Food waste is becoming a big problem for many households. You buy a bag of salad fixings and then don’t use it up before it start becoming sludge — for example. Because of this, you end up spending more on your food bill, and it is a cost that can spiral out of control if you are not careful. Therefore, if you think you are wasting food, here are some of the best kept secrets to help you reduce it.
Meal planning can save a lot on food waste. This is because you are only using the ingredients you need to make the meals you plan. It’s easy to get into the habit of doing it. It just requires you to sit down and work out the meals you want to eat. You can just do it for your evening meals so you are better prepared. Or if you want to be super organized, consider planning your breakfast and lunch meals, as well. All of which will help you reduce your food waste.
Beware though — if you like to eat out on the spur of the moment, you’ll need to make adjustments on the fly. Many times I’ve ended up with food waste because I ate out more than I thought I would and fresh produce went bad before I could use it.
Make a food shopping list
Planning your meals then allows you to write a food shopping list rather than just going and buying what you think you need. The problem with shopping without a list is that you end up buying things you don’t need. You can get drawn into special offers like discounted items or get another item for free. All of which could end up being wasted. The best advice would be to write a list of all the items you need so you don’t buy more than necessary.
Don’t let food spoil
One of the biggest ways a household can waste food is by letting food spoil or go off. This is because we end up not using it in time and the use by date passes. The reason why we tend to do this is because we don’t prepare in advance by meal planning or writing a shopping list. However, if you do buy a few extra bits on your shopping trip, then you don’t need to worry about food waste anymore. There are ways you can prevent it. By buying a gadget like a Fooodsaver v3240, you can then store food correctly for freezing, meaning you can get use out of it another time.
Batch cooking
Sometimes buying food in bulk can save a lot of money overall. Which is a good way to be if you are looking to reduce your food bill. But if you don’t handle it in the right way you could end up wasting quite a lot, which defeats the purpose. This is why batch cooking is a great way to reduce food waste. Taking an afternoon and cooking up a bigger batch of a meal and then dividing it into portions. You can then freeze the portions. You will have a perfectly healthy balanced meal ready on those days that you don’t have time to cook. Reducing your food waste and your food bill at the same time.
I hope this has inspired you to reduce your food waste.
We all know that whole, organic foods are an important part of a healthy diet. Getting familiar with your grocers is a good idea, but you can play a much more active role in your diet. Growing your own food can be as rewarding as it can be tasty. In this article, I’m going to give you a glimpse at just how you can get started.
If you’re gardening outside, your plants are mostly going to be at the mercy of the weather. For that reason, you need to start developing schedules for when you can plant and harvest different foods. There’s never a season where you can’t grow something of your own. You don’t have to research too hard, either. There are all kinds of websites that have monthly schedules telling you when it’s a good time to plant one food or another.
Preparing your soil
But if you want to garden anything, you need to make sure that preparations are right for it. Too many people start buying seeds, shoots and bulbs and are surprised when they’re not growing at all. Make sure that the soil you’re using is healthy enough to sustain growth. This means making sure it has the right pH level for what you want to grow, for example. Using your natural food waste or buying fertilizer can help it along too.
Start with basics
If you’re entirely new to gardening or you want to make sure your first try is a success, then go for the vegetables that are among the easiest to grow. As you get used to it, you’ll learn more about planting and maintaining your food and be able to move to trickier customers. However, even the easiest vegetables to grow, like potatoes and salad leaves, can start to make a real contribution to your meals.
Make use of the space you have
Don’t worry, if you don’t have huge plots of land ready to nurture your future food, there are still ways to use the space you do have. For example, using plant pots or even vertical gardening can be enough. If you want to get serious about it, you can easily grow food indoors with a hydroponic growth system. These kinds of systems can also help you grow foods out of season.
Caring for your garden
Once you’ve found the place to plant them, chosen your foods and taken care of the soil you need to get into the habit of tending to your garden. As well as watering them, you need to take care of weeds and pests. Pests can eat away at your foods while weeds will choke off their access to nutrients and water. There are a variety of pesticides, mulches and even plants you can grow to make this less likely.
