Gransnet forums

Chat

What do you eat in a typical day?

(41 Posts)
CynthiaDennison Mon 22-Jan-24 14:46:05

I am curious as to what you all eat on a typical day. I am so confused as to what is and what is not healthy at the same time as balancing a retired woman's dietary needs.

Germanshepherdsmum Mon 22-Jan-24 15:14:57

We are all different. Some are very active, some are not. And a retired woman might be in her 50s or a centenarian. I would however suggest that what is healthy and what is not healthy is the same throughout life.

Zuzu Mon 22-Jan-24 15:27:52

I'd consider my weight and health to begin with. I'm about 20 lbs heavier than I'd like to be and in excellent health. I'm almost homebound due to my DH's health/stroke. I'm his full-time caregiver. He's getting better and I hope within a year, we'll be able to get out more. But for now, looking at what's going on in my life, we eat eggs/bacon/toast or bagels/fruit for a late breakfast. I keep fresh fruit in a bowl, salads with broiled salmon/steak/or chicken on top or roasted veggies for an early supper. I'll make soup such as chili, veggie/beef, chicken tortilla, etc about once a week. We eat out when running errands/dr visits, always order a nice size meal--which we can never eat all--but it gives us lovely leftovers for later. We drink coffee, tea, water, wine. Neither of us are big dessert eaters, snacks are nuts, pop corn, etc.

Dee1012 Mon 22-Jan-24 15:28:32

I'd also suggest that the actual health of a person would impact their diet and what can / can't be consumed.
So surely the question is what is 'healthy' for that person?

I have to eat a largely low residue diet due to my condition.

Freshair Mon 22-Jan-24 15:39:49

Porridge with blueberries, soup or mackerel on toast for lunch, cooked meal of pasta/rice/sweet potatoes and a protein dish eg, chicken breast/quorn and some veggies. Eat after the gym usually. Lots of water amd far too much coffee. Sounds boring doesn't it

Poppyred Mon 22-Jan-24 15:45:07

I have one healthy meal (chicken or fish with a variety of vegetables or salad drizzled with olive oil and a jacket potato) a day followed by a piece of fruit and sometimes with a slice of granary bread. Also a small glass of kefir.

No health problems so far and this regime keeps my weight steady and BMI at an acceptable level.

When I reached 60 I started piling on weight without any change to my diet. Realised eventually that my metabolism had slowed down to a snails pace, so had to adjust food intake accordingly.

tanith Mon 22-Jan-24 16:05:54

Cereal/porridge and fruit for breakfast, sandwich, crackers or soup with an apple for lunch then dinner would be perhaps a stew, chicken/fish with veg, occasionally I’ll have burger/hotdog/bacon and egg with chips. I do snack on plums, satsumas in the afternoon.
Of course in the Summer I eat salad 4/5 times a week which I love and fruit salad. I probably eat too much but if my weight goes up I cut back for a couple of weeks.
Of course as has been said we are all different.

Norah Mon 22-Jan-24 16:15:35

I think it's down to your activity level, weight, height, and desired size.

I carefully count and eat 300g carbohydrates, 50g+ low fat protein, 60g fat (of which I prefer only 30% to be saturated), very little sugar or salt, lots of fibre and many many herbs & spices.

Coffee, porridge, toast, fruit, nuts.
Soup of lentil/pulses, fruit, veg, bread, hummus, nuts.
Late meal of high quality protein with quinoa, rice, pasta, potatoes etc, veg, fruit, breads, nuts. Maybe pudding.

Freshair Mon 22-Jan-24 16:23:25

Norah, is that cooked or uncooked weight. I never know

Freshair Mon 22-Jan-24 16:24:42

I've heard that if you eat pasta when it's a day old, it has less calories, might be a myth though

JamesandJon33 Mon 22-Jan-24 17:06:39

Being a reversed diabetic, I want to keep it that way. I eat low carb and fast 16:8

Serendipity22 Mon 22-Jan-24 18:18:15

Whatever I fancy on that particular day, no set diet, no forward planning. 😃

Maggiemaybe Mon 22-Jan-24 18:45:29

Same here, Serendipity. But today is fairly typical. I’ve had a boiled egg and toast for breakfast, lunch out was a falafel flatbread with lots of salad, tea was homemade corned beef hash - mainly veg, 5 of them - and sourdough bread. Drinks mainly tea, ordinary and fruit, and one cup of coffee. A couple of glasses of water, but I’m trying to remember to drink more of it.

