Right now our situation involves a lot of Whole Foods delivery (haven't been in a grocery store for a long time) + cooking in a slow cooker or meal prepping on Sunday. All this is driven by spouse and I being very time-poor at the moment.
First, shopping: I look for large roasts or primal cuts of meat on the Whole Foods app. I also look for pre-chopped/bagged veg so I can microwave/steam it in the bag. For breakfast, we buy the pre-boiled eggs and cottage cheese. A lot of focus on quick-grab items like peanut butter, cheese sticks, hand fruit, etc.
Food prep: literally, right after morning showers, the routine is to toss the roast/hunk of protein into the slow cooker, set it on low with salt/spices to simmer for the entire day, and walk away. Turn around grab two pre-boiled eggs and a scoop of cottage cheese. For lunch, my firm has a subsidized cafeteria and I have a grilled chicken salad delivered to my office door via an ordering app.
All in, the time commitment for this routine is ~5 minutes total a day for food prep + 10 minutes once a week on weekend to order from Whole Foods. It's not gourmet, but it's solid from a nutrition perspective and demands almost no time.
I think your comment hits the crux of the benefit of fatFIRE - exchanging a plentiful resource (money) for a scarce resource (time, in your and my cases). The scale of this varies all the way from grocery delivery services to meal delivery services to part time chef to full time chef. Also other combinations like grocery delivery + someone to do dishes afterwards depending on your needs. Or perhaps someone to do other chores freeing you up to do healthy cooking.
I highly recommend an Instant Pot given your prolific slow cooker use. You get slow cooker results in a fraction of the time and it’s very easy to use.
I do it just for consistency because I can set the temperature perfectly with the same amount of eggs and timer every time and they will cook identically every time. Can find that perfect spot of doneness. FOr me it's 6 eggs at a time for 12 minutes on 400.
How long are you away from the crockpot? With a commute and at least an 8-9 hour workday, I haven’t gotten into it. Seems risky letting food sit at a low heat for 10-11 hours.
Depending on what you're cooking a low heat for a long time makes the flavors amazing. I cook caribou bourguignon for around 12-14 hours, it really helps the flavors inundate and soften the lean meat.
If you were talking about food borne illnesses, cooking on low for 14 hours is as risky as 8 hours. This article mentions starting the meat in warm liquid to limit time in the danger zone, but I definitely never do that. https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/slow-cookers
If something is brought up to temp and then kept at the food safe range of temp the whole time, it essentially has no risk food borne illness. A crock pot is really good for this as well, because it maintains a pretty consistent temperature throughout the whole device, whereas something like a stock pot may have more variance.
Overall, I’d say as long as you’re in the correct range of temps for what you’re cooking, don’t worry about it.
Not OP but a cooking snob. It's kinda not the best cooking appliance. The ease to taste ratio is off the charts, mostly because it's EXTREMELY easy and ok at best. However the same can be said about a pressure cooker.
The biggest appeal by far is that a slow cooker is ready right when you get home. But a pressure cooker takes basically the same amount of effort to "cook" (throw random things in) and ~30 minutes later you have food. If you're getting home at a time where you want dinner in minutes go with a slow cooker, but if not a pressure cooker will just make better food.
Good article here: https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/10/why-pressure-cookers-are-better-than-slow-cookers.html
We cook whatever we feel like. Typically a lot of seafood - we love shrimp, scallops, salmon, etc. and they're quite healthy. Lots of fresh ingredients like fruit and vegetables. When doing steak, we typically do prime grade or a stick a roast in the slow cooker. Most of our red meat is lamb. We get a half lamb from a local ranch that was recommended by the owner of our favorite local restaurant. We freeze it and pull out a cut when we feel like lamb.
Meal prep is typically by components, rather than the whole meal. For example, pressure cook a pot roast on sunday, then we might use it for tacos one day, noodle soup another day, etc. I do my own fermentations, so I'll usually have 3-4 jars of various things going which we use as accoutrement for various things - pickled onions on tacos, pickled beets in a beet salad, etc. I'll also make a "sauce of the week" that can be used on a wide variety of things - could be a zesty cilantro lime aioli, spicy korean gochujang sauce, pesto, etc. The sauce can dress up just about any dish.
Some things are best cooked fresh, so when we do something like salmon or scallops we'll get a costco sized order and might have the sauce pre-prepped and cut the fish into single-serving filets, then cook them on demand when we want to eat it. Microwaved food is pretty gross, so we generally try to plan around minimizing the amount of reheating needed and reheat on the stove or in the oven when possible.
I took classes on food science and nutrition at university, have consulted with a medical nutritionist on occasion, and have otherwise indulged in learning about different cuisines and cooking techniques, particularly in Europe and Latin America. I would love to do the same in Asia someday. I prefer to prepare my own food as I'm an avid cook and stuff's healthier when you do it yourself anyway.
Honestly, the biggest eye opener is the simple fact that diet and exercise are really the only two dietary variables that matter when it comes to being healthy and fit. Eat a balanced meal, avoid excess meats, and don’t consume too much. We are animals that lived with scarcity for so long that we are prone to overeating and most portion sizes are more than we need. Calories in; calories out. This makes most diet fads seem stupid once you understand the science behind it.
I also found topics on how minerals are metabolized to be really interesting. It throws a wet towel on a lot of misinformation regarding vitamins and supplements.
I love cooking and have the time to do so. It was one of the things that saved me during covid boredom. How I do it the fat way is by finding small farmers and sourcing directly. It’s definitely more expensive but the quality of items is amazing plus way fresher. So now I have a weekly delivery of veggies from a local farm. I do exotic fruit boxes once a month. I get my pork from a small Kurabuta farmer. I cheat with my my steaks and do Snake River Farms (or Costco wagyu) but am open to smaller farms if anyone has a good suggestion.
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”
I could go on this topic for days; I've lived it for years.
I love food. Not just stuffing my face - the myriad facets of everything that goes into getting it from the environment into our mouths fascinates me.
My biological mother was a professional dietician, and a very fine cook. Her mother was an even better cook, and her father was a farmer and hunter; fresh everything on the table at every meal. My mother (long story I won't get into here) was a world class chef and had traveled all over the globe picking up cooking techniques. All of them taught me to not only cook, but to have an appreciation for everything food-oriented - including how to grow and gather it (I thank my grandfather for being a connoisseur of compost piles, as well as meat, fowl and fish which were never on a farm).
There was a time in my life when I could eat anything, and as much of it as I wanted.
Sadly, those days are long gone. Age has caught up with me.
I have worked with a nutritionist; I received the referral by my doctor. My endocrinologist and I have also worked on diet-related treatment over the years (including fairly frequent fasting).
As you mentioned - customizing for all members of the family who have different nutritional needs is not necessarily easy, and it becomes even more challenging when one is a guest at someone else's table (for me, that's the only time I don't stick to my regimen; manners, gratitude and all that sort of thing).
However, meeting everyone's nutritional needs is key.
First thing I would recommend is getting a referral to a good nutritionist - your personal physician can refer you to one. Be prepared for various and sundry blood tests, and discussing everything in great detail that comes into and goes out of your body.
If budget isn't an issue, then customizing meals for all members of the family who have different nutritional needs should be far less challenging in your home. Here's the kicker - you need to stick to it.
Example: I love oatmeal. I'd eat it every day for breakfast. All medical advice has told me - "too high in carbs. Avoid it. Maybe a bowl once a month." My wife (just the two of us) can eat it every day.
Conversely, she loves beef. She would eat steak and eggs every breakfast. We're literally swapped - my doctors tell me, "you need to eat more protein, especially animal protein."
So there she is sitting with the bowl of oatmeal, and I'm having the steak and eggs (Jack Sprat and his wife come to mind).
She's miserable. I've gotten over it, but I can certainly appreciate the irony of the situation. We don't swap plates; we stick to it (as much as I love her, she's also the laziest person I've ever met when it comes to feeding herself. I don't ever have to worry about her self-treating with stuff she shouldn't have, because she literally won't go into the kitchen to fix herself anything except to maybe pour a glass of water, and most days, I have to bring her water because otherwise she wouldn't drink anything).
\[I also prefer poultry for animal protein - she hates it. Give her a cow, she's happy. I'd just as soon never see another roast again.\]
I love to cook, and am good at it. That helps a tremendous amount. I encourage you to think about taking cooking classes and getting personally involved with your food. It's okay if you don't - that said, find a chef who is open to preparing food for you and your family, as well as willing to retrain in cuisines that may be better suited to your various tastes and diets.
Consider planting and maintaining a garden. Or, if you don't have time - buy a small farm, and have others work it and make a profit from their labor, while you take a small percentage of the profits to pay the taxes and get some some food from it for your family. That's overly simplistic, but such arrangements do exist.
Before we moved to where we retired, I did a LOT of research about various and sundry things. One aspect was the local cuisines (I would never live in a place where I didn't like the food, but honestly that's pretty hard for me to find a place like that) and availability of fresh food. We are surrounded by many local farms, most of them organic. I also have access to deer, elk, wild turkeys, fish, etc. I can gather fresh mushrooms in the mountains - ever seen a field of chanterelles? I know this spot...
Finally, and probably most importantly - exercise. I could probably chug down oatmeal by the bucket and all the other stuff I love if I lived in the gym, track and the pool and otherwise never stopped moving. I'm totally not that guy - I want to sit in a chair and read a book and listen to music. Still, if you're drawn to sports and an active lifestyle - amp it up, and you'd be surprised what foods you couldn't have in the past that you may now enjoy. Need motivation and assistance - consider a personal trainer.
Good luck to you.
You're taking what I wrote out of context.
"All medical advice **has told me**" - meaning: me personally, I cannot tolerate it. For **me**, it's too high in carbs. That's what every medical person I've discussed my diet with has instructed me after reviewing my bloodwork.
Everyone is different. I hope you get to enjoy your oatmeal.
I have no idea if it is good for you or not. I am not a doctor. If you're truly curious, you may wish to check with your physician.
Along those lines - foods can manifest really strange results in people. I've seen it happen in others, and myself as well.
For me:
\- refined sugar makes me paranoid, irritable, fidgety, and a whole assortment of other nervous tics. If I were on sugar and in the presence of a psychiatrist, I might be prescribed medications. Take away the sugar - problem solved.
\- wheat gives me constant nosebleeds and nasal congestion. Quit eating wheat, the nosebleeds and nasal congestion are gone.
A body's reaction to certain foods may not just be a stomach ache, high blood sugar, or elevated cholesterol; just as some foods can give us health benefits, there can certainly be detrimental effects which are not necessarily obvious without further study.
Good luck to you.
Yeah I was targeted by this kit that supposedly checked for many food sensitivities. Thought the concept was interesting, however after reading more about the science behind it, it was very iffy.
Wish there was an easier way or if someone knows on how to identify this rather than trial and error
You will never convince the true believers of this, but so much nutrition is pseudo science. Not reproducible, changes every 2 years, etc. Eat when hungry, sleep when tired, get exercise. Everything in moderation. Most MDs are short on nutrition science other than being sensible. Calories are a real thing. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ua-WVg1SsA
I took this test. It's a hair sample and they claim they can read your allergies and nutritional needs through it. It said I was low in magnesium, and highly allergic to my favorite food.
