook with olive oil and coconut oil, which are loaded with essential fats. We do have Triscuits and cheese around alot, as well as the diet ice cream sandwiches that all 3 of us love. I just know I can't touch those things on N days, especially the ice cream (Triscruits and cheese are sometimes included in my lunch).

One thing I do with most of my meals is drink water. I'm HUGE on drinking water. I'd rather have a REAL soda than a diet one any day, so when I go for fast food or to a restaurant, I will more likely than not drink water with my meal, or a real lemonade if they have it. At home, I will drink water or a glass of milk with my meal.
I Corinthians 10:13-14; "No temptation has ceased you except what is common to man..."

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Post by oolala53 » Sat Feb 25, 2012 4:05 pm

Defaults don't have to be daily. They are just easy fallback meals if you can't have what you want easily or for the day you forget your lunch, etc.

Having the snack foods at your meal is smart. You'll start feeling it will spoil your appetite to have them any other time.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

losingforgood
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Location: Delaware

Intelligent Dietary Defaults (Add Yours!)

Post by losingforgood » Sat Feb 25, 2012 5:54 pm

Well, putting it that way, about the snacks, I do sometimes put snacky things together when groceries are scarce in the kitchen. There was one day when we had no meat or eggs or anything, and I knew I needed the protein for breakfast. There was no bread for a PB and J sandwich, but there was PB and J. But there was also no milk for the cereal, but there was cereal. So, no matter what type of breakfast I wanted, I was missing an important ingredient. But there was fruit around and there were Saltines around. Sooooooooo...

10 Saltine crackers made into PB and J cracker sandwiches
1 apple
1 small mini bowl (small enough for dipping sauce) of natural vanilla yogurt with cinnamon and Stevia added.

I dipped pieces of the apple into the yogurt. I know I had something else as well...a piece of fruit or something. I just can't think of what it was right now. But it really filled me up until lunchtime. I guess it's the same as going to a restaurant and ordering a couple of really good but light appetizers for a meal instead of a huge plate of an entree. I've done that too. Sometimes it's cheaper to do one or 2 appetizers, and you get just as full.
I Corinthians 10:13-14; "No temptation has ceased you except what is common to man..."

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Jethro
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Post by Jethro » Thu Jul 05, 2012 3:53 pm

To ensure minimum protein, two scoops of protein shake, consumed roughly equally with each meal.

Bulk of carbs from the following tubers: plantains, yucca, cassava, malanga and sweet potatoes.

Cold water fish 1-2 times a week.

Daily multivitamin. :wink:

TUK
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Location: France

Post by TUK » Tue Jul 10, 2012 8:49 am

Okay, here are my defaults : (more or less healthy) They're in line with my being French and lazy.

Morning :
- Bread with Kiri (french melted cheese for kids)

Lunch :
- Raw tomato
- sandwich with (reasonably thin) butter and ham
- Yoghurt
- Fruits

Evening :
- Chicken Broth
- Pasta
- Pickles
- Tuna can

LvBoPeep
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Location: Fabulous Boulder City, NV

Post by LvBoPeep » Tue Jul 10, 2012 1:38 pm

I am brand new, week 5 (and honestly, not much weight loss yet although I think I'm keeping to the plan ok).

My breakfast default is the Lean Cuisine egg rolls, sometimes with some left over rice if I have it. Although it's a diet food, they are really tasty and filling - especially dipped in hot mustard. Other days I might have Quaker fruity oatmeal, sometimes I'll mix berries in it or a banana.

Lunch - usually leftovers but I eat at my desk in a hurry more days than not so sometimes I take Michelina's eggplant parmesan or eat a LC lunch with a side salad from Wendy's that's next door.

Dinner is hard because my SO does not eat vegetables outside the holy trinity of corn, carrots and green beans. So I usually roast broccoli or my favorite, roasted tomatoes, asparagus and portabella mushrooms to go with what is often pasta, turkey sausage or chicken and jarred sauce. Then I nuke some corn for him :P.
Jaime

Marianna
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Post by Marianna » Sat Aug 25, 2012 6:51 pm

I thought I would say something about the glories of cooking once a week as my Intelligent Default!

