The other day, I was thinking about how I ate in college, and how different it is from what I eat now. I was very “healthy” in college… meaning I lived off of 100 calorie pack snacks, and low fat Pasta-Roni. From a calorie counting perspective, I was probably doing “better” than I am now. I never ate nuts (too many calories) I avoided anything that didn’t have a nutritional label (how would I be able to tell how many calories were in it?) and I lived off of “light” products (lets replace real food with a bunch of chemicals and try to achieve the same taste!)
I’ve come a long way. And while I still keep things like calories in mind, they’re not what drives my eating habits anymore.
Breakfast
In college, I would have a container of Carbmaster yogurt, with blueberries, and Fiber One cereal. Ok, not that bad, but after comparing the ingredients of the “Carbmaster” yogurt with Chobani… it’s no contest. I don’t need to be filling my breakfast with aspartame. I still love a bowl of yogurt with blueberries, but now I look for plain greek yogurt, and I top it with wholesome granola, rather than “diet” cereals.
Lunch & Snacks
More often than not, I packed a mini whole wheat bagel (ok, not so bad) topped with Better’n Peanut Butter. Oh my gosh I can’t believe I used to eat that stuff! If I try it now, it tastes like plastic.
And of course, I’d wash it all down with a diet coke.
Now I try to pack leftovers from dinner, or I get a salad from the salad bar at work. And no more low-fat-ranch dressing. I literally crave the taste of balsamic vinegar!
Peanut butter isn’t scary. Just because it has a lot of calories doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a place in your diet. And real cookies are so much more satisfying than those little wafers.
Lunches like this are just as easy to make, but are packed with nutrients. Forget those low-calorie-excuses for dressing. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar + olive oil and you’ve got a simple, tasty dressing.
Dinner
Sometimes my dinners were actually pretty close to what I eat now. Alexa and I often lived off of chickpeas and black beans, (yay for cheap food!) but I also did eat entirely too much Pastaroni. I have no idea why I loved that stuff so much. I’m sure I’d still enjoy it if I tried it today.
I’ve since moved on to bigger and better things. Such as this smoked gouda panini from Ipanema Cafe.
Holy yum. So what if I don’t know the exact nutritional info for this? It was so tasty and filling, I only needed half, and I packed the other half for lunch. Real foods are just so much more satisfying.
I still eat lots of fruits and vegetables, because I’ve always loved those. But I’ve made an effort to eat what I’m really craving, rather than substituting it with some chemical-artificial-substitute. My tummy, and my tastebuds are both happier that way.
What do you think about “diet” foods?
Great comparison! You’ve really come a long way! Congrats
~Kelly
http://www.leafynotbeefy.com
I see similar “diet foods” in most of my friends diets. They of course bombard me with questions and now I have a few of them reading labels and ingredients
Healthy junk food is still junk food. Thankfully, when I decided to incorporate lots of healthy foods in my diet, I stumbled across healthy living blogs that put me on the right track by eating real and whole foods!
I had no concept of nutrition in college. I think I lived off of cheese and crackers and pasta with marinara. And that’s pretty much it… ugh.
Haha I’m pretty sure there were days when I lived off wheat thins and popcorn
i really dont care about any diet products……i cant believe peopole actually live on those products! i had a similar, yet easy lunch salad as yours today… greens,sprouts, cooked beets and walnuts in olive oil and balsamic. so simple and NO EXCUSE it takes 2 mins to assemble!
And real foods taste SO much better!!
I always wish I could go back to my first unhealthy experiences with “dieting,” etc and give myself a little smack and a BIG snack of my new favorite things. What a great post! X
I know, right?! Live and learn I guess
Great changes and choices, Liz! I need to get around to making my own nut butters. They always look so much more tasty than the “bought” ones. Have a great Day!!
You should try it! It’s pretty easy as long as you have a good blender or food processor!
I love looking back on what I ate when I was younger! So much processed crap! I don’t know how I ever managed to eat Skippy, Aunt Jemimah’s, or those flavored yogurts – real food tastes and makes me feel so much better.
Haha I’m glad my taste buds have grown up a bit
I have got to try those ginger cats!!
I lived off goldfish, alfredo & bojangles in college! Somehow I managed to loose weight though! I think it’s because I got crazy excercise walking everwhere, not owning a car and living off campus. 8 hour days + hills = skinny me. I’m much healthier (and a little heavier) now!
Pretty jealous of your dinner. Yum! I was the same way in college. I was much more strict with my diet, but there was a lot more “diet” eating. For instance, I am very familiar with that 100-calorie pack of Oreos. I was even more into light beers too – or whatever the heck was in my solo cup.
Hahaha at least my calorie counting kept me from drinking
I love the idea of doing a college vs. now eating comparison! I also lived off of overly processed ‘health’ foods and was miserable! I’m WAY happier now eating more foods that are real/natural.