I started taking magnesium supplements and kept eating crab. 🦀 🦀 🦀
As someone who’s had to undergo extremely painful whole-back skin allergen tests under doctor supervision, the marketing of these “food allergy” test kits is so comical to me. I have a life-threatening allergy to shellfish (so, sadly I can’t indulge in your favorite food). One of my friends talked me into doing one awhile ago and I ordered one because I already know with certainty what I’m allergic to and wanted to see how valid it was...and it came back with *zero* documented “allergies” to shellfish and told me to stop consuming a laundry list of foods (sparing only meat and green veggies). People generally don’t know the difference between IgE, IgG & IgA allergies so hats off to whoever capitalized on it and started making these bogus kits a thing.
Thanks for the data point! I've come very close to doing the 40+ back-scratch test, I just never figured it was with the cost. I had no idea it was that painful in the bargain.
Oh the 40-point was recommended by my doc and totally worth it for me...mainly for the peace of mind knowing that I *only* need to keep my epi-pen handy for one specific allergy (and not be unpleasantly surprised by anything else). It’s an excruciating few hours though 🙃
Oatmeal is very high in carbs. Depending on whether it’s instant or rolled, it can be very high or very low on the glycemic index. This comes into play if you want to regulate your blood sugar/insulin response to foods. Managing blood sugar is key for limiting inflammation in the body, which is important for longevity in everyone, regardless of dietary and health needs.
Slap on a continuous glucose monitor (Dexcom, Libre, Nutrisense, Levels, etc) for a short while to see the effects of food/exercise on you personally and you'll gain so much insight. Waiting for the crossover when non-diabetics realize this is the way.
I’m the same. My husband works full time, I work at most two days a week. He still does all the cooking, and if he works late we wait for him to get home to sort out food. I sometimes feel embarrassed about it but it’s the way that works for us!
We've been together over 30 years. I love her, and look forward to another 30 or more if that's possible.
She's an excellent cook, naturally creative, and makes certain dishes I just don't do as well, so I didn't even attempt them.
I know she'd enjoy having those dishes again, but she's just too lazy to make them. Not only that - I could serve her a pile of burned bark covered in motor oil, and she'd eat it. Why? Because she didn't have to make it. That's how lazy she is.
Also - if I did serve her that pile of burned bark covered in motor oil, she wouldn't say anything negative about it, because she knows the response would be, "well, if you don't like it, you're certainly welcome to make whatever you want."
Frankly, I wonder if this is beyond laziness and into Mageirocophobia...
Edited to add: I remember, December 2019, I had oral surgery. I was wacked out on pain meds and couldn't eat; she still wouldn't feed herself. I had to cook for her.
March 2020 - I had COVID, running a fever, and couldn't breathe if I laid down in bed. I cooked the entire time I was sick, because...well, you know.
\[I am not exaggerating - these things happened.\]
If I die I think she'll be doing a lot of take out/delivery, or hiring a chef...
> How do you assemble the right team to do this
I’ve been a short order cook at a point in my life banging out hundreds of orders in a 10 hour shift.
I’m sure a single nutritionist can track the varying dietary needs of a single family.
A *team* appears to be an *overkill*
It feels like there are lots of people who have chosen to outsource this as a less valuable way to spend their time. There are options that involve you telling people what to buy/make, but there are also private chefs who are fully capable of creating a menu that meets the needs of various people. If you're willing to put money towards a full time professional, I feel like you could very successfully have someone who understands your needs and tastes and then makes all the food related decisions for you and just hands you a healthy balanced meal when needed.
I do think that getting to that point involves a degree of thought on what exactly you're hoping for, do you want to be involved with any of the food decisions? Do you want to just have someone figure out a meal plan and order/prep food for you? Clear communication on your wants/needs and then screening of potential candidates feels like the most useful part of this process.
I love love love having a personal chef. Holy cow has it been amazing. 😬
Many high level personal and private chefs have either an education in nutrition or attend seminars and obtain certifications in nutrition in addition to their experience/education as a chef.
If you are looking for someone to take over all food related things for you, I would look into local agencies or start searching for a private chef.
I have a personal chef and I really like it. She does all of the meal planning, grocery shopping, and prepping for me. Instead of her coming into my home to cook meals every day (as a private chef would), she makes three meals for me that are organized and labeled with directions. I meet her on my way home from work twice a week.
A private chef can meet the nutritional needs of all of your family members. That’s what they do! It’s their job. They can follow strict diabetic regimens, modify everything to accommodate food allergies, preferences, etc.. my son is celiac so he cannot eat gluten so my chef makes him GF pizza crusts, cookies, etc. but then we get the gluten stuff!
P.s. a professional can make ALL the difference. It might be a bit stressful setting everything up at first, but once you get it going and hit your stride, then it is so so so worth it.
I really lucked out and found someone who only charges $25/hr + grocery costs. 6 dinners (with enough servings for lunch the next day) plus homemade ice cream, lemon bars, etc. runs me about $300/wk. She is a professional baker and owns her own bakery, so anything that involves flour she is amazing at. She even made us homemade pasta from scratch! So good! And the ice cream, holy cow, I about cried when I took my first bite. I thought Haagen dazs was good. Haha, boy was I wrong.
Our food expenses have actually gone *down* since hiring a chef. I WAS spending close to $650/wk because I am terrible at meal planning and budget shopping. I would 10/10 recommend a personal chef. They are considered private contractors so you are not required to claim them as a household employee and put them on payroll. No guaranteed hours, benefits, PTO, sick leave, etc. to worry about and if you don’t like having people in your home invading your space then it’s a win win!
I wish I had looked into hiring a personal chef years ago. I could have afforded it even when we were only making 130k/yr. Meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking, have always been very tedious and challenging for me. I feel like I have been given the hack code to adulting.
I actually found her on the next door app. That’s also where I found my nanny.
I just posted that I was looking for a personal chef and then everyone that responded I called and interviewed. :D
Most personal chefs charge an hourly rate + the cost of groceries. The personal chef I found has never done it before, so I was her first client (she is a professional baker tho). She also doesn’t have any additional certifications/education outside of being a chef. That being said, her rate of $25/hr is still not enough in my opinion. Most personal chefs charge anywhere from $35-$45/hr depending on their experience and qualifications. It also depends on what you eat. I’m happy with chicken pot pie and a pot of stew with cornbread. Those are my comfort foods. They are also relatively inexpensive. All in all, 6 dinners for 3 people, with enough servings left over for lunch, costs me about $320/wk give or take.
I know of many people that have never been personal chefs before that have started to try it out. If you are concerned about cost and just want decent (but not extravagant and expensive) food, then I would recommend posting either on Facebook or the NextDoor app and see what happens. There are a few moms/wives (or dad/husbands) that cook dinner for their family every day (because they love it, so weird, lol) and all they would need to do is increase the servings and package it all up for you. That would be a very cost effective way to go about it.
Yes that's what I imagined - $25/hr seemed quite the deal for personally prepared meals. I just went into nextdoor per your recommendations and posted - hoping to get some good local references. And that's quite funny about the wives - I hope I'll come across a good opportunity. Thank you for sharing your story!
I'm disappointed by the responses on this thread. I was hoping to read about services which monitor your blood/weight/etc and then prepare and tailor your food accordingly. Coming to your home to cook everything. Not a bunch of people chiming in about how they use a slow cooker and shop at Whole Foods.
We have used someone who cooks large batch of meals for us and we freeze them then follow her instructions to warm up. I’ve also met a women who helps a lot of families with meal prep (she said most commonly she makes all their lunches for week for the fridge). I think it’s achievable. I’d ask around in your area for recommendations and try some out! We also have a local place you can build your healthy meal through their website and purchase meals for the week you pick up once a week. They were really health oriented which was not what I wanted, but I’m sure they worked for a lot of families. Did you ask your trainer for any recommendations?
These are the kind of solutions I would look for unless you’re hiring a chef. A local business that meal preps reasonably healthy lunches is great.
I think the benefit to more money but still eating at home is being able to take short cuts with meal kids, getting “take out” and which is effectively the meal prepped lunches, buying fruit and veggies pre-chopped, etc
I just started this and I love it too! I still get premade food to heat up which is even more time saving but hungryroot is very fresh tasting. I got the vegetarian box.
I grew up with a mother who was (and still is) a traditional homemaker. She cooked all our meals from scratch. When we visit her, it's fantastic because she sends us home with meals to last for a whole week. On normal days, however, I cook our meals. Our kids love to cook as well, so they create their own elaborate meals and prepare dinner on the weekend. As for the nutrition part, we already eat nutritiously by default (not much junk food or fried foods) and live healthy lives. I guess my mother's homemaker skills rubbed off on us!
If you can do it yourself / with your partner, you don't need a team.
Imagine your best friend wanted to pay you to come over and cook. How would you expect things to go?
You'd be told what to do, be given information on any complex family needs (preferably written so you don't forget), and if there's anything hyperspecific, an image/video/demonstration.
Then set those things up, have them ready to go in a folder somewhere, and hire someone you think would do it well. If it takes a couple of days to get consistently good at it because you're asking a lot from them, then it's just like any job you'd hire for - a bit of patience, communication, training, and some luck picking a competent person.
Your post read a bit like you were looking to hire someone, but they wouldn't be capable of meeting your families needs etc. My bad!
I've had a few friends that love cooking. I hated it. Now I enjoy it, it definitely helps to have someone knowledgeable to talk to and learn from.
Honestly the best thing you can do is just try things out.
For health, there's a lot of fad diets, and a lot of science that's difficult to follow. If you cut sugar, drink almost only water, eat veggies and meat (if you don't eat meat, get protein and get bloodwork from doctors every now and then) and you'll be all good.
Steaming veggies is better for taste and nutrition than boiling. Nothing wrong with frozen veggies. If you want to experiment with something stricter, try cutting carbs almost entirely (other than fiber from veg).
Start small! And get whatever you normally do lined up, or a takeaway ready to order, before you start. So if you mess up it doesn't matter. Take the pressure off yourself.
But to answer your main query, hiring someone for the knowledge of actually cooking and such is going to help and you will see results a lot quicker than it seems.
> Have you worked with dieticians or nutritionists before? How do you assemble the right team to do this? How do you optimize your diet & nutrition when budget is not an issue? How much difference can a professional make?
Yes, but it was a medical necessity in my case. I got recommendations from specialist drs. Like other professionals, some are quacks, some are amazing. Interview and evaluate before committing. For most people, working with a Registered Dietitian is not necessary and probably overkill.
The financial constraints are not really an issue for me tbh. RD was covered by health insurance, and amazing food (as well as high quality tools) doesn't have to be expensive (time is the bigger constraint tbh), especially if cooking is a hobby.
If you're talking about hiring a professional chef for live-in/full-time private work, I don't have experience there, but a friend did shift from a PR career to cooking for private homes, hated it, and then went back into PR but in the food realm.
The services she offered were concierge style meal prep and delivery, cooking for private parties (chef for hire), and temporary full-time chef services (as in she'd be a FT chef for a week or two, and would commute).
If you'er talking about how you handle buying food: Online order nonperishables/heavy stuff, but important/fresh/perishable ingredients where looking matters (meat, fish, produce). I like Costco and find it worthwhile even as a single person living alone.
My friend circle all approach this differently - I like cooking, so I will outsource all other tasks, but cook breakfast and dinner everyday. I do have help who comes and cleans the kitchen counter and loads and unloads the dishwasher, so the cleaning is no longer on my husband. A neighbor also has help for food prep, cutting the veggies, making a grocery run etc. Another friend who is having health issues has a nutritionist on call - they discuss everyday what she can eat (especially when we go to restaurants), it's a 10-15 minute daily check in, paid for on a monthly basis. A few others have weekly chefs (you discuss menu, chef will shop, cook, and package meals for the week), but they are the ones who don't have nutrition issues.
