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Eating Healthily for $3 a Day

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Re: Eating Healthily for $3 a Day

#241

Post by goldmab »

allwein wrote: post #224
goldmab wrote: post #207

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the daily changes in how "in shape" you are reflect how much water you have in your body from eating carbohydrate. Nobody loses a noticeable amount of fat in one day. You lost weight by decreasing the amount of energy you were eating. Low-carb diets are an effective way to do this, because they are generally restrictive (less variety means less overeating) and because protein is very satiating. But there are…

>since 50-60% protein would make a lot of people want to barf. I don't think that's true. I'm currently on a diet that's fairly high in protein (and to go with the theme of the article, comes out to $4-$6 a day I believe). I don't think it's barf-worthy. Example: Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with a little salsa on top, bacon, mixed veggies Lunch: Usually salad of romaine, spinach, mixed greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, chee…

A lot of people, not necessarily you :) My main point is that people have different psychological reactions which we shouldn't ignore.

Also, I think your diet is much higher in fat and lower in protein than you are estimating. For example, the protein sources in your breakfast are only around 30% protein, with 70% fat. Dressing and cheese in your salad are also very high in fat. My source for these numbers is nutritiondata.com. Every food has a percentage macronutrient breakdown, as well as vitamins, fats, and amino acids.

Re: Eating Healthily for $3 a Day

#242

Post by khandelwal »

jswanson wrote: post #185
westicle wrote: post #161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I tried quinoa for the exact reasons you mentioned, but didn't find it nearly as palatable as more "traditional" staples. Compared to rice I found it didn't gel together when cooked, had a stronger (slightly unpleasant) flavour and a gritty texture. In the end I couldn't justify the cost to eat something I just didn't enjoy. More power to those who enjoy it.

If you still want to give it a shot, it's great in soups. An easy Chicken Quinoa soup with carrots and celery, and a healthy dose of lime and pepper, is healthy, flavorful and fairly easy to make.

If you don't like the mostly dry quinoa that's so popular in the US, try it in a soup. That's how the Peruvians make it, and it's a world of difference!

Re: Eating Healthily for $3 a Day

#243

Post by jessriedel »

b3b0p wrote: post #205

I'm sorry, but I really disagree with any sort of dieting advice articles appearing on Hacker News for multiple reasons. Reading this thread only backs up my own thoughts and reasons why I dislike these articles. First of all, everyone has their own idea of healthy. Second, there are so many different diets, fads, foods, etc to eat or follow that's it ridiculous to even argue one way or another. Some eat lots of prot…

> First of all, everyone has their own idea of healthy.

> Second, there are so many different diets, fads, foods, etc to eat or follow that's it ridiculous to even argue one way or another...

> Go with what makes you feel good. The best diet is the one you can follow. Listen to your body.

Don't mistake the presence of disagreement as evidence for there being no fact of the matter. It's of course difficult to make strong claims about complex machines like people without large, expensive randomized studies, leaving the door open for people to argue for whatever preconceived ideas they have. But that doesn't mean there is no answer, nor that you should just do whatever makes you feel good.

That said, yes, these threads are largely useless.

> I would down vote this, but I can't down vote yet.

I don't think anyone can downvote posts (aka articles, links). (At least I can't with 1.6k of karma.) It's just comments you can downvote after you get 200 500 karma or so.

(Edited in response to BoppreH's comment.)

Re: Eating Healthily for $3 a Day

#244

Post by nanoanderson »

This quote struck me as funny and sad:

"I’d rather buy the cheapest grains and vegetables than buy the cheapest meat. Bargain basement meat is likely produced in atrocious factory farming conditions and pumped up with hormones."

What gave him the idea that bargain basement vegetables are produced in any better conditions… or that they produce any better product (nutritionally speaking)?

Re: Eating Healthily for $3 a Day

#245

Post by pstuart »

orenmazor wrote: post #215
r0s wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Canned beans seems cheap until you buy a pound of dry for about a dollar. Canned food is essentially salt and water with a bit of overcooked vegetable.

I don't actually care about cost for this, opting for convenience. I often store ingredients at work so I have no excuse to go out. Anyway, several of our Canadian brands are ultra low sodium, that this is a nonissue.

There is the issue of BHA in can linings: http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/december...

