Fat Loss Food Shop?

[Athanatos]

I have recently taken over food shopping for my household because my mother has become ill. My entire family is overweight, and it is mainly because they do not exercise and don't understand what they're putting in their mouths besides that it tastes good.

This is mainly a question as to what to avoid when looking at nutrition information for the things that I buy, and what to aim for. What I know right now is that saturated fat and trans fat is to be heavily avoided, along with large amounts of sugar carbs...but what else is there? Cutting calories of course, but that's something anyone can get the basics of. I'm talking about more in depth stuff to look for on the label.

Like, for instance, most of my family members eat a Mystic Pizza for dinner almost every day. The whole thing. I just looked up the nutrition information for that and I'm disgusted lol. Look at this!

Calories 1081 . Sodium 1471 mg
Total Fat 45 g . Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 24 g Total Carbs 99 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g . Dietary Fiber 6 g
Monounsaturated 0 g . Sugars 15 g
Trans 0 g . Protein 42 g
Cholesterol 90 mg

Sure, the protein is nice, but for my mother and sister who don't even care about building or maintaining muscle and only want to lose fat...this is like shooting their "diet" in the face with a grenade launcher.

Is there any way that I could somehow make this a healthy alternative? Perhaps if I told them to only eat half the pizza? Still, I think that would be a lot...and a quarter of it wouldn't satisfy them.

Maybe I should just tell them all that they're no longer going to be allowed to eat for pleasure if they're truly interested in losing the weight they've built up over the years. But, if I'm going to take away all their comfort food, what are some safe and healthy alternatives I can begin experimenting with, to look for when I go out food shopping?

[B_Walk]

I have recently taken over food shopping for my household because my mother has become ill. My entire family is overweight, and it is mainly because they do not exercise and don't understand what they're putting in their mouths besides that it tastes good.

This is mainly a question as to what to avoid when looking at nutrition information for the things that I buy, and what to aim for. What I know right now is that saturated fat and trans fat is to be heavily avoided, along with large amounts of sugar carbs...but what else is there? Cutting calories of course, but that's something anyone can get the basics of. I'm talking about more in depth stuff to look for on the label.

Like, for instance, most of my family members eat a Mystic Pizza for dinner almost every day. The whole thing. I just looked up the nutrition information for that and I'm disgusted lol. Look at this!

Calories 1081 . Sodium 1471 mg
Total Fat 45 g . Potassium 0 mg
Saturated 24 g Total Carbs 99 g
Polyunsaturated 0 g . Dietary Fiber 6 g
Monounsaturated 0 g . Sugars 15 g
Trans 0 g . Protein 42 g
Cholesterol 90 mg

Sure, the protein is nice, but for my mother and sister who don't even care about building or maintaining muscle and only want to lose fat...this is like shooting their "diet" in the face with a grenade launcher.

Is there any way that I could somehow make this a healthy alternative? Perhaps if I told them to only eat half the pizza? Still, I think that would be a lot...and a quarter of it wouldn't satisfy them.

Maybe I should just tell them all that they're no longer going to be allowed to eat for pleasure if they're truly interested in losing the weight they've built up over the years. But, if I'm going to take away all their comfort food, what are some safe and healthy alternatives I can begin experimenting with, to look for when I go out food shopping?

Make your own pizza with whole wheat dough, ground turkey breast, fat free cheese

[Athanatos]

Make your own pizza with whole wheat dough, ground turkey breast, fat free cheese

I'm no chef, I'd much rather just buy things more or less "ready-made". Thank you for the idea, though. If I'm ever more kitchen savvy I'll give it a shot.

[grunmn]

Veggies, lean meats, whole grains (don't eat breads/ carbs after like 4pm especially if you're not working out)

with breads and stuff if its white don't buy it. With breads that say wheat make sure they are actually whole grain instead of dyed with molasses

[PirateFace]

I'm no chef, I'd much rather just buy things more or less "ready-made". Thank you for the idea, though. If I'm ever more kitchen savvy I'll give it a shot.

This will limit you greatly, as most ready-made foods are processed and processed foods are the antichrist of healthy fat loss. Rotisserie chickens are the only MRE's at a grocery store I can think of that are not horrible from a health standpoint. Even something like a sandwich at the deli is going to be a huge white-bread bun slathered in mayonnaise with maybe two slices of meat in between if you're lucky.

Lean protein, such as chicken, fish, some cuts of steak, etc. can be obtained fairly cheaply and cooked easily. You don't have to do anything fancy, but you're also not going to get away with "set it and forget it" in the microwave if you want to see improvements. Vegetables are an exception, as they can be purchased frozen and nuked in a steamer bag or in a microwave-safe bowl pretty effectively.

