Hihigh

Archive for the ‘Healthy Food’ Category

Nutrition experts say we should be eating more whole grains: barley, brown rice, buckwheat (which is also called bulgar), oatmeal, popcorn, and whole wheat. Whole grains provide roughage, a requirement for good health, and are a good source of complex carbohydrates.

“Whole Grains: Hearty Options for a Healthy Diet,” published on the Mayo Clinic Website, defines whole grains as the seeds of plants. Mayo Clinic recommends whole grains over refined grains. It also recommends “at least 3 grams of dietary fiber per day.” Unfortunately, many Americans fall far below this recommendation.

Hy-Vee grocery stores discuss preparation, storage, and the nutritional value of the barley in a Website article, “Barley.” Whole barley, also known as Scotch barley, is better for you, according to the site, because it has “intact bran, which is the most nutritious part of the grain.” Pearl barley, on the other hand, has been steamed and polished, a process that removes both bran and fiber. To prevent barley from going rancid, Hy-Vee recommends storing it a sealed container and in a cool, dry place, away from air, moisture, and sunlight.

Many cooks are unfamiliar with barley and, if they buy it, only use it in soup. There are more use for barley. “The Healthy Cook” book, published by “Prevention Magazine,” contains recipes for barley pilaf, rissoto, moussaka, stuffing, and soup. Though I like beef barley soup, I think many recipes call for too much barley. The result is stroup, my word for soup that is so thick you do not know if it is soup or stew.

I upgraded the basic soup recipe by using ball-tip steak. The recipe calls for quick barley (the pearled kind), and though it contains slightly less fiber, it still contains five grams per 1/3-cup serving. You may use whole barley instead of the pearled, but check the cooking time on the package first. Mushrooms and carrots provide added fiber. I hope you enjoy this recipe and make barley part of your path to good health.

Steak-Mushroom-Barley Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons light olive oil

10 ounces ball-tip steak, cubed

8-ounce box sliced mushrooms

3/4 cup pre-shredded carrots

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

3 tablespoons salt-free soup base

1/2 cup quick barley

2 teaspoons dried basil

3 quarts of water

Method

Pour olive oil into soup kettle. Cook steak over high heat until the cubes start to brown. Add sliced mushrooms and continue to cook until the mushrooms are soft. Add shredded carrots, onion soup mix, soup base, barley, basil, and water. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Makes 8 servings. This soup tastes even better the next day.

Healthy snack recipes abound. There is a problem however with the way you think about snacks. Let’s explore what constitutes a health snack food then we will build them into healthy snack recipes.

Fast Food Is Bad

The first thing you have to admit to yourself is that fast food is bad for you. Of course you know this. It is a well-known fact.

But what is a fast food?

Why is it bad for you?

Let’s take those questions in order.

What is fast food? Fast food is ready-to-eat victuals. It may be a burger and fries from the local fast food joint. Or it may be a “quick snack” wrapped in cellophane. Any food of this type is bad for you.

Why are they bad? Fast foods are bad for you because they usually contain high amounts of fat, some of which are the particularly harmful trans-fats. Trans-fats are chemically changed to give foods containing them a longer shelf life.

Unfortunately, trans-fats have been shown by numerous studies to promote heart and arterial disease. It may take years or decades for these disease processes to present themselves but they cause havoc (and possibly even death) when they do become evident.

Fast foods also contain unnecessarily large amounts of sugar and/or salt which can be harmful in the long run. Studies have shown arterial plaques forming in very small children who consume these types of foods. That is reason for alarm.

So what food is good for a snack?

Wise Eating

Naturally healthy foods such as raw vegetables make excellent healthy snacks. The raw food enzymes found in them are necessary for proper digestion and a number of bodily functions.

But what if you don’t like vegetables?

You can use a cream cheese fruit dip as a vegetable dip. A sweet, creamy dip may help you make the transition to healthier eating. Try this dip and serve it with vegetables and fruit.

Cream Cheese And Yogurt Vegetable/Fruit Dip

*Eight ounces of fat free cream cheese, softened
*Eight ounces of non-fat plain yogurt
*Two tablespoons of honey

Beat cream cheese until fluffy then slowly add yogurt and honey while continuing to beat the mix. Garnish with alternating strips of shredded coconut and finely ground nuts (walnuts or pecans work well).

The folks who are into healthy eating know that wise eating habits include preparing tasty foods that just happen to be good for you. You can’t expect to eat foods that don’t taste good.

Olive Oil Bread/Vegetable Dip

Olive oil is a good foundation for a heart smart diet and is easily used to create healthy snack recipes.

