Healthy Meal Tips For Cooking At Home
Many of us want to health more healthy foods and improve our diet. A great way to ensure that you are getting the nutrition you need is to prepare foods yourself. However, many of use fail to prepare our foods, either out of fear, lack of experience, or lack of planning. Here are some tips to get you on the path to preparing more healthy meals at home in your own kitchen.
Stock Your Kitchen
Cooking starts with preparation. Make sure you have the basic cooking tools and ingredients on hand. You do not need a whole bunch of fancy, expensive items to get started. Essential cooking tools include a set of pots and pans; a steamer; good knives; crock pot; and, if splurging, a food processor. Cooking ingredients that you can have on hand include fresh fruits and vegetables; rice; beans; pasta; canned tomatoes; chicken stock; garlic & onion; and olive oil. In a best case scenario, you will plan your meals and only keep on hand what you need to prepare the meals.
Meal Planning
Meal planning is a great way to both cook good foods and save time. Prepare double amounts and freeze the rest for a later, easy-to-make meal. You can plan your meals for a full week, using leftovers and prep time to make enough food for additional lunches and dinners. Some other ideas include preparing foods for later cooking ahead of time: for example, peel and chop potatoes and store in cold water in the fridge or cook a big batch of beans for minestrone, chili, or beans and rice.
Simple Meals
You do not have to prepare elaborate meals to gain both nutrition and the satisfaction of feeding your family. Stir frying is a great way to quickly bring together various ingredients (some chopped ahead of time!) into a delicious meal. Soups, chili, and other one-pot meals are also yummy, often with enough leftover for an additional later meal or snack. Dessert can also be simple; try yogurt with fresh fruit and sliced almonds.
Add Flavor Without Calories
Learn how to use garlic and onion to add flavor depth to any dish. Experiment gently with other spices, such as cilantro sprinkled over beans. Substitute low-fat plain yogurt for sour cream and mayonnaise. You get the flavor without the extra calories.
Preparing healthy, economical meals at home requires some practice, but the rewards outstrip the effort. You can gain control of your health and feed your family delicious foods. Go forth and conquer.
Source: WebMD
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