Category: Healthy Living

Nutritious And Delicious: Easy Ways To Get Kids Into Healthy Eating

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date June 1, 2017

If you’re a parent, you’re probably all too familiar with the challenge of getting kids interested in nutritious foods. We’ve all been in a situation where our children refuse to eat their greens or kick up a stink because they want dessert before they’ve finished their main course. When I was a kid, I went through a phase where I would only eat things that were white, which is why my mother invented spinach with rice and mashed potatoes and carrots. It was the only way she could get me to eat something healthy!

Source: Pixabay

If you’re keen to encourage your children to embrace a healthier and more balanced diet, hopefully, this guide will come in handy. Here are some easy ways to get your children into healthy eating.

Cook with Your Kids

You probably know from when you cook at home yourself, that there’s a certain amount of satisfaction involved when you create a meal that tastes great. If you’ve put a lot of effort into a meal, it’s likely that you’re going to enjoy it more. The same rules apply to kids.

If you’ve spent the afternoon with your children preparing ingredients, mixing them together, and waiting to see the results, it makes sense that you’re all going to be enthused about eating your masterpiece. Obviously, there are jobs that are only suitable for adults, but get the kids involved whenever possible.

They can help you get everything ready, measure and weigh the ingredients and then mix them together. Keep things simple when you’re cooking with your children. You don’t want them to lose focus and get bored because they can’t help out with most of the elements. You’ll find a host of easy no bake recipes online, and these are ideal for doing at home with young helpers. If your children show an interest in food, you can also encourage them to learn more and develop their skills by buying some child-friendly cookbooks and kitchen utensils. I have very fond memories of my two kiddie cookbooks: Small World Cook & Color Book and The Cookie Book.

Source: Pixabay

Focus on presentation

No matter what age you are, the aesthetic appeal of a plate of food has an impact on your desire to eat it. When you go to a restaurant, and you’re presented with a beautiful meal, you probably can’t wait to dig in. When you have children, looks are everything when it comes to food, so try and bear this in mind.

You don’t have to be a culinary expert to impress your little ones, but the way you present their meals will make a difference. If you’ve got young kids who are reluctant to eat vegetables, for example, try to be creative and make the plate as fun as possible. Create smiley faces, make animal shapes or use food coloring to make things more exciting. I’ll always remember the fun pancakes my father made for me.

Image Courtesy: Raphaël Labbé, Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic | Flickr

Education

When you’re cooking with your children, take a couple of minutes to talk to them about the ingredients you’re using, and why they’re beneficial. We all know that vegetables are good for us, but explaining why may encourage your kids to eat their greens without any tantrums.

Source: Pixabay

Your child’s health is probably your number one priority. It’s no secret that it can be challenging to get children to eat healthy foods. However, there are ways of making healthy eating more appealing. I hope these suggestions help you out.

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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.

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Tags cooking with kids

Healthy Living Tools of the Trade

5 Benefits of Owning an Air Fryer

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date May 31, 2017

Have you heard of the air fryer? This is a kitchen gadget that produces food with the tasty crunchiness of frying with significantly less fat.

Let’s face it, from chicken wings and fish sticks to potato chips and hash browns, there is no denying that fried snacks and dishes are among the tastiest and most well-loved foods in different parts of the world. But while their distinctly delicious taste and delightful crunch are truly satisfying, many people who are mindful of their health try to avoid eating fried foods as much as possible.

On a personal note, due to my digestive issues, I’ve had to cut way back on fried food goodness. And, more often than not, the increasing cases of obesity and cardiovascular diseases is blamed on the high-fat content in deep-fried foods.

A few months ago, I was introduced to the idea of air frying and have been curiously looking into it every since. Apparently, with the advent of this cooking method, you don’t have to choose between sumptuous fried foods and a healthy diet anymore!

Air fryers are specially designed to satisfy the cravings of those who are on a low-fat diet without causing any guilt. Below are 5 benefits of using an air fryer. Check them out and start making tasty fried dishes that are healthy at the same time.

Air Frying Benefit #1. Enjoy healthy fried dishes

Some air fryers use only a small amount of oil while some do not require any oil at all. Air-fryers release warm jets of air to evenly cook your favorite foods, cutting down as much as 80% oil compared with regular fried dishes. Another benefit of using an air fryer is that most of the nutrients are preserved. This means that you can get the most nutrition from healthy fried vegetables as if they were fresh. Not only you will get to enjoy nutritious food, but you can also save money on cooking oil.

