Welcome to the very first module of The Healthy Meal Method! I’m so excited to be starting this journey with you so let’s dive in!
In this video I’ll give you a quick overview of the program and some tips for the best way to approach the lessons. We’ll clear up the confusion about what healthy eating actually is and empower you to make the best choices for you and your body. You’ll also discover why healthy habits and not willpower are the secret to success. And how to go about developing habits that are right for you. .
— A birds eye view of overview of ‘the healthy meal method:
Module 1 all about habits
Module 2 fresh ingredients – the cornerstone of healthy eating
Module 3 setting up and using your pantry
Module 4 simplest method for weekly meal planning
Module 5 avoiding waste. Covers ‘ Mise en place’ or partially prepping ingredients so they’re ready to use AND they keep longer.
Module 6 the art of adaptation!
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How to approach the lessons
Each module is released on a Friday. I’d recommend booking in a regular time with yourself to watch the video for the class module such as Friday afternoon or Saturday morning
You’ll need at least 20-30 minutes for the weekly module content. I should note that this first module is by far the biggest in the course. We’re covering a lot of material here so we can get you results ASAP. The aim is to strike while the iron is hot. So I’d really encourage you to spend some extra time with this module, knowing that this is as big and heavy as it gets in this program.
It’s also a good idea to set aside some time to choose at least 2 recipes to try out each week – more if you’re up for it. Then make a list of the ingredients you need and plan some time to make these two recipes before the next module is released.
Some weeks there will also be homework for you to complete. If you can complete it straight after watching the module video that’s the best option. But don’t leave it more than 24 hours so everything will be fresh in your mind.
The only way you’re going to get results is to take action on the lessons you’re learning. You can watch all the videos you like but until you actually DO something different you’re not going to see results. It’s that simple.
And a final note on setting yourself up for success…
Countless studies have shown that we break promises to our self all the time. But we will bend over backwards most of the time to avoid breaking promises we make to others.
So use this basic bit of human nature to your advantage and make a public promise to follow through on all the homework exercises in this program. Choose the forum that’s going to be the most motivating for you. It might be telling your partner or best friend. Or maybe announce it on Facebook, in the comments below this video or wherever else you hang out online.
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What is healthy eating?
Nutrition can be a very confusing topic. There’s no doubt about that. There are a few reasons for this. And I think it’s helpful to understand why it seems so confusing.
First nutrition is really complex especially when we’re looking at overall health. There are so many factors beyond just how many calories we eat each day. There’s the type of calories, (carbs protein fat), the presence of micro nutrients like vitamins and minerals, the presence of toxins, our stress levels, how much exercise we’re getting, how much sleep, the state of the beneficial microbes in our digestive systems. Then add to that the fact that not everyone has exactly the same biochemistry and you can see why it isn’t so straight forward.
And on top of all that, big food companies have lots of influence in nutrition policy and recommendations put out by the government. Another factor which muddies the water is that much of the funding for nutrition scientific research comes from big businesses who are looking to make health claims and sell more food products. I know.
It’s actually surprising it’s not even more messed up!
Before you start getting totally depressed about the state of nutrition science there is a happy ending to this story. So sit tight.
But first I’d better be clear about my credentials.
I’m not a professional dietitian or nutritionist. However, for my food science degree studied nutrition along with basic biochemistry. So do I understand the fundamentals. I also love reading nutrition blogs and books so I keep up to date with the latest findings.
But as I mentioned earlier, there is an easy way to approach nutrition. It comes down to 3 main principles….
My 3 Healthy Eating Principles
1. Find what works for you.
We’re all slightly different in our genetics and our biochemical makeup.
For example, some people are very sensitive to insulin, and others need to produce much more insulin to get the same result. This explains why some people can eat junk all day and remain lean whereas others just think about chocolate cake and they gain weight.
So really the only option is to take responsibility for figuring out what is best for you and your body.
What do I mean by that?
Simple. You just need to try things for yourself and then observe how it makes you feel. Think of it as being a healthy eating ‘detective’ who is curious about finding out what’s best for you.
It might seem a little scary at first. But you’ll soon find it’s very empowering to take control of your own healthy eating path.
We’ll go into this in more detail when we look at developing your healthy habits.
2. Eat real food.
The rate of obesity has increased at the same rate as our consumption of processed factory food. Coincidence? I think not.
So what is real food?
Michael Pollan recommends not eating anything your grandparents wouldn’t recognise as food. But that would rule out sushi for me!
I prefer to think of real food as anything that you can buy without an ‘ingredients list’ on the pack. And if there is an ingredients list, it only contains a few items. And all of those items sound like real ingredients that you’d find in a pantry, not chemicals in a lab.
And of course ‘real food’ includes anything that comes WITHOUT a package like vegetables, meat and fish.
3. Eat lots of vegetables.
Vitamins. Minerals. Fiber. Antioxidants. Plus they’re delicious. What’s not to love about veg!
Actually eating lots of vegetables has been the one constant healthy eating message. It’s about the only thing that everyone agrees on.
You often hear that it’s important to eat a wide variety of foods, especially veg. And while I agree, I think it’s more beneficial to be eating the same few vegetables rather than none at all.