To slowly change your eating habits to a more healthy style you have to take baby steps. This will allow you time to learn to appreciate new foods you may not have tried before.

Try this snack idea:
Mix the following in a shallow bowl:
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon minced garlic (from a jar is fine)
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Pour 1/3-cup extra virgin olive oil (first pressed) over the seasoning mixture. Serve with hearty whole grain bread. Don’t use tasteless white bread!

Cut the whole grain bread into strips and toast in the oven on a baking sheet. You can stagger strips of colorful raw vegetables in a circular pattern on a platter interspersed with strips of toasted bread to make a great visual presentation for your snack.

It is a wonderful snack for a guest that doesn’t take much time to prepare and is good cheap food so it’s easy on your wallet.

What a deal!

An increasing number of pet owners are choosing to switch from commercially produced pet foods to a more natural diet for their pet, even going to the extent of using a homemade cat food recipe in order to make more natural, healthy food for their cat than what is offered by their pet store. These homemade cat food diets can work well for those who have pets with specific nutritional needs as well. As with any change to your cat’s diet, consult with your vet before beginning to use homemade cat food recipes – not all cats may be able to have a homemade diet due to medications or underlying health problems.

Keep in mind before choosing a homemade cat food recipe that there are ingredients that musty be avoided – onions, pork, chocolate, milk, raw eggs (cooked eggs are fine), fish or bones. All of these ingredients are deleterious to your cat’s health. What you should know is that cats require a diet which is very high in protein; five times greater than a dog’s protein requirements. Tuna should also be avoided or used in very small quantities due to the mercury content in most commercially produced tuna.

So what should go into a homemade cat food recipe? Ground meats and small amounts of vegetables along with supplements and flavorings like kelp, garlic and brewer’s yeast all make for a healthy diet for your cat. One sample recipe follows:

(Cook these all together for an easier preparation and cleanup afterwards)

4oz meat, either beef or poultry
1 tbsp. carrot
1 tbsp. cottage cheese
1 tbsp. sunflower oil.

Flavorings (kelp powder, garlic powder, nutritional yeast powder) in small amounts – maybe a pinch.
This recipe will produce about one to two servings for an average adult cat; adjust the amount of ingredients up or downwards as needed to produce more food. You can refrigerate the leftovers, but the same rules apply as for leftovers you would eat yourself – use or freeze leftovers within a few days after making.

As you can see, it can be easy to make a healthy diet for your cat at home all by yourself. You won’t have to worry about all of the additives and byproducts employed by the commercial cat food industry and can finally feel good about what your pet eats. By using a healthy homemade cat food recipe, you can make home made cat food which will keep your pet in good health and appeal to their tastes.

Boneless skinless chicken breast recipes are easy to make, quick to get to table, and good for you. The most common way to prepare them involves oven cooking to reduce fat content that frying may not offer.

However, if small amounts of olive oil are used for frying many recipes can be developed which are faster than oven baking and just as nutritious. One such recipe is Chesapeake Chicken.

Chesapeake Chicken

Chicken breasts
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1 to 2 Tbsp.Old Bay seasoning
3/4 cup Low fat whipping cream

Fry chicken breasts in olive oil and butter until almost cooked (15-25 minutes)
Add Old Bay seasoning to taste (2 Tbsp is a very spicy amount)
Add low fat whipping cream
Simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally

Oven Baked Chicken Breast

This low fat meat should be a vital component of any healthy diet plan. It is a relatively inexpensive source of quality protein.

As tasty as this is you have to remember that you don’t need as much protein as Americans usually eat every day. Your daily protein requirement is a piece of meat approximately the size of a pack of playing cards. Keeping that visual in mind will help you determine proper portion size.

Oven Baked Chicken Breast With Onions And Bell Pepper

Chicken Breasts
2 medium onions, sliced
2 bell peppers, cut into rings then halve rings
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter
Sea salt to taste

Coat the chicken breasts with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil and place into baking pan
Sprinkle chicken breasts with sea salt
Bake chicken uncovered in 350 degree preheated oven for 45 minutes
Place onions in a skillet with 1 Tbsp. of butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil then saut

Indian food menus are becoming more popular the world over. Indian recipes are known for the healthy ingredients the use of which are based on ancient texts, knowledge passed on from one generation to another. What is more important is that these recipes are now being improvised to suit modern needs.

In most Indian food menus, the food item has a pair of ingredients – one working to compensate the side effects of the other.