Air Frying Benefit #2. Fry your food fast

Unlike ovens and conventional deep fryers, air fryers do not take as much time to heat up. If you are planning to cook chicken drumsticks or nuggets for lunch, you don’t need to thaw frozen foods anymore. Load them up into the air fryer and wait for your crispy fried dishes to cook. This small kitchen appliance is a perfect companion for those who are always on the go.

Air Frying Benefit #3. Clean your air fryer easily

Air fryers cook your food in a closed system with non-stick basket and trays. Say goodbye to messy oil splashes and burnt food sticking on the kitchenware. Most removable parts of an air fryer are also dishwasher-safe and easy to clean and to store.

Air Frying Benefit #4. Safe and easy to use

Almost anyone can use an air fryer, including the elderly. Even those who are new to cooking will find this appliance easy to use. Most air fryers have a timer and auto shut off features for energy efficiency and perfectly fried dishes. With air fryers, you can now enjoy cooking your favorite dishes and have no more worries with dangerous oil splatters or an open flame.

Air Frying Benefit #5. Cook in many ways

Air fryers are versatile. They can be used to bake, roast and grill. Experience the convenience of having a deep fryer, an oven, and a hot grill all in one multi-purpose air cooker.

Learn more about the amazing features of the best air fryers and experience the benefits of using one.

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Healthy Living

Getting the Kids Interested In Food

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date May 29, 2017

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If you want to give your kids an invaluable skill that will serve them well throughout their life, teach them how to prepare food. Get them interested from an early age in food and how to prepare it. Children are like little sponges, so how you introduce them to food preparation will impact them for a very long time.

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Health is something that will always be an important part their entire lives (whether they like it or know it or not), so starting them young with the principles of healthy eating is important. Children generally tend to eat what their parents eat, and if you are ordering fresh food from places like Foodtown, you’re making a good start in their health education.

It can sometimes feel like a losing battle when getting the kids to eat things that aren’t covered in breadcrumbs. However, if you start early enough, you can get through any hurdle and give your children a healthier start. Their activity levels also impact their appetites and their food intake. Sedentary activities like computer games and TV time won’t help your goal for a healthy life. So, how do you get the kids interested in a healthier menu at home?

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Cook together with the Kids

One of the best things you can do for food education at home, is to touch, taste and smell everything together. Talk about every fresh vegetable you buy and where it comes from. Talk about where meat cuts come from and educate the kids about hygiene in between handling. If children see new vegetables, they turn their noses up at it. It’s normal – even adults turn their noses up at things they don’t know about. Getting children to touch and get involved with chopping and peeling food can really get them involved in different ingredients.

Bring the Kids Shopping

Some parents hate bringing the children to the grocery store – it can be particularly stressful when they are young. However, if you take the time to create picture shopping lists and have them help you choose the items, you can get the children excited about food. It’s one of the best ways to get children familiar with different types of foods and recognizing when something is ripe or healthy.

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Plan Your Meals with the Kids

Allowing children to have an element of control over what they eat can really help them to make good food decisions. Mock up charts on the kitchen walls that show that each meal must have two vegetables, a starch, and a meat and they can then choose from a list of what to have. Get them excited about cooking their choices with you. Being involved in the meal from start to finish will help them to get excited about eating it.

Family dinners are important for your children, so you need to encourage sitting down together and eating as a unit. Encourage eating at the table with the right cutlery instead of on the couch eating with a tray on your lap. Food education is about how it’s eaten as well as what goes into the meal itself. If you’re encouraging good table manners, your children will be more inclined to eat better.

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Healthy Living Well Stocked Pantry

Ingredients: Is Your Meal Completely Healthy?

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date May 18, 2017

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Do you read the ingredients when you buy processed, packaged or prepared foods at the grocery store? If you’re interested in eating a wholesome diet, like I am, you might do a lot of research into nutritious meals and healthy ingredients to make sure you’re getting your daily vitamins and minerals. Maybe your research let you to Carma’s Cookery!

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But, no matter how much research you do, can you be sure that your meal completely healthy? Unfortunately, food manufacturers add some dubious ingredients to preserve their food and give it a certain taste, color, or texture. Some of those additions are harmless, but others are not. The next time you go food shopping, scan the labels for some of these ingredients.

Ingredients Highlight #1: Carrageenan

Carrageenan comes from an edible seaweed known as Irish Moss, and it is widely used in the food industry for its gelling, thickening, and stabilizing properties. The problem with carrageenan is that it’s not digestible and has no nutritional value.

Carrageenan is particularly destructive to the digestive system, and it causes inflammation, leading to ulceration and bleeding. Other carrageenan side effects include leaky gut syndrome, cancer, and it has been linked to diabetes. Unfortunately, health enthusiasts are likely to have a lot of carrageenans in their kitchen, as it’s commonly found in almond milk, coconut milk, most organic foods, and some Starbucks drinks with soy milk.