I eat pretty Paleo, so every Sunday I grill chicken and salmon. I saute dark leafy greens in butter and coconut oil. I make a ton of cauliflower rice. I roast two huge trays of squash, sweet potatoes and onions. Everything gets wrapped up and put in the fridge for the week.

I adore my meals! I vary the sauces, but a bit of fish/chicken, roasted veg, cauli-rice and greens goes into two containers I take to the office. SO satisfying and lasts me for the 4 hours between meals with no problem.

I eat at 10, 2 and 6--so no breakfast foods during the work week--instead my two lovely dishes. Weekends I go for fun variety--perhaps breakfast at 10 or some lovely treat.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Sun Aug 26, 2012 3:12 pm

Didn't know Paleo-ers eat sweet potatoes. Yum! Is it the winter squash? Another favorite. And I keep a variety of sauces that make a big difference to me, even if the base foods are the same.

I've been using more convenience (frozen) foods, but coupled with plenty of freggies, it's still been working. I used to cook ahead, too, and still do. I've got bags of cooked legumes and some veggies I made myself. But fresh and frozen freggies round out any meal, fresh-cooked by me or the local fast food Mexican place!
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

leafy_greens
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Post by leafy_greens » Wed Feb 27, 2013 3:06 pm

Default breakfast:

- When I have to eat in the car (2-3 times a week) - Peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread, OJ with pulp in a bottle.

- When I have time to sit down - bowl of cereal, OJ, piece of toast with PB or just spoon of PB

- If I have a lot of time - a grilled cheese sandwich (light on the butter) with cucumbers, tomatoes and herbs; or grits with chopped tomatoes, cheese, and a slice of toast.

Aleria wrote:My "end of the month, out of money, cheque is late" meal is
1 cup short grain rice
1 cup lentils
1 cup frozen veggies (corn, peas, mixed, etc)
Throw in rice cooker. TA-DA, 20 minutes later, dinner (and lunch for the next day) are ready.
I like this one - good idea.

Shortformyweight
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Hmmm

Post by Shortformyweight » Fri Mar 22, 2013 5:22 pm

I feel like perhaps a lot of people here don't enjoy cooking very much. I love to cook. I am not sure I will have any defaults, my prior eating experience leads me to believe that if I default for too long, I'll start to feel deprived and that will lead to bad choices. But that is me, I can see how this would be effective for a lot of people.

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Fri Mar 22, 2013 8:59 pm

In your case, then, straight up Vanilla should do the trick. If you're not eating a lot of processed or restaurant foods, then it's a matter of eating less of what you do cook. Keep it to three plates and adjust downward if you don't lose in a month or two.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

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la_loser
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Bringing this to the top!

Post by la_loser » Tue Jul 30, 2013 1:16 am

Excellent thread-bringing it to the top so the newbies can see it.
LA Loser. . . well on my way to becoming an LA Winner. :lol:

Jayhawk28
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Post by Jayhawk28 » Wed Jul 31, 2013 2:44 pm

My default breakfast is becoming a protein shake with the following:

1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 cup of frozen mixed berries
2 tablespoons of coconut oil

Filling, tasty and quick.

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Y Goddodin
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Post by Y Goddodin » Mon Aug 05, 2013 4:17 pm

default brekkie; oats, berries, almonds, milk & cinnamon. Made in about 30 secs, tastes awesome.

default lunch: lentil & sweet potato soup. Requires some prep, but do enough for about 3 days and you save some time in the long run.

default dinner: gratefully acceping whatever the wife has cooked!
happiness is not his who too much fasts or too much feasts; who wears away his strengths in vigils, or sleeps away an idle mind...

Hippy Dippy
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Post by Hippy Dippy » Fri Aug 30, 2013 2:10 am

Default breakfast:
2 eggs, any style
3 bacon strips
fresh tomato slices (when in season!!)
Coffee with Half n Half

Default lunch:
Salad of iceberg lettuce
some red cabbage
chopped onions, bellpeppers, cucumber
shredded cheese
some lunch meat or bacon
blue cheese salad dressing
celery sticks with peanut butter

Default dinner:
Whatever My Man thinks to prepare. :D

This post is interesting! I like it!

