DesireeNevermind said:

I have toasted sesame oil at home from TJs and some onion and garlic infused oil from Target. Both were inexpensive, and I only use 1 teaspoon (again, healthy) for one serving of stir fry. If I’m cooking with other liquids (like coconut milk), I won’t use any at all.

I also buy my olive oil in big, bulk cans from a middle eastern grocery and pour it in smaller bottles for easier use when cooking. Way cheaper and it's good, quality stuff.

DesireeNevermind said:

I'm not a conspiracy theorist at all, but there's something to be said for the fact that there's a lot more money to be made in treating the results of obesity than there is in preventing it.

Still, you CAN eat more naturally and more healthfully without going broke. One way is to cook meals from scratch. You can save a ton of money doing that.

Fenwick said:

Yes, but also at your grocery store. You can ask them where stuff comes from. Where I shop, most of it is posted, or even the fruit and stuff is labeled as such.

Costco is good for bulk fruit and vegetables. Sure, the initial membership fee of $50 is kind of steep, but if you shop maybe once or twice a month, you get that back in savings.

I find that the stuff labeld "organic" is ridiculously expensive. Seems to me that if stuff is grown without all the fertilizers and herbicides, it should be less expensive. That's why during the summer, I grow as much produce and herbs that my deck container gardens can hold. I don't spend a dime on tomatoes, peppers, melons and herbs.

CarrieMpls said:

Anyone else get an image of Carrie attempting to pour oil into a wok from an oil drum sized container the first time she bought it?

Have you tried the spray stuff? Comes in a pump action bottle. I just keep refilling mine, one with sesame seed oil, the other with olive oil. Couple of sprays is enough to stir fry anything and it works out at about 2 calories.

Efan said:

Agree with all of the above.

erik319 said:

I totally need to get spray bottles for my oils, yes. Now I carefully measure it out so I know what I'm getting, but it's helpful for other stuff and I know I wouldn't need nearly as much.

Efan said:

My friend has a small child, she's a single mom and she works. She has been buying this kid lots of fast food lately because her man is late with the child support and she's always too tired to cook. On occasion I baby sit and when this kid was like 2, she loved baby carrots, bananas, blackberries and all the sweet natural food. It was so easy to feed her when I was baby sitting, I could literally give her the same stuff I was eating and she would drink water with no complaint. Now she's four and dammit, if I don't take her to KFC or Taco Bell she's having a fit. She will eat fruit but only if it's dried. Fortunately I like dried fruit too but I worry about her teeth (fuck, I worry about mine). I tried to make her homemade apple sauce ( I don't eat that jarred crap) and she liked it but asked why I didn't have Motts. Plus this girl is all about the Kool Aid. Fuck that sugar water! I hate making it, I feel like I'm poisoning her. She's a 4 year old crack head in the making! Well not really but you catch my drift.

DesireeNevermind said:

Sounds awful. I don't have any kids and never will, so I try never to assume I know the first thing about being a parent. But I still judge the way some people feed their kids. I got in a big argument with my sister one time about it. Lots of members of my immediate and extended family, including myself, have battled weight problems, so when I saw my sister feeding ice cream to a one-year-old, I was like WTF? That kid doesn't even KNOW he wants ice cream and you're shoving it down his throat? It's like we don't even give kids a chance anymore. We just throw horrible (but good-tasting) food at them. It's a shame.

I had a coworker who gave birth to the most beautiful baby I had ever seen. The mom was obese and I prayed that the gene would not pass to that beautiful child. When she was about 3, the company gave a family picnic and mom and baby were there. I got thoroughly disgusted when I saw mother and aunt stuffing that child with hot dogs, hamburger, bread, soda, cake, candy, etc. I mean they were literally shoving that crap down the baby's throat. Both of them, mom and aunt were fat as sows. This happened about 30 years ago. I would love to see that child as an adult today. Hell, she might be dead, what with the terrible eating habits forced upon her.

my nephew is like that. I couldn't drive past a McDonald's for the longest without him asking for something. Didn't help there's a McDonalds on every corner! Finally I was like don't ask or you will never see McDonald's again in your life until you are grown. He also used to ask to sip on my coffee and whatnot. All he would eat was chicken nuggets, hot dogs, and package mac n chees. And his grandma was all "I'm not going to force him to eat something he doesn't like. Lil fucker didn't even know what he liked!! But he'd make faces and shit if it wasn't what he was used to. I had to put my foot down with that shit too and make him eat it, whether he wanted to or not. Now....fucker knows, if I give you Cream of Wheat, better shut up and eat Cream of Wheat like it damn french toast sticks.

I was a picky eater too as a kid *snickers* but dang, these kids are all snotty and whatnot about it. Plus seeing all these hefty ass children is crazy. Lil 8 yr old girls with titties and whatnot.

At least the kid is skinny (because of the hyperactiveness LOL).