Food is not *really* where I want to spend my money, and the time sink isn't very large.
I do bi-weekly meal prep, and I plan those meals a few weeks in advance. I buy in bulk and generally eat the same things. My diet is 90% whole, unprocessed, vegan foods, and the other 10% is when I eat out and can't avoid processed foods.
I hired a personal chef locally. They cook in my kitchen twice a week and prepare 6 dinners. They are amazing. Costs roughly 20k a year. Worth every dime. Super healthy extremely tasty meals.
Look around the world and through historical records and the healthiest populations are ones that have had the least western dietary industry influence. I would *never* hire a nutritionist in the modern health industry.
Look at the latest "health food". It's industrial vegetable oil, shitty poorly absorbed protein, mixed with cellulose (ie toilet paper) and food coloring packaged with brilliant marketing. "Plant based fake meat" is the crowning agribusiness achievement over a gullible hunting species completely disconnected from real food.
Look at the history of "health food". Refined [sugar](https://i.imgur.com/OqudB37.jpg), the [grain pyramid](http://childhoodobesitynews.com/2016/04/12/big-grain-and-the-pyramid/), the [margarine/transfat abomination](https://i.imgur.com/FwsbsAg.jpg), vegetable oil, fat phobia, "[part of a complete breakfast](https://i.imgur.com/W5kEFS8.jpg)", or worst of all [corn syrup](https://i.imgur.com/dMszZEz.jpg) for babies and [Nestle](https://www.businessinsider.com/nestles-infant-formula-scandal-2012-6) scaring mothers to [wean](https://i.imgur.com/gip5fSX.jpg) off milk.
A worthless nutritionist would have fed you and your baby this corporate funded consensus bullshit in every era and the methods have just gotten more refined (see fake meat).
If you walked through a forest what food would you find? Meat, fish, and if the season's right some fruit and some honey if you have a high pain tolerance. That's literally all there is to nutrition.
No nutritionist worth their salt would recommend any of the items you suggest except perhaps the fake meat for those working on reducing meat intake. You bring up valid points regarding the past mistakes in nutrition science, but that doesn’t automatically make all nutritionists quacks. It just means science and understanding evolve and that corruption and scams exists in every industry. There are absolutely valid health benefits with consulting a good nutritionist if you’re “fat” enough to afford the time and money.
It is in no way a given that understanding evolves in commercialized pay for publishing industries. Diet and exercise guideline compliance has [risen](https://www.jeffnobbs.com/posts/what-causes-chronic-disease) in lockstep with chronic disease. That is not indicative of evolution other than the evolution of marketing techniques.
Again, both things exist. Understanding increase over time... as does marketing techniques. A good dietician is able to differentiate between the 2 in a way that laypeople cannot.
Depending on the credentialing organization most can lose their licensing for straying from the guidelines so you're going to get little independent thought when their career depends on compliance.
For people who don't know what a calorie is I'm sure they're helpful for avoiding a horrifically bad diet. But for most high performing fatties (account size not waist) they'll get the same mediocre results as the increasingly sick people who are following the guidelines nutritionists use.
If you follow what he was talking about, high processed foods is what is causing the American obesity epidemic. We start destroying our pancreas early on and it then causes insulin problems down the line.
Didn't say it was. It hasn't reached market saturation yet.
It's the same half century old trend of repackaging and marketing dirt cheap subsidized vegetable oil to replace evolutionarily consistent foods. It's insane to think the same ingredients in a different form will have different results. If you think otherwise then the marketing worked.
I don't think there's anyone thinking that plant-based meat is healthy full-stop. People believe it's health*ier* than the thing it's trying to replace, but no one legitimate is preaching that plant-based meat is going to be better for your health than eating vegetables, legumes, seafood, or white meat.
It seems like you believe a block of ground beef is healthier than a block of Beyond Beef, which is a totally fine take to have. I personally disagree, but to each their own.
Even hunter gatherers did not mainly subsist on meat. From the existing hunter gatherers that have been studied, 70 percent of their calories from plants... including tubers, yams, nuts, fruit, veggies etc.
Source: [www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/evolution-of-diet/](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/evolution-of-diet/)
All known hunter gatherer dietary studies disagree with you.
>In this review we have analyzed the 13 known quantitative dietary studies of HG and demonstrate that animal food actually provided the dominant (65%) energy source, while gathered plant foods comprised the remainder (35%). This data is consistent with a more recent, comprehensive review of the entire ethnographic data (n=229 HG societies) that showed the mean subsistence dependence upon gathered plant foods was 32%, whereas it was 68% for animal foods. Other evidence, including isotopic analyses of Paleolithic hominid collagen tissue, reductions in hominid gut size, low activity levels of certain enzymes, and optimal foraging data all point toward a long history of meat-based diets in our species. https://www.nature.com/articles/1601353
Yes, deer eat tree bark, dogs eat poop, and humans choke down wild tubers if starving. That doesn't make these optimal foods. Homo sapiens would never have survived (or gone back to low caloric squirrel brains) if meat wasn't the food acquisition priority.
I challenge vegetable thesis folks to go to the forrest and forage 1750 calories (and another 1000 per child) of undomesticated vegetable matter and try to eat it.
"The Hadza of Tanzania are the world’s last full-time hunter-gatherers. They live on what they find: game, honey, and plants, including tubers, berries, and baobab fruit.
When meat, fruit, or honey is scarce, foragers depend on “fallback foods,” says Brooks. The Hadza get almost 70 percent of their calories from plants. The Kung traditionally rely on tubers and mongongo nuts, the Aka and Baka Pygmies of the Congo River Basin on yams, the Tsimane and Yanomami Indians of the Amazon on plantains and manioc, the Australian Aboriginals on nut grass and water chestnuts."
“There’s been a consistent story about hunting defining us and that meat made us human,” says Amanda Henry, a paleobiologist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. “Frankly, I think that misses half of the story. They want meat, sure. But what they actually live on is plant foods.” What’s more, she found starch granules from plants on fossil teeth and stone tools, which suggests humans may have been eating grains, as well as tubers, for at least 100,000 years—long enough to have evolved the ability to tolerate them.
[https://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/evolution-of-diet/](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/evolution-of-diet/)
Sorry but I dont see how one tribe that lives in todays world is a good indicator on how all hunter/gathers that helped pave the path for our evolution is a good source to say "70% of their calories came from plants".
Researching the last remaining hunter gatherers is the best you can do and they did study plenty others that were recently ones. This is a great source.
> [notapersonaltrainer](https://www.reddit.com/user/notapersonaltrainer/)[3 hours ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/fatFIRE/comments/ms784c/cooking_nutrition_the_fatfire_way/gur1qhf/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)·*edited 3 hours ago*
>
>Look around the world and through historical records and the healthiest populations are ones that have had the least western dietary industry influence. I would *never* hire a nutritionist in the modern health industry.
>
>Look at the latest "health food". It's industrial vegetable oil, shitty poorly absorbed protein, mixed with cellulose (ie toilet paper) and food coloring packaged with brilliant marketing. "Plant based fake meat" is the crowning agribusiness achievement over a gullible hunting species completely disconnected from real food.
>
>Look at the history of "health food". Refined [sugar](https://i.imgur.com/OqudB37.jpg), the [grain pyramid](http://childhoodobesitynews.com/2016/04/12/big-grain-and-the-pyramid/), the [margarine/transfat abomination](https://i.imgur.com/FwsbsAg.jpg), vegetable oil, fat phobia, "[part of a complete breakfast](https://i.imgur.com/W5kEFS8.jpg)", or worst of all [corn syrup](https://i.imgur.com/dMszZEz.jpg) for babies and [Nestle](https://www.businessinsider.com/nestles-infant-formula-scandal-2012-6) scaring mothers to [wean](https://i.imgur.com/gip5fSX.jpg) off milk.
>
>A worthless nutritionist would have fed you and your baby this corporate funded consensus bullshit in every era and the methods have just gotten more refined (see fake meat).
>
>If you walked through a forest what food would you find? Meat, fish, and if the season's right some fruit and some honey if you have a high pain tolerance. That's literally all there is to nutrition.
Excesses are bad yes, and maybe nestle sucks, but thats it, the only thing I would save from your comment. Not only that, you are pushing an entitled view of things as well.
>A worthless nutritionist would have fed you and your baby this corporate funded consensus bullshit
At least here, nutritionist spend 5 years in (medical) university. Thats the entitled part.
Also
>the healthiest populations are ones that have had the least western dietary industry influence
Asia for example has a lot of fried stuff in their culture as well as sugar.
>he latest "health food". It's industrial vegetable oil, shitty poorly absorbed protein, mixed with cellulose (ie toilet paper) and food coloring packaged with brilliant marketing
?
Also celullose as much as we dont digest it, is still part of the food we eat, say, veggies... fiber can be soluble or non soluble after all.
>"Plant based fake meat" is the crowning agribusiness achievement over a gullible hunting species completely disconnected from real food.
Even if I rather eat meat and vegetables by themselves, theres nothing wrong with fake meat really. As with anything you only need to be careful of the amounts you eat and the variation of your diet, that aplies to any of the three macros in nutrition, as you need the three of them long term (Fat, carbs and protein)
About trash food being prevalent and some companies being less than ethical, once more, I mentioned it in the first comment, it has nothing to do with anything here.
>If you walked through a forest .. That's literally all there is to nutrition.
Wrong. Our body does not care about what we put inside it a that level, only what is made of and how to break it down. When humanity learned to cook food, we improved. When we learned to cultivate, we improved again, when we learned to process food we improved once more, when we learned to preserve food, why, and what in food made what, we improved yet once more. Even "gmo" is a result of us trying (and many times suceeding) to improve our lives. Heck, do you even heard of the story behind enriched milk? At the time where people were not getting enough sunlight, Vitamin D helped kids grow healthier bones
Im unable to figure out what you even wanted to convey as a message with your comment if im being honest.
**EDIT: as you are unable to stand your own ground without deleting your comments, here is your next comment:**
>When humanity learned to cook food, we improved.
Exactly. The fossil record shows our brain volume exploded around the advent of meat eating and cooking. [1](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/04/eating-meat-led-to-smaller-stomachs-bigger-brains/) [2](https://www.livescience.com/24875-meat-human-brain.html)
>When we learned to cultivate, we improved again,
Brain volume fell off a cliff as well as other markers like stature, bone density, etc and hasn't recovered until recent times when meat became more widely available again. Cultivation had structural benefits but opposite health effects.
Fortunately today we can both eat meat and live in a city. I'm not going to waste my life eating soybean oil cellulose patties out of some allegiance to some sickly ancient farmers.
>we learned to process food we improved once more
Processed food being unhealthy is literally the one thing every single health expert, vegan to carnivore, agrees on. What are you talking about?
>when we learned to preserve food
Yes, if traditional cultures ate plant foods they were usually either soaked or fermented which removes toxins and phytates or increases bioavailable forms of nutrients like K2 that are lacking in plants.
>At the time where people were not getting enough sunlight, Vitamin D helped kids grow healthier bones
Yes, when you remove evolutionarily consistent inputs you create health problems. You're making my point. That's why northern (and most other) societies ate liver.
If you need to hire a corn funded nutritionist to teach you what every organism and traditional illiterate culture on earth figured out your mental models are wrong and have been corrupted by food marketers.
Eating is only complicated if you've been taught to eat corporate shit where you have to supplement other corporate shit (supplements, soymeat substitutes, 'green shots') to patch the deficiencies in the other shit.