Hippy Dippy
Moderation in all things...including moderation
Start: 205.4. Current 202.2 (-3.2 lbs)

GoAskAlice
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Exercise Defaults

Post by GoAskAlice » Sun Sep 29, 2013 11:23 pm

Easy exercises that will keep you in shape, but let you maintain a lithe body if you eat healthy and don't want to bulk-up. (I eat so much when I exercise too hard.) I choose at least one to do everyday. Goals such as being able to run a block or hoist yourself over a brick wall will help if you need that competitive incentive.

30 mins stretching (active/yoga-like stretching)
10-15 minute pilates/strengthening video on Hulu or on-demand
Run across backyard 20 times
Run/walk dog (no more than a mile or two)
Watch a show while on the treadmill

I also park far and take stairs wherever I go. If you think about it, it's really important to stay in shape for safety also. That's what motivates me the most. When zombies attack, you'd better be able to either run or fight. Preferably both. And if you want to help others to safety, both strength and endurance matter.

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Anoulie
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Post by Anoulie » Mon Nov 18, 2013 2:17 pm

Default breakfast: muesli with full fat yogurt (instead of milk), a plum
Default lunch: whatever they serve at the cafeteria that day (an entree, a starchy side and sometimes a piece of fruit to go with it)
Default dinner: a piece of toast with tomato sauce and a slice of cheese on it, melted in the microwave; an apple

(it should be noted I'm very short and sedentary)
There's only us, there's only this
Forget regret, or life is yours to miss.
No other road, no other way,
No day but today.

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Post by Username » Fri Jan 03, 2014 6:58 pm

I take four frozen dinners to work on Monday and that's my default lunch for Monday through Thursday.

DianaS
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Default Meals

Post by DianaS » Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:44 pm

Bfast = oatmeal with banana, coffee (scoop of vanilla protein powder in the oatmeal)

Lunch = Option 1) greek yogurt, 2 cheese sticks, 2 pieces fruit. Option 2) PBJ, 2 pieces fruit, raw carrots

Dinner = crockpot something (I've got a rotating menu of about 12 recipes)

If eating out then steak, veg/salad, potato
Start 1/23/14, 5'10" 223 lbs, Age 46

snikkio
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Post by snikkio » Tue Feb 18, 2014 10:18 pm

I just scanned through this, but I'll have to go back and read it again for lunch ideas. As a SAHM, I get verrry graze-y during the day.
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waist start: 2/17/14: 28 1/8"

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Sun Mar 02, 2014 6:16 pm

Not my standbys but I thought I'd post the defaults of Jacob Lund Fiskar, who wrote a book culled from his blog about how to retire in your 20s and 30s. He was in grad school when he started and he wanted to cut down on cooking time as well as on spending. He was not offering this eating as a way to lose weight. Doesn't sound like the guy cared that much about food. But here is his plan:
breakfast: oatmeal with raisins and seeds (like optimized oatmeal)
lunch: two bananas
dinner: either lentil soup or tuna fish sandwich

He pretty much ate the same way every day. He claims you get used to it, and it makes eating anything else anywhere else truly a treat. Hmm... It does sound like what some people on the National Weight Loss Registry have been reported to do: eat very similar meals most of the time. Not unheard of in the poor parts of the Third World.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

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anra
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Post by anra » Wed Apr 30, 2014 3:43 pm

breakfast:
2 soft boiled free range eggs
glutenfree slices with flaxseed plus tomato paste and mayonnaise/tahini/almond butter
leftover veggies or lentils or fresh cucumber/radishes
earl grey with lemon

lunch:
rice, pasta or quinoa
lentils (prepared and frozen stew or fresh quick-cook dhal) or bean salad
a big pan of roasted veggies (bell pepper, zucchini, onion or celeriac, carrot, fennel) or steamed veg (cauliflower or broccoli) or salad if in season
maybe some rajita (indian cold tomato or cucumber sauce)

afternoon: water and some earl grey around 4 pm

dinner:
leftover veg and legumes from lunch
roasted potatoes and celeriac or sweet potatoes
homemade pesto or salsa or dip
OR if i have late lectures: veggie soup of any kind (prepared and frozen) plus fixings

dinner is the smallest portion of the day but i eat with hubby so it makes sense to cook again. plus i am strictly vegetarian, i don't eat dairy because it doesn't become me well but i love me a good fresh egg.
simplicity is the purest form of elegance.

