Do you think you eat well ?

Here's some nutrition advice for older vegans and veggies from V for Life, a UK care charity for older veg*ns

vforlife.org.uk/resources/publications/nutrition-guidelines

Yes, we eat quite well. Accomplished cooks, good ingredients.

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Mollygo I'm sorry I "lectured". Topic dear to me.

I hate breakfast unless in a hotel where I don’t have to smell it cooking. I also hate all fruits as forced into it by relatives. Apart from that I am very relaxed about cooking and like meat if my teeth are up for it. Fish once a fortnight. Lots of salad and loads of olive oil. Never let a day pass without eating a whole lemon. My stomach must be totally pickled.

Thanks for the lecture Norah. I do know the difference.
I was responding to a previous comment about the additives in UPF foods and the increasing number of UPF foods, introduced because many vegans, have no more time to cook than non-vegans and thus resort to buying those foods.
That this is happening is quite evident when walking round a supermarket and seeing the increasing number of ‘meat-free’ products still disguised and referred to by animal protein names. ‘No chicken chunks’ is a good example. How do you make something taste of chicken without using chemicals? And why would you want to?

Mollygo Vegetarian, when I was younger meant making meals from vegetables and fruit, often with the addition of butter or cheese or milk. Now it sometimes means “No-beef beef burgers, or Vegan king prawns.

Vegetarian is veg and fruit etc, with dairy/ eggs - no meat.

Vegan is fruit, veg, nuts, tofu, seeds, chia, flax, grains, rice, polenta, pasta - no animal products or animal byproducts.

Vegan is easy, cheap, delicious, sustainable for a healthier planet. Less fat, chemicals, processing (if well chosen items are used).

Is that healthy as in the nutrition I learnt back at school? Then your diet was set out as a plate, which was approximately divided into thirds, one third being fruit&veg, one third being carbohydrates, and the remaining third being divided into 5 with 2 parts fish/meat/nuts etc, 2 parts dairy cheese, milk, butter etc and the remaining bit being sweets, fizzy drinks, cake etc.
I can manage that, quite easily.
Now we are told that so many things are bad/good for us from one week to another. People invent ‘heathy’ diets with opposing views of what that means.
Vegetarian, when I was younger meant making meals from vegetables and fruit, often with the addition of butter or cheese or milk.
Now it sometimes means “No-beef beef burgers, or Vegan king prawns.
In days gone by we would have been lectured on how bad all the additives were. Now it seems that any additive but animal protein is to be venerated.

M0nica

ceejayjay haven't you seen all the articles and reports warning about how bad for you most of manufactured vegan foods are, the fake meat products and manufactured milks??

This is because it means that many vegan diets are high in UPFs (ultra processed foods) - esstentially anything in a supermarket that isn't a basic food stuff www.zurich.com/en/media/magazine/2021/its-veganuary-but-is-it-really-a-healthy-way-to-start-the-year

If you are cooking from scratch and everything you eat started as a basic fruit/veg/nut in your kitchen, plus you take the necessary supplements, you will indeed be eating a healthy diet. But if like many people, vegan and non-vegan, food and you are going round the ssupermarket buying packaged manufactured food, especially meat, milk and dairy substitutes, then your diet may not be as heaalthy as you think

Interesting Monica. I have often wondered how healthy a vegan diet is = when I go to local food fairs, and see how much of these foods are heavy in salt, etc.

I live by myself, love food, could easily take up eating as a hobby. I do have a healthy diet - trouble is the extras I al so have are myundoing.

Lunch usually involves eggs, boiled or paoched, occasional omelette. Home made veg soup in the very cold weather. I have a further large mug of tea and (far too often) 'treat' myself to a dessert like a toasted tea cake with jam).

Supper (five our seven days) is a very substanial salad which includes walnuts and dried fruit - served with a portion of fish or chicken,. Yoghurt & fresh fruit for dessert. Plain water the accompaning drink.

Once a week I have daughter for tea and do go along more traditional evening meal lines of meat or fish and two or three veg.

Every so often I rebel against my own regime and cook 'comfort foods' such as ham,egg and chips, sausage and mash, etc,

My times for these three meals are 8.00 am/ midday/ 5 pm.

I do have to work very hard NOT to snack in the evening, so tempting and NOT because I am hungry I have found that cleaning my teeth ready for bed, very early (7 pm when I get myself into my night clothes), helps with this as if I eat anuthing again I would need to repeat that cleaning.

We don’t eat red meat except for venison, we grow our own vegetables and most of our fruit. We buy avocados, grapefruit, oranges and lemons from crowdfarming. In the summer months I tend to do quite a lot of baking and make preserves and chutneys. Our diet is healthy overall, but my husband’s eating habits are far healthier than mine as he drinks kefir, always gets his five-a-day (and more), eats lots of beans and pulses and uses an oil spread rather than butter; however he has a pudding after dinner every day (usually fruit crumble and ice-cream, all home made) and although I think his daily calorie intake is about 2.5k/3k he is the same weight, and as slim, as when we married thirty seven years ago.

Usually when I’m ill people are very kind and buy me flowers, but for some reason this time I’m inundated with chocolates. So currently I’m getting no exercise and eating far too many sweet treats. Fortunately as he’s cooking that’s counterbalanced by my husband serving me his repertoire of healthy meals.