Hopefully, this article has inspired you to find the space to start the habit of growing your own food. Your meals will taste all the better for knowing how much care you put into the ingredients.
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Take Charge of Your Health!
Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.
This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.
The most commonly used oil is vegetable oil, but is it good for you? | Public Domain ImageUsing the wrong type of cooking oil can actually be making you gain weight. The most commonly used oil is vegetable oil, but is it good for you? I understand that it can be frustrating to decide which is the best cooking oil to use. One minute you are told to use peanut oil, then that olive oil is not all that it is cracked up to be. This post will try and clear most (if not all) of this up for you.
Many manufacturing companies falsely represent their oils. They tell you that their oil is healthy and will help you lower your cholesterol levels, while improving your blood pressure and more. In reality you are being misled by these companies.
The problem with vegetable oils is that the oil needs to be extracted, and this can only be done by using a chemical process, not a natural one. These oils are ones such as corn oil, sunflower, oil, canola oil and soy bean oil.
This technology is fairly new, so decades ago people just did not eat this type of oil at all. Which is also the reason why obesity was not such a huge concern then as it is now.
Vegetable oil is used in so many products including almost every single processed food out there on the market. Adding too much vegetable oil to your diet can lead to many health problems including weight gain, inflammation, heart disease, high cholesterol levels and more.
The problem with vegetable oil is that it contains huge amounts of Omega 6 oils. It is important to understand that the ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6 oils should be kept at 1:1. Adding vegetable oils and processed foods throws this off completely. It is not unheard of for people to have ratios as high as 25:1.
Avoiding vegetable oil as much as possible can be a huge boost to your health. | Public Domain ImageThe biggest side effect of this bad balance of oils is gaining weight. While our body does require fat to repair our cells, it does not require such high levels. When too much fat is available the excess is simply stored as additional fat.
This excess storage leads to problems such as clogged arteries and has been indirectly linked to some cancers.
So what can you do to combat this?
The easiest thing for you to do is to avoid using vegetable oil whenever possible. In fact try not to use it all. Unfortunately this is not as easy as it might sound. As I mentioned before, vegetable oil can be found in pretty much every type of processed food.
While avoiding vegetable oil as much as possible can be a huge boost to your health, there are other choices you have when it comes to cooking with oils. These are oils which are normally pressed, as opposed to extracted, even filtered oils are usually a better choice.
Try these oils out in different ways. Use butter or ghee for frying eggs and onions. Coconut oil is great for roasting vegetables. Try them out and see which ones you like the most.
Whether you are trying to lose weight or just eat in a healthier manner, it is important to pay attention to the types of food you are including in your diet. Try to stay away from processed foods as much as possible. Get into the habit of reading food labels to see what type of oil the product contains. Remember you are making lifestyle changes and not just on a ‘diet’.
By avoiding vegetable oils and replacing it with a better alternative you will be doing your entire family a service. You will all stay healthier and slimmer and be happier for it.
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Take Charge of Your Health!
Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.
This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.
The alarm goes early in the morning. You drag yourself out of bed, hating the world and everyone in it. Then begins the whirlwind: shower, dressed, commute, work. Maybe a brief pause at work for lunch, then it’s the same again for the afternoon. You get home tired and fed up. The idea of a social life seems but a distant memory.
In the modern world, we’re all used to feeling pushed for time. Blink and you lose a month; Christmas seems to be coming around earlier each year. Who has time to cook?
I know that since I went back to a full-time gig — with an hour plus commute one way — I sometimes feel this way myself.
The problem is that this harried, busy lifestyle results in a generation of people who are relying on fast food, convenience meals you can just shove in the oven or insubstantial meals. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. If you’re determined to get a hold of your health without losing more time, there’s something you can do about it.
Find Time to Cook Don’t: Leave Planning Until The Last Minute
Take out food is more often than not a bad health choice. | Public Domain Image from Pixabay
If you get home tired and are faced with the idea of both deciding what to have for dinner and then cooking it, it’s not going to happen. Your brain is going to be in switch-off mode. The pizza menus will be inviting.
