I also intermittently fast and will about 1-2x a month only have water on Saturdays.

I forgot to add that I always drink milk for dinner when at home.

I'm a pastry cook at an italian restaurant, and at least half the food I eat is at work. A typical day for me starts with eggs + a vegetable, and sometimes a protein bar. When I work dinner service I usually start my shift by eating about a cup of espresso pastry cream. Comida at work is usually some kind of pasta or rice with chicken. Then around 8-9pm I'll have some bread (that I make) + whatever I feel like taking from the garde manger station such as roasted vegetables, charcuterie, cheese, greens etc. This is usually followed by a scoop of gelato that I make, my current favorite on the menu is banana cognac.

I work brunch on weekends. Those days usually start with some kind of egg/veg dish for breakfast comida, followed by the same espresso pastry cream. I eat a decent amount of fruit during brunch. I need to make sure the fruit is fresh and good in order to maintain the quality and presentation of the architectural masterpieces that are my fruit plates.

After work on weekends I'm usually in a carb coma. I'll have something lean like a protein shake, or tuna salad (tuna, liver pate, mustard, evoo, cucumber).

Most overrated food imo is quinoa. WTF is this garbage and why do people think it's God's gift to humanity? Tastes like something you'd feed to a bird.

Worst flavor in the world is white pepper, makes me gag.

My "against the grain" food would be liver, but always in some kind of mousse or pate.

I don't feel guilt about anything I eat, but I'm sure a lot of people would laugh at me if they saw how much canned seafood I eat. Canned smoked herring is my fave.

I eat two Quest bars every morning and drink a latte — either from our nespresso or from Starbucks. Every morning. Quest bars are limited on carbs and have a fair amount of fiber.

Lunch is typically a fast or semi-fast food restaurant near my office, either a burger or a sandwich or a salad.

Dinner is whatever Mrs. Treesong makes. She is a fine cook. That consists of a fair amount of Asian foods, although she also makes roasts or fried chicken from time to time.

I cut out all sugar, and I’m allergic to wheat so my carb intake is limited. We eat rice with every single dinner except perhaps Easter and Christmas dinner.

Growing up, I’d eat a large dish of ice cream after every dinner at home. I rather miss that. I’ll occasionally splurge on a bag of Doritos with salsa or a salami and cheese plate. There is almost nothing I don’t like. We go out maybe once a week, sometimes fancy and sometimes not. I don’t watch calories so long as my weight stays under 175, which it has consistently ever since I cut out sugar several years ago.

Dids,


Maybe the oddest thing in the thread so far!

Used to be solidly meat and potatoes. Then I started restricting carbs.

Beef, pork, lamb, shellfish, catfish, chicken (fried, bbq, or hot wings only), various vegetables in moderation, and an occasional salad. If I have breakfast, it is eggs + bacon or sausage.

Carb cheats are: potatoes and gravy (possibly the best food of all time), selected french fries, German potato salad, selected bbq sandwiches, a few other selected sandwiches, but mostly beer.

Lots of coffee and red wine.

I like this. I think I'll start incorporating this, but I'll probably throw in some black coffee too because I'm a fiend.

Just realized there’s one more thing I eat at least 3-4 days a week, almost always around the same time.

On days I work out a second time in the afternoon/evening, I share a bowl of cream of wheat with applesauce and cinnamon with my son. That’s one of our favorite foods for both of us

Most days I also have at least one, often two of the following: ice cream, cake, pie, donuts.

I eat out way too much. Like, all the time. If you include delivery (Caviar, Postmates), it's almost 100%. I actually like to cook, and was kind of shocked the other day when I realized I legit could not remember the last time I went to the grocery store. I attribute this to several factors:

- I've been travelling a lot for work, so shopping seems like a waste.
- I live in Portland, and it's so easy to get good, relatively cheap food (note: relatively).
- I grew up in northern Idaho where food wasn't exactly gourmet. Moved to Seattle but I was poor, then date and eventually married a woman whose taste buds were seriously the most boring imaginable. Salmon was as "exotic" as she'd go; mostly plain chicken. To make it worse, she didn't like going to restaurants that didn't have something exactly plain for her on the menu, i.e., she was uncomfortable requesting off-menu simple items that would suit her. So despite living in the Portland metro area for 10 years while together, I really didn't explore its culinary pleasures at all. Now I'm making up for it (divorced four years ago).
- I make more money now and can afford it.