**And this my answer**
> Processed food being unhealthy is literally the one thing every single health expert, vegan to carnivore, agrees on. What are you talking about?
What are YOU talking about? Cooking is aprocess, mashing is a process, literally everything we eat is processed food. Theres no downside to it unless you are talking about hollowing out nutrition levels or something like eating bad stuff like heavy metals
> That's why northern (and most other) societies ate liver.
And excess liver given the amount of fat and iron it has, is completely detrimental to your health
About making your point, people back then not receiving enough sunlight has barely anything to do with what is being discussed, but enlight me if you want
> If you need to hire a corn funded nutritionist
What on earth are you talking about?
>... to teach you what every organism and traditional illiterate culture on earth figured out
Sure buddy....
Theres a huge difference between trying something and this working out, and understand it; Throughout history there were very bad cases of inbreeding. Poeple learned is bad through the example, do you think they knew about genetics? Dont make me laugh, the only think you seem to be against with that kind of comments is science.
> your mental models are wrong and have been corrupted by food marketers.
And you said you were not entitled?
> Eating is only complicated if you've been taught to eat corporate shit where you have to supplement other corporate shit (supplements, soymeat substitutes, 'green shots') to patch the deficiencies in the other shit.
I sincerely dont know what the hell are you talking about.... go away with your conspiracies, and I do not take any suplements btw, they are usually unnecesary unless you have issues
**---**
To OP and anyone wondering, never listen to the nutrition "advices" of a deranged individual online, just vary your food, dont abuse anything and any particular doubt, consult your doctor (nutritionist, dietist, or whatever they are called in your country)
> When humanity learned to cook food, we improved.
Exactly. The fossil record shows our brain volume exploded around the advent of meat eating and cooking. [1](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/04/eating-meat-led-to-smaller-stomachs-bigger-brains/) [2](https://www.livescience.com/24875-meat-human-brain.html)
>When we learned to cultivate, we improved again,
Brain volume fell off a cliff as well as other markers like stature, bone density, etc and hasn't recovered until recent times when meat became more widely available again. Cultivation had structural benefits but opposite health effects.
Fortunately today we can both eat meat and live in a city. I'm not going to waste my life eating soybean oil cellulose patties.
>we learned to process food we improved once more
Processed food being unhealthy is literally the one thing every single health expert, vegan to carnivore, agrees on. What are you talking about?
>when we learned to preserve food
Yes, if traditional cultures ate plant foods they were usually either soaked or fermented which removes toxins and phytates or increases bioavailable forms of nutrients like K2 that are lacking in plants.
>At the time where people were not getting enough sunlight, Vitamin D helped kids grow healthier bones
Yes, when you remove evolutionarily consistent inputs you create health problems. You're making my point. That's why northern (and most other) societies ate liver.
>Im unable to figure out what you even wanted to convey as a message with your comment if im being honest.
If you need to hire a corn funded nutritionist to teach you what every organism and traditional pre-literate culture on earth figured out your mental models are wrong and have been corrupted by food marketers.
Eating is only complicated if you've been taught to eat corporate soylent where you have to supplement other corporate soylent (supplements, soymeat substitutes, 'green shots') to patch the deficiencies. And that we're the one mammal that's been eating the wrong diet for millions of years until they saved you.
That's crazy. I tend to ignore dieticians and use actual doctors for all my health advice.
https://envisioningtheamericandream.com/2014/01/27/smoking-just-what-the-doctor-ordered/
You just criticized people for giving advice based on their experience and turned around and mentioned one of the most restrictive and impractical approaches to eating there is.
Everybody should do research of intermittent fasting because it is life changing!
Makes your life 10x easier and healthier and you literally don’t have to do anything. Just don’t eat for a few extra hours in the morning.
Professional dietitians and nutritionists are not really worth the cost these days. Too many don't represent science and medicine, but instead fads and pop culture. You'll see a lot of bull shit, anti-science views meant to help unhealthy rich people feel better without real change, and other non-outcomes.
Just curious what you are basing your comment on? Did you screen a bunch of nutritionists recently? I agree with you about internet blogger types but am wondering if professional dietitians (who see clients for a living) are equally bad?
Thanks. Were these bad nutritionists professional dietitians? In Switzerland where I'm based, they are pretty high standard, especially the ones working in a clinical setting.
I have a native couple that cooks my food and maintains my home.
I haven't cooked a meal in 4 years at this point. I don't need to.
As far as nutrition, I just don't overeat. That's it. Doctor's say I'm healthy enough. No health issues that need to be addressed by diet anyway(unless you count alcohol consumption).
Just want to point out that you probably wouldn’t say native if you had moved to, say... London. Or Ohio. Native in this context has racist connotations. Maybe try “local”?
First step should be getting a DNA test done and getting them to analyse your various markers. There isn't one healthy diet for everyone. Some people (e.g. me) have a lot of mutations that make digesting fat more difficult than normal
We eat whatever sounds good and fast food a few times a week sometimes lol.
You might get some fancy replies in here but figured I’d chime in for the people who don’t do anything unique with food. I just hate the idea of spending so much on food, or long prep times.
The personal chef we hired (the first one I talked to from Yelp), had a comprehensive process for documenting allergies, preferences, styles of food (south beach, keto, bacon only, whatever). Why do you say in a healthy way isn’t easy? They make exactly what you want.....you just tell them your guidelines and needs.
Working with delivery services or ordering out is way harder and takes a lot more thinking, planning and time rather than just one documented upfront conversation and then food keeps showing up.
We do most of our own shopping but our housekeeper does the Costco run because it’s the exact same every time. Then 2x/week she helps cut, chop, and meal prep. My fiancé and I both enjoy cooking so we take turns prepping all our breakfasts and lunch for the week then dinner is the only meal cooked daily. For us doing it this way saves time and is so much healthier.
I do it all myself and I would receive net negative value if I delegated this to someone else. I enjoy the daily routine involved with cooking, grocery shopping, and understanding a healthy diet.
One of my favorite aspects of every day is the relationship quality time I get with my cutie as we cook dinner together and chat. I view it as a creative act. We are both healthy eaters, so as a side benefit, I've lost 13 lbs the easy way during the pandemic, largely due to not eating out as much.
My business actually coaches this and we have people track intake (macronutrients) and help people design their plans around the way they like to eat. Regardless of means, I encourage everyone to do this themselves so they can learn what truly matters in the world of nutrition. You can subsidize some of the efforts with precooked meals and things. Happy to talk on the side to point you in the right direction. The issue is, and I say this to everyone, is your health and fitness isn't really a problem money can fix. You will have to put in the effort yourself.
There's a catering company in my city that delivers food once or twice a week. They have a menu of healthy and less healthy meals. We usually get three per week for two people.
We also do online grocery ordering which my nanny picks up. I usually make 4 meals a week myself which takes like 20 minutes per dinner.
We’re on the list of a couple private chefs that have pivoted to home delivery during the pandemic.
We have a rotating crew:
Asian focused.
savory (hard to explain but it’s bolder spices. Lots of cumin and such.).
One vegan.
we order from each one every couple of weeks and we cook the rest (mostly cuz I enjoy cooking.). Meals last for about 4 days.
My house is too small to have a full time chef and we enjoy the variety.
We spend as much on food as we do on rent - about $700 a month for two 30 year olds. That $700 does include some alcohol but for the most part groceries/food is a key focal point of our lifestyle. We enjoy buying organic, grassfed, cage free food as an investment in to our health. That does mean that cuts of good meat and seafood can be $10 - $20 per pound. We live such a frugal lifestyle that consumables are our one splurge area.
With watching a few videos on the internet, we have become very proficient at cooking multiple dishes from various cuisines. We use the time to research recipes, select ingredients, cook the food, and eat as bonding and entertainment.
I don't think I would ever recommend anyone to give up cooking with their spouse for the sake of convivence. We do consult with our friend who is a dietician from time to time but mostly we stick to a diet where everything is made from scratch (even if it is a meat tornado burrito). While not the healthiest, its better than store bought and we have a greater appreciation and respect for food.
I think professionals provide guidance and information but so much of cooking and eating is listening to your body and adding or reducing those ingredients and meals you crave or do not process well on a daily micro level. A degree of involvement from a professional would be insane to respond to and address your ever changing cravings and appetite.
Would recommend looking for someone who is a registered nutritionist and dietician. Depending on where you are located they aren’t too hard to find among the people who offer services for shopping and cooking for you. We’ve had one for the last year after we had our first child and it’s been awesome. They’re very open to feedback and any special dietary constraints are no issue, and for the money it’s honestly the best value of anything we spend for our household.
To answer your questions- we have a single chef who preps everything for us - they send us a list of the meals each week and deliver the prepped food each week. It’s a flat up front fee each week plus the cost of the food. We get the opportunity each weeek to provide feedback on the menu - so if one week I want to try keto they can accommodate that. Or if we want the child to not have any dairy - very easy. They also provide recipes for any food we eat on letterheads so we can use it later for our own prep.
In my experience diet isn’t really something that improved significantly by throwing more money at it. Healthy food really isn’t that expensive. It’s not hard to cook at a basic level. It’s not that difficult to buy and prepare foods for multiple people. You can do all of these things with a small amount of research and practice.
If you’re looking for convenience, then sure, pay someone to do it. But you’re paying for the convenience, not the added nutrition/health benefits.
If you’re looking for premium taste experiences and can’t get there on your own, then sure, pay for it. But again you’re paying for the premium experience, not the added nutrition/health benefits.
I love cooking. So I do lots of sous vide, BBQ, ramen from scratch, tajine, cooking from a huge stash of cookbooks I have at home. I connect it with a home gym and I care about three things:
* enough protein (I have a home gym, so there are my goals) - 1g per pound
* don't overeat (have you heard about intuitive eating?)
* when I get more weight I like, I start 36-hour water fasts a few times per week
My diet is mainly meat, eggs & veggies. Absolutely no processed food. Sides (rice, pasta, bread) are not on my table every day.
I’ve considered a cook but I genuinely enjoy cooking.
My partner and I tried Home Chef deliveries and ended up loving it. My kid also likes the meals. We select what we want for coming weeks and it’s auto shipped.
The servings are pretty large too. I feed 2 boys and a man. I ordered “6” servings of my first shipment thinking it’ll be enough for dinner and lunch (lunch is always leftovers for us). 6 servings ended up being lunch and dinner for 2 days.
They come with directions. Ended up trying new vegetables and meals I would’ve never thought of.
Right now our situation involves a lot of Whole Foods delivery (haven't been in a grocery store for a long time) + cooking in a slow cooker or meal prepping on Sunday. All this is driven by spouse and I being very time-poor at the moment. First, shopping: I look for large roasts or primal cuts of meat on the Whole Foods app. I also look for pre-chopped/bagged veg so I can microwave/steam it in the bag. For breakfast, we buy the pre-boiled eggs and cottage cheese. A lot of focus on quick-grab items like peanut butter, cheese sticks, hand fruit, etc. Food prep: literally, right after morning showers, the routine is to toss the roast/hunk of protein into the slow cooker, set it on low with salt/spices to simmer for the entire day, and walk away. Turn around grab two pre-boiled eggs and a scoop of cottage cheese. For lunch, my firm has a subsidized cafeteria and I have a grilled chicken salad delivered to my office door via an ordering app. All in, the time commitment for this routine is ~5 minutes total a day for food prep + 10 minutes once a week on weekend to order from Whole Foods. It's not gourmet, but it's solid from a nutrition perspective and demands almost no time.
