A diet capsule

   

    (c'est moi - economical)

What is a diet capsule?

Which is so cute. What is it, and why have it? Anyone who has ever gone through periods of being in a position where money was very tight, will relate to this. It basically refers to a small but necessary (to oneself or the situation) capsule of food and drink items. Small because, well, one's money is small. 

But I think that it's a good idea anyway. Whether or not there is a lot of money. I've always done this. With my two eldest, when they were young, it was smoothie for breakfast, soup and bread, or salad and protein sandwiches made at the table, for lunch. Plus dinner. 

With my youngest, it was fairly similar. We were vegetarians and rotated several meals. But now, it mostly is just me to feed. And, for health reasons only, I am no longer vegetarian. Sometimes I eat with my flatmate, but we often eat at different times and have different needs. 

I often remember hearing of families who would have a particular rotation of meals. For example, roast on a Sunday; cold meat and a salad, Monday; chicken casserole Tuesday; and so on. To me that is a capsule. 

A capsule is (only) the most essential items. But tailored to the needs of. So, if it was a clothing capsule it would have the essentials which you need to wear, and absolutely love to wear. And that you use on a daily basis. And a food capsule is exactly the same. It's your essentials for daily eating. Preferably food which suits your needs, and that you enjoy. There will always be special occasions, but that is different. 

A diet capsule has bits and pieces that you always have on hand. Separate to The Basics:

• seasonings like salt and pepper
• when I was vegetarian we always had soya sauce for our tofu stir-frys, and fried rice, so it's bits and pieces like this that you use regularly
• base vegetables like onions, maybe garlic and ginger
• coffee and tea
• and similar

My diet woes

Because I know myself fairly well in regards to what suits my digestion and energy levels, I tend to stick with foods which 'go down well', and I avoid food which doesn't. As much as possible. But, I do have my naughty moments. Quite often. I looked after my daughters house and dog for two nights, recently. I found the chocolate. And the tortillas, and my favourite peanut butter. And availed myself of them. Good-bye chocolate. Goodbye tortillas.

If I eat starch midday, I can guarantee that I will get so sleepy that I'll need a sleep. Quick. Not a good look. But porridge first thing, doesn't do that to me, and having a little bit of starch about 2.30pm onwards is okay, too, if I have a small amount of protein with it. But I'll be honest, I actually want starch and sugar from midday to late. Once I start, I can't stop. So I have to watch it. It makes me exhausted when I eat too much sugar and starch. Even fruit and healthy bread I have to have in small amounts (sigh).

And that business of taking twenty minutes to eat so that you feel full? Forget it. I know that it takes me about thirty minutes after I've finished eating, and I am a slow eater, to actually feel as though I've eaten enough. 

When I was not sorted out regarding what I would eat, and at eating at regular times, my eating habits were not good. Unhealthy, really. Then, a few years ago, I actually read about writing down what one did like to eat, maybe six staples which you then make sure are always on hand. And also write down what you dislike, then make sure that you don't buy those things. I soon followed this advice and felt much better for it. I'm not a foodie, so I do have to put some effort into this area of life.

Enter my diet capsule

I have a rough food plan. Most of the time I follow it. 

• Breakfast: choice of eggs and toast; porridge; homemade soaked muesli; both with some LSA, or two slices of buttered toast and vegemite or peanut butter
• Lunch: I like vegetable soup in winter, with beans or lentils as a base, and a slice of Edam cheese.  So when it's cold, I make a fair amount of soup and freeze it for emergencies. I do need protein and vegetables for lunch. More often than not, though, I'll have either eggs or tinned salmon (which I prefer to tuna), and I buy a bag of little salad greens. When I had a garden, for two years, I grew heaps of greens and herbs. I miss that. 
• I have just started having afternoon tea. What is really want is a piece of cake. With icing and cream. Yes, I do. What I actually do have is dessertspoon of protein powder in milk. With a dessertspoon of brewers yeast (hey, I like it!), or red powder of 'superfoods'. I have it, then say to myself 'dinner isn't far away', because I'm still a tad hungry.
• Tea: protein and vegetables. Same protein choices as lunch. In a hurry or if the cupboards are bare, I use frozen vegetables, broccoli, peas and spinach, which is a folate mix for my blood thingey. If all else fails, and I want something warm in winter, well, I have some defrosted soup, with yummy toast. 
• I also drink far too much coffee. Note to self: coffee is not the new water.

Sometimes I'll splash out and make a chicken drumstick bake with roast vegetables, or a marinated tofu dish, or have a tiny piece of steak, for tea. Or go to the beach with some fish and chips, once in a blue moon. This week we have a slab of smoked marlin to eat our way through, from our brother-in-law (thank you, Len), who is the only true hunter gatherer I've ever met. 

So, looking at my menus, as an example, these are essentials which I always have:

• free range eggs
• vogels very, very thin bread
• oat bran (for porridge and muesli)
• small tins of salmon in water, which I buy 'on special'
• salad greens
• frozen folate mix
• coffee. I never buy Nescafe. (I avoid all Nestle products) Even though Nescafe is cheaper
• protein powder, either Clean (vegan) or Red8 (whey). Sometimes I'll add a dessertspoonful to my porridge
• Lewis Road lite blue milk. This is an organic range. 

Plus, some extras that I like to have on hand, but if I could only choose one, it would be vegemite:

• vegemite
• peanut butter
• brewers yeast
• red superfoods
• LSA
• red lentils
• a few pieces of fruit
• carrots, sometimes kumera
• Edam cheese (my favourite) 

How easy is all that? I reckon most of us eat like this, meaning with a diet capsule. In our own ways.

It's efficient and easy. It stops the supermarket angst, for me. Which is especially important, as I dislike shopping. 

What is your system? Your 'capsule'?