For example, dosa is an Indian recipe that is a complete nutritious meal in itself. One dosa can provide your body with most of the required vitamins and nutrients. Hence if you are on a weight loss diet, you will be able to have a filling, complete, nutritious meal once and will not feed the urge to eat anything between meals.

The idea is to get your stomach and tongue feel the satisfaction of a delicious and filling meal that it does not crave for anything in between meals.

Ingredients Complimentary and Counter Active

In Indian dosa we use lentils called “urad dal”. This white lentil is rich in protein, very healthy. White Dal is good for improving hemoglobin count. In India herbal doctors prescribe one dosa per day for people suffering from anemia.

So urad dal has all the good qualities that we need. But nothing is perfect in this world. Good healthy ingredients do have a part that is not good for us. So does urad dal. Eating a lot of urad dal can produce ‘stomach gas’. So to deactivate this component of urad dal, Indians use asafoetida called ‘Hing’. By using a pinch of ‘hing’ in the dosa batter the bad effect of urad dal is removed and we can benefit from the nutritious quality of urad dal.

Another ingredient added to dal to overcome its side effect is cooking soda. Cooking soda again is good for digestion and prevents ‘stomach gas’. A third ingredient used in dosa batter is cumin seeds.

What we are doing here is to benefit from a nutritious meal and have a three pronged attack over its side effects. The three ingredients, asafoetida, cooking soda and cumin seeds, which are used for overcoming the side effects of dosa, have healthy nutrients in themselves. So we have removed the bad effects and added more nutritional value to the meal.

This is just one example of the many, many ways Indian food lovers have perfected the art of eating healthy nutritious meal. This knowledge is passed on from one generation to the next.

Modern Indians do not want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Necessity is the mother of invention. Instant food items that retain the healthy, nutritious quality based on the ancient wisdom of Indians are coming into the food market.

These healthy recipes have such ingredients that work against the bad effects of each other as well as compliment each other’s nutritional value.

A healthy breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but many of us skip it because of time constraints. Well, now there’s no more excuses!

There are several easy breakfast recipes that you can throw together in less time than it takes you to find your keys.

Did you know that numerous studies have found that people who eat breakfast are often slimmer than those who don’t? One of the main reasons is this: When you sleep, you’re obviously not eating for about 8 hours (unless you have some serious sleepwalking cravings). Your body is in a fasted state, so everything slows down. But, the sooner you eat upon waking, the sooner your metabolism is kicked back into gear for the day.

However, if you skip breakfast, then your metabolism is at a near standstill for all the hours you were asleep, plus the additional hours before your first meal. This is exactly the time when fat settles in and unpacks its bags (and rolls).

And to those who already eat breakfast everyday and are patting themselves on the back, you’re not out of the woods yet! Even the most devoted breakfast eater has room for improvement, because a healthy breakfast is the key to weight loss, improved health, and prolonged energy.

Sure, Pop Tarts and bagels will get your metabolism going, but they certainly aren’t the healthiest choices. You need a bigger breakfast (around 500 calories) with at least 20 grams of protein to get your body started the right way and keep you satisfied for longer.

OK, this is all getting a bit complicated now, right? How could you possibly have time to make a 500 calorie breakfast with enough protein, vitamins, and minerals to actually do some good?

7 Easy Breakfast Recipes: Healthy Breakfast in Less Than 5 Minutes

If any of these make your mouth water, just follow the easy instructions on how to whip them up before your windshield is defrosted:

