Food for thought

[grammarwoman]

Unraveling my thoughts about food has taken me down a long and twisty path. At the heart of it all, I blame the Great Depression.

My parents were both raised in households of children of the Depression. Their parents saved everything, knew the value of a dollar, and never wasted food. Waste, in general, was a sin. (German Protestant upbringing, can you tell?) Between that, and the damned Clean Plate Club, (thanks for nothing, Truman!), I have some weird, ingrained ideas about food.

For one, if I put something on my plate, I need to eat it, or at least save it for later. I’ve been known to get doggie-bags for ridiculously small portions. If I can’t save it, then I’ll finish it, even if I’m well past satisfied and into overstuffed, because, again, wasting food is Bad, Sinful or even Evil. Plus, what if I’m famished again later, either between meals or dinner and bedtime? If I eat it all now, then I’ll put off being hungry that much longer.

Even more bizarrely, this also applies to things left on the husband or kid’s plate, or even in the serving dish. If it’s something less than a portion, I find myself compelled to finish it. A portion or more will wind up in the fridge for a later lunch (most of the time, at least). It’s practically a psychosis that, if I dump some piece of consumable food in the garbage, I’ll get in trouble somehow. I need to convince myself that I’m not doing myself any favors by being a human vacuum cleaner, and that I’m not going to Hell for throwing away food.

It doesn’t help that I exhibit all the symptoms of being a carbohydrate addict. If I gave into my urgings, I could eat an entire bowl of plain pasta, straight from the pot, and be hungrier when I finished than when I started. I’ve had moderate success in the past with following a low-carb diet, but it’s both hard and expensive to base all my meals around protein and fiber with minimum amounts of carbs. Add to that that the Emperor and my husband prefer starchy meals, and I’m looking at a lot of work to find one meal that we can all enjoy.

It seems so damned simple, to pay attention to my fullness level and not to childhood conditioning. I wonder if the current obesity crisis is linked in some part from other people having the same background. How many others are compelled to clean their plates? Do they have edicts like “There’s children starving in [foreign country X], so finish your food!” running in the back of their heads?

My goal is to take smaller portions, and not clean up the other plates after dinner. Maybe I’ll even talk myself into throwing away the leftover bits. It’s going to be hard. *sigh*

Comments

[chelleg1977.livejournal.com]

Use a smaller plate and measure your portions using actual measuring cups/spoons. And ask hubster to clear the leftovers from the table? At least for awhile?

The smaller plate bit really helped me out a lot. And I try to make sure my meals and snacks are balanced with carbs, protein and fat.

Oh, and www.fitday.com is an awesome resource.

[grammarwoman]

That's some good advice -- thanks.

[the-sween.livejournal.com]

I had the same kind of upbringing, but I somehow avoided this pitfall. I find myself generally making two kinds of meals for us: exactly the right amount for that meal or planned-overs. The former is the trickier of the two, but with planned-overs, I don't find myself in the mindset of needing to finish things because I expect it to last several days.

And, well, Lance get's a lot of table scraps. I don't feel bad about that because at least it's getting eaten.

[grammarwoman]

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one with that background -- were you always resistant, or was it a "getting out on your own" thing?

It used to be so easy to make a planned-size meal (a certain number of chicken breasts, etc.), but then came the Emperor, and his wacky eating habits.

Damn I'm good at whining and making excuses. *razzer-frazzer*

[the-sween.livejournal.com]

Heh. My Mom's family is terrible about this stuff. They're packrats anyway and it just extends into the realm of food. My grandmother takes butter packets from the restaurant because they come in small, easy to use containers. Same thing with creamer. She has salt packets in a drawer that came with her Steak n' Shake from 30 years ago. Likewise, if there's a scrap of food, it goes home. I basically just rejected that mindset after high school because I didn't want all that stuff around whether it was food or "other" (deli containers, egg cartons, string etc.).

