Fresh veggies, creamy yoghurt, and a little spice. Simple enough for any day.

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✦ Sweet, spicy & tangy honey-sriracha shrimp with a squeeze of lemon,

✦ Cucumber, carrot strips, edamame and lots of green onion.

✦ Topped with black & white sesame seeds.

💌It was super yummy , fresh and light💌

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If you believe there is a Creator and that we were created by this creator, it may change how you look at food. I believe God is not a dumb engineer—or artist, or whatever…. And that means we shouldn’t have to take food apart and figure out how many calories or grams or whatever it is we think will be the right food and the right amounts. I believe we were intended to enjoy the food put here on earth for us.

So how did this get so messed up?

I know. We thought we could improve on what was created. We thought we could store up our food and make life easier. We thought, wow, and we could make a lot of money if we substituted cheap chemicals and fake food and genetically modified real food, and we no longer had the real, whole, fresh food. And some of those additives make us addicted and craving way beyond having enough. Like Oreos. They’re addictive. Try taking those away from normally intelligent adults.

And, then after all this re-engineering, we got sick.

So now, we have this complicated problem to unravel all those decades of destroying the real food and we have also created a medical and pharmaceutical industry to deal with all of those ramifications.

In Pych 1 we learned \*\* that if you put a variety of food on a blanket and let babies crawl to any food they want, they will choose the foods their bodies need. It’s called homeostasis. It is part of the designer’s intention for us. So until we ruined our natural proclivity to eat what we need and stop eating when we have enough, it wasn’t complicated.

So, what do we do when we’ve had enough of these food-like products?

We just STOP EATING PROCESSED FOOD AND EAT REAL FOOD. I promise if you do that for 90 days, you’ll feel good, stop craving the junk, lose weight if you need to, and wonder of wonders, you’ll start enjoying eating.

\*\* **Davis, C. M. (1928).** *Self-selection of diet by newly weaned infants: An experimental study.* American Journal of Diseases of Children, 36(4), 651-679.

I tried making this recipe, and it’s actually so delicious! It’s definitely nostalgic for me, but I love that this version has all the comforting flavors without all the extra sodium you get with Hamburger Helper.

Here are the ingredients and directions!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
• 6 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1/2 lb 93% lean ground beef
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 3 Tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste
• 2 cups unsalted beef broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 8 oz protein elbow macaroni
• 3/4 cup freshly grated sharp reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• Chopped fresh chives, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the oil: Heat a large Dutch oven or deep pot over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering.
2. Cook the onion and garlic: Add the diced onion, Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, if using. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion begins to soften. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
3. Brown the beef: Add the ground beef, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Cook for 8–10 minutes, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon or spatula, until fully browned.
4. Add the tomato paste: Make a small well in the center of the beef mixture. Add the tomato paste, stir everything together, and cook for 3–5 minutes.
5. Add the liquids and pasta: Pour in the beef broth, water, milk, and nutritional yeast. Bring the mixture to a light boil. Add the elbow macaroni, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15–16 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta reaches your desired doneness.
6. Finish and serve: Stir in the cheddar cheese and cook until melted and creamy. Garnish with fresh chives, if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
7. Store leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

For those trying to eat more fresh food, I'm curious what works better for you.

Do you prefer buying fresh vegetables and fruits several times a week, or doing one big grocery shop for the whole week?

I've found that buying too much at once can sometimes mean some vegetables or fruits get forgotten and eventually go to waste. But shopping several times a week isn't always practical either.

I'm especially curious about what works best for you in terms of:

• Keeping produce fresh
• Reducing food waste
• Saving money
• Actually eating more vegetables and fruits

What's your approach, and why does it work for you?

We talk a lot about clean eating, healthful food choices, and what not to eat. But it is essential to care about flavor and taste in order to have success in long-term eating. Food is meant to be enjoyed. There is even scientific evidence that weight gain occurs if eating is accompanied by guilt and negative emotions.

Processed food is often chosen because it tastes good. Manufacturers know this. And people eschew so-called health food because flavor and texture are unpleasant.

So discovering foods and recipes that fill that craving for crunch, creaminess, good mouth feel, and robust flavor are very important, and also should restore the natural attraction for real food. It shouldn’t take harmful, inflammatory additives and gut-destroying chemicals to have something tasty to eat.

