What do you consider a "healthy" meal?

[Ottakee]

Just wondering what meets the standards of "healthy" in your house.

 

Tonight for supper we had:

BBQ meatballs

scalloped potatoes

peas

chuncky applesauce

 

So....healthy or not?

[2squared]

Healthy for us if the meatballs and potatoes were made from scratch.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Healthy for normal people. It would not be healthy for dh who is a diabetic (many of these foods are higher on the glycemic index).

[Unicorn.]

Peas and potatoes are both starchy vegetables, and shouldn't be served in the same meal. Other than that, sounds ok. ymmv

[jplain]

Reasonably healthy, but much too high carb to be an everyday meal for me. And I'm not diabetic. I believe humans do best on a diet with a lot less carbohydrate than the food pyramid recommends.

 

(If I was making this myself, I'd want a large portion of a less starchy veggie, skip the potatoes or eat just a couple bites, skip the applesauce, very light on the bbq sauce, and I'd make sure that the meatballs didn't have a lot of carby filler in them.)

[Parrothead]

Just wondering what meets the standards of "healthy" in your house.

 

Tonight for supper we had:

BBQ meatballs

scalloped potatoes

peas

chuncky applesauce

 

So....healthy or not?

If the meatballs and barbeque sauce were made fresh, and the potatoes and peas didn't come out of a box and can. Did you simmer the applesauce all day from organic apples?

 

:lol:It isn't realistic is it? Someone would have to be in the kitchen all day. For us I'd make the meatballs from scratch, check labels for barbeque sauce with most real ingredients. I'd do frozen peas and the potatoes would have been fresh potatoes with real cheese, milk and butter. The applesauce would have come out of a jar, again checking ingredients list.

 

I haven't got anything against your combination. We wouldn't have eaten those foods together. (That may be because I'd never cook barbecue meatballs. It doesn't sound appealing to me)

Edited June 7, 2010 by Parrothead

[Greta]

I like that you've got no grain products (bread or pasta) in that meal, and I think that does make it healthier. It's still a little high in carbs, but not too bad. Especially if you use low-sugar BBQ sauce and unsweetened applesauce, then that's not too bad at all. And I would replace one of your two starchy veggies with a leafy one instead (greens instead of peas, for example).

 

People have very different definitions of what healthy eating is. Some might point out the meatballs as being unhealthy, when to me, that's the healthiest part of your meal! :D We are not meat phobic or fat phobic in my house, though I am very particular about the quality of these foods. I use only *naturally* saturated (coconut and palm) and monounsaturated (olive) virgin oils. And I buy the best quality meats that I can afford (grass-fed when possible, though not consistently).

 

For dinner tonight, we're having meatloaf (made with coconut flour instead of bread crumbs because I don't handle gluten well, and it's lower in carbs too), green beans (fresh and organic, not canned), mashed baby turnips with garlic (kinda like mashed potatoes but more nutrition and less carbs), and mangoes for dessert.

Edited June 7, 2010 by GretaLynne

[Laura Corin]

I would make that meal from scratch and ensure that the meal consisted of half veg/fruit. I would make everything from scratch, limit saturated fats, salt and sugar.

 

Laura

[Ravin]

Peas aren't starchy vegetables. They're actually reasonably high in protein (such that vegetarians can pair them with a grain for "complete protein" in a meal). I'd say even for a diabetic it'd be healthy if the serving of potatoes was small and the applesauce was natural (no added sugar). Bonus if the bbq sauce was low-sugar, homemade, and/or contained not HFCS.

 

Of course, the vegetables would fill at least 1/3 of the plate in the servings I envision...and the plates would be small.

 

Around here we tend to be grazers so a single meal that's nutritionally complete isn't a given. Tonight it will be, though, I'm making shepherd's pie (I think).

[Lawana]

Peas aren't starchy vegetables.

 

Can you give some reference for this? I've not seen green peas classified as anything but starchy.

[Guest Virginia Dawn]

Just wondering what meets the standards of "healthy" in your house.

 

Tonight for supper we had:

BBQ meatballs

scalloped potatoes

peas

chuncky applesauce

 

So....healthy or not?