I also think it’s important not to get overwhelmed or put too much pressure on yourself. After all you won’t want to give up because it’s all too hard.
So rather than try and fit all the variety into every meal, I prefer to keep it simple and focus on including at least one healthy dose of a particular vegetable each meal. I then try and vary the veg I eat over the week so I’m getting my variety on a weekly or fortnightly basis rather than daily.
You’ve probably also heard that we should be eating 5 serves of veg a day. While I agree with this target, again I wanted to point out that it doesn’t mean you need to eat 5 different serves of different veg.
Again, I prefer to keep it simple have 2 serves of salad leaves at lunch and then 3 serves of broccoli with my dinner. And then look to changing the type of veg throughout the week.
I find this way I’m way more likely to be getting more veg without stressing myself out.
That’s what works for me. But I should remind you about principle number 1. If it doesn’t work for you, that’s totally cool. It’s up to you to experiment and find an approach that does.
Really if you follow these three things, find what works for you, eat real food and eat lots of veg, that’s all you really need to do.
However there are a few misconceptions about nutrition that are important to address to make sure you don’t get misguided.
So I have another 3 follow-up guidelines just to make it super clear…
4. Don’t be afraid of fat. Including saturated fat.
In my first job as a young food scientist I worked on developing low fat cereal and snack products. And what did we replace the fat with? Sugar. Lots of different types of sugar. I still feel guilty that I contributed to the whole ‘low fat’ fiasco.
The thing is fat is an essential part of a healthy way to eat. Not only that, fat is the best fuel for us to burn for energy. I won’t go into the details here. All you really need to know is to avoid low fat food products. But if you’re eating real food, you’re already doing that. Right?
If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of burning fat for energy, see the links to 2 articles from Mark’s Daily Apple below:
And before we move away from fat, It also turns out that saturated fat does have a place in healthy eating. It tends to be the most stable fat for cooking and is beneficial for our brains, lungs and immune systems. I’ll include a link in the resources if you’d like to read up more about this. 7 Reasons to Eat More Saturated Fat.
5. Be wary of sugar, especially fructose.
So you’re probably all over the concept that eating loads of jelly beans isn’t good for you. But how about fruit? While fruit does contain vitamins, antioxidants and fiber, it’s also laden with fructose, or fruit sugar.
The problem with fructose is that it gets stored directly as fat by our bodies. Not ideal.
Then to make matters worse, our bodies don’t have a system for detecting when we’ve eaten enough fructose. So there’s no ‘off’ switch. If you’re interested in learning more about the evils of sugar and fructose ‘Sweet Poison’ by David Guillespie is a good read.
And just to be clear, if you are someone who needs something sweet, fresh whole fruit is totally the healthiest option. Of course not all fruit have the same sugar levels. The best choices include berries especially blueberries, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums and cherries.
We’re talking fresh whole fruit. Not fruit juice, or any packaged ‘fruit’ product. And dried fruit isn’t ideal because it’s easy to eat way more than you would of the same fruit when fresh. But all other sweet things I treat as ‘treats’ and only indulge once, sometimes twice a week.
And of course because you’re eating Real Food you won’t fall for the trap of packaged ‘sugar-free’ products.
6. Go easy on grains, especially wheat.
The main problem I have with grains, even ‘whole grains’ is they provide loads of carbohydrates without enough beneficial micro nutrients. So I prefer to get my carbs in the form of vegetables and legumes (especially lentils and chickpeas).
Even if you think you don’t have a problem with wheat or gluten, you may find your health improves if you experiment with removing wheat from your diet. And it’s not just a digestive thing. In the book ‘Wheat Belly’ William Davis links consumption of modern wheat to all sorts of ills including schizophrenia.
And
I could also add ‘watch the carbs’ but if you’re avoiding sugar and grains you’ll mostly be keeping your carbohydrate intake to a moderate level. Unless of course you have a heavy potato addiction…[/tab][tab]
Why you need habits not willpower to eat well and be well.
Have you ever ‘resolved’ to start eating healthy only to have the wheels fall off after a short time? Well you’re definitely not alone.
The good news is it wasn’t your fault your resolution didn’t stick. Pretty much everyone will struggle to succeed if they’re relying on will power.
As Kelly McConigal pHD writes in her book, ‘The Willpower Instinct’ willpower is something that we only have a finite amount of. So if you’ve been using your willpower all day to get through your work, your willpower supply is low when it’s time for dinner. Which is why it can be so difficult to exert self control at times.
Especially when we’re tired.
And what’s even worse, studies have shown that willpower is dependent on blood sugar. So when you’re hungry, your willpower is at its weakest. Which explains why it can be so difficult to make good food choices when you’re starving.
So what’s the alternative?
In a word. Habits.
One of the biggest differences between healthy active slender people and their overweight counterparts is that healthy people tend to automate their decisions by making healthy habits a part of everyday life. This way eating healthy isn’t something they battle with every meal, its on autopilot so healthy choices become effortless.
So the best plan is to save your willpower for changing or creating your healthy habits. And then let your habits put your healthy eating on autopilot[/tab][tab]
6 steps to put your healthy eating on autopilot.