halfmoon_mollie
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My first post

Post by halfmoon_mollie » Mon Oct 13, 2014 3:52 pm

I've been flirting with the idea of this diet for about a year but got serious about a month ago. Today is my first day and I'm hungry. These suggestions are really wonderful. I'm someone who loves to cook, these defaults all sound good! And it helps make clearer what I can eat.

free
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My Intelligent Dietary Default

Post by free » Sun Jan 04, 2015 1:08 pm

Hey Guys!

Great link over here. The replies are all so good, and I really like the amount of variety all around on everyone's IDD. This just goes to show how versatile and actually applicable the No S Diet is.

So my IDDs are...

I always have bread on hand. Either made by yours truly or frozen from some which I got from the supermarket (when time is of the essence). So usually I'll make a sandwich with eggs, sometimes I'll just supplement that with dried fruit as fresh vegetables is not always on hand. Sometimes I'll also eat it with some canned baked beans.

Also, always have rice in the house with some tempeh (a fermented soybean cake, very common here in Indonesia).Usually I just cook the tempeh in some soysauce and it should be good.

Oatmeal with dried fruits and milk is also pretty good.

So there you go, my IDDs.

Before No S I used to gobble down cakes far more than an actual proper meal. I love baking and so the No Sweets bit is the part of No S which I particularly relish, as well as No Snacks ( as most of my snacks are sweets). So I'm really proud to share these new and definitely more nutritious IDDs.

:)

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Tue Jun 23, 2015 12:28 am

Brian Wansink in his most recent book Slim by Design recommends that people fill their plate with half cooked and raw veggies and fruit, then the other half whatever they want. He says people can have more, but they have to stick to half the volume of freggies of whatever more they eat; he claims it leads to eating less over time, as people realize they don't have enough room for both. But the first part of it may be helpful here.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

osoniye
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Post by osoniye » Tue Jun 23, 2015 1:02 pm

That's interesting, oolala.
I do something similar, but approach it from the opposite side. I first portion out the 1/4 plate sized serving of protein I'm going to have (often beans I've cooked ahead), and the 1/4 plate sized serving of something starchy. Then I go wild with prepping veggies to cook and veg &fruit to serve raw. That way, I can just fill up my plate from all that good stuff, knowing that there is no way I can overdo the heavier foods. For some reason coming from that angle works best for me. Otherwise, I fear I would be trying to heap heavy food on top of my vegetables and overfilling my plate. But I am cooking for one, so it might make sense going the other way if serving meals to a family, I don't know.
-Sonya
No Sweets, No Snacks and No Seconds, Except (Sometimes) on days that start with "S".

oolala53
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Post by oolala53 » Tue Jun 23, 2015 2:45 pm

I misspoke. One half (side) of the plate is freggies; the other side is anything else. (OR vice versa) I would assume that means protein and starch, or a dish that combines them, much as you choose, it sounds like. Half of your plate is protein and starch; half is freggies. Some people using Wansink's plan would probably include some dessert. But there is no putting any heavy foods on TOP of the freggies!

My own plates are much like yours.

It does allow for richer foods than you probably include routinely, but it's a way of getting the person not to cover the whole plate with all dense foods. That would be a huge improvement for many obese people. They might not get thin, but that hasn't been shown to be necessary for the greatest health improvements.
Count plates, not calories. 11 years "during"
Age 69
BMI Jan/10-30.8
1/12-26.8 3/13-24.9 +/- 8-lb. 3 yrs
9/17 22.8 (flux) 3/18 22.2
2 yrs flux 6/20 22
1/21-23

There is no S better than Vanilla No S (mods now as a senior citizen)

marvelocity
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Joined: Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:10 pm

Default lunch

Post by marvelocity » Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:32 pm

I'm glad to know that I am not the only person who thinks along these lines. I keep a few things in my cabinet at work that are easily supplemented with stuff I can go pick up. I bring my lunch to work practically every day, and these little habits allow me to do that.