 

Sounds fine to me. A meal like that in our house would have been all homemade, not necessarily organic though, and I don't usually have applesauce.

 

A dinner in our house usually has meat; a green vegetable of some kind; and rice, potatoes, pasta, or beans. That doesn't sound like much, but at least one of those dishes will have onions and/or garlic in it, and I might chop up or shred some other kinds of vegetable into one of the dishes. I don't serve bread with meals, except for special occasions or with soup.

 

We don't have any health issues though.

[Cera]

It sounds good to me. We don't really eat beef so the meatballs would be turkey/oats rather than beef/bread crumbs around here. I would proably also leave out the potatoes completely. I have really tried to get better about into serving a high carb side with meals since many snacks fall in to that category (crackers, granola bars, etc).

[lisabees]

What a fun question! :lol:

 

No, that wouldn't be a healthy meal in our house. But, that doesn't mean we'd never eat it. I just wouldn't call it a healthy night.

 

We rarely eat beef, so the meatballs would be out. And did you make the meatballs and sauce from scratch? BBQ sauce is made with sugar, whether it's made from scratch or processed, and we're not into sweet meals for dinner.

Scalloped potatoes are nothing but fattening (but I love, love, love them)!

Peas are fine. But we'd need to eat a lot to be considered enough of a vegetable, since you've only offered one.

We don't have fruit with our dinner - it's more of a snack or dessert here.

 

We usually have at least two fresh veggies a night and a salad. And we always have water with our meals - no juice or anything.

 

But, then again, tonight we had cheese tortellini with homemade turkey meatballs, homemade sauce, and a salad only. :lol: I didn't consider that a healthy meal! c

[justamouse]

If you made it all from scratch (I make my own BBQ sauce in large batches) and I'll even go with the scalloped potatoes, but it would all depend on your portion control. Small amount of scalloped potatoes is fine, though.

 

two meatballs, 1/2 cup of scalloped potatoes and 3/4 cup of peas and is the applesauce was unsweetened I'd let them eat as much as they wanted. I'm not all about the fat if it's a small portion. Though I like to take the whole thing into a dark closet and eat it myself with a big spoon.

 

And, North Easterner that I am, what are BBQ meatballs?

[elizabeth]

For a meal to be healthy here it must be 3/4 fruit and vegetable and 1/4 protein. However, the momma of the house prefers that healthy be defined very loosely which is to say that it leaves room for a lovely dessert and cappucino afterward.:lol:

[Perry]

I wouldn't really consider it healthy, but it depends on your ingredients.

 

What kind of meat did you use? Ground beef is high in fat and I rarely use it. We eat red meat only about once a week, and then it is almost always whole muscle (steaks, ribs, etc.)

 

Homemade bbq sauce is better than bottled, but it still has a lot of sugar, especially if you're using bottled ketchup.

 

Scalloped potatoes - depends on what you use for the sauce. Could be really high in fat and calories if you're using cheese, butter and cream. Of course that's why they taste so good.

 

Peas are good, unless you add butter.

 

Applesauce has lots of sugar. I'd almost consider that dessert.

 

That meal would have too much fat and sugar, and not enough veggies for my family. It would be fine every now and then, but not on a daily basis.

[Mejane]

We rarely eat meat, and almost always have salad. I don't consider peas a veg, they are a bean (protein) which we would eat with pasta or rice. A green veg would be spinach or broccoli. We don't eat a lot of potatoes, and really never eat fruit with a meal. It's more of a stand-alone snack. We do occasionally eat a meal such as what you described, but not on a regular basis.

[jplain]

Peas aren't starchy vegetables.

Sure they are! They may have more protein than other veggies, but that doesn't make them not-starchy.

 

There are 20g of carbs in a cup of peas. Compare that to 6g for a cup of chopped broccoli, 5g in a cup of chopped cauliflower, 4g in a cup of chopped summer squash, 5g in a cup of asparagus, 10g in a cup of spinach (cooked), etc. Even when you subtract out the fiber to give net sugar + starches, peas come out ahead of most non-tuber veggies. Even carrots are less carby than peas!