Last year I took a fabulous short online course learning how to develop the habit of meditation. It was run by Leo Babauta from Zen Habits – a master at the art of developing new habits. By changing his habits Leo has completely transformed his life. He quit smoking, lost weight, became vegetarian, started running marathons, he got out of debt, and has built an incredibly successful blog that has allowed him to quit a job that he hates. All with a wife and six kids.
He’s pretty much turned his whole life upside down. And how did he do it?
One small change at a time.
As Leo says on his blog, “Small steps. That’s how you’re going to change your life. You’ll probably get impatient and want to do more, but trust me: this will work.”
6 steps to developing healthy eating habits…
STEP 1. Identify which habits you want to break and which you want to form.
If you’re confident you know what you want to change, or need to change (!) just write a list and move onto step 2.
If you’re not so sure, and you’re up for it, I recommend giving yourself a little healthy food habit ‘audit’. This way we can be sure you’re working on the habits that will have the most impact for you.
For two weeks, keep a food and habit diary. It can be a paper notebook or on your phone. I like to use a note in Evernote so then it’s in my phone and on my computer too. Just make sure it’s easy to enter the data.
Record what you eat and drink, roughly how much and when. It can be helpful to also record how you’re feeling each time you eat. Tired, hungry, bored, stressed, happy. There’s no need to be completely over the top. Just do what feels most comfortable for you. If you want you can track your exercise as well.
After the two weeks are up, review your notes twice.
The first time look for your strengths. What healthy habits do you already have? Can you build on these? Write a list of your healthy ‘strengths’.
Then review the list again to look for the biggest problem areas. Prioritize these problem areas based on which you think will have the biggest impact and which will be the easiest to change.
STEP 2. Choose which habit you want to focus on first.
Look at your two lists and decide which habit you want to go after first. It’s up to you, but I suggest starting with building on one of your strength habits first to get some runs on the board. If you’re not sure what habits you could develop or change, I’ve included a list of ‘Healthy Food Habit Ideas’ on a separate tab to get you started.
I also recommend mapping out the next 6-12 months focusing on one habit each month since it takes at least 21 days to form a new habit. Some habits may take around 60 days though so be prepared to repeat a month if needed.
The secret to making changes in your life is to set small goals and take baby steps.
By setting ourselves up for success, we gain the confidence and the motivation to keep making changes, one after the other. It also helps us persevere and try again when we fail.
Even though you might be tempted to do more, focus on one habit at a time. This is really important. Remember your health is a journey, not a destination so we want to focus on making lasting changes that will stick with you for the long term.
STEP 3. Develop a plan for developing your new habit / kicking your old habit.
There are three parts to any habit:
i. The ‘trigger’ or ‘cue’ that starts the process.
ii. The actions you take
iii. The reward you get.
In order to change your habit you need to identify the trigger and reward. Then you need to develop a plan so that when you feel the urge or trigger, you do a different set of (healthier) actions to get your reward. It will take some conscious effort or willpower in the beginning but with time you’ll reprogram yourself and a new habit will be born.
There’s an excellent video by Charles Duhigg sharing how he went about this process to kick a daily cookie habit and lose 12 pounds in the process. I highly recommend watching this short video to give you a great practical example of how habits work.
STEP 4. Write it down and make a public commitment.
This is about public accountability. I don’t know about you but I break promises to myself all the time. But promises to other people – I do everything I can to keep them. So we’re aiming to use this natural human instinct to our advantage.
It can be sharing your habit goal with your partner or best friend. Or you can do it online on Facebook or in the comments below this video. Just make sure it’s public enough to motivate YOU
STEP 5. Start as small as possible.
I know I’ve already covered this but it’s so important it deserves a step on its own!
The smaller and easier the change, the more likely it is that the habit will stick. Once we’ve had one small success we can build on that to make the next tiny change. And the next.
STEP 6. If you fail, keep trying.
Making changes in your life can be tough. And there will be setbacks along the way. That’s a given no matter how dedicated you are.
The key thing to remember is that you only ‘fail’ when you give up or quit trying. So the answer is to treat ‘failures’ as learning experiences and just keep trying!
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle
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Healthy Food Habit Ideas
This is just a list of habits you might want to consider working on. It’s by no means exhaustive! If you have another idea for a habit you’d like to change share in the comments below so we can all be inspired!
Cooking dinner at home a certain number of nights per week
Taking your lunch to work
Shopping at your local farmers market
Doing a regular food shop (weekly or whatever works best for you)
Eating breakfast
Mindful Eating – When you start to load up your fork for the next mouthful, check to see if you’re already chewing. If there’s food already in your mouth, put your fork down and focus on chewing and enjoying your mouthful.
Eating at a table instead of the TV.
Eating 3 meals instead of grazing.
Chew thoroughly
Eating more home cooked food
Eating healthier restaurant food
Switching to healthy snacks, like nuts
Cutting out snacks
Using all the food you buy (module 5 on waste will help here)
Eating vegetables at every meal
Cutting out sugar
Cutting out processed food
Going gluten-free without relying on ‘gluten-free’ products.
Not drinking your calories. Sticking to water, tea, herbal tea or coffee.