It also helped that my father recognized this behavior and has made light of it to both my mom and grandmother even knowing the reprocussions of his seditious behavior. One year, he made little "restaurant bags" gag gifts for both of them. They had individual baggies labeled "salt", "pepper", "ice", "butter" etc. on them. I think he was in trouble for at least a month. I also know that he felt the crime was worth the punishment.

[hecateuse.livejournal.com]

I was definitely raised that wasting food is a sin. I still believe that to be true, and am usually pretty good about doggie bags, polishing off leftovers before they get all furry, etc. That part of it, I actually believe is a virtue since there ARE starving people in the world and it DOES save money when you eat yesterday's dinner for today's lunch.

But... the other stuff I think comes down to portion control and fullness/satiety biofeedback like you said. I'm horrible at it. Particularly in knowing when to stop eating. I've read any number of articles and I just think it's a complex combination of evolution (gorge now to avoid starvation later), chemistry (many people confuse the sensation of being thirsty with the sensation of being hungry, hence the advice to dieters to drink some freaking water when hungry), social cues which teach us that a "proper" meal is something like 3000 calories, and just plan habit.

The smaller plate trick definitely helps. Our dinner plates are huge, which is a problem, but for snacks like ice cream, cereal, etc. I try to go with a small Chinese rice bowl instead of our huge mahonkin' cereal bowls. Even if I go back for a 2nd one, it's still less.

Good luck! I really need to start caring more about my diet. Maybe next month...

[sweetcoalminer.livejournal.com]

I eat way too much, and I know that when the famine comes, I will live off my fat stores.

I planned it this way! :)

[herbivorous.livejournal.com]

The only thing I would add:

Think about when you developed your carb cravings. Think if you have not had that issue.

Yeah, so maybe even if hubby and Emperor *prefer* starchy meals, it wouldn't be a bad idea as a family to move into the fiber/protein realm as a family?

Also--Yes, it is expensive to eat right. And Americans have gotten used to cheap food. But it is also expensive to have a TiVo and the vast tubes of the Internets and a car and a home.

But not having any of the above will not cause heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. Having a poor diet *will*. My mother drives me nuts because she says eating well is "too expensive", to which I respond, "It's hella more expensive to get sick."

When I was a Starving College Student, I made the decision to make good, fresh food a financial priority. I have not always succeeded (I've had my share of Ramen Days), but I think that, given the level of stress I've often operated under, I would be FAR less healthy if I didn't do that. It's just a phase-shift. But you'll be very happy you make the priority change.

[grammarwoman]

Not only is it expensive to eat a better balance, but it's time-consuming as well. *sigh* I really need to overhaul my schedule as well, to have more time to cook.

But yes, you make several very good points.

[herbivorous.livejournal.com]

It doesn't have to be. I got into the habit of making several store-able (either fridge or freezer) things every week or so, like a veggie lasagna that got frozen, or individual burritos (you can make your own damn frozen burritos. Just pre-freeze 'em on a cookie sheet before you wrap them and store them.)

Keep some greens around for salad, have lots of fruit and sliced veggies on hand, make some stuff like healthy bean dips, hummus, or baba ghanouj to have on hand. It stores well, and is a good quick meal.

I worked until ten tonight, and didn't get home until almost midnight. I had a homemade frozen burrito (organic chicken, whole-wheat tortilla, fat-free refried beans, steamed spinach, grilled onions and grilled peppers with a teensy bit of cheddar) topped with hummus.

I've never had the time-suck that being Mommy is, but I did work and go to school, or work two jobs, and this is how I managed to eat *fairly* well. Yeah, I had my "Fuck it, it's pizza" nights, but I am terrible at planning and forethought and still managed to do okay.

Also, invest in a rice cooker--you can make rice and lentils so quickly. Dump in the ingredients, press a button, come back in forty minutes to dinner. And, you can make it any style you like: Curry, Spanish, Mexican, Italian....Rice and lentils might sound like Damn Hippy food, but with a little variation even picky eaters will like it.