If, however, you get home with your ingredients sourced and recipe decided, it’s harder to convince yourself that takeout is easier.
If you don’t even have time to shop properly, a meal delivery service can even do that for you. You’ll receive ingredients, recipes and preparation guides. You can select which recipes you want by the length of time it takes to cook them, keeping everything as quick and easy as possible.
Find Time to Cook Do: Make Things In Advance
Public Domain image from Pixabay
There is a time investment needed for meal-planning, but a couple of hours on a weekend can save you countless time on a weekday. There are thousands of recipes that you can prepare and then freeze, only requiring a reheat before they’re edible. It’s similar to buying oven-prepared items from a store, except this way you’re in control of nutritional content.
Find Time to Cook Don’t: Forget To Eat During The Day
A Tablespoon of peanut butter on toast can make a great quick snack. | Public Domain image from Pixabay
A surefire way to make convenience food more appealing is if you’re hungry. Try and find time during the work day to make sure you grab something to eat, so you’re calmer in the evening and ready to consider your options.
This may mean drinking a quick meal-replacement shake or downing a protein bar if you’re especially pressed for time. We’re not going to pretend that’s always fun, but it’s going to be worth it in the evening when you can make reasonable choices.
Also, making sure that you eat several times during the day, even small snacks, helps keep your blood sugar on an even keel and can help you manage your — or even loose — weight.
Find Time to Cook Do: Keep It Simple
Busy week nights are not the time for gourmet cooking! | Public Domain image from Pixabay
Just in case you may pride yourself on your culinary expertise and love to try new things, keep in mind that weekday evenings are not the time for that. Stick to recipes that are simple and have as few steps as possible. That doesn’t mean you have to stop cooking interesting things from a variety of cuisines — it just means you need to know there’s a time and a place for it.
Finally, it may take a bit of juggling to get the hang of it. This is especially true if you’ve been living off easy foods for years; it’s a tough habit to break. Persevere, however, and your health will thank you for it.
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Take Charge of Your Health!
Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.
This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.
Teas have several health benefits. | Public Domain Image
Teas have several health benefits. | Public Domain ImageHave you noticed that drinking green tea is becoming more and more popular? Many health sites are promoting the benefits of drinking more tea and less coffee. This drink is a pretty wonderful: It tastes great, there are lots of varieties available and many cultures have been drinking tea for centuries. Just look at how much of it people in countries such as China, Japan, India and Europe drink. This trend is now spilling over into North America.
Green tea has been around for a very long time and is one of the best teas that you can drink for your health. It is known for helping your body eliminate free radicals. It is great for weight loss and contains anti-aging properties.
Most of the health benefits of green tea come from EGCG, Epigallocatechin Gallate, which is a very powerful and natural antioxidant. As you may know antioxidants work to remove all kinds of harmful radicals from your body — those which can damage your cells, cause cancer and reduce your lifespan. Free radicals are also connected to the aging process which is why it can be slowed down by drinking green tea. Another benefit of EGCG is that it helps to speed up your metabolism so that it is easier for you to lose weight. Plus drinking lots of this type of tea just makes you feel better overall.
Green tea is good for weight loss and anti-aging. | Public Domain ImageGreen tea does contain caffeine, but not as much as coffee does. It also contains an important amino acid L-theanine, which is able to cross the blood-brain barrier. This is important as L-theanine helps to increase activities in your brain which can help to reduce anxiety. So drinking more green tea when you are feeling stressed out is a good thing.
All tea comes from the same plants — green, black and Oolong. The difference between black and green tea is the process that it goes through. Green tea does not go through a fermentation process — this process removes the EGCG — which is why it retains its health benefits.
Green tea can also help you fight tooth decay, fight off all kinds of bacteria and infections. Studies have shown that green tea is great at repairing your immune system and helps with preventing heart disease and other illnesses. It can be helpful at reducing your chances of developing breast and/or prostate cancer. The studies that were conducted looked at Japanese people who drank at least 5 cups of green tea per day.
