We all know the feeling… we’ve been really good, eating well, hitting the gym, feeling like we’re on track and then it happens… we get home late from work one night and can’t be bothered cooking… or we go out to that old favourite restaurant with a group of friends that aren’t quite on the same wavelength when it comes to health. We end up ordering the ‘good’ stuff. The stuff we know we ‘shouldn’t.’ Then the guilt ensues…
Here’s what I eat when I’m not cooking. It’s not based on what I ‘should’ have, its based on what I want. And what I want is based partly on what’s good for my body, and partly on what’s good for my soul 😉
Takeaway:
Pizza – Carbs, cheese… what’s not to love. There’s pizza and then there’s pizza however. I want a nice pizza, either really authentic, thin base with classic, minimal toppings, or a pizza full of different veg with combinations like pumpkin and pine nuts, or roast beetroot, spinach and feta. I do eat seafood so a marinara or prawn pizza with fresh lemon goes down a treat too. When it comes to the carbs, the good pizza places offer gluten-free bases and I just try not to overload my day with carbs. If I’ve had toast for breakfast, pasta for lunch and then pizza for dinner I will be feeling pretty flat and grumbly and probably fall asleep by 7 o’clock then wake up starving!
Indian – I have to admit, we make curry once or twice a week… and good Indian takeaway is hard to find! If we do get takeaway its as authentic as possible. There is a great new Indian place just around the corner and we order starts like tandoori mushrooms or chicken, or paneer cheese in spinach. For mains we order dishes like vegetable korma, fish curry or south Indian prawn curry maybe some rice and pappadum which are made from lentil flour. Yum.
…I’m trying to think of other types of take-away…! We just don’t get it very often!! I have to brag that I’ve become pretty good at whipping up meals with what I’ve got in the house. But that’s a brag earned by taking a passionate interest in being able to cook. I just think it’s one of those basic skills that has somehow lost its importance. Cooking, eating and providing for loved ones are the most natural things in the world! I also enjoy being in control of what goes into my meals and I like the challenge of creating something new or unexpected. Finally, I don’t like waste and I don’t like throwing away money. I have been completely, utterly, can-of-tuna, tin-of-beans, can’t-make-rent, broke before – and you just never forget what that is like. So I will create according to what needs to be used up to prevent waste. I’m also an environmentalist from way back… my earliest ambition in life was to work for Greenpeace and save the whales. I was nine years old when I told mum we needed to do something about the gaps under the doors and the draught coming in, to try to save energy…
Fish and chips? I wouldn’t really choose fish and chips as I’ve never liked potato much anyway and I’m usually left feeling yucky after eating it. The oil used for frying isn’t great stuff, but that’s a chat for another day.
What about eating out…
It’s nice to go to a ‘nice’ restaurant. If we are paying for food from somewhere else I quite like to eat at the restaurant rather than takeaway, to make it more of an experience and to be able to wear something other than trainers and leggings! This reminds me of a great book I read called “Why French Women Don’t Get Fat” by Mireille Guiliano – the gist of it being that food is a pleasure, an experience, not a sit in front of the TV mindlessly consuming bucket loads of who-knows-what type of affair. There is passion involved, a mood, an atmosphere, (usually) a glass of wine, with time to taste, to talk and to enjoy and there is certainly never a feeling of being unable to move afterward.
Back to the restaurant. I look for dishes containing vegetables, some kind of protein – maybe some seafood, nuts, dairy, eggs, lentils, chickpeas… and without much added sugar that could be hidden in sauces or even ‘healthy’ dressings and condiments. I am partial to a nice bit of bread but I generally try to eat proper sourdough or gluten free, and it comes down to how much ‘carbing’ I’ve done throughout the day. Not so much that carbs are ‘bad’ but when we eat too many serves it usually means we are missing out on other important nutrients from vegetables plus sources of fats and proteins and these are the things that will make us feel full and nourished. For carnivores, dishes based on meat and salad or vegetables are usually pretty good choices too. I also look for meals that I wouldn’t usually make myself, be it because the ingredients are hard to find, expensive or tricky to work with. Different things like scallops or oysters, or interesting veg dishes like celeriac or parsnip puree! I don’t have time to puree!! And if I can try a new local wine or beer with it I’m a happy girl!
Thai – We are lucky in our small town to have a great Thai restaurant now as well, most of the menu being gluten-free. There is a fair bit of sugar in a lot of Thai cooking so if I fancy a thai curry or a noodle dish I will usually make it myself. However a dish like a nice piece of fresh fish with herbs and ginger and lots of vegetables always tastes better when its cooked for you!
Chinese – If we have Chinese, again not often, I might occasionally have a spring roll, a few dumplings or wontons, some Asian greens with soy sauce and garlic and a cucumber salad. No prawn crackers or sticky, saucy stuff in the plastic containers.
Burgers – Oh yeah. A good burger joint can be a cheap night out and a really good feed! It’s like the pizza though, I want quality. I never look at kilojoules or calories, I just look for veg, cheese and tastiness. Skip the soft drink and go for mineral water instead. When I’m full I’m full and I leave the rest for the pigeons.
Sushi – I don’t often choose a sushi train for two reasons. Firstly that stack of plates adds up quickly! And secondly, I’m then hungry an hour later because really all you’re eating is rice. White rice that has been soaked in sugary solution to get it to stick together. Luckily now some sushi places are making rolls with brown rice which is a better choice than white and I do love the seaweed and the edamame.
Again, I’m trying to think of other options for eating out, and again we just don’t eat out very often so I think that’s all I have to say here. This post was requested by a number of nutrition clients and I have recently updated my thoughts!
Kelly Moriarty