[grunmn]

This will limit you greatly, as most ready-made foods are processed and processed foods are the antichrist of healthy fat loss. Rotisserie chickens are the only MRE's at a grocery store I can think of that are not horrible from a health standpoint. Even something like a sandwich at the deli is going to be a huge white-bread bun slathered in mayonnaise with maybe two slices of meat in between if you're lucky.

Lean protein, such as chicken, fish, some cuts of steak, etc. can be obtained fairly cheaply and cooked easily. You don't have to do anything fancy, but you're also not going to get away with "set it and forget it" in the microwave if you want to see improvements. Vegetables are an exception, as they can be purchased frozen and nuked in a steamer bag or in a microwave-safe bowl pretty effectively.

yea its amazing how much you start cooking when you start eating better.

I am a little lazy though and usually just cook some ground turkey, kidney beans, and salsa and there ya go... dinner and lunch for the next couple of days.

on a better note I've learned how to make cooscoos and perfected cooking asparagus. add those with a 5 oz. baked chicken breasts and now we're talking.

[harshathlete]

In my opinion, if you cannot cook and prefer to buy pre-made stuff, then you just need to buy smaller portions.

In the end, your family will lose weight if they use "portion control" and the easiest way to do that is to bring home less amount of food.

Most entrees at restaurants can easily feed two people. So keep that in mind when you order food to-go.

Regardless of what foods your family eats, if they eat past their full point on a regular basis they they will get/stay fat.

The key is to eat less , even if you continue to eat the foods you like. And hopefully add some daily 30-45 minute walks to create a little more deficit.

[Athanatos]

Portion control will be a large part of it, that I'll make sure of, but I also want to make sure the food we're eating is also good for us.

This will limit you greatly, as most ready-made foods are processed and processed foods are the antichrist of healthy fat loss. Rotisserie chickens are the only MRE's at a grocery store I can think of that are not horrible from a health standpoint. Even something like a sandwich at the deli is going to be a huge white-bread bun slathered in mayonnaise with maybe two slices of meat in between if you're lucky.

Lean protein, such as chicken, fish, some cuts of steak, etc. can be obtained fairly cheaply and cooked easily. You don't have to do anything fancy, but you're also not going to get away with "set it and forget it" in the microwave if you want to see improvements. Vegetables are an exception, as they can be purchased frozen and nuked in a steamer bag or in a microwave-safe bowl pretty effectively.

What about fruit, nuts, that sort of thing? I'm not talking about purely processed crap, just stuff I don't have to cook. Is deli meat all right?

[PirateFace]

What about fruit, nuts, that sort of thing? I'm not talking about purely processed crap, just stuff I don't have to cook. Is deli meat all right?

Those things are very important to have, but they can't be the only food you eat. Nuts, for instance, could never be your primary protein source because of their (albeit healthy) fats and high calories. When you talked about not having to cook, almost nothing out of the frozen department or prepared meals (ie, mystic pizza) has any value. Something like a lean cuisine is likely an improvement over what you're eating right now, but I am loathe to recommend it. You will be shocked at how easy it is to cook healthy food if you try, I am far from a chef and I get by.

Deli meats tend to be very high in sodium and pretty expensive, but it's a huge improvement over frozen pizza. Purchase whole grain bread and some vegetables (tomatoes, lettuce, onions are all good) if you're doing a lot of sandwiches.

[JennRN]

Do you have a whole foods near you? They have a bunch of healthy pre-made or semi-pre made things you can buy. Like wheat crust pizzas, wheat wraps, pre-cooked chicken breasts. It's a little more expensive than your typical grocery store but if you are eating good food you generally dont have to eat as much to feel satisfied. Even Sprouts has some good options and is more widely available.

[Athanatos]

Do you have a whole foods near you? They have a bunch of healthy pre-made or semi-pre made things you can buy. Like wheat crust pizzas, wheat wraps, pre-cooked chicken breasts. It's a little more expensive than your typical grocery store but if you are eating good food you generally dont have to eat as much to feel satisfied. Even Sprouts has some good options and is more widely available.

I do have a local health food store that I'm going to begin purchasing food from. My main concern is my younger sister who has only eaten processed food her entire life--and loves it. Trying to brainstorm how to eventually wean her off of it but I don't even know what would make a good replacement. She's a really picky eater. Pretty much only settles for junk.

[seraph858]

quick and easy

1 - flat out wrap 90 cals
2 - tablespoons pizza sauce 30 cals
1/4 cup shredded cheese 110 cals
17 - peices of hormel pepperoni 70 cals

prepare and bake at 350 till crispy. Taste good bout 300 cals, decent protien not terrible on fat...it is a sodium bomb but in comparison to mystic this is like 1/4 the meal plus it's easy to prep and will take less time to cook. .