During my transition to ‘healthy eating’ I definitely went through a phase where I *thought* I was eating healthy, but I had just replaced processed garbage for even more processed garbage. Aspartame yogurt, 100 cal snack packs, ww bread, splenda sweetened jam, etc. I definitely developed a ‘fear of sugar’, thanks to the media/fitness mags, etc. Now that I have a whole foods approach to eating, I don’t stress about what I’m consuming. When I want a brownie, I eat an *actual* brownie, made with real brownie ingredients, and not some protein powder, stevia or bean concoction.
Side rant: Things like PB2 & peanut flour have no business replacing peanut butter on a regular basis. No. Just…Stop. Hahahaha
Hahaha I’m so weird, I mix PB2 with regular peanut butter sometimes (particularly when I want a lot of peanut butter hahaha)
At least that stuff isn’t made of chemicals! But “Better’n Peanut Butter” is gross!
diet foods suck. Plain and simple. They taste like garbage, have zero nutrition, and simply just dont cut it for me!! 100 cal pack of anything just makes me want the real thing even more!
that panini looks AMAZING!
and i am not a fan of “diet” foods. meaning the “low fat, low carb” advertized stuff. I used to be in that boat though, but I feel like I laerned fast! I actually have a post I’m working on now that should show up soon in regards to that!
Okay, so our college foods and foods today are so similar – scary! I’ve thoughout about this before, but what a great idea to actually compare both. It’s amazing how far a lot of us have come over just a few years. I’m not a huge fan of diet foods (i.e., 100 calorie packs) because its still the same crap, just a smaller amount. I’d rather go for the whole foods, which may have more calories, but are better for my health, body and overall well being. Great post!
I feel like I need you to come teach me how to snack right. When I want a snack I just grab whatever is easiest from my refrigerator or cupboard (usually leftovers). Your snacks look much better for me, and a whole lot tastier that cold roasted potatoes.
I’m with ya, girl! But for me, it was in high school. I lived off frozen lean cuisines and yoplait lights. I thought it was healthy, but no way. Now I focus on all real foods and I couldn’t feel better
I’m living out of home for the first time (in a new country on the opposite side of the world) and making my own food choices 24/7 is definitely a new experience. I don’t keep any snacky items in the cupboard because I can’t stop at one, but I eat more brown rice and pasta. I would rather have an apple than an apple-flavoured low calorie snack.
That would be hard!! I struggle with snacking too much too! And I agree, real food is way better than “flavored” impostors!
I love this! I did okay in college, but my need to have food on the go definitely hurt my food decision making skills! My main problems were too many processed granola bars (etc) during the day, which meant not enough calories during the day, so I ate way too much at night. I also at a lot more pasta than I should have, without checking the calorie count of the dish.
love it! love your comparisons
we focus on real foods and have been loving it!
Absolutely love this post because I could have written it myself! I lived for diet & low-fat foods…although they were low in calorie I was never satisfied! While there are so many old foods I could oust, Diet Coke was a biggie for me. I used to drink 2 cans daily. I had my last one on December 31st, 2011 and just the idea of drinking all those chemicals makes me sick…I would even rather drink a regular Coke.
That’s so encouraging!!! I just stopped drinking diet coke a couple of weeks ago and I’m trying to keep it away!!
Oh gosh I went through a period of eating a lot of light, diet foods as well and looking back I honestly have no idea how I did it. Talk about bland and unsatisfying. Those 100 calorie “cookie” snack packs? Feels like eating cardboard. And loading up on a bunch of chemicals and preservatives just to save a few calories? No thanks. I’ll take my higher calorie whole foods, thank you very much.
I’m not a fan of 99% of diet foods. Though admittedly I like PB2 because it blends really well in a smoothie or greek yogurt (since they don’t seem to make PB yogurt..ha!).
And whenever I bake, I go full out on everything. Who wants a diet cookie? Blech.
I do love PB2, but that’s because it’s still real peanuts!!! I usually mix a tablespoon of PB2 with a tablespoon of peanut butter, just so I get a bigger serving size, and more protein!
I’m in the same place as you are. A few years ago I lived off lower calorie choices. I liked the taste just as much as “real” food and I could save on the calories! But after educating myself more on health and wellness I’ve learned that there is no substitute for REAL food. In the long run, those chemicals will not be my friend. Great post!
I agree that real foods are so much more satisfying. Learning to eat healthfully is a process, an evolution, if you will. You have to start somewhere!
Haha
I love this comparison! I also really like the pic collages. Did you use picmonkey or a different program?
Yep! I love picmonkey. It makes it so easy to edit photos and add text!
Liz, I can totally relate! Those 100-calorie packs were everyone’s obsession back in the day. I’m totally with you, though—I’d rather have a real handful of nuts or homemade granola than an overprocessed, oversweetened “granola” bar any day.