 

Ground beef is high in fat and I rarely use it. (snip) Scalloped potatoes - depends on what you use for the sauce. Could be really high in fat and calories if you're using cheese, butter and cream. (snip) Peas are good, unless you add butter.

See, this is where it gets funny. I'd have agreed with the above 10 years ago. But not anymore. Based on my more recent reading of nutritional research, I believe the fat is the healthiest part of the potato dish. I believe butter would greatly improve the nutritional value of the peas too! Oh, and we eat a ton of (grass-fed) beef. :lol:

[FaithManor]

I think it is pretty good if you don't have anyone in your family that has diabetes or on the other end, hypoglycemia. The key for me would be "is the barbecue sauce free of high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated/hydrolyzed anything and low in sweetener". I make homemade barbecue sauce out of home canned tomatoes, honey or maple syrup or even molasses which is high in a lot of great minerals mixed with some liquid smoke, vinegar, and a tiny bit of mustard for zestiness. But, I readily recognize that most people don't have the time to do this kind of from scratch cooking. When I make this sauce, it has to cook down for quite a while which means babysitting the kitchen.

 

We wouldn't have had the peas with the potatoes; green beans, garden salad, stuffed peppers, broccoli, or mushrooms would be more likely. Without potatoes, I would not hesitate to serve the peas along with another vegetable. I normally cook my veggies without butter or other sauce but when my mom is here, I do put some butter with her veggies because she is diabetic and a little bit of fat with the vegetables helps to keep her blood sugars nicely regulated.

 

For me, I had to come to a realization that it doesn't matter how healthfully I cook if no one will eat it. So, maybe we aren't as controlled as we should be but we have, over time, made some pretty big changes and I need for my family to love home cooked food, therefore, I make small compromises to keep the "troops" happy.

 

Faith

[fivetails]

Just wondering what meets the standards of "healthy" in your house.

 

Tonight for supper we had:

BBQ meatballs

scalloped potatoes

peas

chuncky applesauce

 

So....healthy or not?

 

Looks like a meal that would be welcome here ~ well, I wouldn't eat the meatballs, but that's because I'm a vegetarian. Dh and the kids would gobble them up though. :)

 

Everyone has different definitions of "healthy" ~ some people require their meals to have specific balances, organic stuff, cows that were raised indoors and given hoof massages every second night.... other people aren't as concerned and are pleased if their ramen has some extra dried veggies stuck between the noodles.

 

We're somewhere in between there - I'll admit that this meal, at our house, would likely have the peas coming from a can. [gasp] ;)

[Perry]

Based on my more recent reading of nutritional research, I believe the fat is the healthiest part of the potato dish.

 

Here's a recipe for scalloped potatoes that looks delicious. But one serving has 688 calories and 56 grams of fat! How can that be healthy?:confused:

 

Especially because I would probably eat three servings.:lol:

[Peela]

Not healthy by my standards. To me a healthy meal is one that is predominantly vegetables and at least some raw vegetables. Not that there may not be meat/grains/dairy but the meal would be based around vegetables rather than the meat defining the meal. It would generally involve salad or at least more greens like broccoli.

 

That doesn't mean we eat like that all the time, but that's just my version of healthy. My kids would love your meal though! DH would too except he is vegetarian and the meat balls woudl have to be some sort of vegetarian alternative.

[jplain]

Here's a recipe for scalloped potatoes that looks delicious. But one serving has 688 calories and 56 grams of fat! How can that be healthy?:confused:

Well I wouldn't call it healthy either, because of the carb count. For a non-diabetic adult, that may be no big deal. But given that rates of type II diabetes in the US approach 50% as we age, it probably isn't wise to eat it often or in large quantities.

 

I firmly believe that fat, including saturated fat, is not the enemy. When fat was villified, they got it all wrong. Honest re-analysis of the original data, along with new studies, yield a completely different picture. (Polyunsaturated fat I'm not quite as charitable towards, unless we're talking about omega-3s. But monos and sats? Bring 'em on.)

 

The book Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes is a dense but extremely interesting discussion of this issue. And though I don't agree with everything this MD writes, his webpage captures pretty well what I believe to be true about nutrition.