In my work cabinet:
-tinned fish (usually trout, tuna)
-wasa crackerbread (these things will survive nuclear winter)
-soy sauce
-noodle packets (it can be instant ramen or something nicer)
-olive oil (I just refill from the big canister at home)
-a big canister of oats
-salt and pepper
-nuts - pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
-dried fuit (i like cherries)
-nut butter
-tea
-box of seltzer water


What's usually in the work kitchen:
-butter
-lemon juice
-milk or creamer
-bagels, cream cheese, yogurt, and oatmeal on wednesdays
-fruit


You can make a lot of stuff with these things.

Lunch is often tinned fish with avocado on crackerbread (or a bagel on wednesday) - I grab some lemon juice from the communal fridge for some zest and have a small salad with that.

or

Tinned fish in noodles with a bit of oil from the fish, some chopped veggies, and soy sauce for taste (I skip the seasoning packet in instant ramen) - you can do this with hot water from the kettle.


In the winter, I buy frozen berries and keep them in the communal freezer. I make oatmeal with plain oats, one or two brown sugar packets from the kitchen (I can control how much sugar goes in), hot water, a bit of milk, and I throw in the frozen berries. Sometimes I put some nuts in too.

In the summer, I buy the cup-sized greek yogurt and keep a few in the communal fridge and bring a piece of fruit. I have the fruit, yogurt, and some nuts.


Oh - and hard boiled eggs. We boil a dozen at the beginning of the week. that makes it easy to grab and go.

I usually eat pretty robust meals and we didn't snack at home growing up, so I never got into the habit of doing it.

SugarFreebie
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Post by SugarFreebie » Sat Feb 13, 2016 12:35 am

My food choices are framed by my diabetes and elevated cholesterol as well as my needing to lose my second 50 lbs. I don't have to hustle off to work every morning so I almost always eat breakfast and lunch at home. My normal IDD for breakfast is about 2/3 cup of egg substitute scrambled in the microwave served w/ 6 oz of plain yogurt that I lightly sweeten/flavor myself w/o Mio or something similar w/ 2-3 tbs of oat bran mixed in--yes, I actually LIKE this and it serves me well.
Lunch now in the winter is usually lentil soup and Greek yogurt, I used to eat a very late breakfast then only have a snack mid to late afternoon but w/ No S I'm training myself to eat breakfast earlier and then have a real lunch 4-5 hrs later. Will probably switch from soup to salad when the weather warms up.
My husband (who is also disabled) has a fixation w/ having dinner at 6 so I have to time my other meals around that. Sometimes I eat a relatively small dinner so as to allow for a fourth meal closer to bedtime--I refuse to go to bed hungry plus it's not a good idea for diabetes management.
Peace out,
Mary S

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Octavia
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Octavia's IDDs

Post by Octavia » Sat Mar 05, 2016 11:45 am

Hi chaps,
Have been lurking for a while but not joined in any discussions. So I thought I'd share my IDDs:

Work days: delay breakfast till have got to work. Then go to canteen and have two of their rather small poached eggs and a generous spoonful of baked beans with one slice of brown toast. I always get a pat of butter instead of serving myself from their big butter jar - it prevents me getting too much. This breakfast fills me up well. I think the protein in the eggs helps. Am a big egg fan.

Five hours later I am very hungry but usually manage to wait for lunch, which could be a sandwich or soup, but I always add fruit.

Try to get through to dinner without eating, but if hungry will have milk or juice.

Dinner - just try to have something home-cooked, but if really tired will have Pizza Express cappelletti with tomato sauce and rocket, or a Marks &Spencers tin of curry with rice. Always add fruit at the end.

On non-work weekdays I'm more flexible with the breakfast, as the day is less demanding. The rest is the same.

S days for me are not totally 'free', as I'd just go back to my old perma snacking eating style, driven by mood,inclination and habit. I've found that as long as I promise myself a significant treat, I get the feeling of release from tension that S days are designed for. So I still try to eat 3 meals a day and no snacks. I might grab a few grapes or something, though. (Not as my treat! Oh no - my treat is something like a big bar of chocolate!)