DesireeNevermind said:

i often think of this while shopping....a pack of 6 donuts= $2...try and buy 6 apples for that price...and we are the Apple Isle

here its a duopoly of major supermarkets.

Being a Type I Diabetic, I eat pretty healthy. The majority of food I eat is cooked by myself. I can't really say I spend too much on food. When I buy vegetables, I tend to by more frozen vegetables. Frozen vegetables tend to contain more nutrients then "fresh vegetables". Vegetables began losing their nutrients when they are harvested--freezing helps to preserve the nutrients.


I also tend to think the specialty "Health" food stores, such as Trader Joes, take advantage of shoppers who could buy a cheaper, just as healthy alternative at a big chain store.

There definitely needs to be some changes in quality of food in America. In regards to the obesity epidemic, having more high quality foods would definitely be a great help. However, you can lose weight eating any type of food really. It's all about portion control. Eat less + Move more = weight loss.

Efan said:

Trying to keep us sick and on the prescription drugs, at home glued to the tele. where is the healthy food in the school lunch programs? where are the school lunch, not to mention breakfast, programs? And wth is there a mcdonald's on every corner in suburbia with a starbucks on ever corner downtown? Where are the community gardens? This is bullshit.

I don't know where you live, but if there is any agriculture going on within a few hours drive you can probably sign up for a community supported agriculture program. You can find your own personal farmer here: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

I get a box of fresh local organic veggies and a dozen organic eggs delivered to me every two weeks for $35! I like knowing my farmer and how my food is grown. I can even go visit the farm whenever I want.

You guys are WAAAAAY better than me. This thread has literally made me feel guilty.

Well, this is the deal with me: I weigh 175lbs right now, and I'm 5'3'' (female) and I'm trying to lose 20lbs by the middle of June and 20 more by the end of the summer (I've lost 15 so far). Been trying to not drink SODA, eat fast food, etc. The thing that has really helped me so far is not having a car (mines went out on me this past January) and I've just been walking everywhere and eating more lightly, and doing cardio kicking off of Prince music (haha) along with other music. Doing pilates and yoga, want to take a class as soon as I get a car again. Eating wise, just trying to buy fresher and not buy canned goods. I live about 10 mins away from a trader joes and about 20 mins (by bus) away from a Sendicks, Outpost and whole foods. I'm gonna have to start shopping there when I make more money. I was one of those little kids who ate fast food growing up and now I'm suffering for it as an adult!

Damned you Ronald Mcdonald!!! Damned you!! (just kidding).

GREAT READ: FAST FOOD NATION I've got to get that book!!!
[Edited 4/8/10 19:12pm]

DesireeNevermind said:

I think the government does have something to do with this

Girl4both said:

Actually, the government doesn't have enough to do with this, but that's for a different forum.

I can go to the pharmacy and get some pain killer with a narcotic for like 5 bucks- providing I tell my doctor I have a headache that won't go away. At that same pharmacy, a good multi-vitamin will cost me 8 or 9 bucks - of course I don't need a doctor's note. The vitamin says it works best with a sensible diet. The painkiller just says "don't take with alcohol."

Anyway...


I love Trader Joes but dayum...they're just as pricey as Whole Foods. I do love their ready made salads and the pumpkin bread.

Stax said:

I agree

QUESTION FOR ANYONE: Do anyone use the crystal light packets @ all?? I've always used them but the sweetner in them is a little 'questionable.' I think the best thing to drink is good ol fashion H20! LOL

Girl4both said:

Those are too sweet for me.

Girl4both said:

I drink the lemon flavor every now and then.

Girl4both said:

Poison. It has Aspartame in it.

DesireeNevermind said:

real talk they are.but i like'em tho.always have things i could never find in a regular store

It does suck that healther alternatives to some more "traditional" foods are so expensive. What I've ended up doing is getting pretty creative with cheaper things like beans, lentils and cabbage (for example). I can make a sloppy joe type of dish with lentils and there's not much I love more than cumin fried cabbage. I also cook in bulk and freeze in batches.

Christopher said:

I can't seem to find a full bunch/head of radicchio or star fruit in regular stores. Radicchio is always in some salad mix that I have to buy by the pound and star fruit is just nowhere to be found in those regular stores. Shit I'm surprised they have asian pear and blood oranges.

Here veggies and fruit are very cheap, whereas convenience foods, relatively speaking, are very expensive. I can even get a big pick and mix salad at the market with lettuce, red cabbage, baby tomatoes, pumpkin, water chestnuts, corn, barley, shredded carrot, and a hard boiled egg for the equivalent of $0.75.

Dried goji berries are only $15 a kilo too.

DesireeNevermind said:

I just had a salad yesterday with Radicchio and Spinach. Good stuff.

DesireeNevermind said:

GAT DAYUM !

CarrieMpls said:

Thank you. You just made my vegetable list for the weekend.