 

(On the other hand, I also believe that a low-fat near-vegetarian diet will work for some, but not all, people. However, I personally believe it is much harder to stick to. Lack of compliance would make it ineffective on a population level.)

Edited June 8, 2010 by jplain

[Daisy]

Looks like a meal that would be welcome here ~ well, I wouldn't eat the meatballs, but that's because I'm a vegetarian. Dh and the kids would gobble them up though. :)

 

Everyone has different definitions of "healthy" ~ some people require their meals to have specific balances, organic stuff, cows that were raised indoors and given hoof massages every second night.... other people aren't as concerned and are pleased if their ramen has some extra dried veggies stuck between the noodles.

 

We're somewhere in between there - I'll admit that this meal, at our house, would likely have the peas coming from a can. [gasp] ;)

 

Bwhaaaaa :smilielol5:

 

It isn't what we would typically eat. If I had similar ingredients, I probably would have gone more this route...

 

Mini meatloaf (no sugar added, no sauce)

Roasted potatoes (tossed with garlic, thyme, olive oil)

Mixed green salad, leafy greans, zucchini, or broccoli (something like that or a mixture of several)

 

Fresh apple (same as others. This probably would have been eaten as a snack earlier in the day).

 

Our typical dinner looks like this.

 

2 or 3 veggies (grilled, steamed, raw, salad, etc.) not cooked with fat, salt, or sugar.

2-3oz of protein (beans, grilled chicken or fish)

1/2 cup of whole grain (quinoa, bulgar, brown rice, spelt, starchy veggi, etc.)

[Guest janainaz]

Lean protein, grains, and something green.

[2squared]

cows that were raised indoors and given hoof massages every second night....

 

:lol:

[Pretty in Pink]

I don't think the scalloped potatoes have to be all that unhealthy. When I bother to make them I do it from scratch. I often do a mixture of thinly sliced potatoes, yellow, and zucchini squash (half potato, half veg, in a loaf pan). I use skim or reduced fat milk, thickened with a bit of cornstarch. Onions, garlic, pepper, etc. Spinkle the top with grated parmasean and bake. That's 5 servings for us (I don't count the baby, he doesn't eat much).

 

Having said that, I probably would have roasted the potatoes just because it's easier. The meatballs sound delicious but I would have opted for baking the meatballs and then adding them to simmered marinara (low sodium) rather than BBQ. Peas would have been cooked from frozen and tossed with a tsp each of organic butter and Mrs. Dash.

 

I wouldn't have served the applesauce with supper. I would have served a leafy green veg.

 

I think your meal sounds so-so health wise. Not something I'd serve daily.

 

And to be fair, I'll let you know that I fed my kids grilled turkey and cheese sandwiches for supper tonight with watermelon on the side. Not exactly the epitome of healthy meals.

[Renee in NC]

Looks like a meal that would be welcome here ~ well, I wouldn't eat the meatballs, but that's because I'm a vegetarian. Dh and the kids would gobble them up though. :)

 

Everyone has different definitions of "healthy" ~ some people require their meals to have specific balances, organic stuff, cows that were raised indoors and given hoof massages every second night.... other people aren't as concerned and are pleased if their ramen has some extra dried veggies stuck between the noodles.

 

We're somewhere in between there - I'll admit that this meal, at our house, would likely have the peas coming from a can. [gasp] ;)

 

:lol::lol::lol:

 

I literally lol and then read it to my dh!

 

We wouldn't eat this at my house because my dh doesn't like meatballs, but I don't think it is unhealthy. At least by most people's standards - WTM standards are higher than the general public from how healthy food is to how loud you can be during labor!:lol:;) (Just make sure you put your cart back!:tongue_smilie:)

[gingersmom]

I don't think it was an unhealthy meal.

 

I try not to give my son meat more than once a month (if that) and I would switch to a baked potato.

[LadyR]

I wouldn't consider it a healthy meal. In our family, a healthy meal would consist of raw and/or lightly steamed veggies and perhaps some protein like baked or grilled chicken (no red meat) or hummus on fresh bread.