Tea plays a major role in many cultures around the world. | Public Domain ImageDrinking black tea has its benefits, too, including helping you to reduce bad cholesterol and healing blood cells. Plus it helps to keep your heart healthy. The major difference between green and black tea is the amount of antioxidants it contains. Green tea is highest on the list, with black and Oolong teas coming in next.
If you don’t like the taste of green tea you may want to try a variety that includes some mint in it. Always look for teas that are natural and contain no hidden chemicals. It really is worth your while, and your health, to drink several cups of green tea each day. Try switching it out for your morning coffee. You may not miss it as much as you think and you might realize that you just want something warm to drink each morning.
Remember that the health benefits of tea are numerous and it is definitely something that you should be including in your diet regularly.
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Take Charge of Your Health!
Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.
This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.
Source: PixabayWhat drinks should you serve with dinner? Foodies love entertaining and showing off their own culinary skills. Different foods and different flavors offer the best dinner conversation too. But for a fully satisfying meal experience, we must think carefully about the choice of drinks that we serve with each course. Of course, my standard preference is plain water, but when you have company, it is nice to mix it up.
What beverage you serve may depend on who you have invited to dinner. And it also depends on the dishes you serve. In fact, there could be a perfect drink for each course!
When you’re dressing and setting the table for a dinner party, you probably put all the cutlery for the meal out together. There may be different styles of forks and spoons for the various dishes. You can also set out different glasses for the different beverages guests may consume.
Dinner Drinks: Water
Start with the table water. This is often provided in a large table jug complete with ice cubes and slices of lemon (or, if you’re being creative, float some fresh mint leaves in the water). Tall glasses may be left in the center of the table for guests to help themselves.
Wine glasses are commonly placed on the table before the meal begins. It’s up to you if you would like to pour the wine for guests to try the first glass. Reds, whites and rosés may all be served during the meal. However, sweeter wines like the rosé are often left until the dessert course. Of course, there are times when something sweet works wonderfully well with a dish. Websites like www.wine.net/why-wine are handy for understanding which wines might be best for your dinner party.
Cocktails may also be served at the table. Some curry houses offer a large range of cocktails on their menu. It is thought the sweetness and fruitiness of a cocktail could be the perfect starter for a spicy meal. Of course, it could be just a matter of taste. Cocktails at the beginning of a dinner party can help stimulate the appetite and get everyone in the mood for a flavorful meal. Common cocktails are made with rum, vodka or Schnapps spirits. Different fruit juices or sodas are blended with them to make a colorful, exotic drink. Different glasses are used, but tall glasses are often best.
Dinner Drinks: Soft Drinks
Soft drinks with the meal may be preferred by those who don’t like alcohol or need to drive. You can create alcohol-free punches from blended fruit juices and soda. Or you may be happy providing cans of fizzy pop. Freshly squeezed orange or apple juices can be very popular beverages to enjoy with many dishes. Even fruit teas can be enjoyed at the table!
Toward the end of the meal, you might want to offer coffees. There are different types of coffee that are enjoyed with or after dessert. Some are sweet, like a macchiato or cappuccino. Often a strong black coffee is preferred. It’s thought to kick-start the digestive process. Of course, when it’s close to bedtime, some of your guests may prefer a decaffeinated coffee or herbal tea. Alcoholic coffees can be popular too. What about warming a good brandy for those special guests? It can be the perfect drink to end the perfect evening.
GUEST POST:
Nutritional Deficiencies? 10 Easy Ways to Give Your Body What It Really Needs
By Dr. Susan Maples
We all know that a good diet and exercise is important to optimal health. But good intentions often have adverse consequences when people unknowingly cutout key ingredients resulting in nutritional deficiencies. Filling these can be a tall order, but you can start by increasing fruits and vegetables and by adding high-quality plant-derived supplements.
Here are 10 more ways to make sure your body is getting plenty of what it really needs.
1. Add fiber—especially soluble fiber.
Most of us are deficient in fiber — the essence of fruits, veggies, nuts and beans. Fiber can tame the insulin spike that results from excessive sugar consumption and lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. According to the Institute of Medicine, adult women need 25 grams of fiber a day and men need 38 grams. Two-thirds of that should be from soluble fiber from vegetables, fruits, beans and nuts.