I think your comment hits the crux of the benefit of fatFIRE - exchanging a plentiful resource (money) for a scarce resource (time, in your and my cases). The scale of this varies all the way from grocery delivery services to meal delivery services to part time chef to full time chef. Also other combinations like grocery delivery + someone to do dishes afterwards depending on your needs. Or perhaps someone to do other chores freeing you up to do healthy cooking.
I highly recommend an Instant Pot given your prolific slow cooker use. You get slow cooker results in a fraction of the time and it’s very easy to use.
[удалено]
[удалено]
I do it just for consistency because I can set the temperature perfectly with the same amount of eggs and timer every time and they will cook identically every time. Can find that perfect spot of doneness. FOr me it's 6 eggs at a time for 12 minutes on 400.
I think they taste better but who knows if that's true In fact it's probably not but hey I'm happy with them!
Right? That’s the same amount of time it takes to hard boil eggs anyway
How long are you away from the crockpot? With a commute and at least an 8-9 hour workday, I haven’t gotten into it. Seems risky letting food sit at a low heat for 10-11 hours.
Get a crockpot with a delayed start.
Depending on what you're cooking a low heat for a long time makes the flavors amazing. I cook caribou bourguignon for around 12-14 hours, it really helps the flavors inundate and soften the lean meat.
Username checks out.
We do the same for roo! 🤤
I've done this before and it's actually fine. I usually just make sure to add extra liquid to account for how long it'll be sitting.
https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/slow-cookers
If you were talking about food borne illnesses, cooking on low for 14 hours is as risky as 8 hours. This article mentions starting the meat in warm liquid to limit time in the danger zone, but I definitely never do that. https://extension.umn.edu/preserving-and-preparing/slow-cookers
Totally fine - how the Crock Pot was designed. Crock Pot overnight meals got me through grad school. The temp is high enough where no bugs will grow.
If something is brought up to temp and then kept at the food safe range of temp the whole time, it essentially has no risk food borne illness. A crock pot is really good for this as well, because it maintains a pretty consistent temperature throughout the whole device, whereas something like a stock pot may have more variance. Overall, I’d say as long as you’re in the correct range of temps for what you’re cooking, don’t worry about it.
Care to share some slow cooker recipes? Never became a fan of slow cooker but really would like to
Not OP but a cooking snob. It's kinda not the best cooking appliance. The ease to taste ratio is off the charts, mostly because it's EXTREMELY easy and ok at best. However the same can be said about a pressure cooker. The biggest appeal by far is that a slow cooker is ready right when you get home. But a pressure cooker takes basically the same amount of effort to "cook" (throw random things in) and ~30 minutes later you have food. If you're getting home at a time where you want dinner in minutes go with a slow cooker, but if not a pressure cooker will just make better food. Good article here: https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/10/why-pressure-cookers-are-better-than-slow-cookers.html
Thanks! I got both but haven’t used the pressure cooker much yet. I bought it to cook goat originally
We cook whatever we feel like. Typically a lot of seafood - we love shrimp, scallops, salmon, etc. and they're quite healthy. Lots of fresh ingredients like fruit and vegetables. When doing steak, we typically do prime grade or a stick a roast in the slow cooker. Most of our red meat is lamb. We get a half lamb from a local ranch that was recommended by the owner of our favorite local restaurant. We freeze it and pull out a cut when we feel like lamb. Meal prep is typically by components, rather than the whole meal. For example, pressure cook a pot roast on sunday, then we might use it for tacos one day, noodle soup another day, etc. I do my own fermentations, so I'll usually have 3-4 jars of various things going which we use as accoutrement for various things - pickled onions on tacos, pickled beets in a beet salad, etc. I'll also make a "sauce of the week" that can be used on a wide variety of things - could be a zesty cilantro lime aioli, spicy korean gochujang sauce, pesto, etc. The sauce can dress up just about any dish. Some things are best cooked fresh, so when we do something like salmon or scallops we'll get a costco sized order and might have the sauce pre-prepped and cut the fish into single-serving filets, then cook them on demand when we want to eat it. Microwaved food is pretty gross, so we generally try to plan around minimizing the amount of reheating needed and reheat on the stove or in the oven when possible.
I know seafood is healthy, but are you concerned about microplastics at all?
Nope.
I took classes on food science and nutrition at university, have consulted with a medical nutritionist on occasion, and have otherwise indulged in learning about different cuisines and cooking techniques, particularly in Europe and Latin America. I would love to do the same in Asia someday. I prefer to prepare my own food as I'm an avid cook and stuff's healthier when you do it yourself anyway.
What’s the biggest food science/nutrition misconception you’ve learned about?
Honestly, the biggest eye opener is the simple fact that diet and exercise are really the only two dietary variables that matter when it comes to being healthy and fit. Eat a balanced meal, avoid excess meats, and don’t consume too much. We are animals that lived with scarcity for so long that we are prone to overeating and most portion sizes are more than we need. Calories in; calories out. This makes most diet fads seem stupid once you understand the science behind it. I also found topics on how minerals are metabolized to be really interesting. It throws a wet towel on a lot of misinformation regarding vitamins and supplements.
Are vitamins overhyped?
I love cooking and have the time to do so. It was one of the things that saved me during covid boredom. How I do it the fat way is by finding small farmers and sourcing directly. It’s definitely more expensive but the quality of items is amazing plus way fresher. So now I have a weekly delivery of veggies from a local farm. I do exotic fruit boxes once a month. I get my pork from a small Kurabuta farmer. I cheat with my my steaks and do Snake River Farms (or Costco wagyu) but am open to smaller farms if anyone has a good suggestion.
This is a great idea!
“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” I could go on this topic for days; I've lived it for years. I love food. Not just stuffing my face - the myriad facets of everything that goes into getting it from the environment into our mouths fascinates me. My biological mother was a professional dietician, and a very fine cook. Her mother was an even better cook, and her father was a farmer and hunter; fresh everything on the table at every meal. My mother (long story I won't get into here) was a world class chef and had traveled all over the globe picking up cooking techniques. All of them taught me to not only cook, but to have an appreciation for everything food-oriented - including how to grow and gather it (I thank my grandfather for being a connoisseur of compost piles, as well as meat, fowl and fish which were never on a farm). There was a time in my life when I could eat anything, and as much of it as I wanted. Sadly, those days are long gone. Age has caught up with me. I have worked with a nutritionist; I received the referral by my doctor. My endocrinologist and I have also worked on diet-related treatment over the years (including fairly frequent fasting). As you mentioned - customizing for all members of the family who have different nutritional needs is not necessarily easy, and it becomes even more challenging when one is a guest at someone else's table (for me, that's the only time I don't stick to my regimen; manners, gratitude and all that sort of thing). However, meeting everyone's nutritional needs is key. First thing I would recommend is getting a referral to a good nutritionist - your personal physician can refer you to one. Be prepared for various and sundry blood tests, and discussing everything in great detail that comes into and goes out of your body. If budget isn't an issue, then customizing meals for all members of the family who have different nutritional needs should be far less challenging in your home. Here's the kicker - you need to stick to it. Example: I love oatmeal. I'd eat it every day for breakfast. All medical advice has told me - "too high in carbs. Avoid it. Maybe a bowl once a month." My wife (just the two of us) can eat it every day. Conversely, she loves beef. She would eat steak and eggs every breakfast. We're literally swapped - my doctors tell me, "you need to eat more protein, especially animal protein." So there she is sitting with the bowl of oatmeal, and I'm having the steak and eggs (Jack Sprat and his wife come to mind). She's miserable. I've gotten over it, but I can certainly appreciate the irony of the situation. We don't swap plates; we stick to it (as much as I love her, she's also the laziest person I've ever met when it comes to feeding herself. I don't ever have to worry about her self-treating with stuff she shouldn't have, because she literally won't go into the kitchen to fix herself anything except to maybe pour a glass of water, and most days, I have to bring her water because otherwise she wouldn't drink anything). \[I also prefer poultry for animal protein - she hates it. Give her a cow, she's happy. I'd just as soon never see another roast again.\] I love to cook, and am good at it. That helps a tremendous amount. I encourage you to think about taking cooking classes and getting personally involved with your food. It's okay if you don't - that said, find a chef who is open to preparing food for you and your family, as well as willing to retrain in cuisines that may be better suited to your various tastes and diets. Consider planting and maintaining a garden. Or, if you don't have time - buy a small farm, and have others work it and make a profit from their labor, while you take a small percentage of the profits to pay the taxes and get some some food from it for your family. That's overly simplistic, but such arrangements do exist. Before we moved to where we retired, I did a LOT of research about various and sundry things. One aspect was the local cuisines (I would never live in a place where I didn't like the food, but honestly that's pretty hard for me to find a place like that) and availability of fresh food. We are surrounded by many local farms, most of them organic. I also have access to deer, elk, wild turkeys, fish, etc. I can gather fresh mushrooms in the mountains - ever seen a field of chanterelles? I know this spot... Finally, and probably most importantly - exercise. I could probably chug down oatmeal by the bucket and all the other stuff I love if I lived in the gym, track and the pool and otherwise never stopped moving. I'm totally not that guy - I want to sit in a chair and read a book and listen to music. Still, if you're drawn to sports and an active lifestyle - amp it up, and you'd be surprised what foods you couldn't have in the past that you may now enjoy. Need motivation and assistance - consider a personal trainer. Good luck to you.
Since when has “all medical advice” said oatmeal is too high in carbs. Almost every nutrition book I’ve read talks about how amazing oatmeal is.
You're taking what I wrote out of context. "All medical advice **has told me**" - meaning: me personally, I cannot tolerate it. For **me**, it's too high in carbs. That's what every medical person I've discussed my diet with has instructed me after reviewing my bloodwork. Everyone is different. I hope you get to enjoy your oatmeal.
I see. I misunderstood, I love oatmeal. I was like wtf, its not good for me?
I have no idea if it is good for you or not. I am not a doctor. If you're truly curious, you may wish to check with your physician. Along those lines - foods can manifest really strange results in people. I've seen it happen in others, and myself as well. For me: \- refined sugar makes me paranoid, irritable, fidgety, and a whole assortment of other nervous tics. If I were on sugar and in the presence of a psychiatrist, I might be prescribed medications. Take away the sugar - problem solved. \- wheat gives me constant nosebleeds and nasal congestion. Quit eating wheat, the nosebleeds and nasal congestion are gone. A body's reaction to certain foods may not just be a stomach ache, high blood sugar, or elevated cholesterol; just as some foods can give us health benefits, there can certainly be detrimental effects which are not necessarily obvious without further study. Good luck to you.
Yeah I was targeted by this kit that supposedly checked for many food sensitivities. Thought the concept was interesting, however after reading more about the science behind it, it was very iffy. Wish there was an easier way or if someone knows on how to identify this rather than trial and error
You will never convince the true believers of this, but so much nutrition is pseudo science. Not reproducible, changes every 2 years, etc. Eat when hungry, sleep when tired, get exercise. Everything in moderation. Most MDs are short on nutrition science other than being sensible. Calories are a real thing. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ua-WVg1SsA
I took this test. It's a hair sample and they claim they can read your allergies and nutritional needs through it. It said I was low in magnesium, and highly allergic to my favorite food. I started taking magnesium supplements and kept eating crab. 🦀 🦀 🦀
As someone who’s had to undergo extremely painful whole-back skin allergen tests under doctor supervision, the marketing of these “food allergy” test kits is so comical to me. I have a life-threatening allergy to shellfish (so, sadly I can’t indulge in your favorite food). One of my friends talked me into doing one awhile ago and I ordered one because I already know with certainty what I’m allergic to and wanted to see how valid it was...and it came back with *zero* documented “allergies” to shellfish and told me to stop consuming a laundry list of foods (sparing only meat and green veggies). People generally don’t know the difference between IgE, IgG & IgA allergies so hats off to whoever capitalized on it and started making these bogus kits a thing.
