| ||||||
|
by Mark Lamendola, health and fitness expert
If you're like most people, your idea of healthful cooking means
giving up the stuff you like. While that may be true, it does not
mean eating dull and boring foods. Quite the opposite. First, let's look at what you are "giving up" by changing from the standard disease diet to one that actually makes sense. If you read the ingredients on the packages of your processed "foods" you will notice the same things over and over. As you read, it should dawn on you that most of what constitutes the American diet consists of two flavors:
That is, most of what you eat tastes pretty much the same. By eating processed "food," you give up dozens of amazing flavors that exist in nature's bounty and that are readily available in your local grocery store. To take advantage of those flavors, you need to start with how you shop. Spend most of your grocery store time and budget in the produce department.
You should generally avoid buying food that comes in a container. Of course, there are exceptions. Olive oil and vinegar, for example, aren't sold any other way (nor would you want them to be). The key is to avoid things that are adulterated with sugars and damaged fats, and such foods come in containers. Read the labels. A note on beans. Canned red kidney beans come in sugar water, so buy dry red kidney beans and cook them yourself. Avoid products that contain wheat, corn, or soy--they are nearly always GMO. You can find alternative flours in most stores, today. Oat flour, for example, is widely available. Don't buy instant anything. Instant oats, instant coffee, etc., are less healthful than the regular kind.
|
Healthful cooking tips |
Regional & International Cooking Books: |
|