Source: Pixabay
2. Get adequate Vitamin D.
Most of us are deficient in Vitamin D, which can be serious because it compromises our immunity. Vitamin D comes in two forms, D2 and D3. D2 comes from plant foods; D3 comes from animal foods, such as fish, eggs and liver, and your body also produces it when your skin is exposed to a big dose of sunshine. How well we absorb it from food varies a lot depending on our age, lifestyle and health, so there is no one-size-fits-all prescription for getting up to healthy levels. The Vitamin D Council recommends we take 2,000 IU daily if we get little sun, although for deficiency your wellness doctor may recommend 5,000 to 10,000 IU of D3 for a month or so until you get up to par.
3. Eat healthy fats and omega 3 fats.
Many of us are deceived into thinking that refined junk oils from genetically modified plants like corn and canola qualify as “healthy.” Nope. Get healthy omega 3 fats from fish, flax seed or flax oil, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, nuts and seeds. Eating them daily lowers inflammation, depression and heart-threatening triglycerides, and supports brain health.
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4. Boost antioxidants.
These healthy cell protectors and cancer-cell blockers come mostly from plants like brightly colored berries, legumes, dark greens like kale, sweet potatoes, dark grapes like the ones in wine, plus a variety of other fruits and vegetables with deep color. Bonus: All of these are also packed with fiber.
Source: Pixabay
5. Eat lean and plant-based protein.
Most wellness docs and nutritionists say Americans consume too much protein. Remember that extra protein will not help you build more muscle or gain strength — what cannot be used for energy right away is stored as fat. Check the USDA guidelines to see how much protein you need every day. And protein doesn’t need to be meat. Some of the best protein sources come from plants, such as legumes of all kinds, seeds, nuts and whole grains. Also consider seafood like small-mouth, wild-caught fish and lean, protein-rich, animal-based proteins, such as eggs and Greek yogurt.
6. Choose whole grains.
Whole grains have not been polished, stripped or ground, so 100 percent of the original kernel (the bran, germ and endosperm) is present. These are high in fiber and protein but are also nutrient-rich. Whole grains come in a variety of tastes and textures, including quinoa, wild rice, brown rice, oats, barley, cracked wheat, bulgur and wheatberries.
Source: Pixabay
7. Consume magnesium-rich foods.
Magnesium is a chemical element found in more than 300 different enzymes in your body. Turns out it’s a key player in removing toxins from your body — and thereby helping you to prevent cell damage from dangerous environmental chemicals and heavy metals. Magnesium also plays a major role in reducing stress and managing weight. You’ll find it in dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, fish, beans, avocados and whole grains — and dark chocolate.
8. Eat calcium-rich foods.
We always associate calcium with strong bones and teeth, and it does help prevent osteoporosis. Calcium also helps regulate muscle contractions and prevent heart disease and certain types of cancer. In addition to milk and yogurt, other foods rich in calcium include leafy greens like kale and spinach, legumes, some fruits, and seafood like sardines.
9. Consume cruciferous vegetables.
Cruciferous vegetables have it all: fiber, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Eat at least a cup a day of broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage or bok choy. They will enhance your liver’s ability to detox your body and help lower your risk of cancer, heart disease and stroke.
10. Drink healthy beverages.
Start with water, water and more water. The Institute of Medicine’s general guidelines suggest 125 ounces (about 15 cups) for men and 91 ounces (about 11 cups) for women every day. If you like lemon water, limit it to mealtimes, because it can cause acid erosion of the enamel on your teeth. Drink tea and coffee in moderation, but cut back on fruit juices and milk — and totally cut out real or artificially sweetened beverages. Limit alcohol to one serving per day if you’re a woman, two if you’re a man.
About the Author
Dr. Susan Maples is one of the top eight innovators in U.S. dentistry and is author of Blabber Mouth! 77 Secrets Only Your Mouth Can Tell You To Live a Healthier, Happier, Sexier Life.DrSusanMaples.com and BlabbermouthBooks.
Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.
This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.
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