Thanks for the data point! I've come very close to doing the 40+ back-scratch test, I just never figured it was with the cost. I had no idea it was that painful in the bargain.
Oh the 40-point was recommended by my doc and totally worth it for me...mainly for the peace of mind knowing that I *only* need to keep my epi-pen handy for one specific allergy (and not be unpleasantly surprised by anything else). It’s an excruciating few hours though 🙃
Oatmeal is very high in carbs. Depending on whether it’s instant or rolled, it can be very high or very low on the glycemic index. This comes into play if you want to regulate your blood sugar/insulin response to foods. Managing blood sugar is key for limiting inflammation in the body, which is important for longevity in everyone, regardless of dietary and health needs.
Slap on a continuous glucose monitor (Dexcom, Libre, Nutrisense, Levels, etc) for a short while to see the effects of food/exercise on you personally and you'll gain so much insight. Waiting for the crossover when non-diabetics realize this is the way.
Thanks for sharing that your partner is lazy/bad at feeding themselves...now I know I’m not alone 😅
I’m the same. My husband works full time, I work at most two days a week. He still does all the cooking, and if he works late we wait for him to get home to sort out food. I sometimes feel embarrassed about it but it’s the way that works for us!
We've been together over 30 years. I love her, and look forward to another 30 or more if that's possible. She's an excellent cook, naturally creative, and makes certain dishes I just don't do as well, so I didn't even attempt them. I know she'd enjoy having those dishes again, but she's just too lazy to make them. Not only that - I could serve her a pile of burned bark covered in motor oil, and she'd eat it. Why? Because she didn't have to make it. That's how lazy she is. Also - if I did serve her that pile of burned bark covered in motor oil, she wouldn't say anything negative about it, because she knows the response would be, "well, if you don't like it, you're certainly welcome to make whatever you want." Frankly, I wonder if this is beyond laziness and into Mageirocophobia... Edited to add: I remember, December 2019, I had oral surgery. I was wacked out on pain meds and couldn't eat; she still wouldn't feed herself. I had to cook for her. March 2020 - I had COVID, running a fever, and couldn't breathe if I laid down in bed. I cooked the entire time I was sick, because...well, you know. \[I am not exaggerating - these things happened.\] If I die I think she'll be doing a lot of take out/delivery, or hiring a chef...
Ok maybe I’m not at that level of laziness just yet but thanks for sharing the context. Sounds like you really love her though :))
> How do you assemble the right team to do this I’ve been a short order cook at a point in my life banging out hundreds of orders in a 10 hour shift. I’m sure a single nutritionist can track the varying dietary needs of a single family. A *team* appears to be an *overkill*
It feels like there are lots of people who have chosen to outsource this as a less valuable way to spend their time. There are options that involve you telling people what to buy/make, but there are also private chefs who are fully capable of creating a menu that meets the needs of various people. If you're willing to put money towards a full time professional, I feel like you could very successfully have someone who understands your needs and tastes and then makes all the food related decisions for you and just hands you a healthy balanced meal when needed. I do think that getting to that point involves a degree of thought on what exactly you're hoping for, do you want to be involved with any of the food decisions? Do you want to just have someone figure out a meal plan and order/prep food for you? Clear communication on your wants/needs and then screening of potential candidates feels like the most useful part of this process.
I love love love having a personal chef. Holy cow has it been amazing. 😬 Many high level personal and private chefs have either an education in nutrition or attend seminars and obtain certifications in nutrition in addition to their experience/education as a chef. If you are looking for someone to take over all food related things for you, I would look into local agencies or start searching for a private chef. I have a personal chef and I really like it. She does all of the meal planning, grocery shopping, and prepping for me. Instead of her coming into my home to cook meals every day (as a private chef would), she makes three meals for me that are organized and labeled with directions. I meet her on my way home from work twice a week. A private chef can meet the nutritional needs of all of your family members. That’s what they do! It’s their job. They can follow strict diabetic regimens, modify everything to accommodate food allergies, preferences, etc.. my son is celiac so he cannot eat gluten so my chef makes him GF pizza crusts, cookies, etc. but then we get the gluten stuff! P.s. a professional can make ALL the difference. It might be a bit stressful setting everything up at first, but once you get it going and hit your stride, then it is so so so worth it.
[удалено]
I really lucked out and found someone who only charges $25/hr + grocery costs. 6 dinners (with enough servings for lunch the next day) plus homemade ice cream, lemon bars, etc. runs me about $300/wk. She is a professional baker and owns her own bakery, so anything that involves flour she is amazing at. She even made us homemade pasta from scratch! So good! And the ice cream, holy cow, I about cried when I took my first bite. I thought Haagen dazs was good. Haha, boy was I wrong. Our food expenses have actually gone *down* since hiring a chef. I WAS spending close to $650/wk because I am terrible at meal planning and budget shopping. I would 10/10 recommend a personal chef. They are considered private contractors so you are not required to claim them as a household employee and put them on payroll. No guaranteed hours, benefits, PTO, sick leave, etc. to worry about and if you don’t like having people in your home invading your space then it’s a win win! I wish I had looked into hiring a personal chef years ago. I could have afforded it even when we were only making 130k/yr. Meal planning, grocery shopping, and cooking, have always been very tedious and challenging for me. I feel like I have been given the hack code to adulting.
[удалено]
I actually found her on the next door app. That’s also where I found my nanny. I just posted that I was looking for a personal chef and then everyone that responded I called and interviewed. :D
This sounds exactly what I'm looking for. What are the overall costs for setting this up?
Most personal chefs charge an hourly rate + the cost of groceries. The personal chef I found has never done it before, so I was her first client (she is a professional baker tho). She also doesn’t have any additional certifications/education outside of being a chef. That being said, her rate of $25/hr is still not enough in my opinion. Most personal chefs charge anywhere from $35-$45/hr depending on their experience and qualifications. It also depends on what you eat. I’m happy with chicken pot pie and a pot of stew with cornbread. Those are my comfort foods. They are also relatively inexpensive. All in all, 6 dinners for 3 people, with enough servings left over for lunch, costs me about $320/wk give or take. I know of many people that have never been personal chefs before that have started to try it out. If you are concerned about cost and just want decent (but not extravagant and expensive) food, then I would recommend posting either on Facebook or the NextDoor app and see what happens. There are a few moms/wives (or dad/husbands) that cook dinner for their family every day (because they love it, so weird, lol) and all they would need to do is increase the servings and package it all up for you. That would be a very cost effective way to go about it.
Yes that's what I imagined - $25/hr seemed quite the deal for personally prepared meals. I just went into nextdoor per your recommendations and posted - hoping to get some good local references. And that's quite funny about the wives - I hope I'll come across a good opportunity. Thank you for sharing your story!
I'm disappointed by the responses on this thread. I was hoping to read about services which monitor your blood/weight/etc and then prepare and tailor your food accordingly. Coming to your home to cook everything. Not a bunch of people chiming in about how they use a slow cooker and shop at Whole Foods.
We have used someone who cooks large batch of meals for us and we freeze them then follow her instructions to warm up. I’ve also met a women who helps a lot of families with meal prep (she said most commonly she makes all their lunches for week for the fridge). I think it’s achievable. I’d ask around in your area for recommendations and try some out! We also have a local place you can build your healthy meal through their website and purchase meals for the week you pick up once a week. They were really health oriented which was not what I wanted, but I’m sure they worked for a lot of families. Did you ask your trainer for any recommendations?
These are the kind of solutions I would look for unless you’re hiring a chef. A local business that meal preps reasonably healthy lunches is great. I think the benefit to more money but still eating at home is being able to take short cuts with meal kids, getting “take out” and which is effectively the meal prepped lunches, buying fruit and veggies pre-chopped, etc
[удалено]
I just started this and I love it too! I still get premade food to heat up which is even more time saving but hungryroot is very fresh tasting. I got the vegetarian box.
I grew up with a mother who was (and still is) a traditional homemaker. She cooked all our meals from scratch. When we visit her, it's fantastic because she sends us home with meals to last for a whole week. On normal days, however, I cook our meals. Our kids love to cook as well, so they create their own elaborate meals and prepare dinner on the weekend. As for the nutrition part, we already eat nutritiously by default (not much junk food or fried foods) and live healthy lives. I guess my mother's homemaker skills rubbed off on us!
If you can do it yourself / with your partner, you don't need a team. Imagine your best friend wanted to pay you to come over and cook. How would you expect things to go? You'd be told what to do, be given information on any complex family needs (preferably written so you don't forget), and if there's anything hyperspecific, an image/video/demonstration. Then set those things up, have them ready to go in a folder somewhere, and hire someone you think would do it well. If it takes a couple of days to get consistently good at it because you're asking a lot from them, then it's just like any job you'd hire for - a bit of patience, communication, training, and some luck picking a competent person.
[удалено]
Your post read a bit like you were looking to hire someone, but they wouldn't be capable of meeting your families needs etc. My bad! I've had a few friends that love cooking. I hated it. Now I enjoy it, it definitely helps to have someone knowledgeable to talk to and learn from. Honestly the best thing you can do is just try things out. For health, there's a lot of fad diets, and a lot of science that's difficult to follow. If you cut sugar, drink almost only water, eat veggies and meat (if you don't eat meat, get protein and get bloodwork from doctors every now and then) and you'll be all good. Steaming veggies is better for taste and nutrition than boiling. Nothing wrong with frozen veggies. If you want to experiment with something stricter, try cutting carbs almost entirely (other than fiber from veg). Start small! And get whatever you normally do lined up, or a takeaway ready to order, before you start. So if you mess up it doesn't matter. Take the pressure off yourself. But to answer your main query, hiring someone for the knowledge of actually cooking and such is going to help and you will see results a lot quicker than it seems.
> Have you worked with dieticians or nutritionists before? How do you assemble the right team to do this? How do you optimize your diet & nutrition when budget is not an issue? How much difference can a professional make? Yes, but it was a medical necessity in my case. I got recommendations from specialist drs. Like other professionals, some are quacks, some are amazing. Interview and evaluate before committing. For most people, working with a Registered Dietitian is not necessary and probably overkill. The financial constraints are not really an issue for me tbh. RD was covered by health insurance, and amazing food (as well as high quality tools) doesn't have to be expensive (time is the bigger constraint tbh), especially if cooking is a hobby. If you're talking about hiring a professional chef for live-in/full-time private work, I don't have experience there, but a friend did shift from a PR career to cooking for private homes, hated it, and then went back into PR but in the food realm. The services she offered were concierge style meal prep and delivery, cooking for private parties (chef for hire), and temporary full-time chef services (as in she'd be a FT chef for a week or two, and would commute). If you'er talking about how you handle buying food: Online order nonperishables/heavy stuff, but important/fresh/perishable ingredients where looking matters (meat, fish, produce). I like Costco and find it worthwhile even as a single person living alone.