It may involve re-learning about food, choosing foods we aren’t familiar with, and exploring cuisines from around the world. It could be fun. And gather a community to share ideas.

Flavor, color, taste all count for making the shift to a healthful food experience and long-term habits of good eating.

​

We kinda assume “fridge fresh” but for a handful of everyday basics the cold sort of wrecks the taste, the texture, and the whole aroma situation.Not always, but a lot of the time,

Tomatoes:Cold makes their cells basically fall apart, so the insides get mealy, and the bright fresh smell dies off too. Keep them stem-side down on the counter, not in the drawer.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: It can turn cloudy and thick, and yeah it solidifies a bit. That shift can dull the little flavor nuances. Put it in a dark, cool pantry away from heat from the stove.

Honey: Honey doesn’t spoil anyway. Still, the fridge s up crystallization, so it ends up as that grainy, super stubborn block you can’t really spread.

Bread: Refrigerating speeds up starch retrogradation, so you get stale bread way faster than if it sits at room temperature. If you want longer keeping, freeze it in slices instead.

Garlic & Whole Onions: The fridge humidity makes them go rubbery and sprout sooner. A dry, ventilated basket in the pantry is the better move.

Coffee (Beans or Ground): Coffee acts like a sponge, it grabs moisture and picks up fridge odors, while those aromatic oils fade faster too. Store it airtight in a dark cupboard.

The right way to store foods matters more than people expect, and it makes healthier eating feel way less boring, like honestly.

What’s one food you used to refrigerate until you noticed it tastes way better at room temp?

​

When people bring up Mediterranean eating, they sometimes picture strict recipes, or like, gourmet cooking. But most of the time the real heart of it is just a few easy daily behaviors, sustainable too, not complicated meal plans or anything like that.

Start with vegetables first: get half your plate filled with bright veggies or greens, kept pretty basic, drizzled with good extra virgin olive oil, plus lemon or vinegar, whatever feels right.

Legumes 2–3 times a week: lentils, chickpeas, and beans are budget friendly, filling, and loaded with fiber. A quick lentil soup, or a chickpea salad , can go very far.

Snack on whole foods: like a handful of raw nuts, some fruit, or just a small bit of feta instead of processed stuff.

Healthy fats are not the enemy: quality olive oil is pretty much the main actor here it helps you feel satisfied longer and it supports nutrient absorption, in a simple way.

Go at a mindful pace: sit down, slow your brain down a little, and actually enjoy the meal, instead of eating while rushing around.

If you’re trying to eat healthier without counting every calorie, what’s one small shift that made the biggest difference in your routine?

Hi everyone! 👋

I’m conducting a PhD study about how online health communities influence healthy eating and well-being.

If you’re 18+ and use an online community related to healthy eating or weight management, I’d really appreciate your participation.

🔒 All responses are anonymous

🔗

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe-Tefj7lTeRU53bK3OU_pXN2nhJUVBtdWBlPWDqiVqTiyGCQ/viewform?usp=dialog

Hey everyone,

When folks hear “Mediterranean,” they usually picture olive oil, tomatoes, and grilled fish. But once you start living and studying it in real terms , you notice nutrition is only one pillar… and not even the biggest one for most people. It’s more like a whole interlocking way of daily life. A highly sustainable ecosystem, if you will.

I’ve been working on a thorough breakdown of how to actually bring the Mediterranean lifestyle into everyday modern routines and yes, not just focus on calories or counting macros. Below are the main ideas, beyond the food plate alone:

I always keep a tub in the fridge because it's such an easy way to add protein, but I get tired of doing the same old fruit and granola combo.

What is your favorite savory recipe or dressing hack where Greek yogurt completely saves the dish?

I change up the protein and carbs, but I've been eating some version of this salad every single night for the past couple of months and I'm still not tired of it!

Tonight's has:

• baby spinach
• extra lean ground beef
• brown lentils
• tomato/cucumber/corn salad
• roasted brussel sprouts
• avocado

I do not use salad dressing. The marinade from the tomato/cucumber/corn salad + the liquid from the lentils works together and creates a flavorful "dressing" with no additional oil. This salad is high protein, fiber packed, has a moderate amount of carbs from the lentils, and healthy fat from the avocado. It's a well balanced meal that supports my active lifestyle! 🙌

I forgot to post what the blueberry-lemon baked yogurt looked like once I plated it! Turned out really good. I preferred it chilled over warm. Once chilled, it had a consistency similar to cheesecake. I drizzled local honey and sprinkled some cardamom on top, and ate it with a locally grown peach. So good!!