I’m not sure I should declare the chocolate orange minis I’m just about to open - a gift from a friend today. At least today is one of my 2/3 no alcohol days a week.

Maggiemaybe Mon 22-Jan-24 18:46:38

Oh, and lots of fruit as snacks throughout the day.

Germanshepherdsmum Mon 22-Jan-24 19:16:51

I never snack. Never.

MayBee70 Mon 22-Jan-24 19:32:44

Today I had tea bread at midday ( made with lots of fruit, walnuts, beetroot powder, and wholemeal flour). Chicken and salad sandwich for tea; half a Kit Kat and a packet of crisps. I’m treating myself to a packet of crisps each day to try to stop myself binging on them sometimes. Try to fast for as long as possible after my evening meal. Take vitamin tablets each day, vit D, zinc, magnesium and macusave. And a prebiotic. Will have a smoothie tomorrow made with green tea.

NotAGran55 Mon 22-Jan-24 19:40:57

CynthiaDennison this is the second thread you have started asking ‘retirees’ about their eating habits without contributing anything yourself? Very odd imho.

Norah Mon 22-Jan-24 19:55:24

NotAGran55

CynthiaDennison this is the second thread you have started asking ‘retirees’ about their eating habits without contributing anything yourself? Very odd imho.

Ohhhhhh... there I am, dim again....

Germanshepherdsmum Mon 22-Jan-24 20:05:57

No, just answering someone in good faith. Assuming the OP is retired, how have they reached that stage of life without knowing what food is and is not healthy?

LucyAnna Mon 22-Jan-24 20:40:38

Porridge and blueberries for breakfast, veg soup and oatcakes for lunch (trying to avoid wheat, as it bloats me), Greek salad and Airfried sweet potato wedges + plain yogurt and fruit for supper.

lixy Mon 22-Jan-24 21:12:21

So here goes, hoping it was a genuine question. I am working on losing half a stone before Easter...
weekdays
Breakfast: porridge oats with water, half a banana and blueberries
lunch: 2 slices of homemade bread, a slice of cheese, half an apple and half a pear. Sometimes home made soup if it's cold or we are under the weather.
tea; something with protein and veggies, no carbohydrate.
If I snack it'll be a couple of almonds or a satsuma.

Weekends are more relaxed, especially if visitors are around.

What is 'healthy' is so different for each person. We try to limit salt and fats and very rarely have ready meals as my OH's family has a dire record of high blood pressure and heart disease. On my side we just look at a KitKat and have instantly put on at least 2 pounds!
It's just as important to do weight-bearing and cardio exercises.

flappergirl Mon 22-Jan-24 21:51:07

I have an early start and don't have breakfast, only 2 cups of tea, then usually eat a cheese and salad sandwich at work around 11.30am. If I have time, I'll have some Cotton Candy grapes around 4pm (I'm addicted to these, they're lovely) or if I'm really peckish I'll have a slice of thickly buttered toast.

In the evening, if I'm not working, I have something like pitta bread with hummus and olives. Afterwards I will have something sweet such as a few biscuits or squares of chocolate.

When my husband was live (and if I wasn't working) I'd cook things like chilli, curry or a pasta dish in the evenings. On Saturday we used to have a takeaway and on Sunday a roast or in the summer a bbq.

Callistemon21 Mon 22-Jan-24 22:40:48

There's a lunch thread and a dinner thread if you're looking for ideas.

nanna8 Mon 22-Jan-24 23:11:31

I eat a varied diet, some good food, some junk food. I am tempted to have a laugh and say I live on maccas, chocolate and beer but that isn’t quite the truth. I do have all of those things from time to time.

henetha Mon 22-Jan-24 23:38:11

I eat quite low fat , very rarely fried food. Apart from that a pretty average diet. I do find I'm eating less these days, rarely feel hungry.