 

I use a lot of recipes from Dr. Rau's book "The Swiss Secret to Optimal Health"

[Ottakee]

I just put this out there for fun. It IS what we had for supper and it IS very interesting that in the WTM group, this is not healthy. I think if you sample most of American families this would be better than most of them ate--we at least got the food groups covered.

 

I wouldn't nec. call it a healthy meal but it was one of those.........it is 4:15 and we need supper by 5pm meals.

 

BBQ meat balls---these were those frozen pre-cooked meat balls. Throw on a little BBQ sauce from a bottle and bake. (A big favorite at Baptist potluck dinners)

 

Scalloped Potatoes---YEP, from a box, but at least with 2% milk and not whole

 

Peas---frozen instead of canned--so maybe I get points for no added sugar or salt

 

Applesauce--the yummy chuncky kind from the jar---sure it is loaded with high fructose corn syrup, etc.

 

Like I said, I am not claiming it was healthy but it was quick.

[ereks mom]

Peas and potatoes are both starchy vegetables, and shouldn't be served in the same meal. Other than that, sounds ok. ymmv

 

:iagree: Although I sometimes serve them together anyway. I usually serve a protein, a starch, and a fruit or vegetable.

[Ottakee]

:iagree: Although I sometimes serve them together anyway. I usually serve a protein, a starch, and a fruit or vegetable.

 

Peas were my son's choice, not mine. I would have gone with something else that that is what he brought up.

[Renee in NC]

I wouldn't consider it a healthy meal. In our family, a healthy meal would consist of raw and/or lightly steamed veggies and perhaps some protein like baked or grilled chicken (no red meat) or hummus on fresh bread.

 

I use a lot of recipes from Dr. Rau's book "The Swiss Secret to Optimal Health"

 

And my dh would have been asking me where dinner was.:lol: He is a manual laborer, so that probably has something to do with it.

[angela in ohio]

I just put this out there for fun. It IS what we had for supper and it IS very interesting that in the WTM group, this is not healthy. I think if you sample most of American families this would be better than most of them ate--we at least got the food groups covered.

 

I wouldn't nec. call it a healthy meal but it was one of those.........it is 4:15 and we need supper by 5pm meals.

 

BBQ meat balls---these were those frozen pre-cooked meat balls. Throw on a little BBQ sauce from a bottle and bake. (A big favorite at Baptist potluck dinners)

 

Scalloped Potatoes---YEP, from a box, but at least with 2% milk and not whole

 

Peas---frozen instead of canned--so maybe I get points for no added sugar or salt

 

Applesauce--the yummy chuncky kind from the jar---sure it is loaded with high fructose corn syrup, etc.

 

Like I said, I am not claiming it was healthy but it was quick.

 

It sounds better than the average American diet, as there was something green on the plate. :001_smile:

 

Like others have said, this wouldn't fit a healthy meal for us. The high point would be the peas. Frozen vegetables generally have the highest amount of nutrients, unless you are getting locally grown. :001_smile:

[Ravin]

Can you give some reference for this? I've not seen green peas classified as anything but starchy.

 

http://www.everynutrient.com/files/Health_Benefits_of_Peas.mht

 

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=55

 

http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm

 

Yes, there are 9.28 g of sugar in a serving, but there is also 8.58 g protein and 8.8 g fiber. The glycemic index of peas is 39, vs. 56 for a baked potato or 60 for boiled corn, which are the first things I thought of at the term "starchy vegetable". The high fiber and protein content lowers their glycemic load, something which has to be taken into consideration, not just the overall amount of sugar in the food.

[nono]

Like I said, I am not claiming it was healthy but it was quick.

 

 

And, did all of you enjoy it? That's something too! :) To me, a healthy meal is something everyone enjoys in very moderate portions.

[TheCoffeeChick]

I'm surprised at how many of you all would not serve apple sauce at dinner. I do quite often -- I can a bunch of it in the fall from apples we pick ourselves. It is just apples, no sugar - sometimes I put in a little cinnamon. I leave it a little chunky. YUM! It is so good and it's healthy. I'm just about out and am looking forward to September when we can go pick more apples.