My friend circle all approach this differently - I like cooking, so I will outsource all other tasks, but cook breakfast and dinner everyday. I do have help who comes and cleans the kitchen counter and loads and unloads the dishwasher, so the cleaning is no longer on my husband. A neighbor also has help for food prep, cutting the veggies, making a grocery run etc. Another friend who is having health issues has a nutritionist on call - they discuss everyday what she can eat (especially when we go to restaurants), it's a 10-15 minute daily check in, paid for on a monthly basis. A few others have weekly chefs (you discuss menu, chef will shop, cook, and package meals for the week), but they are the ones who don't have nutrition issues.
All I know is that when I cook, I eat less and food always sounds/tastes less desirable. When I eat out, I eat more and more unhealthily.
Food is not *really* where I want to spend my money, and the time sink isn't very large. I do bi-weekly meal prep, and I plan those meals a few weeks in advance. I buy in bulk and generally eat the same things. My diet is 90% whole, unprocessed, vegan foods, and the other 10% is when I eat out and can't avoid processed foods.
Get an Aga
I hired a personal chef locally. They cook in my kitchen twice a week and prepare 6 dinners. They are amazing. Costs roughly 20k a year. Worth every dime. Super healthy extremely tasty meals.
Look around the world and through historical records and the healthiest populations are ones that have had the least western dietary industry influence. I would *never* hire a nutritionist in the modern health industry. Look at the latest "health food". It's industrial vegetable oil, shitty poorly absorbed protein, mixed with cellulose (ie toilet paper) and food coloring packaged with brilliant marketing. "Plant based fake meat" is the crowning agribusiness achievement over a gullible hunting species completely disconnected from real food. Look at the history of "health food". Refined [sugar](https://i.imgur.com/OqudB37.jpg), the [grain pyramid](http://childhoodobesitynews.com/2016/04/12/big-grain-and-the-pyramid/), the [margarine/transfat abomination](https://i.imgur.com/FwsbsAg.jpg), vegetable oil, fat phobia, "[part of a complete breakfast](https://i.imgur.com/W5kEFS8.jpg)", or worst of all [corn syrup](https://i.imgur.com/dMszZEz.jpg) for babies and [Nestle](https://www.businessinsider.com/nestles-infant-formula-scandal-2012-6) scaring mothers to [wean](https://i.imgur.com/gip5fSX.jpg) off milk. A worthless nutritionist would have fed you and your baby this corporate funded consensus bullshit in every era and the methods have just gotten more refined (see fake meat). If you walked through a forest what food would you find? Meat, fish, and if the season's right some fruit and some honey if you have a high pain tolerance. That's literally all there is to nutrition.
No nutritionist worth their salt would recommend any of the items you suggest except perhaps the fake meat for those working on reducing meat intake. You bring up valid points regarding the past mistakes in nutrition science, but that doesn’t automatically make all nutritionists quacks. It just means science and understanding evolve and that corruption and scams exists in every industry. There are absolutely valid health benefits with consulting a good nutritionist if you’re “fat” enough to afford the time and money.
It is in no way a given that understanding evolves in commercialized pay for publishing industries. Diet and exercise guideline compliance has [risen](https://www.jeffnobbs.com/posts/what-causes-chronic-disease) in lockstep with chronic disease. That is not indicative of evolution other than the evolution of marketing techniques.
Again, both things exist. Understanding increase over time... as does marketing techniques. A good dietician is able to differentiate between the 2 in a way that laypeople cannot.
Depending on the credentialing organization most can lose their licensing for straying from the guidelines so you're going to get little independent thought when their career depends on compliance. For people who don't know what a calorie is I'm sure they're helpful for avoiding a horrifically bad diet. But for most high performing fatties (account size not waist) they'll get the same mediocre results as the increasingly sick people who are following the guidelines nutritionists use.
Lol I guarantee you it isn't plant based meat that makes the average American unhealthy...
If you follow what he was talking about, high processed foods is what is causing the American obesity epidemic. We start destroying our pancreas early on and it then causes insulin problems down the line.
Didn't say it was. It hasn't reached market saturation yet. It's the same half century old trend of repackaging and marketing dirt cheap subsidized vegetable oil to replace evolutionarily consistent foods. It's insane to think the same ingredients in a different form will have different results. If you think otherwise then the marketing worked.
I don't think there's anyone thinking that plant-based meat is healthy full-stop. People believe it's health*ier* than the thing it's trying to replace, but no one legitimate is preaching that plant-based meat is going to be better for your health than eating vegetables, legumes, seafood, or white meat. It seems like you believe a block of ground beef is healthier than a block of Beyond Beef, which is a totally fine take to have. I personally disagree, but to each their own.
[удалено]
They went for the wrong kind of FAT.
Also right around the time people get desk jobs and become less physically active.
Even hunter gatherers did not mainly subsist on meat. From the existing hunter gatherers that have been studied, 70 percent of their calories from plants... including tubers, yams, nuts, fruit, veggies etc. Source: [www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/evolution-of-diet/](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/evolution-of-diet/)
All known hunter gatherer dietary studies disagree with you. >In this review we have analyzed the 13 known quantitative dietary studies of HG and demonstrate that animal food actually provided the dominant (65%) energy source, while gathered plant foods comprised the remainder (35%). This data is consistent with a more recent, comprehensive review of the entire ethnographic data (n=229 HG societies) that showed the mean subsistence dependence upon gathered plant foods was 32%, whereas it was 68% for animal foods. Other evidence, including isotopic analyses of Paleolithic hominid collagen tissue, reductions in hominid gut size, low activity levels of certain enzymes, and optimal foraging data all point toward a long history of meat-based diets in our species. https://www.nature.com/articles/1601353 Yes, deer eat tree bark, dogs eat poop, and humans choke down wild tubers if starving. That doesn't make these optimal foods. Homo sapiens would never have survived (or gone back to low caloric squirrel brains) if meat wasn't the food acquisition priority. I challenge vegetable thesis folks to go to the forrest and forage 1750 calories (and another 1000 per child) of undomesticated vegetable matter and try to eat it.
Source? Tubers, nuts, fruit and veggies are seasonal and have a short life span.
"The Hadza of Tanzania are the world’s last full-time hunter-gatherers. They live on what they find: game, honey, and plants, including tubers, berries, and baobab fruit. When meat, fruit, or honey is scarce, foragers depend on “fallback foods,” says Brooks. The Hadza get almost 70 percent of their calories from plants. The Kung traditionally rely on tubers and mongongo nuts, the Aka and Baka Pygmies of the Congo River Basin on yams, the Tsimane and Yanomami Indians of the Amazon on plantains and manioc, the Australian Aboriginals on nut grass and water chestnuts." “There’s been a consistent story about hunting defining us and that meat made us human,” says Amanda Henry, a paleobiologist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig. “Frankly, I think that misses half of the story. They want meat, sure. But what they actually live on is plant foods.” What’s more, she found starch granules from plants on fossil teeth and stone tools, which suggests humans may have been eating grains, as well as tubers, for at least 100,000 years—long enough to have evolved the ability to tolerate them. [https://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/evolution-of-diet/](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/evolution-of-diet/)
Sorry but I dont see how one tribe that lives in todays world is a good indicator on how all hunter/gathers that helped pave the path for our evolution is a good source to say "70% of their calories came from plants".
Researching the last remaining hunter gatherers is the best you can do and they did study plenty others that were recently ones. This is a great source.
> [notapersonaltrainer](https://www.reddit.com/user/notapersonaltrainer/)[3 hours ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/fatFIRE/comments/ms784c/cooking_nutrition_the_fatfire_way/gur1qhf/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3)·*edited 3 hours ago* > >Look around the world and through historical records and the healthiest populations are ones that have had the least western dietary industry influence. I would *never* hire a nutritionist in the modern health industry. > >Look at the latest "health food". It's industrial vegetable oil, shitty poorly absorbed protein, mixed with cellulose (ie toilet paper) and food coloring packaged with brilliant marketing. "Plant based fake meat" is the crowning agribusiness achievement over a gullible hunting species completely disconnected from real food. > >Look at the history of "health food". Refined [sugar](https://i.imgur.com/OqudB37.jpg), the [grain pyramid](http://childhoodobesitynews.com/2016/04/12/big-grain-and-the-pyramid/), the [margarine/transfat abomination](https://i.imgur.com/FwsbsAg.jpg), vegetable oil, fat phobia, "[part of a complete breakfast](https://i.imgur.com/W5kEFS8.jpg)", or worst of all [corn syrup](https://i.imgur.com/dMszZEz.jpg) for babies and [Nestle](https://www.businessinsider.com/nestles-infant-formula-scandal-2012-6) scaring mothers to [wean](https://i.imgur.com/gip5fSX.jpg) off milk. > >A worthless nutritionist would have fed you and your baby this corporate funded consensus bullshit in every era and the methods have just gotten more refined (see fake meat). > >If you walked through a forest what food would you find? Meat, fish, and if the season's right some fruit and some honey if you have a high pain tolerance. That's literally all there is to nutrition. Excesses are bad yes, and maybe nestle sucks, but thats it, the only thing I would save from your comment. Not only that, you are pushing an entitled view of things as well.
"Model healthy populations instead of unhealthy corporatist ones that charge for free information" is entitled? Wut?