Ingredients Highlight #2: Palm Oil

When a regular fat like corn, soybean, or palm oil is blasted with hydrogen and turned into a solid, it becomes a trans fat. This might not mean much to you, but essentially it means that food with palm oil can sit on a supermarket shelf for years without rotting or growing stale.

If you’ve ever eaten food two years after you first bought it, you should be suspicious if it still tastes fine. Take a good look at those instant noodles. Also, eating junk food with trans fats raises your “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and lowers your “good” HDL. These fats also increase your risk of blood clots and heart attack.

Ingredients Highlight #3: Yellow #5 (Tartrazine/ E102)

Yellow #5 is a synthetic lemon yellow dye widely used in the making of potato chips, jams, candy, drinks and even pet food. It is also added to shampoo and other cosmetic products.

The Food Standards Agency in the UK issued a warning in 2008 that certain food colorings, including Yellow #5, caused behavioral changes in children that included loss of concentration and impulsive, hard-to-control activity. Yellow #5 has also been linked to asthma, migraines, thyroid cancer, anxiety, clinical depression, blurred vision, purple spots on your skin and unexplainable itchy skin.

Ingredients Highlight #4: High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

High-fructose corn syrup is a sweetener made from corn starch that has been processed by glucose isomerase to convert some of its glucose into fructose. It is sweeter and cheaper than regular sugar, and therefore it has become a staple ingredient in most processed food.

In fact, some studies have linked HFCS to the increasing obesity rates in America. Although households trying to eat well may have purged their cabinets of foods like soda, candy, salad dressing, and frozen junk food, HFCS can also be found in juice, bread, breakfast cereals, and even cough syrup.

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Healthy Living

A Healthy Ingredient for Almost Any Dish

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date May 9, 2017

Looking for a way to pump up the nutritional value of your meal? Add in a healthy ingredient! Cooking healthy and great-tasting meals from scratch doesn’t come naturally to everyone, and once you’ve committed a good recipe to memory, there’s usually a temptation, at least for most people, to make the same dish over and over again. We all want to show off our skills at something we know we’re good at, but getting stuck in a pattern like this is not only boring but could wind up being rather unhealthy, as well. To help keep your diet both varied and healthy, here are some tasty ingredients that you can add to almost any dish.

Healthy Ingredient 1: Lima Beans

I’ll admit I’ve been a lima bean hater in the past, but when added sparingly to the right dishes, they can add unique flavor and texture to a dish. If you like to eat a lot of starch-heavy foods such as pasta and potatoes, then why not plan to re-discover the grossly underrated lima bean? These nondescript little beans are bursting with nutrients, such as fiber and protein. You don’t have to get a lot of them in to hit your daily recommended amount of iron, either. Perhaps the best thing about lima beans is how versatile they are. There are some favorites you’ve probably heard of before, but you can really add lima beans to almost any savory dish that you can think of. Any number of soups, salads, and stir-fries can be accented with a handful of these great little beans. Furthermore, the fact that lima beans come canned, frozen and dried means that you can keep your kitchen stocked up on them and only take them out as and when needed.

Healthy Ingredient 2: Kale

Source: Flickr

Kale is a true nutritional powerhouse, and also one of the most versatile greens you can bring into your kitchen. It’s packed with vitamins A, C and K, not to mention heaps of iron and calcium. It’s also completely void of fat, despite being high in fiber for a leafy green. As kale has become increasingly popular with a health-conscious, eco-friendly generation, more sustainable agricultural firms such as Boggiatto Produce are making kale a big part of their operation. Kale makes a fantastic accent to various meat stews, rice dishes, salads, pastas, and so on. Recently, I had the pleasure of trying a potato, sausage and kale soup at The Olive Garden that is just fantastic! Kale’s water-dwelling relatives, kelp and seaweed, are also very nutritious, and for years they’ve been been staples in too many Asian dishes to list here!

Healthy Ingredient 3: Radicchio

Radicchio, if you haven’t heard of it before, is a purple Italian lettuce that can be added to more or less any lettuce dish to add a sharp, distinctive kick, not to mention a number of health benefits. Radicchio is bursting with inulin, which helps to control your blood sugar levels, and it’s also a fantastic source of vitamin K, which is essential for bone health. It’s also worth noting that radicchio contains four times the antioxidants that romaine lettuce has. Anthocyanin is the ingredient that makes this lettuce purple. This nutrient can help to lower a person’s blood pressure, slow down the process of age-related memory loss, and deliver a range of other health benefits.

