Good AND healthy food.

So as much as I absolutely loved the dinner at Kals, I felt pretty bad on Sunday. I talked to some friends, did some soul searching (and mirror gazing ) and I came to the realization that the time that I've been avoiding for 5 years has come.

I joined the Evanston Atheltic Club on Monday and I've been exercising and trying to watch what I eat. I've got a plan and I'm going to do my damndest to stick with it, by next Xmas I'm hoping to be a new man or at least a 60# skinnier one.

It's sooooo difficult! I drive around the city and I'm constantly barraged by sights and smells that tempt me mercilessly. Any ideas for healthy good chow in the city? I'm looking on the cheap eats side.

I'm not going to deprive myself. For instance tonight I had some very nice teriyaki glazed salmon with rice and sauteed green onions. But I know that I will not be able to cook at home every night or lunch and I need recommendations on places where I can get some good food that isn't deep fried, loaded with sweet delicious soul nurturing pork fat....sorry, got a bit carried away there or drowned in sour cream, queso chihuaha and avocado.

It's funny you should mention this. A couple of years ago I lost nearly 60 lbs. on a diet that I invented myself called the half diet. I didn't limit the foods I ate at all (except to stop drinking milk). For lunch, I usually had only a salad or a bowl of soup, and for dinner I had whatever I wanted except that I only ate 1/2 of whatever was served to me. It worked really well. I dropped several pants sizes. Of course, those that have seen me lately know that I have put all of the weight back on again. I've been thinking about starting up the half diet again. I think your post might be just what I need to inspire me to get started.

Sushi and edamame is tasty for a lighter meal.

Funny you should mention sushi, I am planning on sushi from Sea Ranch for lunch tomorrow after my 12 o'clock Wilmette appointment.

stevez, I fully realize how hard it is going to be but not taking care of myself physically and financially were the two biggest reasons I lost my last girlfriend and I don't ever want to make that mistake again. It's a complete change in lifestyle and I know I'm going to fall short from time to time but I have committed to this course of action.

Since you're Evanston-based, have you thought about some of the low-fat, rice-laden dishes at Olive Mountain?

nr706 wrote:Since you're Evanston-based, have you thought about some of the low-fat, rice-laden dishes at Olive Mountain?

I always find Whole Foods' food court in Evanston a safe place for yummy salads/soups with fresh low/cal ingredients.....

For healthy meals in an interesting atmosphere, try heartland cafe (7000 n glenwood) about 10 minutes from downtown Evanston.
Elie

Best of luck with your goals. Some random thoughts that might be of help:

Did you happen to catch a recent news item about a BYU professor's "intuitive dieting" plan? Steve Z's intriguing "half diet"made me think of it. You can read about it here if interested:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/diet.fitness/12/05/intuitive.eating.ap/index.html

Another Evanston option is Cross Rhodes. A cup of their egg-lemon soup and their souvlaki sandwich (they will let you choose a grilled chicken skewer instead of the pork) with their tangy, not-too-sugary and can't-have-much-fat, red sauce would be a pretty healthy (and I think tasty) meal and wouldn't set you back much. You would just have to avoid ordering the tempting Greek fries.

Also, I'm not sure about going for rice-laden meals unless they're brown rice or have some sort of positive fiber value. Not promoting the Atkins diet by any means and I am not a professional dietician or physician and I'm not saying never eat white or jasmine rice, but I thought the prevailing wisdom is that the more complex carbs you can incorporate, the better. I think you will have better success going for the whole-grain, heartier stuff and making the white bread, et al carbs more like a condiment than a centerpiece.

And to bring this back to restaurants, Ethiopian food could be a good, if not immediately nearby, option for you. I personally really like Ras Dashen, which is maybe a 15-20 minute drive from downtown Evanston. You can definitely order a healthy but (I think anyway) still very tasty meal from there. And teff, the grain injera is made from, is rumored to be quite healthy. Any of the standard veggie dishes would work I think (timatim fitfit -- called komodoro fitfit on Ras Dashen's menu -- misser wat, kik alicha, qosta, gomen, dilblik atkilt, etc.) and most of their meat options would be reasonable too (e.g., doro alicha seems like a low-fat food). Ras Dashen does take-out by the way.

Again, good luck!

