Cooking at home is a great way to really understand what is going into your body, create a balanced fueling plan for yourself, and have fun with food! If you are looking for more tips on how to make cooking at home easier, or some alternative approaches – read below! Cooking at home more often is budget friendly and the next step in creating a healthier fueling plan to meet your needs.
QUICK COOKING TIPS
1. Add vegetables whenever possible to ensure at least 5 serving per day. Experiment with more veggie variety in salads, try new vegetable mixes, include some shredded vegetables in casseroles, and add different vegetables to soups and stews. Use chopped red or yellow peppers “pep” up the flavor. Try vegetable salsas and fruit chutneys as accompaniments to meat or poultry in place of heavy gravies or sauces. If serving pasta, rice or quinoa, mix in chopped vegetables to increase the volume and not the calories.
2. Use herbs, spices, vinegar, tomatoes, onions and/or fat-free or low-fat sauces or salad dressings for better health and to add flavor.
3. Use your time and your freezer wisely. When you cook once, make it last longer by preparing enough for several other meals. Freeze it and have a ready-made healthy treat for the next time you are in a rush or time crunch.
4. Replace salt with herbs and spices or some of the salt-free seasoning mixes. Use lemon juice, citrus zest or hot chilies to add flavor.
5. Prepare muffins and quick breads with less saturated fat and fewer calories. Use three ripe, very well-mashed bananas, instead of 1/2 cup butter, lard, shortening or oil or substitute one cup of applesauce per one cup of these fats.
6. Choose whole grain for part of your ingredients instead of highly refined products. Use whole-wheat flour, oatmeal and whole cornmeal. Whole-wheat flour can be substituted for up to half of all-purpose flour. For example, if a recipe calls for 2 cups of flour, try 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon whole-wheat flour.
7. Use plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt or fat-free or low-fat sour cream when baking.
8. Use veggie spray or non-stick pans for grilling or stir-frying.
9. Choose methods of cooking that will retain flavor, color, and nutrients. Steam instead of boiling vegetables. Avoid cooking at high temperatures (except for quick stir-frying) and long cooking times. Both extended heat and liquid can destroy or leach out valuable nutrients.
10. When you use oil, select olive or canola oil. Drain off visible fat while cooking, blot pan-fried foods on paper towels to absorb extra grease, and allow soups to chill before reheating and serving so that the fat can be skimmed off the top.
11. Reduce the fat in home baked goodies by substituting applesauce, pureed prunes, mashed bananas, or yogurt for up to half of the shortening.
12. Try more fruit desserts (fresh, stewed, and cobblers) instead of cakes and cookies. Choose frozen yogurt, sherbet and sorbet instead of ice cream.
13. To make a sandwich even healthier:
-Switch to wholegrain bread.
-Don’t butter the bread. You won’t miss butter if your sandwich has a few tasty ingredients already.
-Limit your use of spreads high in saturated fat like butter and cream cheese; replace with avocado.
-Stuff sandwiches full of veggies.
14. Choose to steam, bake, grill, braise, or boil your food, rather than deep fry them.
15. Cover your plate with mixed greens and non-starchy vegetables, and then top with lean protein and wholesome carbohydrates. It’s about the volume and presentation!
A dessert or snack recipe to try… (add cinnamon, to taste!)
Baked Pears with Cranberries & Walnuts
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
· 3 ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored and quartered
· 1/3 cup apple juice or cider
· 1/2 cup dried cranberries
· 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place quartered pears in a baking dish. Drizzle pomegranate juice over pears. Sprinkle cranberries and walnuts over the top. Bake for 20 minutes, or until pears are tender. Serve with juices and fat-free or low fat frozen vanilla yogurt.
Serves 4
Per Serving: Calories 197, Calories from Fat 44, Total Fat 5g (sat 0.4g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 4mg,, Carbohydrates 36.7g, Fiber 4g, Protein 1.5g
Be Well ~Meg @REJOOV
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