So so true…My college eats consisted of all sorts of pre-packaged foods with no nutritional value..not to mention its HIGH sodium content! No wonder I always walked around looking like a jiggly puff! I would eat cereals thinking it’s healthier and lower in calories than eating real meals..the only problem was I’d eat the whole thing! And of course, I’m guilty of eating low-fat, lighter nut butters, mayo, etc…all the fake stuff! Why didn’t I care to take a look at what’s replacing the fat? disturbing..I like how you eat now
Its CRAZY what they load up in those “light” foods!!! And I just can’t imaging you as a “jiggly puff” haha
This is a great post. I hate when I see people fill their carts with ‘low-fat’ this and ‘low-cal’ that. I wish we were more informed as a society. All that people (not all people but a lot of people) seem to care about is how fast they can see results-therefore they fill up on these ‘fake’ foods but I think it ends up doing more damage to us in the long run.
When I first wanted to loose weight, my diet consisted of Lean Cuisines and Reduced Fat Peanut Butter w/ Lowfat Graham Crackers! Yikes!
I know!!! Isn’t it crazy?! People think they’re making a “healthy” choice… ugh don’t even get me started on food marketing!!!
I love homemade pb so much better than most store bought! But I will still eat store bought (as a I look over to my big jar of skippy). But I do prefer wholesome foods over diet foods. Diet foods just seem too artificial and scientifically handled to make them “healthy.”
MMmmm smoked gouda panini, come to mama!
I used to be exactly the same way with calories. Looking back I can’t believe how much junk I ate just because it was “low calorie”. I’ll take real food over that junk now any day thank you very much
Haha isn’t it crazy?! And it’s so much more satisfying to eat the REAL thing!
I was the exact same way in college! Now, I strive to eat all whole foods. Of course, it’s not 100%, but I’ve learned to love real food! It’s do much for satisfying and nutritious for you!
I love this post, what a great spin on WIAW! I’ve definitely made a few changed myself and am eating real foods rather than over processed foods. Real peanut butter is so much more satisfying!
I really enjoyed this post. I used to be the queen of 100 calorie granola bars and other diet “treats” until I finally realized that they weren’t satisfying at all. I’d much rather eat less of a food that’s higher in calories but more satisfying than large quantities of depressing diet food.
Such a great post! I actually have a post similar to this waiting in my drafts folder! I used to live off of 100 calorie packs, too! And they weren’t even good!
And you’re still hungry after eating them!!
great post! love the idea of homemade peanut butter. must look into this…
Happy WIAW
Congratulations on how far you’ve come hunnie! <3
i can totally relate to this. and i used to ADORE pastaroni too. seems gross now, but that totally was my thing. whole foods for the win!
it seems that we use to have some of the same bad habits. I lived off of 100 calorie packs as well. Boy did those things always leave you ticked cuz your belly was still rumbling!!
I love it!!! You know my feelings on the subject…GIVE ME REAL FOOD any day!!!!
I was a TERRIBLE eater most of college – Taco Bell, Chilli’s and Papa John’s were my best friends! And even when I started to turn things around, I relied heavily on “diet” foods. Now, I try to focus on the quality of what I’m putting into my body. And yes, sometimes that means I’m taking in more calories, but at the same time, I’m taking in more nutrition too!
Yes!!! Diet foods are just so empty!
I think the key is like my mum used to say “a little of what you fancy does you good” – and like you say, you’re more likely to feel satisfied by less proper food than lots of “diet” versions. I think the other thing about diet food is, you always feel you’re denying yourself what you really want and that can’t be good!
Having said that, I couldn’t give up my fat-free Muller light vanilla and dark chocolate-sprinkled yoghurt, not because it’s diet but because it’s amaaazing
I used to be the SAME way – all low fat, no carbs, no cereral, etc. Now I much prefer small (ok, sometimes not so small), amounts of the real deal. Tastes so much better – AND it’s good for you. I love this comparison that you did!
Omg, I totally used to LIVE off 100 calorie packs in college! I don’t think I packed a single lunch that didn’t have one! And really, pretty much everything you described was how I used to eat…except the Pastaroni…ick! But I DID eat my weight in Totino’s pizza rolls! And to tell you the truth…if you set a plate of them in front of me today (as long as they came from the oven and not the microwave…nobody likes soggy rolls), I’d totally do some damage! Lol
It’s funny though…for all the food rules that I lived by back then…low fat, no fat, 100 calorie, diet…I never lost any weight. I never trimmed up. If anything I GAINED weight. And I was always tired. Now, I’m eating the cleanest I’ve ever eaten…real, WHOLE foods…I’ve trimmed some fat, built some muscle, and my energy (for the most part…grr, night shifts) is GREAT! Amazing what real food made from REAL ingredients can do for you! No lab-gredients for me!
Peanut butter DEFINITELY isn’t scary.
I had to chuckle because I have that carrot cake yogurt in my lunchbox today…but we have to go for funky flavors every now and then, right?