[sabaceanbabe.livejournal.com]

Whoa. Um, do you realize that you and I are like, psychic twins or something? I don't have an Emperor to deal with (at least not of the human variety), but other than that...

O_o

I've been telling myself for years that it's okay to not eat everything. Or, at least, I've been *trying* to tell myself that. It doesn't always work. Like the other night when I put too much spaghetti on my plate and then, instead of saving some for lunch, I ate all of it. *headdesk*

Maybe we can support each other in breaking away from the insanity. :)

[grammarwoman]

Solidarity, sistah!

I'm thinking about setting up some kind of reward system (other than the thrill of dropping pounds/inches), where a week of controlled eating earns me a book or something.

Why does this have to be so _hard_?

[sabaceanbabe.livejournal.com]

Why does this have to be so _hard_?

*sigh* I think it all has to do with responsible adulthood, or some nonsense like that. :(

[revjack.livejournal.com]

When I start off my meals with salads, fruits, and other bulky fiber foodstuffs, I do a much better job at stopping when I'm full.

[grammarwoman]

Salads, yes! Soups work really well, too.

Thanks for the reminder.

[kayoteelsewhere.livejournal.com]

I have a major problem not clearing my plate. I have no urge to clear Jon's (though I think he should). Leftovers in the pot go in the fridge. A couple bites I'll eat, but anything I can't stick on a serving spoon is enough to put away.

If there are leftovers in the fridge it strikes me as silly & wasteful to let it go bad--why take up space if it's not going to be eaten? Drives me nuts when I end up eating the "OK, but not great" food because someone else is "tired of it". I don't mind eating my part of it, but I think the rest of the household (this is an ongoing problem from roommates as well) should eat theirs too. I don't like being the fiscally responsible/non-wasteful person and other folks eating whatever looks better that night, instead of what was cooked. We try to mostly buy good food, even if it's more expensive, so I really don't like throwing it out. Even worse than cheap food!

Smaller plates is a good thing.

Putting less on my plate and going back for seconds is also a good thing. If it's not on my plate, I don't feel I have to eat it. But I have major problems throwing out food already on my plate.

I figure we should generally cook food we like, so the occasional blah-meal shouldn't be a major burden to finish up over a few days, rather than throwing it out. Similarly, I should usually know how hungry I am, and err on the side of not enough food then go back for more, rather than taking more and throwing it out.

So I guess I figure my neurosis are just pointers to doing better--know how hungry, cook good food.

[(Anonymous)]

It's super hard to change your diet. We don't eat much red meat anymore and, while there's some positive health benefits, it feels like I'm just throwing money away to buy other kinds of meats. It's hard enough to make dinner with distractions, but to make new dinners is harder. What works best for both Mike and I is to just throw things away and stock the house with better foods. It's hard to do - I want to save things just in case, but it's true what was posted above - the savings over the long run from good health is much better than the savings for your grocery bill. Think about the Emperor - you want to be there for him for years to come as healthy as you can be. Have you thought about those 100 calorie packs for your carb cravings? The oreos are good, and they've just come out with sun chips. The trouble you have to go through to get the pack open makes you think twice about going back for more. Are you eating a low-fat breakfast of cereal and milk? That really does work to eat a low carb cereal (special K makes delicious flavors) and milk. I've also found that drinking milk when you're hungry or bored or watching tv is good to distract those hunger vibes - you're putting something in your stomach and it tastes different than other food/sodas/liquids. Just keep posting about it - we'll all support you.
~kazudi

[grammarwoman]

Aw, thanks!

[miniglik.livejournal.com]

The food-throwing-away-phobia must make it so difficult to change your eatting habits. Every time you try something new you probably have to readjust to getting the portions right too. I can't imagine.

The only possible suggestions I have is making the husband starches that don't interest you as much (if there are any), or that are of a very limited quantity. I tend to make a meat and a vegetable with ever dinner, then cook J (who absolutely has to have huge amounts of starch every dinner, or he starts losing weight) a potato or something. Or I could make him up rice (although I haven't for awhile), which I'm not really fond of.