Eating healthy means making a commitment to preparing healthy food. But for many of us, the term "healthy meal" brings to mind hassle, effort, and tastelessness. Healthy eating also means picking up a variety of foods from these groups: meat, dairy products, fruits and vegetables, cereals such as bread and pasta. It is essential to limit the amount of fats and sweets. It includes enjoying nutritious food in the amounts our bodies need for best results.Preparing healthy, healthy foods doesn't have to be a stumbling block to a healthy diet. Plenty of resources exist to help us eat well and transform our favorite foods and recipes into healthier fare.
Get more variation recipes by cooking and preparing your own food
In fast-paced culture, the prospect of planning, cooking, and savoring a home-cooked meal can seem daunting. The "quick-and-easy" way of life full of microwaves, fast-food restaurants, and packaged meals easily overshadows the importance of cooking and preparing food the old fashioned way: at home in your own kitchen. Many prepared foods, whether from the drive-thru or a microwave-safe package, can contain a myriad of unhealthy ingredients.
With cooking and preparing your own healthy meals gives you more control over what you and your family are eating. Seeking out a variety of healthy recipes and preparing nutritious meals can help prevent common medical conditions and concerns, and engages your senses in a sumptuous world of flavors, textures, aromas, sights, and sounds! It can also be a wonderful way to bring your family together, while helping you save money.
There are many easy ways to alter recipes so that they are healthier while maintaining their wonderful tastes, flavors, and textures. Some basic tips for making your favorite recipes healthier include:
- Decrease the meat and increase the vegetables called for in stews and casseroles.
- Choose whole-grain versions of pasta and bread; substitute whole-wheat flour for bleached white flour when you bake.
- Serve imaginative whole-grain side dishes like bulgur or kasha instead of white rice or pasta. Cook with less fat by using non-stick skillet.
- Blot all fried meats on paper towels. Or better yet, try baking instead of frying.
- Avoid cooking with soy or Worcestershire sauce and products that contain monosodium glutamate (MSG).
- Use garlic or onion powder instead of garlic or onion salt, and use unsalted or low-salt vegetable broths and products.
- Buy reduced-fat cheese or use mozzarella, which is naturally lower in fat.
- In recipes calling for milk or cream, substitute reduced fat versions or try using other “milks” such as rice milk, nut milks or soymilk. Also use low-fat cream cheese, yogurt, and mayo.
- Unhealthy fats like certain oils, butter, or margarines can usually be cut by 1/3 to 1/2 in recipes. At first try a small cutback and then use less and less over time; you'll hardly notice the difference.
- You can also use fat substitutes like prune purees and applesauce in baked goods.
- Use fresh-frozen fruit without added sugar if fresh is unavailable.
- Cut the sugar called for in most recipes by one-third to one-half.
- Sweeten waffles and quick breads with cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla or almond extracts in order to cut the sugar content.
- Try salsa on a baked potato or salad rather than high-fat dressing or butter.
Source: www.helpguide.org
