Articles - Nutrition
Cooking Healthy Foods in a Hurry
Make It Healthy - Make It Easy
Shereen Jegtvig, About.com
Make It Healthy - Make It Easy
Shereen Jegtvig, About.com
Tips for healthy, quick and tasty meals:
Need dinner now because you are in a big hurry? Don't go the fast
food route; stop at your grocery store instead. Most grocery stores
have deli sections with lots of dishes that are ready to heat and serve
Be sure to choose foods that aren’t loaded with creamy sauces or
gravies, and don't buy the fried chicken and greasy potato wedges.
Instead, pick up a hot fresh rotisserie chicken.
These chickens are low in fat, often nicely
seasoned and all you have to do is carve
the bird and serve it with vegetables and
a salad.
The freezer section of your store has several varieties of healthy
vegetables. There are blends of vegetables with their own sauces
(watch for fat and sodium) as well as brands that steam right in your
microwave. My favorite is Birds Eye Steamfresh vegetables.
Make your own salad at the grocery store's
salad bar or grab some greens and pre-cut
vegetables. Wash the greens and fresh
vegetables, toss and serve. Serve with
low-fat salad dressing on the side.
What if you have a little more time to prepare dinner?
Choose fresh meats that are ready to cook in your oven. Go to the
meat department of the grocery store and look for skinless seasoned
chicken breasts or healthy salmon fillets. Place them in a baking dish
and pop it in the oven. There is virtually no prep time and little clean
up so you have plenty of time to make your side dishes.
Use a vegetable steamer/rice cooker that can prepare two healthy
side dishes at once. The steamer does the work while you relax or
get your other errands done. Get a steamer with a built-in timer so
your vegetables will be ready when you get home.
Buy a slow cooker. Make your own hearty soup
with some low-sodium broth, chunks of lean beef
or chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and
celery or try an easy slow cooker recipe. You can
also buy dinner mixes meant for your crock pot.
But read the labels; they are usually high
in fat and sodium.
Need dinner now because you are in a big hurry? Don't go the fast
food route; stop at your grocery store instead. Most grocery stores
have deli sections with lots of dishes that are ready to heat and serve
Be sure to choose foods that aren’t loaded with creamy sauces or
gravies, and don't buy the fried chicken and greasy potato wedges.
Instead, pick up a hot fresh rotisserie chicken.
These chickens are low in fat, often nicely
seasoned and all you have to do is carve
the bird and serve it with vegetables and
a salad.
The freezer section of your store has several varieties of healthy
vegetables. There are blends of vegetables with their own sauces
(watch for fat and sodium) as well as brands that steam right in your
microwave. My favorite is Birds Eye Steamfresh vegetables.
Make your own salad at the grocery store's
salad bar or grab some greens and pre-cut
vegetables. Wash the greens and fresh
vegetables, toss and serve. Serve with
low-fat salad dressing on the side.
What if you have a little more time to prepare dinner?
Choose fresh meats that are ready to cook in your oven. Go to the
meat department of the grocery store and look for skinless seasoned
chicken breasts or healthy salmon fillets. Place them in a baking dish
and pop it in the oven. There is virtually no prep time and little clean
up so you have plenty of time to make your side dishes.
Use a vegetable steamer/rice cooker that can prepare two healthy
side dishes at once. The steamer does the work while you relax or
get your other errands done. Get a steamer with a built-in timer so
your vegetables will be ready when you get home.
Buy a slow cooker. Make your own hearty soup
with some low-sodium broth, chunks of lean beef
or chicken, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic and
celery or try an easy slow cooker recipe. You can
also buy dinner mixes meant for your crock pot.
But read the labels; they are usually high
in fat and sodium.