Healthy Ingredient 4: Bitter Melon

Source: Pixabay

Bitter melon may be pushing the boat out somewhat for you, but this is another highly flexible and healthy food that you can add to range of different dishes. Although bitter melon may look and cook a lot like a zucchini, it has a much stronger flavor, and you can’t really use it as freely as you would its more bland-tasting cousin. Getting some bitter melon in every now and then can be absolutely fantastic for your blood sugar levels, and the case for these amongst diabetics is looking better and better all the time. They can also be a very healthy way to keep a cap on your appetite if you’re looking to lose weight. This is because bitter melon has an incredibly low glycemic index, meaning that when you eat some you’ll feel much fuller for much longer.

Healthy Ingredient 5: Lupini Beans

By Calapito – Own work, Public Domain

If you like chickpeas, which seem to be in pretty much every healthy living recipe these days, then try swapping them out for some lupini beans every once in a while. Their similar taste means that you’re not going to have a massive shock biting into a mouthful, and they’re also bursting with fiber, protein and healthy carbs. They’re also naturally much crunchier than chickpeas, and you may find them more satisfying in salads or just as a snack in between meals. There are also a number of curries, pastas and noodle dishes that lupini beans are delicious in.

If you’re looking to play around with your cooking, but you’re afraid of it getting out of hand, give some of these healthy and delicious ingredients a try.

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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.

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Tags bitter melon, healthy ingredients, kale, lima beans, lupini beans, radicchio

Healthy Living

Killer Healthy Dessert Ideas

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date April 27, 2017

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Let’s face it – everyone has a sweet tooth. And, everyone wants to satisfy their sweet tooth because it feels so good! The problem that most people face is that they have a conscience, and that conscience makes them feel guilt when they indulge.

Are you one of these people? If you are, the thought of eating desserts will make your mouth water, yet will also give you a bad feeling inside. After all, you can’t eat whatever you want without dealing with the consequences. Thankfully, though, you can eat more desserts without harming your conscience or your body. The trick is to make healthy options that taste just as good. And, luckily, there are a few tips below that might come in handy. Go on, treat yourself!
 

Healthy Dessert Option #1: Chocolate Pie

 Chocolate pie? Healthy? You might think I’ve gone off my rocker with this one, but don’t judge a book by its cover. For one thing, chocolate isn’t always bad. In fact, it can be a nutritious source of energy that the body uses to function properly. If you don’t believe that, just ask the sports stars that eat a bar of it every morning before they go to work. As long as the cocoa content is over 70%, it won’t do any harm. What’s even better is that you can swap the usual ingredients for this pie for healthy alternatives. Do you need milk? Try low-fat or soy milk instead because you can’t taste the difference once it goes into the blender. What about oil? Coconut or granola oil is fine, as is extra virgin. (See my recipe here.)
 

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Healthy Dessert Option #2: Banana & Peanut Butter Ice Cream

 Usually, ice cream is full of dairy and additives which make it unsuitable if you’re watching your weight. This healthy option is anything but traditional, though. Again, it doesn’t use rich and fatty dairy products that are bad for the body. Instead, it uses low-fat or even fat-free alternatives. Then, there are bananas. In general, bananas are pretty healthy anyway, so there is no need to worry about an additional calorie count. If you’re looking to get uber-healthy, you can swap ripe ones for banana chips. Plus, the chips have a crunch which adds an extra element to the dish. Finally, put the mixture in the freezer to firm. As far as ingredients go, there is nothing to this dish, but it’s incredibly tasty. (Try my easy recipe here!)
 

Healthy Dessert Option #3: Rice Pudding

 As the name suggests, this is a pudding that incorporates rice. Because the rice soaks up the ingredients, the result is a creamy masterpiece that no one will be able to resist. To make it healthy, all you have to do is substitute normal white rice for brown rice. The brown option is much healthier because it still has the bran and the germ, whereas as the white version doesn’t. What about the dairy products? Yep, you guessed it – go for almond milk! To make it extra delicious, don’t forget to add vanilla extract, cinnamon, and a small cup of sugar (or Splenda). All of these are tasty, but they hardly add to the calorie content. When you have all of the ingredients at hand, put them into a saucepan and simmer for thirty minutes. After half an hour, it’s ready to serve. Magnifico!
 

Public Domain image via Pexels.com

Healthy Dessert Option #4: Fruits of the Forest and Yogurt

 As a general rule, food is pretty healthy if it grows from the ground. Okay, so almost every food group on the planet needs cultivating. But, if it isn’t in its natural form, there are bound to be additives and unhealthy elements. Fruits of the forest don’t have any nasty surprises because what you see is what you get. (Although some fruits are better for you if they are organic.) All it includes is a blend of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and any other berry you choose! Sprinkle them with a pinch of sugar (or Splenda or Equal or Stevia) and a small spoonful of honey, and you’ve got one healthy and delicious dish. If sugar and honey aren’t your things, use low-fat yogurt instead. Yogurts come in a variety of flavors, so there is no need for blandness. A tip: try the caramel flavor because it goes perfectly with the fruit.

