Back to Basics: The What, How and Why of Nutrition

Keeping up with the latest nutrition news can fell impossible – why are the top tips always changing? Still, although wellness experts seem to always change their minds about the nitty-gritty of nutrition, there are some basic principles that you can take to the bank. In fact, having this basic knowledge in place will help you to sift through the latest research and advice more effectively – happy days!

 

In order to master the nutrition basics, you mainly need to get your head around food groups, calories and the roles that specific nutrients play in your health and wellbeing. If the basics aren’t enough for you, and you want to become a wellness expert in your own right (or near enough), talk to your GP or a dietician. While the internet is great and there’s a wealth of information out there, a doctor or dietician can give you personalised advice that takes into account your health status, lifestyle, and food likes and dislikes – much easier than doing it all yourself.

 

Still, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. In order to adopt a healthy diet, you need to set off on the right foot. A lot of diet plans that are outlined in magazines and cookbooks are similar, but you need to make sure you follow one that’s healthy. Firstly, your diet plan needs to include a variety of foods from the major food groups: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, lean protein, nuts and seeds, and healthy fats. It also needs to provide you with guidelines for how much food to choose from each group.

 

Moreover, your eating plan has to be practical; there’s no point following a programme that includes a load of weird, specialist foods, as you’re just not going to find them in your local shops. The foods on your eating plan need to fit your tastes, lifestyle and budget, or you’ll never keep up with it. Also, take a look at your personal health risks and needs. If you have cholesterol or high blood pressure, for example, you may need to make sure your diet is low in salt, saturated fat and cholesterol, and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats. Again, speaking to your doctor or a dietician can help you out a lot.

 

Once you’ve sorted out what to include in your diet, it’s time to take a look at your cooking techniques. There aren’t many pleasures in life that can beat good food; meals are at the heart of family life, fellowship and celebrations. This is why, on a personal level, it’s so important to make sure you’re making good food that’s good for you. Everyone wants to protect their family from heart disease and other health problems, so move away from calorie-laden, fatty and salty convenience items. Get creative and start experimenting with healthier, but still quick, cooking techniques, like baking, grilling and sautéing.

 

While you’re learning about clever and healthy ways to cook your food, make sure you get the skinny on food safety tips – after all, there’s no point eating your veggies if they’re laden with bacteria! Still, while giving your old recipes a health and safety makeover is a great way to get you and your family eating more healthfully, why not go the whole hog and try something new and adventurous? Get your juices flowing to plan healthy menus by browsing healthy recipes online and in cookbooks. Kids are less likely to be turned off to new meals than changes to their old favourites, especially if you make them part of the cooking process.

Categories: Cooking methods, cooking techniques, diet, Food, Food Groups, Food Safety, fruits vegetables, health, Healthy, Healthy Fats, nbsp

How to Reduce Fat in Your Diet without Skimping on Flavour

Cutting fat from you diet seems to be a popular trend – be it to lose weight or boost your wellness – but not only is this a dismal way to live your life; cutting fat is unnecessary and even ill-advised. Your wellbeing depends on healthy fats – without them, you can’t absorb your essential vitamins and minerals. Still, you may need to reduce the amount of unhealthy fat you eat, so how do you do so without sacrificing flavour?

 

1. Get the right equipment.

With the right pots and pan, lower fat cooking can be a breeze. What you’re looking for is non-stick, as these pans only require a little cooking spray, or else you can sauté in wine, water, or 100% juice. Whether you’re baking, grilling, sautéing, or even making soup, having non-stick hardware is an absolute must.

 

2. Use the right techniques.

To stay thin naturally, there’s one philosophy you need to follow; bake, broil, grill, poach, or sauté foods instead of deep-frying or cooking in fat. With the right know-how, you can enjoy all the unhealthy foods you love but without any of the guilt. For example, you can get your deep-fried chicken fix by dipping a skinless chicken breast in low-fat buttermilk, rolling it in whole-grain crushed cereal and baking it in the oven until it’s crispy and crunchy.

 

3. Make the right substitutions.

You don’t need to eliminate fats, you just need to substitute here and there. When making casseroles, replace some of the fats with naturally sweet carrots, or replace half the fat in muffins and cakes with applesauce or fruit puree.

 

4. Find the right cuts.

You should only use lean cuts of meat, and even then you should trim all the fat you can see before you start to cook. When using mince, it should be at least 95% lean – why not try replacing a third of your minced beef with minced turkey breast?

 

5. Consume the right dairy.

As you can probably work out for yourself, choosing non-fat or low-fat milk is lower in fat and calories that whole milk. However, reduced fat doesn’t necessarily mean that the item is low-fat, it just means there’s 25% less than usual. Also, use low-fat buttermilk in your recipes instead of whole milk and pick evaporated milk instead of condensed milk, as the latter is heavily sweetened with sugar.

 

6. Eat the right part of the egg.

The yolk contains most of the fat and cholesterol in the whole egg, so stick with the albumen (the white part of the egg) where possible. This means using the egg whites of two eggs where you would usually use one egg, but you’ll slash your intake of fat, cholesterol, and calories by doing so.

 

7. Choose the right crackers.

Crackers can seem like a healthy snack, especially when topped with pate and a few veggies, but many are made using “hydrogenated” or trans fats. To make your post-dinner cheese and crackers more healthy, choose crackers with “whole grain” or “whole wheat” as the first ingredient.

 

8. Fill your plate with the right ratios.

It’s likely that you’re eating more than enough carbs or protein, and not enough vegetables, so swap it over! For example, if you normally get a large steak, chips and a side salad, have a small steak, large salad and a baked potato with salsa. If all else fails, use the plate method; fill half your plate with vegetables, a quarter with carbs and another quarter with meat. This will give you the perfect portions every time, and keep your proportions perfect too.

Categories: Cooking methods, crackers, fats, milk, nbsp, Non-stick pans, stick, Substitutions