Using a meal plan (see module 4)
Not using a meal plan (see module 6 and the ‘Master Your Meal Plan’ program)
Hi Jules,
Loving the programme so far! Just made the goats cheese basil omelette and it was SO good. Love your deceptively simple recipes 🙂 One question I have is do you have one place (like a PDF or something) where all the recipes from HMM are gathered in one place so I can easily plan what to cook each week? It would be much easier for me to refer back to a PDF than use the SVCS online portal on my laptop to look for recipes within each module section. Thanks for your help!
Celia
Hi Celia!
Yes there is a PDF containing all the class recipes and material but it’s not normally available until the end of the program as a graduation bonus. But since you asked, I’ve popped it up on the bonuses page early.
One problem I have is spending way too much time looking for recipes, making elaborate plans, shopping for ingredients, etc. and I end up buying and making too much, so my freezer is full and I often throw away a few veg each week. I want to simplify, even though it will mean less variety, because I don’t have the time or mental energy to continue this way. It’s hard to find the right balance, though — in the past I’ve been underprepared and gone for unhealthy options because I don’t have something healthy ready to go, so this is the opposite issue.
You’re right Anne May… Balance is the key!
One thing I find helpful is when my freezer is full I have a project to eat it up before I add anything else to it.
I also have been challenging myself to go for longer periods between shopping trips so the fridge gets empty before I stock up again.
Jx
I’ve decided to develop one “stop” one “start” habit. I want to stop snacking, especially at work. I also want to start eating mindfully. I feel like these are complementary enough that I can tackle them both at the same time. So here’s my public announcement!
I’m hoping I’ll find motivation and inspiration to cook real food dinners during the week. I love to cook on the weekend. But long days at work leave me tired, and it’s to easy to grab something out or eat unhealthy food that’s easy to grab.
Since my earlier comment I have worked on the homework and have had some good insights. I have figured out what my reward is, what I can do to help with change, and what my priorities are. It was a pleasant surprise to get such good thinking (and writing) done. I feel like I finally have hope for making some long needed changes in my relationship with food – especially sweets. Thank you for helping me so much right from the start!
Lots of wonderful information here. My eating is generally pretty healthy, but the one habit I really want to change is my emotional response to food. I’m fine without cookies, for instance, except when I see my husband eating them. My goal is to find a new way to respond to situations where my emotions take over. It will take some planning and some time, given that my emotional responses have been in place for many, many decades, but will be well worth the effort I put into it. So far the plan is to ‘just say no’ and then come up with details on what to do instead, which will include messages to self. I’ll be getting to work on that plan today.
Thanks for your honesty Susan!
I think sugar and sweet treats + emotional eating is something a lot of people struggle with.
The thing to keep in mind is that sugar is super addictive >> there have been studies showing mice given the choice between unlimited cocaine and unlimited sugar will choose the sugar every time. So it’s a tough one to beat. But it can be done 🙂
Jx
Sweet-treat Commitment (5th November 2013 – 5th December 2013)
I commit to make a weekend-sweet-treat each friday morning, so that we (family) don’t buy the rather weird sweets at our supermarket.
The obstacles I see are:
– I want to create “something special” but than the ingredients are missing -> I won’t do something special than, but rather a simple cake which does not need anything special.
– My toddler will “disturb” me -> Change perspective: Toddler is not disturbing but interested; mashing things up can be fun for both of us.
– I will dilly-dally. -> remind myself, that there is no better time than RIGHT NOW, I will think of the (sweat)”reward” that my work will bring.
– we/ I want sweets, but it’s not the weekend. -> find out the “triggers” for sweets during the week.
I’m a little bit behind schedule, but I really enjoyed watching the video. It’s so clear!
I’ve tried 2 of recipes and they are delicious (the warm bean salad and the broccoli feta salad).
I was just wondering if we will have access to this course for a limited time and if the recipes you have here will be in the e-book for us to download.
The warm butter bean salad struck all the right chords for me. I always stock baby greens, and also canned beans of all varieties, but I’d never thought of using them as the star of a dish. I worried that they would be bland and “tinny,” but they were lovely! Also I’m a fan of your egg frying method. I’ve always been too shy with the oil I think, and have had to flip the egg to thoroughly cook the white. Not exactly a foolproof method! So I fried the egg your way and served it with quinoa and leftover broccoli for breakfast. I was quite pleased!
Thanks!
Donna
You have so many things going on in the course, I feel like I’m at a cooking circus. I really love the simplicity you teach and the comments from other students and how you answer each one thoughtfully.
Even though I don’t consider myself a beginner as I’m 60 and cook often with my husband, I followed your tip to Nick about seasoning — knife skills will be another day — and think it’ll help me tremendously. One question about salting: I have a habit of salting meats early — as a preservative in the refrigerator and at the beginning of cooking. You recommend salting at the end of cooking. Don’t you give up that chemical reaction that adds a crusty flavor to the meats when you don’t salt at the beginning?
I actually have conducted experiments with steaks that were salted 24 hours prior, just before cooking and after cooking. My Irishman and I then tasted them ‘blind’ and to be honest there wasn’t a huge difference between them from a flavour or crust perspective. So since then I haven’t bothered with the early salting, mainly so I don’t run the risk of over seasoning.
But as with anything here, if you’re happy with the results of what you’re doing, keep doing it!
Great course! I notice you have put lots of effort into it, and am imagining it is a labour of love.