Most of my meals are picking stuff up on the way home from work, but I have a couple of friends who love to eat the good stuff, and we go out to one of the more expensive places a few times a month. It's kind of insane how much I spend; usually when I go out with those friends we're spending over a hundred a meal. These two are our favorites:
https://www.coquinepdx.com/
http://www.davenportpdx.com/

I feel lucky that these used to be once a year places, now they're once a month, each (a decent job, not married, no kids helps). That being said, I really want to cut back. I'm considering a move to a much smaller town, and one of the upsides is the fact I'd probably eat at home more. I really do like to cook.

I eat like a child. But I'm 40 years old and I can eat what I want.

I used to eat out more, but realized I'd enjoy my food more, and save money, by making big dishes of stuff to eat all week.

I've lately been rotating between a big dish of enchiladas, and a big pot of spaghetti. Was making pizzas in my cast iron, but I don't mix the dough myself, and once winter hit I didn't want to walk to Whole Foods to get some. Once it warms up, the pizzas will bump the spaghetti back out of the rotation, I expect.

Been thinking of trying to find some sort of slow cooker beef dish I'd like.


When I do eat out, burgers and fries dominate, along with pizza. Sometimes chicken sandwiches. Occasionally something like orange chicken from a Chinese place.

Here is what I eat every day (times are approximate but almost never off by more than half an hour):

4:45AM: Spoonful of almond butter with maca, banana (this is pre-workout)
6AM: Kasha and two eggs.
9:30AM: Protein shake with chia
12:30PM: Salad (greens, can of wild salmon, crunchy rice things, homemade dressing)
3:30PM: Three large red bell peppers, raw
6:30PM: Same salad I had for lunch

Most Saturday evenings my wife and I go out, and 95% of the time we have sushi.

Some notes to answer inevitable questions:
1. I currently weigh 100 pounds less than my peak, and have maintained this weight for years.
2. I am a recovered alcoholic and addict. I am more than capable of having an inappropriate relationship with food. Part of the reason this diet works for me is because it helps avoid that problem.
3. I am hypoglycemic. If I don't eat something every 2-3 hours I crash, feel terrible, and am a beast to be around.
4. I react badly to sugar and gluten. Meat makes me feel pretty yucky so I don't eat it (also I really really really love animals. Sorry fish).

OMG! Roflmao. Never change 2+2.

I don’t eat red meat or pork. I eat a lot of birds and fishes.

Highlights and oddities-

Sardines nearly every day.
Eggs nearly every day.
White rice nearly every day.
Lots of veggies every day—broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, Brussels sprouts, green beans, bell peppers, asparagus.
Lots of dairy.
Lots of black, pinto and kidney beans.

Dinner is usually chicken with vegetables and rice (my wife has at least a half dozen variations) or some kind of ground turkey recipe—-meatballs, turkey cheese burgers (no buns) usually with roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts and purple cabbage salad, turkey taco bowls with pinto and black beans (canned organic), guacamole, salsa and shredded cabbage, turkey chili with lots of beans.

Lunch is usually left overs from the previous night.

Usually eat two breakfasts- a can of sardines first thing and a couple of eggs and a quesadilla a few hours later.

We started eating healthier for the kids. It worked. They both love veggies and are usually not going to finish a piece of cake at a party because it is too sweet for them. They eat all kinds of things most kids don’t.

I’m kind of a gym rat at this point I suppose. I eat high protein and lowing carbs in general and got pretty good body composition from that, but I decided to ride my holiday food derail and do my first serious attempt at a bulk this winter. I just laid off the carb restriction for a few months, mostly. It worked like crazy. I gained about 10lbs since this summer but a lot of it is muscle and I busted through some plateaus for sure. I’ll go back to reducing carbs and cutting down in about two months.

