Yumsugar ask the question (with Lent coming up next Wednesday) and offer the following list:
* fried foods
* potato chips
* bread
* fast food
* cheese
* chocolate
* pastries/sweets
* candy bars
* pizza
Interesting thought, since we singles do seem to have a greater propensity to grab less-than-healthy snacks.
As I’m not religious, I’ve never observed Lent and, there is nothing there that I would give up completely, but all of them, at all times, have to be consumed in moderation.
Here’s some of the ways I manage to moderate myself. I’m no saint and I don’t pretend that there is anything startlingly clever about these ideas, but they may help.
The only fried foods I eat are cooked in olive oil. Olive oil is actually beneficial, so I don’t harbour any guilt over preparing foods in very small amounts of it.
Stay away from shops and you can stay away from temptation. Potato chips are something that I do not have the willpower to resist, so I avoid over consumption of these, chocolate, pastry, sweets, etc., by loosely planning a menu, making a shopping list and buying food in bulk once a month. The least number of times I visit shops, the less often I can give in to temptation.
Infrequently, I don’t see that the one or two indulgences I do allow myself are going to do too much harm.
Of course, one of the reasons I can keep to this kind of schedule is because it is some distance and inconvenience to get to shops in the first place, because I live in a rural area. Similarly, I don’t have fast food joints anywhere near - driving 1 1/2 hours each way to find one kinda negates the fast definition - and there are no pizza delivery services either. A plus, I think!
How you can avoid them in areas where all the conveniences are right under your nose, is really down to willpower and planning. I know it’s much easier said than done, but if you already have meals planned and perhaps cooked in advance and frozen, so that you don’t need to call in for fast food or order that pizza at the end of a busy day, then you will be less likely to do so.
We do have fresh, naturally made, bread delivered daily, so I go for the wholemeal option and don’t get too guilty about it, given how good I’ve been on other things.
Cheese is OK in moderation and I try to resist the temptation of combining it with other fats.
Remember, it’s your choice whether to eat well and feel well, or give in to temptations constantly, that may have serious long term implications on your health. Just think before you grab the easy option and plan ahead to moderate and balance your indulgences.
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Sponzurz
