Thermomix and healthy eating

[Katya]

I haven't put on any weight since getting my machine but it does take a lot of self-control as, once you discover how easy it is to produce lovely deserts and cakes, it becomes harder not to do so.

I do try and cut down on the amount of sugar and oil/butter used in a lot of the recipes and I find it doesn't compromise the final product.   And as everyone else has said, everything we eat is just so much healthier now because there are no nasty additives and very little salt .

[SoBlessed]

Oh, thanks Meagan, now I understand. I'll give that a try next time!

[faffa_70]

Thanks Meagan 

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

Also make sure you are using the varoma temperature for steaming. 

[earth mumma]

Dede - One of the things I love about my thermomix is that I am in control of how much sugar, oil etc that I use.  Homemade sorbet uses 1/3 of the sugar of the shop bought variety and you can always reduce it more if you want.  TM jam uses 1/2 the sugar of shop bought, and the homemade lemonade about 2/3 of the sugar and again you can change this if you want.  I find now that processed foods that I used to enjoy are now quite revolting to me and think my taste buds have changed. I have had my TM for over 2 yrs now and haven't put on any weght.  I am a TM consultant too and many of my clients have found they have lost weight without trying because they are eating more whole foods with less additives in it.  I think that making sweet treats can be a trap because thet taste so darn good and it's so lovely the feeling of having made something yummy from scratch.   

[Frozzie]

dede like everyone else said the thermomix doesnt make you put on weight..its just that once owning a thermomix you can make so much more that you never bothered making before as everything is so much quicker and easier..all comes down to self control like with anything but i really hope you get alot of satisfaction out of making so many homemade goodies yourself..i certainly do and you can always adapt recipes to be lighter anyway not that you need to as most are pretty healthy, sweets and cakes aside of course!!  Just dont go into it thinking its going to make you put on weight but instead enjoy what it offers you and also enjoy the very supportive community here on teh forum whenever you need a bit of help...happy cooking!!

[dede]

Thanks guys, I'm feeling much better about my purchase. Now to wait. My consultant said should have my TM by the end of next week which work out great as we are going away for a few days on holiday. I looking forward to making items that we use alot of to save money. Will be interesting to see how my grocery bill changes. I spent around $400-$450 a f/night (not including bread milk and other everyday items) Might take a little while to see the savings. I love this forum as I have found some great recipes and hints and tips.

[judydawn]

Dede my TMX made me rethink the way I did my shopping.  I would just buy willy nilly whether I needed it or not and did end up wasting a lot of unused vegies at the end of the week.  Now I sort of menu plan and shop accordingly. Allowing for the fact that we are probably going to eat out at least once a week, sometimes more, I find it cheaper for me to shop when I need things rather than do a big weekly shop.  I have kept a record of all supermarket purchases over the past 2 years and it has averaged out to just over $100 a week for the 2 of us, the occasional visitor and taking food around to my Mum when and if needed. I am wrapped with this as pre-TMX days I was spending between $150-$200 a week on goodness knows what. Back then I was always quick to invite people to a meal if they wanted to visit but I don't do that so much these days.

[Frozzie]

its taken me six months jd but part of my NY resolution is to be more organised and menu plan etc and not waste as i was one for that too ie buying willy nilly and often id go in for one or two items and end up buying a whole trolley load.. after meganjane noted she used evernote in another post i am using that and findit works realy well for me and makes it much easier to get organised which i havent found that easy since DD arrived 2 y ago now...so its taken me a while but thanks to the thermomix and cooking any thing and everything out of my system lol i now am menu planning ..just have to wait and see how much we end up savingµ..probably a bit as when we couldnt be bothered making anything take out would usually creep inacouple of times a week..hope that menu planning helps avoid that! 

[judydawn]

Good luck with your New Year's resolution Frozzie.  It can be done 

[Merlin]

Dede, that's a huge amount of money you're spending on food. My grocery bill has gone down substantially since buying my TM. I probably spend  ~$100  per week on average now  on milk, eggs, fruit and vegetables for 4 people (admittedly two of whom are the size of hobbits). I don't buy processed food anymore and I love gong to the supermarket and nonchalantly walking past the dips, pate sections etc knowing that I can make all that stuff easily now and don't need to fork out for processed foods anymore. I also find that I have more money to spend on other lovely treats such as Brie, good quality chocolate etc. I have noticed though that my use of eggs and milk has gone up heaps since buying my machine. Must be because my kids are addicted to the custard I make! I also have found that I am better at planning ahead for the week. Even though I don't physically write down a menu plan for the week, I mentally work out what is in the fridge and then use recipes to use up whatever is in the fridge also calculating meals I can freeze for later on or using leftovers in different ways, if there are any leftovers.

[Meagan]

(admittedly two of whom are the size of hobbits).

ROFL  I have two of those too 

[cookie1]

All cute hobbits though.

[dede]

Yes $400-$450 a f/night (not including milk bread etc for the f/night) is alot to spend. My goal is to get this down to around $300 f/night would be great (for 7 people including 2 teenagers and 2 adults). I am really going to analyze what I buy and try to eliminate unnecessary foods and replace lots with my own home made foods. With such a big family the money has to stretch a long way. If I can make a difference with grocery spending that will help a lot.

[Merlin]

I can now understand your fortnightly spend if you have that many people to feed, but I think we all buy stuff in bulk when it's on special eg cream, milk etc and freeze it. Also, you learn to make things in the TM using produce that is in season and therefore, cheaper. Also, the best thing I ever did was to plant a herb garden and I can't remember the last time I had to go out and buy herbs. It is all the processed foods that cost the most to buy at the supermarket and once you get used to making a lot of things yurself, not only will you reap the benefits  financially, but you'll all feel a lot healthier!