Re: Eating Healthily for $3 a Day

#246

Post by b3b0p »

jessriedel wrote: post #243
b3b0p wrote: post #205

I'm sorry, but I really disagree with any sort of dieting advice articles appearing on Hacker News for multiple reasons. Reading this thread only backs up my own thoughts and reasons why I dislike these articles. First of all, everyone has their own idea of healthy. Second, there are so many different diets, fads, foods, etc to eat or follow that's it ridiculous to even argue one way or another. Some eat lots of prot…

> First of all, everyone has their own idea of healthy. > Second, there are so many different diets, fads, foods, etc to eat or follow that's it ridiculous to even argue one way or another... > Go with what makes you feel good. The best diet is the one you can follow. Listen to your body. Don't mistake the presence of disagreement as evidence for there being no fact of the matter. It's of course difficult to make str…

Thanks for replying. I figured people wouldn't read into it like that, but what I have learned is that one has to state very explicitly on Hacker News.

I agree with you and I was hesitant to state what I did about that.

Off Topic: I really wish one could not up or down vote anything without requiring a comment in reply stating your reasoning. I think it could lead to much more active and interesting discussions breaking out.

Maybe I was a little harsh stating I would down vote the submission.

Edit: Spelling and grammar stuff.

Re: Eating Healthily for $3 a Day

#247

Post by BoppreH »

jessriedel wrote: post #243
b3b0p wrote: post #205

I'm sorry, but I really disagree with any sort of dieting advice articles appearing on Hacker News for multiple reasons. Reading this thread only backs up my own thoughts and reasons why I dislike these articles. First of all, everyone has their own idea of healthy. Second, there are so many different diets, fads, foods, etc to eat or follow that's it ridiculous to even argue one way or another. Some eat lots of prot…

> First of all, everyone has their own idea of healthy. > Second, there are so many different diets, fads, foods, etc to eat or follow that's it ridiculous to even argue one way or another... > Go with what makes you feel good. The best diet is the one you can follow. Listen to your body. Don't mistake the presence of disagreement as evidence for there being no fact of the matter. It's of course difficult to make str…

Last I checked, downvoting posts was 500 karma, and articles couldn't be downvoted, only flagged.

Re: Eating Healthily for $3 a Day

#248

Post by ImprovedSilence »

jacobolus wrote: post #134
mmaunder wrote: post #22

My wife and I tried to do this recently on $1.70 per person per day. We didn't last our intended 28 days. A few observations we found: Meat and organic food was too expensive. Fruit is crazy expensive so we bought OJ from concentrate with no additives as a cheap source of Vitamin C. Eggs were are very expensive, but we needed the protein and nutrients, so rationed ourselves to 3 each per week. We had to remove all su…

> we alternated between Safeway and Walmart Well there’s one problem. Safeway is crazy expensive compared to many supermarkets, like 30–50% more.

That depends on where you live. In some more urban areas, huge Walmarts and Wegmans are nowhere to be found. I find Safeway and Giant to be the bargin places when comparing to Harris Teeter or Whole Foods in my area. (Arlington, VA)

Re: Eating Healthily for $3 a Day

#249

Post by jasonlotito »

yummyfajitas wrote: post #212
jasonlotito wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Different types of carbs, man, different types of carbs. =)

So processed white flour [1] isn't the culprit? Good to know. Maybe the real culprit in the obesity epidemic is fats, oils, and sugar. It certainly fits the data. [1] At the beginning of the century, whole wheat flour was uncommon except in rural areas. It spoiled too quickly.

I'm not a nutritionist. My understanding, however, is that sugars are the culprit. When you look at what has changed over the years, that's the big one.

Sugar: The Bitter Truth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM

There are lots of other articles concerning this, but I felt this was the best one for pure information. He's not alone in discussing this, so I don't have to just take his word for it. But like I said, I'm not a professional in this area.

Re: Eating Healthily for $3 a Day

#250

Post by ugh »

mmaunder wrote: post #22

My wife and I tried to do this recently on $1.70 per person per day. We didn't last our intended 28 days. A few observations we found: Meat and organic food was too expensive. Fruit is crazy expensive so we bought OJ from concentrate with no additives as a cheap source of Vitamin C. Eggs were are very expensive, but we needed the protein and nutrients, so rationed ourselves to 3 each per week. We had to remove all su…

Why would you do that if you don't have to?
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