5 Commandments Of Cooking Healthy Meals

Cooking healthy for your family is important for everyone. Not only will you be eating healthy meals, but your children will learn a lot from eating healthy. They will get to experience healthy foods that they may have not even tried before, or wanted to. They will learn how to cook healthy meals so that they can pass down this tradition to their own children in the future. They will also come to enjoy healthy meals better than junk or foods that are bad for them.

Cooking healthy meals for your family will give everyone the energy they need for a full day, give them better concentration and focus, and help them do well in life. This will not deprive your family in any way. You will all be getting the proper nutrients you need without completely passing on all treats. Eating healthy is important for your health – not just now, but for the future as well. Studies have shown that eating healthy can help to reduce the risks of various ailments, heart disease, stroke, and many cancers. You can help your family lead a healthier life by cooking healthy meals.

Guidelines For Healthy Cooking –

1) Use Plenty of Fruits And Vegetables: Fruits and vegetables are often overlooked in today’s diet. However, fruits and vegetables are very important because they have vitamins, minerals and even antioxidants to keep you healthy, strong and help you fight illnesses. It is important to use fresh ingredients when cooking. Do not overcook your vegetables, as this will take out some of the nutritional value of them. Consider serving your vegetables raw or just blanch them (boil for about 5 minutes). Kids will especially love blanched veggies because it brings out their colors and makes them a little bit softer. Blanching doesn’t take out nutrients because you are only boiling them for 5 minutes. Just wait for the water to boil and place the veggies in. Put them on ice after the 5 minutes to stop the cooking process. You may also want to serve fruits with dinnertime as well. Most people don’t and that is why most people don’t get enough fruit in their daily diet. Serve a fruit and veggie with each meal.

2) Stick To Lean Meats And Fish: Lean meats and fish are an important part of your diet. However, too much meat can actually cause health problems. This is why adding fish to at least two meals a week can increase your health. Lean meats are better for you because they have less fat and sometimes less cholesterol than the other meats. Look for lean meats in your grocery store. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of fish: salmon, tuna steaks, haddock, cod, etc. Fish has important fatty acids that are excellent for your body and mind.

3) Watch The Fat You Use: Try to wean off of real butter and other fatty foods. If you must use real butter remember that just one tab of it a day is enough – no more. There are other options to choose from than just butter or lard. Add some of these items to your kitchen and your meals: olive oil, avocado, vegetable oil, butter spread made from olive oil, etc. You can also try using spices for your meals instead of fats. Try balsamic vinegar on your salad instead of salad dressing, or vinegar and olive oil. These can make great alternatives to other fatty foods.

4) What You Drink Counts Too! Do not forget about what you drink. As adults, we tend to not pay any attention to what we choose for beverages. A simple can of soda can have a lot of calories, sodium, sugar, and more in it. It doesn’t really matter if it is diet or not. It is still unhealthy. Cut down on drinks like soda, juices, coffee, and tea. You can healthily have coffee and tea about two times a day – that’s two cups a day, especially if you use sugar and cream. Try using lemon in your tea instead of honey or sugar. The best thing to drink is water. Always try to choose water over any other drink. Kids should not have more than two cups of juice a day because of the sugar. Make sure they get water everyday – and you too!

5) Treats In Moderation Are Ok: This is not a fad diet. This is a lifestyle change for you and your family. Yes, you can have treats in moderation. Have something every once in a while.

About the Author

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3 Top Cooking Light Recipes Your Family Will Love!

Light cooking is fast becoming a popular way to prepare tasty dishes as people get more concerned about health and fitness issues. We cover some easy and varied meal options here :

1. A Tasty Recipe for Shrimp and Squash Penne
Ingredients: 2 tbs olive oil, 4 cups of julienne yellow squash, 3 cups julienne zucchini, 1 pound of medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined, a quarter cup fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp each of dried basil and dried oregano, half tsp salt and a quarter tsp black pepper; also essential are 3 cloves of garlic, minced, 4 cups hot cooked penne, half finely sliced fresh chives/green onions and a quarter cup of fresh Parmesan cheese

Method: in a large-sized non-stick pan, heat oil on medium heat; put in the squash and zucchini and stir fry for ten minutes before adding the shrimp and sauteing for another 3. Next, pour in the juice and remaining ingredients, stirring continuously for two minutes before mixing the shrimp mixture, pasta, chives and cheese in a bowl, tossing slowly to mix well.

2. An Easy Risotto Dish With Arugula and Toasted Garlic
Ingredients: 3 and a half cups of low-salt chicken broth, 1 tbsp olive oil, 3 cloves of garlic-finely sliced, 1 and a half cups of raw Arborio rice, half cup chopped onion and dry white wine each, a quarter tsp each of salt and pepper and 4 cups of trimmed arugula

Method: simmer the broth in a small pan taking care not to bring it to a boil while on low heat. In another pan, warm oil over medium heat then add the garlic, stir-frying it for 3 minutes till lightly browned. Take out the garlic using a slotted spoon and keep it aside. Put in the rice and chopped onions, sauteing for 5 minutes before pouring in the wine then adding the salt and pepper and cooking till the wine is almost soaked up (approx. 1 minute). Stir gently, add warm broth a little at a time till absorbed; add last 1/2 cup (may take about 20 minutes). Take off the heat, adding in the garlic and arugula trimmings.

3. A Tangy Ginger Lime Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients: a third cup all-purpose flour, 10 cups sweet potato, finely peeled and sliced, a quarter cup of butter, one third cup of light brown sugar, 1 tbsp lime rind, 2 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1 tbsp each of shredded orange rind and ginger; also called for are 1 tsp each of low-salt soy sauce and salt, a quarter tsp of black pepper and cooking spray.

Method: heat the oven to 425 degrees F while you prepare the rest of the ingredients: with a light hand, spoon in the flour into a measuring cup, level off excess with knife; mix this and the potato into a large bowl and toss gently. After this, melt the butter into a saucepan over a slow fire, adding in the sugar and remaining ingredients, stirring gently to cook for a few minutes till the sugar melts. Pour this over the pre-prepared potato mixture and mixed well before spooning it in to a low 2-quart baking dish, pre-coated with cooking spray. Proceed to cover and oven-bake this dish at 425 degrees F for close to an hour (or till done) and let it stand for 10 minutes before serving!

About the Author

Abhishek is a cooking enthusiast! Visit his website http://www.Cooking-Guru.com and download his FREE Cooking Report "Master Chef Secrets" and learn some amazing Cooking tips and tricks for FREE! Learn how to create the perfect meal on a shoe-string budget. And yes, you get to keep all the accolades! But hurry, only limited Free copies available!