Another IDD for me, increasingly, is avoidance of alcohol. I just realised that my cravings for a glass of wine in the evening are not that strong, and are fairly easy to ignore, so i might as well go without. Perma snacking has always been my problem, rather than booze. I still drink on social occasions, but have started to refuse wine at social lunches, as it makes me feel so sleepy, gloomy and sugar-craving afterwards.

Don't know whether my IDDs are useful to other folk - I think the eggs at breakfast, fruit after meals and cutting down on wine are my most useful habits, No S-wise.

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Red
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Batch cooking, and homemade frozen dinners

Post by Red » Sat Mar 05, 2016 6:57 pm

I have NO...repeat...NO time during the week to cook. That being said, I often have small amounts of time over the weekend.

Everything I cook has more than one meal planned into it. EXAMPLE: Broccoli heads are cooked along with the large stems which I use for soup. Broccoli for dinner, leftovers from dinner (including meats) go into the broccoli broth I make from the stems which becomes lunch. If I end up with more than one serving, extras go into the freezer. Voila...freezer meals, that are good for you - and tasty too!!!

Little gets tossed, as almost anything leftover from dinner can go into a morning scramble. (My favorite is sweet potato, leftover chicken or pork, and shredded kale. BEST Tasting Scramble ever!!)

There's two of us in the household, so it's rare we don't have leftovers.
So - default choices: Creative leftover management!!!
"...skid into heaven broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!” " Thank you Hunter!

jenji
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Post by jenji » Mon Nov 05, 2018 8:11 pm

Default lunch at work:
I have been bringing cracked oats in a thermos for lunch, about 3 days/week for a few months. I like it. I use 1/4 cup cracked oats and 3/4 cup hot water. Often I have an apple, too.

I sometimes make it savory and add leftover sauteed greens or meat from dinner. Then, I think of it as a "power bowl". More typically, I just add raisins or currants and nuts and think of it as "oatmeal".

This is simple to fix and easy to carry for me. I think this is similar to what Reinhard says he does in the book, but with maybe a little more variety, as I use it as a way to use up leftovers. The oats become the base to add some protein and veggie to.
I'm a 53-year-old mom and non-profit CEO
I am 5' 7.5"
Began No S at 184#, BMI 28.4 - 9/25/2017
Current weight: 181#, BMI 27.9, 12/19/2022

eschano
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Post by eschano » Tue Nov 06, 2018 4:48 pm

I’ve never even heard of cracked oats - sounds yummy
eschano - Vanilla rocks!

July 2012- January 2016
Started again January 2021

jenji
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Location: Cambridge

Post by jenji » Tue Nov 06, 2018 5:14 pm

eschano wrote:I’ve never even heard of cracked oats - sounds yummy
They are similar to steel cut oats and are less mushy than regular oatmeal.
I'm a 53-year-old mom and non-profit CEO
I am 5' 7.5"
Began No S at 184#, BMI 28.4 - 9/25/2017
Current weight: 181#, BMI 27.9, 12/19/2022

TeacherJ
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Re: Intelligent Dietary Defaults (add yours!)

Post by TeacherJ » Sat Sep 04, 2021 1:42 pm

I love this idea!
5'2 female; 40-something years old

Started No S on 7/11/21
Starting size: 16/XL
Current size: 16/XL
Goal size: 10/M

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Over43
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Re: Intelligent Dietary Defaults (add yours!)

Post by Over43 » Wed Sep 08, 2021 12:31 am

Default Dinner:
Rib-eye and half a can of Nalley's Chilli, regular...

Default Breakfast:
Maverick Convenience Store biscuits and sausage gravy, or a sausage egg McMuffin and a mocha

Default Lunch:
Mmmmmm...Beef Cup of Noodles w/Sriracha Sauce, Diet Dew

What can I say? I know the SAD diet. But in manageable, easy to digest portions.
Bacon is the gateway meat. - Anthony Bourdain
You pale in comparison to Fox Mulder. - The Smoking Man

I made myself be hungry, then I would get hungrier. - Frank Zane Mr. Olympia '77, '78, '79

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