I made the beef and broccoli which gave me delicious cold leftovers for lunch. I sat there smugly knowing that no one else at work was eating such a unique meal. The magic sauso supper was also super. Left over roast veg made it’s way into a tomato soup in a following night. Looking forward to new recipes this week, and maybe a few from the new book (5 Ingredients 10 Minutes) I just received in the mail! Thank you!
I just made the spiced beef with hummus meal. It was delicious. I didn’t have the spice but used most of the improvised version except I didn’t have coriander.
I’ve been keeping my food journal so far. I found out that I really need to stay away from oats. They give me a headache (known allergy but not a dangerous one.)
I am going away on vacation on Friday and someone else will be feeding me:) I’ll be back next week trying the next set of recipes.
That’s really interesting about oats. Have you ever tried rolled quinoa? I’ve been using it instead of oats because it’s higher in protein. Might be something to try.
And so glad you liked the spiced beef… it’s something I make all the time with different spices to keep it interesting!
Lucky you having someone to feed you… Enjoy your vacation 🙂
I’m keen to use this course to kick start my cooking mojo again. I’m in earlyish pregnancy and my cooking has gone out the window! Which means just when I need nutrients most I am relying on easy, packaged foods for snacks. Currently getting through the day on muesli bars argh! And I’m totally not like this usually. Going to put aside Mondays when bubba #1 is in childcare to work through the modules and hopefully by the end, my energy and appetite will be back! 🙂
We need to get you away from the muesli bars.. I used to work on developing them for Kellogg and we had to use loads of sugar to keep them together… I’d really recommend swapping to nuts as a snack… so much tastier and they’ve got protein as well..
And I found upping my red meat intake made a HUGE difference to the tiredness both in early pregnancy and the third trimester.
Going camping next weekend really excited to see that there are some recipes that I can make ahead and simply reheat when needed. Will help make an even better experience knowing that I am organised mealwise with healthy options.
My husband and I are in our early 60s and have been cutting down on our salt intake as so often advised by the Medical profession, (we do not have medical issues, just trying to be healthier) yet it leaves food “Bland” – tastless to a degree. Yet you use salt, does age have anything to do with the use of salt? Is there a safe amount we can have or am I better to say goodbye forever?
Great question on salt. The thing is processed foods tend to be heavily loaded with salt so if you’re eating lots of fast food or things out of a package then you need to be careful.
Real food, on the other hand, tends to be low in salt especially sodium. So adding a little salt as you cook to make things taste good is fine regardless of your age. I recommend getting yourself some sea salt flakes I use Maldon salt. They’re expensive but a little bit goes a long way to making a massive difference to flavour.
The other suggestion I have for you is to just season at the table if you think it needs it, rather than automatically adding salt.
the idea that it may be “more beneficial to be eating the same few vegetables rather than none at all.” really helps me to be more gentle with the taste preferences of my children – and my aspirations of teaching them healthy eating habbits.
Aiming for some veg rather than none makes life much easier on many levels. I think one of the problems with modern nutritionists is that they are focused on the ideal rather than being practical.
I think with children it’s also important to remember that their taste buds are so much more sensitive and if they don’t like something today it doesn’t mean they won’t like it if they try it next year. A friend of mine has a policy with her children that they just have to have one bite of everything on their plate and if they don’t like it that’s fine. And she trys again later.
Thanks Jules. this is great. The habit I want to concentrate on for the first month is eating more mindfully. My one good habit is that I love vegetables, so your recipes are great for me because you have vegetables everywhere! I have just had the omelet for lunch. Yum!
Do you have a remedial cooking course somewhere on the website? One of the actions for this module is to try one of the recipes and I watched the videos for a few, but I still have questions. For example, in the “Warm Butter Bean Salad” you have finely sliced garlic. How do I go about doing that? Is there a special knife? What are some of the basic tools I should have?
These are probably really basic things, but I have next to zero cooking skills. Thanks in advance for any help.
You don’t need any special equipment. Just a knife, a chopping board and something to cook things in. I’m going to release a kitchen equipment bonus after module 6.
The biggest thing is to just get into the kitchen and try things. And trust your own judgement. I’m sure if I gave you a clove of garlic and a knife you’d get it into some sort of slices. And it would taste delicious in the end.
Cooking is one of those skills that the more you do it the easier it gets! So get into the kitchen and don’t be afraid. Think of any disasters as a cooking lesson and keep trying.
Really encourage you to watch the recipe video a few times and read the problem solving guide.
And of course keep asking questions. The only silly questions are the ones you don’t ask!
I have been on a quest to decrease my sugar intake. I have been using your suggestions and recipes from some of your other cookbooks. I love the simplicity of your recipes and the deliciousness of your food. I have lost 8 pounds since I joined SCVS…just a few weeks ago.
So excited about learning more from your HMM.
Love the idea of focusing on one habit per month for success. I also enjoyed Charles Duhigg’s video to give further context. Two habits spring to mind for me. Afternoon snack craving at work and eating more mindfully. Which one to chose?! Receipes looks fab. Can’t wait to try!
Either habit sounds good. Although if it were up to me I’d choose eating mindfully first because it’s implementing something positive rather than trying to correct something negative.
And mindful eating covers more eating occasions so has the potential for bigger impact!!