[MelanieM]

If this meal had been made from scratch then yes, I would consider it healthy. Using the processed variety, then no, not what I'd call a healthy meal. (I'd still probably eat it though!)

 

My standard for healthy food is whether or not it's "real" food... if it's a whole food meal, made from real ingredients, then I consider it healthy. I don't really care much about whether or not every area is touched upon at each meal, and put more emphasis on the intake over a day or week. But I *love* to eat the same thing back-to-back, or eat an entire meal of one food... A life of grazing works for me!!

Edited June 8, 2010 by MelanieM

[RahRah]

Can you give some reference for this? I've not seen green peas classified as anything but starchy.

 

They're legumes (beans) not a vegetable.

[MBM]

I just put this out there for fun. It IS what we had for supper and it IS very interesting that in the WTM group, this is not healthy. I think if you sample most of American families this would be better than most of them ate--we at least got the food groups covered.

 

Well, last night we ate at Cheesecake Factory, land of 1,000 calorie salads! :D That's where my son wanted to eat for his birthday. The food is tasty but verrrry heavy -- enough to make me feel like a slug for hours.

 

Normally for dinner I'll make a big, messy salad. The base is always romaine, onions, artichokes (from Trader Joe's -- not fresh), raw onions, tomatoes, feta cheese and then my own Lazy Mom dressing (vinegar, salt, pepper, a little EVO). I'll also add fresh Greek oregano and bitter greens if they're available. Homemade soup, which I make in huge batches, fish or meat adds more protein. Dessert is fruit or a small fruit shake. Sometimes my husband and I will share a pitcher of sangria at our favorite tapas joint but just for the resveratrol, of course. ;)

[6packofun]

I think of "healthy" in the context of an entire week's worth of food, actually. Not in a strict, count grams of carbs kind of way, but just balanced. One meal does not make or break your health unless you have a specific medical condition! This meal has a little more starch than I'd usually try to serve, but I'd balance it out in the next meal by doubling up on veggies or having a veggie and a good fruit and maybe no starch at all (aside from what's in the fruit!) or a whole grain one. Simple. Nothing to worry about. :)

 

I was just reading a few weeks ago about how people in most Asian countries, where they GROW rice, eat the dreaded white rice that people here in America are now fearing like the AntiChrist. They rarely or never eat the healthier brown rice and yet why don't they have the same health issues (in general) that Americans do? It's a combination of factors, it's what they eat WITH the rice...it's always more complex than just "Is this a healthy item or meal or not?" The glycemic index of foods, for example, doesn't take into account *combinations* of foods which has a different effect on blood sugar levels than just one food eaten alone. (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes/an00754)

 

Make good choices all week long as best you can and as your wallet allows. Try to cut out processed stuff and eat fresh and RELAX. :D BIG picture.

Edited June 8, 2010 by 6packofun
.,.,

[Gratia271]

I think of "healthy" in the context of an entire week's worth of food, actually. Make good choices all week long as best you can and as your wallet allows. Try to cut out processed stuff and eat fresh and RELAX. :D BIG picture.

 

:iagree:

 

We take into account the week as a whole, though I am *attempting* to incorporate good habits in my children throughout each day in terms of what I serve. We avoid any processed foods and strictly limit sugar intake. I don't think one or two meals that are less than desirable will make or break one's health, though. :D

[angela in ohio]

I'm surprised at how many of you all would not serve apple sauce at dinner. I do quite often -- I can a bunch of it in the fall from apples we pick ourselves. It is just apples, no sugar - sometimes I put in a little cinnamon. I leave it a little chunky. YUM! It is so good and it's healthy. I'm just about out and am looking forward to September when we can go pick more apples.

 

I serve a fruit with dinner almost every night. That's our dessert. Applesauce from the store, with HFCS, wouldn't count as a fruit here, but yours would. Right now, it's berry time, but in the fall, chunky applesauce (even with some oats/honey/butter baked on top some nigths) will be on the menu.

[Crissy]

Just wondering what meets the standards of "healthy" in your house.

 

 

You dinner doesn't sound bad, but it wouldn't be a 'healthy' dinner here.