Cross Rhodes
913 Chicago Ave.
Evanston
(847) 475 4475
http://crossrhodes.biz/

Ras Dashen
5846 N Broadway
Chicago
(773) 506-9601
http://www.rasdashenchicago.com/

In Evanston, my sister always makes me go to Blind Faith Cafe. I quite enjoy it. As with Whole Foods, I think some of their stuff is vegetarian and reasonably healthy but high in calories, but there are some diet-friendly items.

One problem with most restaurants is that even if the dish is not horribly fat-laden, the portions are often too large for someone who is dieting. Since joining Weight Watchers, I've been amazed at the results I get by looking up restaurants on their site or Dottie's. In many cases one dish is almost my entire food allowance when I'm in the losing phase of the program.

I like the idea of eating half of everything.

A low fat/tasty/eat easily food are the Korean beef maki [I'm sure there's a proper name, I just don't know what is is] that you can find at Clark Market on Kedzie. They have a small selection of prepared foods at the back of the store, kind of behind the panchan bar. The "beef maki" come about 12 slices to the package, have veggies, protein & rice all in one 2-bite size finger food delight. You can pick up some other veggies if you want [I usually pick up something from the 'greens with soy & sesame' group] or whatever other panchan-type thing you like. It's a big bar. You can't eat panchan easily while driving, but the "beef maki" don't do badly.

I'm looking forward to more ideas, having a need for healthy, quick take out stuff myself.

Giovanna

Clark Market
4853 N. Kedzie Ave.
773-479-2262

Here is 10 tips for shedding some pounds, not that looking at me you would believe any work ...you will find it is easier said than done, but go with the motivation while you have it. I am still about 25 lbs off my maximum density after letting my self go for the past several months .... BTW, I am not a doctor, but I have rented enough of them.


1. See the nutritionist at EAC, she used to work at NW's Wellness Center and moved to EAC to work less hours, where I saw her and liked her style. You'll know if it is her, because she has some 'tude (doesn't accept excuses or b.s.) "Do you really expect me to believe all the extra calories last week came from too much low fat yogurt? However, I think going a few rounds with any nutritionist will help cut through some of the crap we are subjected to through advertising, "news", and word of mouth.

2. Find someone to workout with...it is a lot harder to cancel/avoid a trip to the gym when you have to meet someone.

3. Men's health online e-newsletter. Lot's of crap advertising, but also things like 40 ways to incorporate vegetables in your diet.

4. Send me a pm with your email (ANYONE); I have a links page with quality links to national weight loss registry, etc. cuts through all the crap you get with a Google search.

5. Ramp up the fiber in your diet. RDA is 35gr. for men, average American eats about 16gr. Get it in the morning with supplements, oatmeal, whole grains, and fruit (fresh and dried). High fiber diet evens out the cravings by keeping your blood sugar more stable (one of several physical factors leading to appetite).

6. Keep snack size boxes of raisins, crasins (more sugar), and prunes (Sunsweet has them in snack packs of three) in the truck. High fiber and something to chew...gets you past a craving. Would you please write to Sunsweet and ask them to make additional flavors available in the snack size...I am sooo tired of plain and cherry....they have lemon and orange in the family packs.

7. Buy snack size zip lock bags and repackage everything that is a snack in your house. Eating two tablespoons of nuts is o.k., sitting down with the full bag in front of the TV. is a BAD IDEA.

8. I am on the Fiber bandwagon, but my new interest is Auga de Jamaica, you may have seen the hibiscus flowers (actually it is the calyx or bud covering) for sale at Maxwell Street Market. Auga de Jamaica, in addition to a great source of vitamin C is a natural and mild diuretic, which may assist in lowering blood pressure. Read more about Jamaica here.

9. See my smoothie recipe here.

10. Buy some really nice measuring cups. Measure everything…when it says only 200 calories in a half cup…don’t eyeball it.

11. Get the hell out of the chain grocery stores. The big stores are nothing but extra aisles of processed crap that you don’t need. [I got this tip from a magazine that suggested only shopping the perimeter of a grocery store, produce and dairy.] I started going to Edgewater produce after my Saturday or Sunday workout instead of Jewel. Alright, so I indulge in a half pound of carnitas once in a while…I am buying mostly fresh fruits and vegetables and I am also saving money. I throw away a few more items that go bad because they are not pumped full of shelf stabilizers. However, compared to the money I save, it is inconsequential. This is by far one of the most positive changes I made this year.