Enjoyed the first module. The tips for creating healthy habits were extremely helpful. I plan on starting some of those steps to change my sweets habit. I’m really looking forward to making one of the recipes ahead….which one..which one. If only I was more decisive…lol.
Tonight I made the Thai Beef Salad. It was delicious, and since my husband is away working on the ship, I now have leftovers for tomorrow! I am also going to try the beef and broccoli stir-fry, and the pork ragu this week. I got all the ingredients today at the grocery store and I couldn’t believe how easy it was. Normally it takes so long to get everything, but these recipes don’t require a ton of ingredients. So helpful when you have a 6 month old in the grocery cart. Thanks!
nice to be thinking about building good habits – I have so many bad ones! … Just reading the recipes makes me hungry – they are very appealing. … I had some trouble following you; perhaps there is a time constraint in these programs? Might it be possible to speak a bit slower? You are a most engaging, warm speaker – I just have trouble with the speed. Thanks, I’m so glad to be in this program
I’m really eager for this course. This is our Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, so most of this first module work will be on Tuesday. But I really appreciate all the work you’ve put into this. I’ve been harvesting and processing my garden crops. Have all kinds of fresh root crops to work with. And tomatoes. And pumpkins. I just made the most delicious ever baked butternut squash – thank you for such an awesome healthy recipe!!
Hi Jules,
Loving the programme so far! Just made the goats cheese basil omelette and it was SO good. Love your deceptively simple recipes 🙂 One question I have is do you have one place (like a PDF or something) where all the recipes from HMM are gathered in one place so I can easily plan what to cook each week? It would be much easier for me to refer back to a PDF than use the SVCS online portal on my laptop to look for recipes within each module section. Thanks for your help!
Celia
Hi Celia!
Yes there is a PDF containing all the class recipes and material but it’s not normally available until the end of the program as a graduation bonus. But since you asked, I’ve popped it up on the bonuses page early.
The other place you might find helpful is the Recipe Index which contains all the recipes for the program:
https://stonesoupvirtualcookeryschool.com/hmm-recipe-index/
Jx
That’s really helpful, thanks very much 🙂
One problem I have is spending way too much time looking for recipes, making elaborate plans, shopping for ingredients, etc. and I end up buying and making too much, so my freezer is full and I often throw away a few veg each week. I want to simplify, even though it will mean less variety, because I don’t have the time or mental energy to continue this way. It’s hard to find the right balance, though — in the past I’ve been underprepared and gone for unhealthy options because I don’t have something healthy ready to go, so this is the opposite issue.
You’re right Anne May… Balance is the key!
One thing I find helpful is when my freezer is full I have a project to eat it up before I add anything else to it.
I also have been challenging myself to go for longer periods between shopping trips so the fridge gets empty before I stock up again.
Jx
I’ve decided to develop one “stop” one “start” habit. I want to stop snacking, especially at work. I also want to start eating mindfully. I feel like these are complementary enough that I can tackle them both at the same time. So here’s my public announcement!
Go Laurie! Look forward to hearing how you get on… You might want to make sure you’re eating more during your meals to avoid snacking….
I’m hoping I’ll find motivation and inspiration to cook real food dinners during the week. I love to cook on the weekend. But long days at work leave me tired, and it’s to easy to grab something out or eat unhealthy food that’s easy to grab.
You’re in the right place Cheryl!
Healthy choices don’t have to take loads of time or energy
Jx
Since my earlier comment I have worked on the homework and have had some good insights. I have figured out what my reward is, what I can do to help with change, and what my priorities are. It was a pleasant surprise to get such good thinking (and writing) done. I feel like I finally have hope for making some long needed changes in my relationship with food – especially sweets. Thank you for helping me so much right from the start!
Good for you Susan!
Really looking forward to hearing how you get on….
Remember it’s all about ‘baby steps’ and progress not perfection
Jx
Lots of wonderful information here. My eating is generally pretty healthy, but the one habit I really want to change is my emotional response to food. I’m fine without cookies, for instance, except when I see my husband eating them. My goal is to find a new way to respond to situations where my emotions take over. It will take some planning and some time, given that my emotional responses have been in place for many, many decades, but will be well worth the effort I put into it. So far the plan is to ‘just say no’ and then come up with details on what to do instead, which will include messages to self. I’ll be getting to work on that plan today.
Thanks for your honesty Susan!
I think sugar and sweet treats + emotional eating is something a lot of people struggle with.
The thing to keep in mind is that sugar is super addictive >> there have been studies showing mice given the choice between unlimited cocaine and unlimited sugar will choose the sugar every time. So it’s a tough one to beat. But it can be done 🙂
Jx
Sweet-treat Commitment (5th November 2013 – 5th December 2013)
I commit to make a weekend-sweet-treat each friday morning, so that we (family) don’t buy the rather weird sweets at our supermarket.
The obstacles I see are:
– I want to create “something special” but than the ingredients are missing -> I won’t do something special than, but rather a simple cake which does not need anything special.
– My toddler will “disturb” me -> Change perspective: Toddler is not disturbing but interested; mashing things up can be fun for both of us.
– I will dilly-dally. -> remind myself, that there is no better time than RIGHT NOW, I will think of the (sweat)”reward” that my work will bring.
