Ask HN: Food hacks for eating well?

I think what makes food so difficult for hackers, in general, is having to think about it all the time. We hate anything that constantly demands our attention and isn't a core interest. Such things will always seem impossibly difficult and ultimately be neglected.

Thus, the general strategy is to form mindless habits that are healthy. Supplements are made for this kind of habitual consumption. They are simple to prepare, come in bulk, and are so boring that after a while, you don't even think of them as food; but you do crave them every day due to the healthy feedback loop.

In your case, you probably want some kind of meal replacement shake that gives your body whatever it is craving with maximal collateral healthiness. I don't know what that is though, so you'll have to turn to science.

IMHO exercising more is always going to be easier than eating less, and the trick to that is the same: form monotonous habits. Repetition, obsession, and ultimately sweet oblivion.

Hmmm, where to start:

- Switch out junk food for healthier snacks (dark chocolate, nuts, (dried) fruit). Over time your tolerance for junk food will go down and you will want less of it;

- If you really want a hit of junk food, just have it. There is no point dwelling on it. I will have one piece of sugary food with my coffee at around 10:00, which keeps me satisfied. Sometimes I binge out after not having a lot for so long (months), but when your tolerance for processed food goes down you will stop much sooner (through a mixture of guilt and physiological repulsion);

- If you want sugar, eat 'good' sugar, i.e. fruit;

- Have a bowl of healthy nibbles lying around to munch on when walking past. I always have grapes and nuts in the kitchen that I pick at;

- Always eat breakfast. I have mine as soon as wake-up;

- Cook your own meals and don't eat processed food;

- Drink water rather than carbonated drinks;

- Eat smaller meals more often. I try to eat something every three hours;

- Follow the Japanese (I think) philosophy of eating until only 80% full, not bursting at the seams. For me the ideal amount of food is a cereal bowl worth of food;

- Have a drink about 30 - 60 mins after you have eaten, not during a meal. This helps to top-up the fullness feeling and also allows food to be digested more efficiently before the digestive enzymes get diluted by a drink;

- Don't try and justify eating rubbish by doing exercise. You are what you eat.

The end result is that people always tell me I am too skinny even though I eat a lot. I don't need to do that much exercise because my diet is good. When I do go out for dinner and/or drinks I can indulge without guilt.

I replaced ice cream with soy smoothies. Frozen fruit, vanilla soy milk, vanilla yogurt, and vanilla bean paste. I put all of the ingredients in a large glass and mix them with a hand blender. Easy to make and clean. The bean paste makes it taste more like an ice cream shake. I also combine peanut butter, cocoa powder, chocolate syrup, soy milk and yogurt for a chocolate alternative.

Only eat food at meals. Eat as much as you like at first, just do not eat except at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You may have to start taking a little more time for breakfast.

Within a couple weeks your body will be very acclimated to this schedule, and you will not want to eat except at meals. Once the cravings have stopped, focus on improving the quality of what you're eating. When you're cooking for yourself (and you should) play with how little oil and salt you can use and still enjoy your meal. Reduce portion sizes.

If the cravings return, maybe you eat a little more at your next meal. Maybe they're small enough (and you used enough to your new schedule) that you just don't. Habit is a very powerful thing. Right now, you're habitually snacking. Turn that on its head.

Oh, and it helps if you're eating with other people, especially if they eat quickly, because you will feel social pressure to wrap it up.