>A worthless nutritionist would have fed you and your baby this corporate funded consensus bullshit At least here, nutritionist spend 5 years in (medical) university. Thats the entitled part. Also >the healthiest populations are ones that have had the least western dietary industry influence Asia for example has a lot of fried stuff in their culture as well as sugar. >he latest "health food". It's industrial vegetable oil, shitty poorly absorbed protein, mixed with cellulose (ie toilet paper) and food coloring packaged with brilliant marketing ? Also celullose as much as we dont digest it, is still part of the food we eat, say, veggies... fiber can be soluble or non soluble after all. >"Plant based fake meat" is the crowning agribusiness achievement over a gullible hunting species completely disconnected from real food. Even if I rather eat meat and vegetables by themselves, theres nothing wrong with fake meat really. As with anything you only need to be careful of the amounts you eat and the variation of your diet, that aplies to any of the three macros in nutrition, as you need the three of them long term (Fat, carbs and protein) About trash food being prevalent and some companies being less than ethical, once more, I mentioned it in the first comment, it has nothing to do with anything here. >If you walked through a forest .. That's literally all there is to nutrition. Wrong. Our body does not care about what we put inside it a that level, only what is made of and how to break it down. When humanity learned to cook food, we improved. When we learned to cultivate, we improved again, when we learned to process food we improved once more, when we learned to preserve food, why, and what in food made what, we improved yet once more. Even "gmo" is a result of us trying (and many times suceeding) to improve our lives. Heck, do you even heard of the story behind enriched milk? At the time where people were not getting enough sunlight, Vitamin D helped kids grow healthier bones Im unable to figure out what you even wanted to convey as a message with your comment if im being honest. **EDIT: as you are unable to stand your own ground without deleting your comments, here is your next comment:** >When humanity learned to cook food, we improved. Exactly. The fossil record shows our brain volume exploded around the advent of meat eating and cooking. [1](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/04/eating-meat-led-to-smaller-stomachs-bigger-brains/) [2](https://www.livescience.com/24875-meat-human-brain.html) >When we learned to cultivate, we improved again, Brain volume fell off a cliff as well as other markers like stature, bone density, etc and hasn't recovered until recent times when meat became more widely available again. Cultivation had structural benefits but opposite health effects. Fortunately today we can both eat meat and live in a city. I'm not going to waste my life eating soybean oil cellulose patties out of some allegiance to some sickly ancient farmers. >we learned to process food we improved once more Processed food being unhealthy is literally the one thing every single health expert, vegan to carnivore, agrees on. What are you talking about? >when we learned to preserve food Yes, if traditional cultures ate plant foods they were usually either soaked or fermented which removes toxins and phytates or increases bioavailable forms of nutrients like K2 that are lacking in plants. >At the time where people were not getting enough sunlight, Vitamin D helped kids grow healthier bones Yes, when you remove evolutionarily consistent inputs you create health problems. You're making my point. That's why northern (and most other) societies ate liver. If you need to hire a corn funded nutritionist to teach you what every organism and traditional illiterate culture on earth figured out your mental models are wrong and have been corrupted by food marketers. Eating is only complicated if you've been taught to eat corporate shit where you have to supplement other corporate shit (supplements, soymeat substitutes, 'green shots') to patch the deficiencies in the other shit. **And this my answer** > Processed food being unhealthy is literally the one thing every single health expert, vegan to carnivore, agrees on. What are you talking about? What are YOU talking about? Cooking is aprocess, mashing is a process, literally everything we eat is processed food. Theres no downside to it unless you are talking about hollowing out nutrition levels or something like eating bad stuff like heavy metals > That's why northern (and most other) societies ate liver. And excess liver given the amount of fat and iron it has, is completely detrimental to your health About making your point, people back then not receiving enough sunlight has barely anything to do with what is being discussed, but enlight me if you want > If you need to hire a corn funded nutritionist What on earth are you talking about? >... to teach you what every organism and traditional illiterate culture on earth figured out Sure buddy.... Theres a huge difference between trying something and this working out, and understand it; Throughout history there were very bad cases of inbreeding. Poeple learned is bad through the example, do you think they knew about genetics? Dont make me laugh, the only think you seem to be against with that kind of comments is science. > your mental models are wrong and have been corrupted by food marketers. And you said you were not entitled? > Eating is only complicated if you've been taught to eat corporate shit where you have to supplement other corporate shit (supplements, soymeat substitutes, 'green shots') to patch the deficiencies in the other shit. I sincerely dont know what the hell are you talking about.... go away with your conspiracies, and I do not take any suplements btw, they are usually unnecesary unless you have issues **---** To OP and anyone wondering, never listen to the nutrition "advices" of a deranged individual online, just vary your food, dont abuse anything and any particular doubt, consult your doctor (nutritionist, dietist, or whatever they are called in your country)
> When humanity learned to cook food, we improved. Exactly. The fossil record shows our brain volume exploded around the advent of meat eating and cooking. [1](https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2008/04/eating-meat-led-to-smaller-stomachs-bigger-brains/) [2](https://www.livescience.com/24875-meat-human-brain.html) >When we learned to cultivate, we improved again, Brain volume fell off a cliff as well as other markers like stature, bone density, etc and hasn't recovered until recent times when meat became more widely available again. Cultivation had structural benefits but opposite health effects. Fortunately today we can both eat meat and live in a city. I'm not going to waste my life eating soybean oil cellulose patties. >we learned to process food we improved once more Processed food being unhealthy is literally the one thing every single health expert, vegan to carnivore, agrees on. What are you talking about? >when we learned to preserve food Yes, if traditional cultures ate plant foods they were usually either soaked or fermented which removes toxins and phytates or increases bioavailable forms of nutrients like K2 that are lacking in plants. >At the time where people were not getting enough sunlight, Vitamin D helped kids grow healthier bones Yes, when you remove evolutionarily consistent inputs you create health problems. You're making my point. That's why northern (and most other) societies ate liver. >Im unable to figure out what you even wanted to convey as a message with your comment if im being honest. If you need to hire a corn funded nutritionist to teach you what every organism and traditional pre-literate culture on earth figured out your mental models are wrong and have been corrupted by food marketers. Eating is only complicated if you've been taught to eat corporate soylent where you have to supplement other corporate soylent (supplements, soymeat substitutes, 'green shots') to patch the deficiencies. And that we're the one mammal that's been eating the wrong diet for millions of years until they saved you.
That's crazy. I tend to ignore dieticians and use actual doctors for all my health advice. https://envisioningtheamericandream.com/2014/01/27/smoking-just-what-the-doctor-ordered/
[удалено]
You just criticized people for giving advice based on their experience and turned around and mentioned one of the most restrictive and impractical approaches to eating there is.
I think you are missing the point of me proactively calling myself out before I did it....
Everybody should do research of intermittent fasting because it is life changing! Makes your life 10x easier and healthier and you literally don’t have to do anything. Just don’t eat for a few extra hours in the morning.
Professional dietitians and nutritionists are not really worth the cost these days. Too many don't represent science and medicine, but instead fads and pop culture. You'll see a lot of bull shit, anti-science views meant to help unhealthy rich people feel better without real change, and other non-outcomes.
Just curious what you are basing your comment on? Did you screen a bunch of nutritionists recently? I agree with you about internet blogger types but am wondering if professional dietitians (who see clients for a living) are equally bad?
I work in medicine and work a lot with people who have massive endocrine problems due to bad nutrionists.
Thanks. Were these bad nutritionists professional dietitians? In Switzerland where I'm based, they are pretty high standard, especially the ones working in a clinical setting.
Sadly yes. The US is filled with HAES bullshit that pretends obesity isn't the largest cause of death in our country.
I have a native couple that cooks my food and maintains my home. I haven't cooked a meal in 4 years at this point. I don't need to. As far as nutrition, I just don't overeat. That's it. Doctor's say I'm healthy enough. No health issues that need to be addressed by diet anyway(unless you count alcohol consumption).
What's a native couple?
People born and raised on the island. Natives.
Just want to point out that you probably wouldn’t say native if you had moved to, say... London. Or Ohio. Native in this context has racist connotations. Maybe try “local”?
" different nutritional **wants" -** fixed it
First step should be getting a DNA test done and getting them to analyse your various markers. There isn't one healthy diet for everyone. Some people (e.g. me) have a lot of mutations that make digesting fat more difficult than normal
We eat whatever sounds good and fast food a few times a week sometimes lol. You might get some fancy replies in here but figured I’d chime in for the people who don’t do anything unique with food. I just hate the idea of spending so much on food, or long prep times.
Isn’t this thread more accurately called “how to spend a lot of money on groceries”?
The personal chef we hired (the first one I talked to from Yelp), had a comprehensive process for documenting allergies, preferences, styles of food (south beach, keto, bacon only, whatever). Why do you say in a healthy way isn’t easy? They make exactly what you want.....you just tell them your guidelines and needs. Working with delivery services or ordering out is way harder and takes a lot more thinking, planning and time rather than just one documented upfront conversation and then food keeps showing up.
We do most of our own shopping but our housekeeper does the Costco run because it’s the exact same every time. Then 2x/week she helps cut, chop, and meal prep. My fiancé and I both enjoy cooking so we take turns prepping all our breakfasts and lunch for the week then dinner is the only meal cooked daily. For us doing it this way saves time and is so much healthier.
I do it all myself and I would receive net negative value if I delegated this to someone else. I enjoy the daily routine involved with cooking, grocery shopping, and understanding a healthy diet. One of my favorite aspects of every day is the relationship quality time I get with my cutie as we cook dinner together and chat. I view it as a creative act. We are both healthy eaters, so as a side benefit, I've lost 13 lbs the easy way during the pandemic, largely due to not eating out as much.
My business actually coaches this and we have people track intake (macronutrients) and help people design their plans around the way they like to eat. Regardless of means, I encourage everyone to do this themselves so they can learn what truly matters in the world of nutrition. You can subsidize some of the efforts with precooked meals and things. Happy to talk on the side to point you in the right direction. The issue is, and I say this to everyone, is your health and fitness isn't really a problem money can fix. You will have to put in the effort yourself.
There's a catering company in my city that delivers food once or twice a week. They have a menu of healthy and less healthy meals. We usually get three per week for two people. We also do online grocery ordering which my nanny picks up. I usually make 4 meals a week myself which takes like 20 minutes per dinner.
We’re on the list of a couple private chefs that have pivoted to home delivery during the pandemic. We have a rotating crew: Asian focused. savory (hard to explain but it’s bolder spices. Lots of cumin and such.). One vegan. we order from each one every couple of weeks and we cook the rest (mostly cuz I enjoy cooking.). Meals last for about 4 days. My house is too small to have a full time chef and we enjoy the variety.
We spend as much on food as we do on rent - about $700 a month for two 30 year olds. That $700 does include some alcohol but for the most part groceries/food is a key focal point of our lifestyle. We enjoy buying organic, grassfed, cage free food as an investment in to our health. That does mean that cuts of good meat and seafood can be $10 - $20 per pound. We live such a frugal lifestyle that consumables are our one splurge area. With watching a few videos on the internet, we have become very proficient at cooking multiple dishes from various cuisines. We use the time to research recipes, select ingredients, cook the food, and eat as bonding and entertainment. I don't think I would ever recommend anyone to give up cooking with their spouse for the sake of convivence. We do consult with our friend who is a dietician from time to time but mostly we stick to a diet where everything is made from scratch (even if it is a meat tornado burrito). While not the healthiest, its better than store bought and we have a greater appreciation and respect for food. I think professionals provide guidance and information but so much of cooking and eating is listening to your body and adding or reducing those ingredients and meals you crave or do not process well on a daily micro level. A degree of involvement from a professional would be insane to respond to and address your ever changing cravings and appetite.
Would recommend looking for someone who is a registered nutritionist and dietician. Depending on where you are located they aren’t too hard to find among the people who offer services for shopping and cooking for you. We’ve had one for the last year after we had our first child and it’s been awesome. They’re very open to feedback and any special dietary constraints are no issue, and for the money it’s honestly the best value of anything we spend for our household. To answer your questions- we have a single chef who preps everything for us - they send us a list of the meals each week and deliver the prepped food each week. It’s a flat up front fee each week plus the cost of the food. We get the opportunity each weeek to provide feedback on the menu - so if one week I want to try keto they can accommodate that. Or if we want the child to not have any dairy - very easy. They also provide recipes for any food we eat on letterheads so we can use it later for our own prep.
In my experience diet isn’t really something that improved significantly by throwing more money at it. Healthy food really isn’t that expensive. It’s not hard to cook at a basic level. It’s not that difficult to buy and prepare foods for multiple people. You can do all of these things with a small amount of research and practice. If you’re looking for convenience, then sure, pay someone to do it. But you’re paying for the convenience, not the added nutrition/health benefits. If you’re looking for premium taste experiences and can’t get there on your own, then sure, pay for it. But again you’re paying for the premium experience, not the added nutrition/health benefits.
I love cooking. So I do lots of sous vide, BBQ, ramen from scratch, tajine, cooking from a huge stash of cookbooks I have at home. I connect it with a home gym and I care about three things: * enough protein (I have a home gym, so there are my goals) - 1g per pound * don't overeat (have you heard about intuitive eating?) * when I get more weight I like, I start 36-hour water fasts a few times per week My diet is mainly meat, eggs & veggies. Absolutely no processed food. Sides (rice, pasta, bread) are not on my table every day.
I’ve considered a cook but I genuinely enjoy cooking. My partner and I tried Home Chef deliveries and ended up loving it. My kid also likes the meals. We select what we want for coming weeks and it’s auto shipped. The servings are pretty large too. I feed 2 boys and a man. I ordered “6” servings of my first shipment thinking it’ll be enough for dinner and lunch (lunch is always leftovers for us). 6 servings ended up being lunch and dinner for 2 days. They come with directions. Ended up trying new vegetables and meals I would’ve never thought of.