Blueberry Smoothie With Toasted-Cheese Sandwich Prep time: 4 minutes 2 slices whole-wheat bread 1/2 c Kashi Go Lean Crunch! cereal 1 c fat-free milk 1 c frozen blueberries 1 1-oz slice Cheddar cheese Pop the bread into the toaster. Dump the cereal, milk, and berries into a blender and liquefy. Stick a slice of Cheddar between the warm slices of toast and nuke the sandwich in a microwave for 15 seconds. It tastes grilled — but isn’t. Benefits: “The cheese and milk in this meal are essential for building and maintaining new muscle,” says Christine Rosenbloom, Ph.D., R.D., a professor of nutrition at Georgia State University. “The whole grains in the bread and cereal will help lower cholesterol, and the minerals in the milk and cheese will help keep blood-pressure levels down.” Per meal: 509 calories, 26 grams (g) protein, 75 g carbohydrates, 14 g total fat, 12 g fiber Grab-and-Go Breakfast Prep time: 1 minute 1 medium apple 1/2 pint fat-free milk 1 bran Vita muffin 1 pack Skippy Squeeze Stix peanut butter Slice the apple, grab the milk, muffin, and peanut butter, and go. Squeeze the peanut butter out of its pack onto your apple slices as you eat. Benefits: Vita muffins (vitalicious.com) contain 100 percent of your recommended intake of several important nutrients, including vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, and E. Foods high in monounsaturated fats — like peanut butter — may boost testosterone levels. This meal should help you burn energy more efficiently and lift more weight at the gym. Per meal: 506 calories, 20 g protein, 87 g carbohydrates, 12 g total fat, 15 g fiber Minute Omelette with Toast Prep time: 2 minutes 1 egg 3/4 c frozen spinach, thawed 1 slice Canadian bacon, diced 2 slices whole-wheat bread 1 Tbsp almond butter 1 c Welch’s grape juice Stir together the egg, spinach, and Canadian bacon and pour onto a plate coated with nonstick spray. Microwave for 1 minute or until the egg is fully cooked. Toast the bread and eat it with the almond butter. Chase everything with grape juice. Benefits: Monounsaturated fat in the almond spread will help prevent spikes and drops in blood sugar, which can leave you feeling tired or crabby. Grape juice gives you an antioxidant, called resveratrol, that not only helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels but also helps improve bloodflow to the heart. Per meal: 540 calories, 25 g protein, 73 g carbohydrates, 19 g total fat, 8 g fiber Two PB-and-Banana Wraps With Milk Prep time: 2 minutes 2 Tbsp peanut butter 2 Eggo Special K waffles 1 medium banana 1/2 pint fat-free chocolate milk Spread a tablespoon of peanut butter over each (briefly microwaved) waffle. Divide the banana between them and roll each to make wraps. Wash down with chocolate milk. Benefits: Eggo’s Special K waffles supply complex carbohydrates, which break down slowly in the body and stimulate the production of serotonin, a calming brain chemical. The banana is packed with potassium — a heart protector. Per meal: 570 calories, 23 g protein, 90 g carbohydrates, 16 g total fat, 7 g fiber The Santa Fe Burrito Prep time: 4 minutes 2 eggs 1 c Santa Fe frozen mixed vegetables (black beans, peppers, and corn) 1 flour tortilla 1/2 c low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese 1/4 c salsa Mix the eggs and vegetables and spread the mixture on a plate coated with nonstick spray. Cook in the microwave for 1 minute, stir with a fork, and microwave again until the eggs are cooked and the vegetables warm. Pile onto a flour tortilla, top with shredded Cheddar cheese and salsa, fold, and eat. Benefits: “Without protein, guys can lose muscle mass quickly,” says William J. Evans, Ph.D., a professor of geriatrics, physiology, and nutrition at the University of Arkansas. This meal is packed with it. Per meal: 530 calories, 36 g protein, 53 g carbohydrates, 18 g total fat, 6 g fiber Black-Cherry Smoothie and Peanut-Butter Oatmeal Prep time: 4 minutes 1 c R.W. Knudsen black-cherry juice 1 c frozen strawberries 1 c frozen unsweetened cherries 2 Tbsp protein powder 2/3 c oatmeal 1 Tbsp peanut butter 1/2 c fat-free milk Blend the cherry juice, frozen fruit, and protein powder until smooth. Microwave the oatmeal according to the directions on the package. Stir in the peanut butter and milk. Benefits: Men who ate at least one serving of whole-grain cereal (like oatmeal) a day had the lowest risk of dying of any cause, including heart disease, according to a 5-year study of 86,000 doctors. Cherries and strawberries are natural sources of salicylates — the active ingredient in aspirin — making them ideal for relieving stress-induced morning headaches. Per meal: 600 calories, 27 g protein, 100 g carbohydrates, 11 g total fat, 10 g fiber Almond-Butter-and-Raisin Sandwich With Smoothie Prep time: 1 minute 2 Tbsp almond butter 2 Eggo Special K waffles 1 Tbsp raisins 1 Stonyfield Farm smoothie Spread the almond butter on the waffles. Sprinkle the raisins over one waffle and top with the other. Wash down with the smoothie. Benefits: Whole-grain waffles help lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and improve your body’s processing of insulin and glucose, a benefit that can reduce your risk of becoming diabetic. Per meal: 600 calories, 21 g protein, 86 g carbohydrates, 22 g total fat, 7 g fiber

Of course, you can combine parts of these, opting certain ingredients in and out. Just make sure you are staying close to the same macronutrient breakdown in terms of protein, carbs, vitamins, and minerals.

Do you have any healthy and easy breakfast recipes that don’t include the words Kellogg’s or ‘io’s? Let’s hear ‘em!