This is all a hobby for me. I am incredibly lucky that my wife enjoys cooking and is fantastic at it. The meal plan does get redundant for all of us sometimes but even when we are disappointed to hear “chicken, rice and veggies” when we ask what’s for dinner, it always tastes great when we sit down to eat it.

OOT eaters,

I usually skip breakfasts. On rare occasions when I have something, it’s usually a yogurt or a banana or some sort of energy bar. If I’m starving (generally if I had a big workout night before and not a big dinner) I’ll maybe have some oatmeal. If I’m hung over I might pick up a breakfast sandwich with eggs and bacon or sausage.

Lunch is usually some kind of sandwich thing (deli sandwich, fried chicken sandwich, burger) or other filling carb+meat combo (burrito, some sort of ethnic rice/noodle bowl with meat/curry, etc).

For dinner I eat at home most nights. I’ll often do a big stew or roast that can be easily portioned and reheated. I live across the street from a whole Foods, so my diet is often driven by what’s on sale there. Lately I’ve made char siu (Chinese bbq pork) roast, chili, pork tenderloin, Korean bbq ribs (just marinate and then it’s a few mins on the grill or broiler), Cuban mojo pork shoulder, etc. I love seafood, but don’t usually cook it at home.

I then usually make some side. Common ones lately have been spinach, Brussels sprouts, beets, mushrooms, sweet potatoes. Usually just a simple pan sauté with some garlic, olive oil, etc or roasted in the oven.

I prob do that three nights. One night I’ll prob make something with eggs like a big scramble or omelet (love eggs in all form). One night I’m often lazy and will make something from the freezer. This is what I usually keep on hand for packaged meals:
Whole Foods frozen pizza
Red Baron deep dish singles
Trader Joe’s pot stickers
Trader Joe’s cheese enchiladas
Stouffers meat lovers lasagna
Campbell’s chunky sirloin burger soup
Pacific tomato bisque soup
Bush’s baked beans (a bowl of these with a couple fried eggs on top)

Weekends I usually go out for brunch one day and make some egg thing the other day. Scramble, omelet, chorizo and eggs, etc.

One weekend night I’ll usually go out to eat. Could be anything from a divey little noodle or burger shop to a fancy date night dinner. The other weekend night I’ll usually cook something - often a little more involved recipe that I’m cooking with a date or friend.

I don’t usually keep bread at home because I love it too much and will just eat it all. Usually keep a pack of tortillas for a little carb fix. Sometimes a pack of delicious Kings Hawaiian rolls.

I’m the same as doc z wrt salty snacks. Love potato chips and other salty snacks, and I’ll just eat whatever I have. So I pretty much never have them in the house.

Foods I really love: bbq (brisket and ribs especially), bread/pastries, potatoes, pizza, sushi, Italian/pasta (veal parm omg), fried chicken, steak, dim sum/dumplings, I could keep going on and on... I love lots of food. Big fan of dessert, but don’t eat it much. Great dense New York style cheesecake very high on the list. Pies and cobblers too. Ice cream of course. Also really love custard/pudding type desserts - custard, flan, Creme brûlée, chocolate pudding, pot de Creme.

Foods I don’t like: not much, I eat pretty much everything. But I don’t love Ethiopian food - not that into the spongy injera bread and find it kinda bland. Not very into lentils either. Not into clams that much.

Overrated food: oysters - I don’t really get the love for them.

oooh man. Fresh raw oysters on the half-shell are a top 5 food item for me.

Rounding out the other 4:

- Caprese salad with fresh ripe tomatoes and fresh mozz/burrata
- fatty bbq brisket (Jewish-style braised brisket is excellent too)
- boardwalk-style fries
- Good mackerel sashimi

Mia,

Fatty bbq brisket (and yep love braised Jewish style too) is potentially my favorite meat.

Love caprese and boardwalk fries too. Mackerel sashimi I like a lot, but there’s a lot of sushi I like more.

What kind of oysters are your favorite? I’ll make a point to have some the next few chances I get to make sure I’m giving them a fair shake.