– we/ I want sweets, but it’s not the weekend. -> find out the “triggers” for sweets during the week.
Love this Smittens!
Would love to hear how you’re getting on with your new habit
Jx
Great video.. it was interesting and easy to follow.
Hi Jules,
I’m a little bit behind schedule, but I really enjoyed watching the video. It’s so clear!
I’ve tried 2 of recipes and they are delicious (the warm bean salad and the broccoli feta salad).
I was just wondering if we will have access to this course for a limited time and if the recipes you have here will be in the e-book for us to download.
Many thanks,
Gilberta
Glad you are enjoying Gilberta!
Yes all the recipes will be included in the ebook for the class which will be available in Nov
Jx
The warm butter bean salad struck all the right chords for me. I always stock baby greens, and also canned beans of all varieties, but I’d never thought of using them as the star of a dish. I worried that they would be bland and “tinny,” but they were lovely! Also I’m a fan of your egg frying method. I’ve always been too shy with the oil I think, and have had to flip the egg to thoroughly cook the white. Not exactly a foolproof method! So I fried the egg your way and served it with quinoa and leftover broccoli for breakfast. I was quite pleased!
Thanks!
Donna
Hi Jules,
You have so many things going on in the course, I feel like I’m at a cooking circus. I really love the simplicity you teach and the comments from other students and how you answer each one thoughtfully.
Even though I don’t consider myself a beginner as I’m 60 and cook often with my husband, I followed your tip to Nick about seasoning — knife skills will be another day — and think it’ll help me tremendously. One question about salting: I have a habit of salting meats early — as a preservative in the refrigerator and at the beginning of cooking. You recommend salting at the end of cooking. Don’t you give up that chemical reaction that adds a crusty flavor to the meats when you don’t salt at the beginning?
Thank you for this class.
So glad you’re enjoying Gay!
And good question on the salting.
I actually have conducted experiments with steaks that were salted 24 hours prior, just before cooking and after cooking. My Irishman and I then tasted them ‘blind’ and to be honest there wasn’t a huge difference between them from a flavour or crust perspective. So since then I haven’t bothered with the early salting, mainly so I don’t run the risk of over seasoning.
But as with anything here, if you’re happy with the results of what you’re doing, keep doing it!
Jx
Hi Jules,
Great course! I notice you have put lots of effort into it, and am imagining it is a labour of love.
I made the beef and broccoli which gave me delicious cold leftovers for lunch. I sat there smugly knowing that no one else at work was eating such a unique meal. The magic sauso supper was also super. Left over roast veg made it’s way into a tomato soup in a following night. Looking forward to new recipes this week, and maybe a few from the new book (5 Ingredients 10 Minutes) I just received in the mail! Thank you!
So glad you’re enjoying James!
And that your book arrived safely
Jx
I just made the spiced beef with hummus meal. It was delicious. I didn’t have the spice but used most of the improvised version except I didn’t have coriander.
I’ve been keeping my food journal so far. I found out that I really need to stay away from oats. They give me a headache (known allergy but not a dangerous one.)
I am going away on vacation on Friday and someone else will be feeding me:) I’ll be back next week trying the next set of recipes.
Martha!
That’s really interesting about oats. Have you ever tried rolled quinoa? I’ve been using it instead of oats because it’s higher in protein. Might be something to try.
And so glad you liked the spiced beef… it’s something I make all the time with different spices to keep it interesting!
Lucky you having someone to feed you… Enjoy your vacation 🙂
Jx
I’m keen to use this course to kick start my cooking mojo again. I’m in earlyish pregnancy and my cooking has gone out the window! Which means just when I need nutrients most I am relying on easy, packaged foods for snacks. Currently getting through the day on muesli bars argh! And I’m totally not like this usually. Going to put aside Mondays when bubba #1 is in childcare to work through the modules and hopefully by the end, my energy and appetite will be back! 🙂
Congrats on your little one on the way Angela!
We need to get you away from the muesli bars.. I used to work on developing them for Kellogg and we had to use loads of sugar to keep them together… I’d really recommend swapping to nuts as a snack… so much tastier and they’ve got protein as well..
And I found upping my red meat intake made a HUGE difference to the tiredness both in early pregnancy and the third trimester.
Really excited for you!
Jx
Going camping next weekend really excited to see that there are some recipes that I can make ahead and simply reheat when needed. Will help make an even better experience knowing that I am organised mealwise with healthy options.
My husband and I are in our early 60s and have been cutting down on our salt intake as so often advised by the Medical profession, (we do not have medical issues, just trying to be healthier) yet it leaves food “Bland” – tastless to a degree. Yet you use salt, does age have anything to do with the use of salt? Is there a safe amount we can have or am I better to say goodbye forever?
Hi Joy!
Great question on salt. The thing is processed foods tend to be heavily loaded with salt so if you’re eating lots of fast food or things out of a package then you need to be careful.
Real food, on the other hand, tends to be low in salt especially sodium. So adding a little salt as you cook to make things taste good is fine regardless of your age. I recommend getting yourself some sea salt flakes I use Maldon salt. They’re expensive but a little bit goes a long way to making a massive difference to flavour.