It rather depends on what you regard as healthy.
I think I do because it was how I was brought up - veg from the garden, not much meat as we could not afford it and always cook from scratch.

My DH does not eat as healthily as he detests fruit and veg. I often cook two different meals - fortunately I love cooking.
We are both pretty healthy in ourselves and do not get many infections. I am slim, my DH not so but not massively overweight.

It sounds like you have a healthy and balanced diet, with a focus on homemade meals and a variety of protein sources. It's great that you enjoy cooking and are able to prepare nutritious meals for yourself and your family.

It's true that not everyone enjoys cooking, but there are ways to make meal preparation more enjoyable, such as finding recipes that are easy and quick to make, or enlisting the help of family members or friends to cook together. And for those who truly don't enjoy cooking, there are plenty of healthy meal delivery options or meal kits that can make eating healthy more convenient.

Overall, it's important to prioritize healthy eating habits and find ways to make them sustainable and enjoyable for your lifestyle. It seems like you're on the right track!

soyabeanrate.in/

We eat well. Probably a bit too much,though. I try to balance fruit, vegetables and meat. We are ‘supposed’ to have 5 veggies per day and we usually have 3 or 4 but sometimes 5. We don’t have soft drinks but then we do have wine - and chocolate. I never eat white bread and we limit cakes and biscuits but we do eat a fair bit of cheese and yoghurt.

I hate cooking and live alone but I try to eat well. I invite someone over once a week for food which makes me cook and then I will often use the slow cooker and do a vegetarian dish. For the rest of the week I use the hob, microwave and steamer. I eat a lot of good food that doesn't require cooking such as salad, tinned fish, raw veg and fresh fruit. Living alone for me the important thing is to eat at set times and turn off the TV, leave my phone in another room and sit down at the table nicely set with table cloth and sometimes a candle or flowers.

Yes, I do. DH no so much. I cook all our main meals from scratch but have to add white bread,biscuits,cakes and coke to grocery list for him. Have tried very hard to ‘educate’ him but he won’t be moved!

ceejayjay haven't you seen all the articles and reports warning about how bad for you most of manufactured vegan foods are, the fake meat products and manufactured milks??

This is because it means that many vegan diets are high in UPFs (ultra processed foods) - esstentially anything in a supermarket that isn't a basic food stuff www.zurich.com/en/media/magazine/2021/its-veganuary-but-is-it-really-a-healthy-way-to-start-the-year

If you are cooking from scratch and everything you eat started as a basic fruit/veg/nut in your kitchen, plus you take the necessary supplements, you will indeed be eating a healthy diet. But if like many people, vegan and non-vegan, food and you are going round the ssupermarket buying packaged manufactured food, especially meat, milk and dairy substitutes, then your diet may not be as heaalthy as you think

A few years ago my cholesterol was a bit high and the GP sent me to the nurse for advice on diet. My BMI is normal but I found it difficult to appreciate the nurse's help because she was very obese.
I found my mind wandering as I tried to not look at her stomach!

I’m vegan so eat only plant based. I read it’s a very healthy diet and as I’ve never ate a healthier diet in my life I really believe it is

My son bakes bread for me. I eat it with fried eggs or butter or peanut butter. I cook for three twice a week usually fish fingers and chips with green veg. I make a lot of ristafel with cheddar, and lentil soup.
Fruit bores me and I have to TRY to eat easy peelers. I eat too much ice cream.
I am healthy for my age, and thin enough.

You are probably right M0nica.

Unfortunately you can still have too much of a good thing and end up overweight like me!

Yes I do but it costs quite a bit more thanks to Brexit, Johnson and the Tories.

I think we eat very well. DH is my chef since he retired, cooks from scratch nearly every day and uses plenty of veg and fish in our meals. We’ve an allotment, so we have lots of soups. We don’t eat much red meat, but no food is banned, and if we fancy a bacon sandwich, thick cheese on toast etc for lunch we’ll have it. We’ve had recipe boxes delivered since lockdown for a bit of variety, now down to only 2 meals every fortnight, but their ever-increasing prices might mean we stop them soon. We both love curries, and since discovering the Chef Akila range of healthy ones, don’t feel guilty about indulging. We rarely have puddings apart from fruit, which I love and eat a lot of, probably more than I should.

We’ve slipped into the habit of snacking in the late evening, but I’m hoping to break this by giving up eating after 7.30pm for Lent. Drinking will still be permitted.

Most people on this thread because we are healthy eaters. Those who aren't or do not care aren't interested in threads like this.

I'd have to say we are 80% healthy eaters. Good scores for breakfast and lunch, and most dinners, but slip into snacks and convenience dinners sometimes.

For instance last night I had nachos with cheese and salsa for dinner. So probably too much salt and fat, but I did go skiing with the family, so had plenty of exercise! Tonight is planned for small steak to share, air-fryer chips and veg.

Yes, I eat very well, biased towards a necessary diet IBS wise. I don't "cook properly" but the microwave is wonderful - it steams vegetables, poaches fish and chicken, and so on. Can't eat salads so focus on cooked veg. Take vit and mineral supplements.