Find it hard to eat right? I mean really right? It's not your fault at least not entirely. Today's lifestyle usually calls for a dual income household and the luxury of cooking homestyle meals isn't left just to the wife anymore. We are pressed for time so we have to eat when we can, what we can and it isn't easy to eat like we should. I know we are bombarded by TV shows telling us how to eat healthy and this and that and once we turn away from the TV, it just doesn't happen. Lets get real about all this and
lets eat real in a real world. And that means you're not going to walk out to your garden and pick some fresh tomatoes and go inside to cook up a fresh
tomato & garden vegetable soup up from scratch served with homemade honey wheat-berry bread and steamed salmon alongside sauteed asparagus & garlic-herb new potatoes. It just ain't going to happen. If it does, it is either a holiday, day off, or one of the spouses screwed up.
But there is a solution to eating real in a real world. Lets think about it realistically. You get up in the morning to go to work, quick breakfast of coffee and a sweet roll, lunch is probably fast food or a cheap brown bag, and dinner might be nearby takeout or frozen/canned slap together meal. After all, who has time to be pealing potatoes after working all day. You have to deal with the kids if you have them, check mail, answer messages, hit the shower, ect. and ect. I think our confusion stems from us think all or nothing-like we either have to do it all homestyle or suffer eating tktake out. No we can have both by simply compromising and splitting it down the middle.
For breakfast, a 3 minute microwave of an oatmeal packet works fine. Eat that and tear out the door with your coffee and a banana. For lunch, many fast food places are now becomming 'fast service' places serving up much healthier options, just look around. As far as brown bagging, keep it basic and simple with whole fruit, deli sandwiches, healthy microwavable meals, and health drinks. Be sure to split up brown bagging with going out for lunch to keep your diet exciting and well rounded. Diet fail because they just get BORING...mix it up with fast service and frequent your in-house cafeteria if you have one and suggest healthier food options if need be. Remember eating healthy doesn't mean boring. Actually, true healthy food is exciting and delicious like pan seared cajun catfish with mango pico de gallo with red beans and rice and a tropical smoothie. Healthy exciting foods deal with light herbs, simple marinade, fun cooking method like grilling or searing and a fun sauce or salsa. Yeah, just like on TV. But you don't have to go through all that prep and work like TV. Try buying marinated foods, or fresh frozen ready to eat meals. At least that is a compromise. Not quite take out but not quite made from scratch. So you can comfortable eat midway on the ideal health index and your spending will be midway. And midway will work. Hell, that is 50%, better odds than Vegas. Listen, it comes down to carefully chosing food options and substituting items. You can buy great pre-cooked pork meals, do a nice packaged sauce and bake off 'brown & serve' rolls with magarine instead of butter. You won't spend as much as eating out but you won't save as much as cooking from scratch but with today's time restraints, it will work. Balancing out the dollar costs and time, it all works out.
So start thinking strategy, strategy, strategy. If you're a chess player, this should be easy. Yeah, some days, you can go for a greasy fast food hamburger-we need it from time to time. Some days, you just have to MAKE THE TIME to cook from scratch. And other days, just modify and put together a expedient meaL like what was mentioned. Remember, finally it is all in moderation and utlimately it is what it is and what work for you-works!
Now what does all this have to do with Kimchi??? Oh, I almost forgot, I am always on the lookout and journey for fun, exciting, delicious and healthy foods. Kimchi is a great way to compliment any existing meal and give it a great ZAP of freshness and zing. I had my lunch today: Tai Pei Chicken Fried Rice (14.2 oz container) from the frozen food section of Food for Less costing about $3. Gave it about 7 minutes in the microwave and topped it off with cool, crisp mild Kimchi from the deli section (3 ounce portion) and a tall glass of Tampico Tropical Punch. Now the whole meal is costing about
$5 which is less the price of a decent fast service place and the USDA nutritional information is telling me that I am eating a fairly nutritionous meal. At least, I am not having fast food with a soda pop (which is fine in moderation in conjunction with a healthy eating plan).
So by finding a healthy option like Kimchi, you can combine this with your meals to give it a exciting lift and eat healthy. Speaking of which, did you know that Kimchi is simply marinated/fermented Nappa Cabbage with scallion, garlic, ginger in a little red chile, salt & sugar. It is gluten free, cholesterol free, low carb, no preservatives/msg and can be eaten with many meals. Substitute the lettuce in your burger with kimchi-Kimchi Burger. Toss it with fresh romaine lettuce with mushrooms, sprouts, and croutons-Kimchi Romaine. And so on and so on. Did you know also that eating Kimchi can also reduce cholesterol and hot peppers (within moderation) is a natural antioxidant. You just make eating exciting, simple and fun and you'll find it becoming a healthy life style option.
So go out there and find your 'Kimchi' to spice up your healthy eating life style.
So go out there
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