WELLNESS
DIET
A-Z Weight Loss Diets
Diet & Physical Activity
NUTRITION
Healthy Eating Habits
The Superfoods
Best Foods for Anti-Aging
Best Heart Healthy Foods
Best Cancer Fighting Foods
Superfoods to Boost Immunity
WEIGHT MANGEMENT
Calculating Body Frame Size
Calculating Body Mass Index BMI)
PERSONAL CARE
Health & Nutition Resources
Web Links
DIET
A-Z Weight Loss Diets
Diet & Physical Activity
NUTRITION
Healthy Eating Habits
The Superfoods
Best Foods for Anti-Aging
Best Heart Healthy Foods
Best Cancer Fighting Foods
Superfoods to Boost Immunity
WEIGHT MANGEMENT
Calculating Body Frame Size
Calculating Body Mass Index BMI)
PERSONAL CARE
Health & Nutition Resources
Web Links
The task of cooking a big meal after a full day of work might seem kind of daunting. You might be tempted to make a side trip to the
closest fast food restaurant or maybe order a pizza. While that might be OK once a month or so, don't make it a habit. Those fast foods
are loaded with saturated fats, sodium, sugar and calories.
Does that mean you are doomed to spend an hour and a half in the kitchen every night if you want to feed your family healthy meals?
Nope. Not at all. Some tasty and healthy shortcuts can make cooking easy and delicious. All that is required is the right kitchen
equipment and a little smart shopping at your grocery store to make healthy choices.
closest fast food restaurant or maybe order a pizza. While that might be OK once a month or so, don't make it a habit. Those fast foods
are loaded with saturated fats, sodium, sugar and calories.
Does that mean you are doomed to spend an hour and a half in the kitchen every night if you want to feed your family healthy meals?
Nope. Not at all. Some tasty and healthy shortcuts can make cooking easy and delicious. All that is required is the right kitchen
equipment and a little smart shopping at your grocery store to make healthy choices.
Do you have a bread maker hiding on the back shelf of your pantry? Bring it out and make your own fresh bread
Set a timer so that when you get home the bread will be warm and ready to serve with a meal or a simple
bowl of soup. There are boxes of bread mixes all ready to go; just add a bit of water and some
canola oil and press the start button. Have fun with your bread mixes by adding extra ingredients
such as a quarter cup of chopped nuts or shredded cheese.
What about buying frozen meals?
When you go to the freezer section of your grocery store, you will find lots of frozen meals. Some are small and low in calories,
others are huge with lots of calories and fat and high in sodium. Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers and Healthy Choice offer
frozen foods that are healthier than most other brands. Make them even healthier by adding some extra vegetables or salad
and a slice of whole grain bread.
The best frozen meals are ones you make yourself. If you can devote a whole weekend in your kitchen (and you have a big
freezer), you can try once a month cooking. Choose healthy recipes that are low in calories and high in nutrition. Look for
recipes that use lean meats, poultry or fish and lots of vegetables.
With a little preparation and a healthy grocery list, you can enjoy healthy, delicious and easy-to-make meals at home.
Set a timer so that when you get home the bread will be warm and ready to serve with a meal or a simple
bowl of soup. There are boxes of bread mixes all ready to go; just add a bit of water and some
canola oil and press the start button. Have fun with your bread mixes by adding extra ingredients
such as a quarter cup of chopped nuts or shredded cheese.
What about buying frozen meals?
When you go to the freezer section of your grocery store, you will find lots of frozen meals. Some are small and low in calories,
others are huge with lots of calories and fat and high in sodium. Lean Cuisine, Weight Watchers and Healthy Choice offer
frozen foods that are healthier than most other brands. Make them even healthier by adding some extra vegetables or salad
and a slice of whole grain bread.
The best frozen meals are ones you make yourself. If you can devote a whole weekend in your kitchen (and you have a big
freezer), you can try once a month cooking. Choose healthy recipes that are low in calories and high in nutrition. Look for
recipes that use lean meats, poultry or fish and lots of vegetables.
With a little preparation and a healthy grocery list, you can enjoy healthy, delicious and easy-to-make meals at home.
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