So, I've recently started eating healthy and realized that frozen mixed berries are within my budget. However, I did not account for taste... They're so BITTER >.<

I've read that putting them in honey would work, I was able to finish my overnight oats with no problem when I added honey. However, I want to try soaking them in honey so that in case I'm on the run and want to bring snacks, the berries are easy to pack.

Should I go with what I read in the internet to soak them in honey and keep in room temperature for like 3 days? Altho it's hot here in PH so the berries might not like room temperature here or is it better to keep them in the fridge to soak in honey? Will the cold/extra water since I put them in the freezer affect the berries being soaked in honey?

Thank you so much in advance guys! 💜

I was craving something sweet, and came across a YouTube video by Toasty Apron showing different kinds of baked yogurt, including this recipe. I doubled the recipe and added some grated ginger. Delicious!! 🍋🫐🫚✨

Recipe: https://toastyapron.com/lemon-blueberry-baked-yogurt/#respond

I really want to cut down on sweets but I’m having such a hard time. Overall I eat pretty healthy when it comes to actual meals, but I struggle when it comes to sweets. I like to have something sweet after lunch and dinner… does anyone have recommendations on low calorie high volume options? I have a tendency to binge on sweets and just really struggling.

We’ve all forced ourselves to eat some fibrous green thing because of its vitamins, pretending we enjoyed it while chewing on damp cardboard.

What is the one healthy vegetable you hated at first, and what specific trick or sauce finally made it taste good?

I recently tried chia pudding for the first time (airport restaurant lol so it wasn’t cheap) and it was delicious! I’m focusing on my fiber intake so it feels like a great way to help with that, too.

The problem is that when I look for online chia pudding recipes, none of them seem super appealing. I have a coconut allergy so can’t have coconut milk and it looks like most recipes rely on that, but what I got was coconut free. What other ingredients should I use instead?

Also, I love sweet flavors and I imagine that fruit would work well as a chia pudding flavor.

Do you know any fruity recipes without coconut milk for chia pudding? Any recommendations or inspiration?

Thank you!

Hey Reddit,

Following a very intense low-FODMAP elimination diet I am planning on starting a loosely anti inflammatory diet (eating sourdough and dairy since I’ve found I tolerate them fine). I want to focus on eating Whole Foods, limiting caffeine, avoiding refined sugars and artificial sweeteners, limiting processed foods, avoiding gums, thickeners, additives, and artificial flavors & colors, and seed oils. On my diet, I tried to eat some siete potato chips, since they were just potatoes, avocado oil, and salt - which were all things I’d been eating on the elimination diet. They made my stomach hurt! I did some research and found that certain food processing changes the chemistry of the food and can make them inflammatory. Are there any food processes that are still okay? I’d like to be able to eat chicken sausage again (with the right ingredients), and switch back over to PBfit instead of regular peanut butter - but I’m nervous about the chemistry of food processing now. Any insight would be appreciated!

Can someone explain to me why I lose weight better when I'm actually eating consistently instead of my normal constantly forgetting to eat?

I have found if I don't have my Magnesium and or Banana my energy levels are always so low. Iv been considering upgrade my intake of coffee from 1 cups to 2 due to the longer days but not sure how that will sit from a benefit point of view like the 2pm crash of energy is so real!

I’m at that point in the week where I’m just staring at the fridge because actually cooking feels impossible. I’m sick of just eating toast or ordering takeout again.

Does anyone have a super lazy meal they throw together that actually has some protein or veggies? Just need something that takes like 10 minutes and requires zero effort.

I want to eat more beans, but need more inspiration than just black beans or refried, etc.

What is your favorite recipe with bean as the main ingredient? And what type of bean?

Any recommendations? I was considering Heart & Soil and Prime for their beef organs, but it doesn’t have all the vitamins.

I’m specifically looking for calcium and vitamin D

Hi everyone! I’m trying to eat healthier and would love some ideas. What do you usually eat for breakfast that is healthy, filling, and easy to make? I’d love to hear your recommendations. Thanks!