My healthy meal would be something similar to the one I served last night:

 

Grilled salmon

Roasted asparagus

Green salad with a variety of chopped, raw veggies--oil and vinegar dressing for two of us, the boys like their salads naked.

Brown rice (for the guys only--I'm skipping starches)

 

 

That certainly doesn't mean we don't have our share of meatloaf and mashed potato dinners, but we all feel better when I serve fewer starches. That indicates to me that meals like the one I listed above are healthier.

 

ETA: I just saw the post where you explained that all the components of your dinner were pre-packaged/processed. When I said it doesn't sound bad, I assumed mostly fresh ingredients/homemade. Boxed/canned/jarred foods definitely wouldn't make the healthy list here.

Edited June 8, 2010 by Crissy

[Pretty in Pink]

Hmm. I will serve applesauce with corndogs (homemade breading, organic beef franks), and I do serve fruit salad with pancakes (lots of sugar, I know).

 

The original question was, "What do you consider to be a healthy meal?"

 

1. Moderate amount of fat (preferably sourced from olive oil; limited intake of animal fats).

 

2. All ingredients are real food (so no preservatives, HFCS, artificial flavors or colors, MSG, or any other additives). Just real food.

 

3. The meal consists of half produce, one fourth whole grain, one fourth lean protien.

 

4. Low sodium.

 

I just put this out there for fun. It IS what we had for supper and it IS very interesting that in the WTM group, this is not healthy. I think if you sample most of American families this would be better than most of them ate--we at least got the food groups covered.

 

I think the meal you described is fairly average fare for the typical American family. Everything but the peas was highly processed.

Edited June 8, 2010 by Pretty in Pink

[LibraryLover]

I tend to look at our diet over a period of days, not just a meal. We had grilled beef hotdogs yesterday, and while they were from local grass fed cows, it wasn't wild salmon or black beans and brown rice with tons of kale or bok choy. lol I don't tend to fret too much over individual meals. I served a giant mixed- green (red leaf, romaine, arugula, parsely etc) salad tosesd w/ sliced strawberries (all from our garden) with the hot dogs. I did an easy balsamic and olive oil dressing with a little salt & ground black pepper. I think it was healthy enough, but a lot of people would not think hot dogs healthy.

 

The other day I did stiry fry with collards, carrots, red pepper, onions & garlic with lightly grilled tofu chunks. A lot of people would not consider the tofu healthy.

 

:D

[Jean in Newcastle]

 

I was just reading a few weeks ago about how people in most Asian countries, where they GROW rice, eat the dreaded white rice that people here in America are now fearing like the AntiChrist. They rarely or never eat the healthier brown rice and yet why don't they have the same health issues (in general) that Americans do? It's a combination of factors, it's what they eat WITH the rice...it's always more complex than just "Is this a healthy item or meal or not?" The glycemic index of foods, for example, doesn't take into account *combinations* of foods which has a different effect on blood sugar levels than just one food eaten alone. (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes/an00754)

 

 

 

This is sort of off-topic but "health nuts" in Japan do eat brown rice. But the normal person will not eat it because it is considered "low class" because only poor country folk weren't able to get the polished white rice that others ate. You are right that they don't have the same health issues (traditionally) as they do in the US - though that is changing rapidly. Instead they have other health problems - some due to the salty food that is a norm, the amount of mercury in fish etc. This is all to say that things are that simple!

[Crissy]

I was just reading a few weeks ago about how people in most Asian countries, where they GROW rice, eat the dreaded white rice that people here in America are now fearing like the AntiChrist.

 

:001_huh:

I don't see the issue as having anything to do with dread and fear. Simply, it is just as easy to choose brown rice as it is white rice (the bags are stacked side by side at Costco), so we buy the one that is a little healthier.

[Greta]

I'm surprised at how many of you all would not serve apple sauce at dinner. I do quite often -- I can a bunch of it in the fall from apples we pick ourselves. It is just apples, no sugar - sometimes I put in a little cinnamon. I leave it a little chunky. YUM! It is so good and it's healthy. I'm just about out and am looking forward to September when we can go pick more apples.

 

I would eat your applesauce! It sounds wonderful. The stuff from the store with corn syrup . . . not so much.