Edit: Thanks for the reminder... when shopping at Edgewater Produce, I do not have to spend a great deal of time reading lables...when I pick up a fresh red pepper, I pretty much know that everything inside is good for me.

I second Bibi Rose's opinion of Blind Faith. We used to live in Evanston and initially a vegetarian friend dragged me there, but it didn't take long for me to love it. I returned several times after that under my own power.

I also agree about Whole Foods. If I am buying any of their prepared products, I am very careful to consider what's in them and read the nutrional label.

As people so often discuss, portion size is out of control. My husband was out to dinner with clients last week at one of the upscale steak houses, and the smallest piece of meat you could order was 14 oz. I just have never gotten that myself. Because he dines out a lot, he rarely eats all of what's on his plate and always orders a green salad.

When pdaane says "measure everything" he is so right. I bristle when Rachel Ray tells you that "you can just eyeball it" or Tyler Florence tells you to use a two count or three count pour of olive oil. I just can't do that anymore.

I read your plans for weight loss and I thought of my own new limited diet, which is about 500 times more restrictive than yours, mainly because of all kinds of fun autoimmune diseases I seem to have inherited. I saw this incredible nutritionist in Northfield ( www.nutritionalconcepts.com ), who, after analyzing my cbc (complete blood count) plus a few other tests, put me on a health program tailored specifically to my needs. It has been incredible - and very difficult. She has made me give up wheat (and its relatives, including oats) and all products with salicytic acid (tomatoes, chilies, herbs!!! etc), which is not an easy chore. I still eat a healthy dose of carbs (including white rice, as brown has the uncanny ability to sweep out vitamins, according to my nutritionist). Obviously my needs (get healthy, fight illness, lose a tiny bit of weight) are different from yours, but I've found that certain aspects of my diet (low fat, high protein, fried-food free, etc) can be generalized to many diets. I've lost weight, no longer crave the taboo foods, and feel so much better. I don't have a real need to lose weight -- I'm only about 5 lbs over optimum for my height - but it has been nice fitting into my old clothes.

I find that I can still eat just about anywhere, but have to choose carefully. When I go to Hot Doug's, for example, I don't eat the bread, but pile on the 'everything' (less dairy or mayo) and have my dog grilled. I go to Honey 1, but don't eat the coleslaw or fries (easy!). I can eat any niimono (simmered food) at a Japanese restaurant, and Korean BBQ is a current favorite. Thai, Vietnamese, and Indian all work (though I have to skip all my favorite Indian desserts now). So I can't do Ramen or Udon but I can do Pho. Mysteriously, my nutritionist has forbidden soba, which is breaking my washoku-loving heart.

So I haven't had pizza, cake, muffins, cookies, nutrition bars (my old snack standby), licorice (dutch, salty), creamy soups, anything with roux, etc for two months now. I feel great. If this is the price for health, I'll pay.

My advice to you if you are just starting out is to cook for yourself at home more -- make winter your season for ambitious cooking. It is so much easier. So you'll deprive yourself of treats for a few months or more, but the payoff is really high, and you can eliminate temptation.

Good luck!

Dotti's Weight Loss Zone is a great resource for eating out- it's based on Weight Watchers, and provides the point value for various items in many, many restaurants. I am a HUGE backer of Weight Watchers, because no food is forbidden, and it truly re-teaches you how to look at food and how to eat in a way that is healthy, including occasional indulgences. however, it's not necessarily for everyone, and if it's not for you, Dotti also provides calories and fat for menu items. It is truly amazing to discover how healthy or unhealthy different foods are- it's not always what you would expect.

She obviously doesn't include all of the small, local places, but you can sometimes extrapolate, and figure things out based on what she does have.

http://www.dwlz.com

I forgot, you also have Foodstuffs in Evanston. I find their quality uneven, especially at those prices, but I like almost all their low-fat versions of chicken salad, turkey burgers,etc. In some cases they even list the Weight Watchers points. I would stay away from their "low carb" offerings, though. They look like they are very high in calories and will be usless unless you are actually following a low-carb plan.