The other suggestion I have for you is to just season at the table if you think it needs it, rather than automatically adding salt.
Enjoy your camping Joy!
Jx
Hi Jules,
the idea that it may be “more beneficial to be eating the same few vegetables rather than none at all.” really helps me to be more gentle with the taste preferences of my children – and my aspirations of teaching them healthy eating habbits.
Great Smittens!
Aiming for some veg rather than none makes life much easier on many levels. I think one of the problems with modern nutritionists is that they are focused on the ideal rather than being practical.
I think with children it’s also important to remember that their taste buds are so much more sensitive and if they don’t like something today it doesn’t mean they won’t like it if they try it next year. A friend of mine has a policy with her children that they just have to have one bite of everything on their plate and if they don’t like it that’s fine. And she trys again later.
Although I have all this ahead of me with Fergal!
Jx
Thanks Jules. this is great. The habit I want to concentrate on for the first month is eating more mindfully. My one good habit is that I love vegetables, so your recipes are great for me because you have vegetables everywhere! I have just had the omelet for lunch. Yum!
Do you have a remedial cooking course somewhere on the website? One of the actions for this module is to try one of the recipes and I watched the videos for a few, but I still have questions. For example, in the “Warm Butter Bean Salad” you have finely sliced garlic. How do I go about doing that? Is there a special knife? What are some of the basic tools I should have?
These are probably really basic things, but I have next to zero cooking skills. Thanks in advance for any help.
Hi Nick!
There’s not a ‘remedial’ course as such. The two things I want you to focus on first are knife skills and seasoning.
Both of these are included as separate modules in the Solve Your Dinner Dilemma program over here: https://stonesoupvirtualcookeryschool.com/2011/06/fresh-ideas-solve-your-dinner-dilemma-overview/
You don’t need any special equipment. Just a knife, a chopping board and something to cook things in. I’m going to release a kitchen equipment bonus after module 6.
The biggest thing is to just get into the kitchen and try things. And trust your own judgement. I’m sure if I gave you a clove of garlic and a knife you’d get it into some sort of slices. And it would taste delicious in the end.
Cooking is one of those skills that the more you do it the easier it gets! So get into the kitchen and don’t be afraid. Think of any disasters as a cooking lesson and keep trying.
Really encourage you to watch the recipe video a few times and read the problem solving guide.
And of course keep asking questions. The only silly questions are the ones you don’t ask!
Let me know how you get on!
Jx
Thanks for the reply. I will check out those two modules and get back to experimenting.
Great Nick!
Do let me know how you get on with your experiments 🙂
I have been on a quest to decrease my sugar intake. I have been using your suggestions and recipes from some of your other cookbooks. I love the simplicity of your recipes and the deliciousness of your food. I have lost 8 pounds since I joined SCVS…just a few weeks ago.
So excited about learning more from your HMM.
Wow Glynda!
Congrats on the 8 pounds. And that’s great you’ve been cutting out sugar!
Jx
Love the idea of focusing on one habit per month for success. I also enjoyed Charles Duhigg’s video to give further context. Two habits spring to mind for me. Afternoon snack craving at work and eating more mindfully. Which one to chose?! Receipes looks fab. Can’t wait to try!
Hi Sharon,
Either habit sounds good. Although if it were up to me I’d choose eating mindfully first because it’s implementing something positive rather than trying to correct something negative.
And mindful eating covers more eating occasions so has the potential for bigger impact!!
Jx
Enjoyed the first module. The tips for creating healthy habits were extremely helpful. I plan on starting some of those steps to change my sweets habit. I’m really looking forward to making one of the recipes ahead….which one..which one. If only I was more decisive…lol.
So glad you found it helpful!
Remember to take it one habit at a time and START SMALL!
J
Tonight I made the Thai Beef Salad. It was delicious, and since my husband is away working on the ship, I now have leftovers for tomorrow! I am also going to try the beef and broccoli stir-fry, and the pork ragu this week. I got all the ingredients today at the grocery store and I couldn’t believe how easy it was. Normally it takes so long to get everything, but these recipes don’t require a ton of ingredients. So helpful when you have a 6 month old in the grocery cart. Thanks!
Wonderful Shannon!
So glad you’re enjoying…and that it’s making your shopping easier 🙂
Jx
nice to be thinking about building good habits – I have so many bad ones! … Just reading the recipes makes me hungry – they are very appealing. … I had some trouble following you; perhaps there is a time constraint in these programs? Might it be possible to speak a bit slower? You are a most engaging, warm speaker – I just have trouble with the speed. Thanks, I’m so glad to be in this program
Thanks for the feedback Marilee!
I tend to get excited and talk too fast! Will remind myself to slow down when I’m recording module 2 this week!
And if you think of anything else I can do to make things better or easier for you please let me know 🙂
J
I’m really eager for this course. This is our Canadian Thanksgiving weekend, so most of this first module work will be on Tuesday. But I really appreciate all the work you’ve put into this. I’ve been harvesting and processing my garden crops. Have all kinds of fresh root crops to work with. And tomatoes. And pumpkins. I just made the most delicious ever baked butternut squash – thank you for such an awesome healthy recipe!!
Happy Thanksgiving Barb!
And lucky you having all your garden rewards to reap! I’m very jealous.
J