Pretty much all East Coast oysters are good to me (haven't had too many West Coast ones). Partial to Chincoteague because they're super local to me. Had some real good Rhode Island oysters recently too. Probably the best ones are whatever is closest/freshest.

I usually go with either a splash of lemon juice or a dab of cocktail sauce, though a mignonette is very nice too.

Loving mackerel is pretty unique. You'd probably enjoy it cold smoked which is the GOAT way to prepare it. Russian food.



I realize I skipped breakfast. I eat a baked fluffy omelette most days. Usually with some sort of greens and hot peppers and/or bacon if I have it. Normal bacon. Canadians don't eat what you guys call Canadian bacon.

What about peameal bacon?

I prefer West Coast vs. East Coast oysters, although I certainly have more experience with West coast. West Coast tend to be smaller and fatter (there's probably a technical oyster term for that I don't know), which I like. Not all west coast are like that, so that's exactly how I order: "I'll take the smallest and fattest you have." I've grown to really enjoy oysters with just a splash of lemon, but some mignonettes are excellent.

Oyster shooters are usually gross oysters and an excuse to eat cocktail sauce, imo (I still get them).

We have peameal in a sandwich once a year when tourists visit. On the rarest occasion someone will bring some up to the cottage. It's outnumbered 10 to 1 at the grocery store mostly for nostalgic olds.

OOT,

Most of your eating sounds really good, and surprisingly more balanced/healthy than I expected!

Just thought of a top overrated food: caviar

Only beverages I drink are water (prob 6 liters of plain and 1-2 liters of sparkling soda stream daily. I keep water bottles around the office and house and drink water all the time), coffee (black), and alcohol. No juice, soda, milk, etc.

oT:
I love CFA and don’t think it’s overrated at all. I prefer that sandwich to a lot of “gourmet” fried chicken sandwiches. Foie I love, but yeah it’s prob a little overrated. Pretty much never go to steakhouses anymore.

ABBA:
Totally with you there. Of course it’s not like awesome pizza place pizza, but it’s still pizza!

Cs:
Well put.

IAE:
I love all of those things. Is it the texture or flavor with liver? Have you ever had slow roasted beets? If not, I recommend giving them a try sometime. Completely different flavor than pickled beets.

Doc:
Is that hyperbole, Bad guess, or actually what you consume? If the latter, are you a hard core athlete/runner/exerciser or really fat? And yeah, that cold smoked mackerel is great.

Sapo:
I enjoy both of those things, but agree they’re overrated.

Card:
Deep dish pizza is great. I’m also big into eggs, so tasty and versatile!

Rap:
Swordfish very low on my fish list too. And yeah, not a tripe fan either, but that’s veering into the standard weird foods most people don’t like territory. I’m a huge fan of stinky blue cheeses too.


Krunic:
Your work grazing sounds amazing, though I’d gain a crazy amount of weight in that environment. I don’t think many people really love quinoa that much and like it more as a healthier (I have no idea if it is or how much) alternative to bread/rice/etc. Canned fish like that is pretty delicious.

Foatie:
I could easily eat from that indefinitely.

JT:
That’s awesome. My niece and nephew are like that too, and not only is it healthier, but it’s great that they’re gonna get to enjoy so much more food throughout their lives than most people.

I like the smaller ones like these from Martha's Vineyard. I think these were Katama Bay.

+1 on oysters being severely overrated. I used to think there was a global conspiracy trying to troll me into believing they were actual food until I met a few other folks who understood how disgusting they are. We are the woke, and Big Oyster isn't going to change that.

Dids - I 100% believe you have milk to drink with every meal at home.

LFS - sounds horrible, but I'm glad you found something that works for you.

Hey_Porter - how did you use so many words and not list a single actual food that you eat?!?!

krunic - my all time favorite gelato flavors are (in order): lemon, raspberry, mango. Please recommend me a couple of new ones based on that.

Wookie - I love that you are a stew master! Stews are so criminally underrated. Please post photos of your stews in the cooking thread!