By Patricia (Brownies for Dinner) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Healthy Dessert Option #5: Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is an American dessert that hasn’t caught fire anywhere else in the world. But, it should because it can be very healthy. A pumpkin is a fruit that is ridiculously good for you because it comes from the squash family. In simple terms, it’s almost a superfood like spinach or white fish. Plus, the main pumpkin pie recipes all use evaporated milk which is light and low in fat. The crust can undo all of your good work, but oats, coconut, flour, and water will come to your aid.
 
It might not be Halloween, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get in the mood!

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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.

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Tags bananas, chocolate, Dessert, peanut butter

Healthy Living Restaurant News & Reviews

Interview: Sunday’s Chef Meal Planning Service

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date February 20, 2017

Once upon a time, meal planning was a hobby and a duty. Most married women stayed at home and had time to plan and prepare the meals for the family. Because they didn’t have to work, they had plenty of time to make any kind of meals they want. Nowadays, even if we want to stay home and prepare the family meals, we can’t. Most couples and families can’t afford to live off a one-income home. And, with commuting and other activities that require our time, who has time to prepare good, healthy meals anymore?

I believe this is what is driving a new trend I’m seeing: Services that deliver curated, partially prepared or fully prepared meals to your home. This gives busy people the experience of a home-cooked meal without all the effort required. But these services can be expensive. And what about those of us who actually love to cook?

Enter Sunday’s Chef. This company, founded by Michael and Lauren Landis, provides subscribers with weekly meal plans and recipes. Unlike other recipe providers, Sunday’s Chef focuses on meals that can be prepped on Sunday nights for the rest of the week and then made in 15 minutes or less on weeknights. Their service is designed for families of three, but they offer options for larger families as well.

Given that I’ve reviewed a couple of cookbooks that use the same idea of meal planning and have written about how meal planning can help you eat more healthfully when you’re busy, I took the opportunity to chat with the founders of Sunday’s Chef (via email) to find out more about them and their service.

Carma’s Cookery: How and why did you start this business?

Sunday’s Chef: We started this business a few years after we got married and realized that neither of us was a great cook. At first, we tried to pick random recipes to use but this ended up being too unorganized. Next, we tried a recipe planning site which gave you a set of recipes each week and a summarized shopping list. We loved this service but the recipes ended taking up 45 min – 1.5 hours to make each night. With busy jobs, social lives, and then adding a baby to the mix, we did not have the time to devote to these recipes every evening. From this, we came up with the idea of Sunday’s Chef. We knew that preparing decent meals took a good amount of time and we decided to move all that work to a Sunday. Because we were generally free on the weekend we had a good amount of time to prepare the main ingredients for our recipes. Then on the weeknights, we set a goal of spending no more than 15 minutes on prepping the meal. With these goals in mind, we set out to make a business out of it.

CC: Have you found that meal planning has changed your life for the better?

SC: Yes, definitely. We have a lot more time in the evening to spend together as a family and have been able to eat a much healthier and balanced diet. Additionally, we have been able to save some money by not buying food that we will waste because we have not planned on how to use it.

CC: What makes Sunday’s Chef different from other meal planning services?

SC: The initial factor which distinguishes us from other meal planning companies is how we have structured our meal prep and our focus on quick meals each night. In the long run, however, our greatest benefit will be the value we bring to our customers. Right now with a meal planning company, you pay for each individual set of meals you want. If you want Paleo and Vegetarian meals, for example, you have to sign up and pay, for two different meal plans, and that’s only for dinners. With our services, as we continually expand our selection of recipe types, people will be able to access all the recipe types under a specific category (i.e. dinner) for one affordable price. We have plans for vegetarian, paleo, seasonal, region-specific, etc., and these will all be accessible to our customers for the same price they are now paying to access and individual set of recipes.

CC: How do you come up with your meals?

SC: We have hired a fantastic chef who has been studying and practicing the art cooking her entire life. She is a treasure trove of cooking expertise and has been guiding the development of our recipes from the start.

CC: What is one of your favorite recipes?

SC: One of our favorite recipes so far has been the Swiss Chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes. It is one of the recipes potential customers can find on our example set of recipes found on our website.

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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.

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Tags meal planning, Michael and Lauren Landis, Sunday's Chef