Healthy Recipes

As time goes by, you are undoubtedly noticing more and more organic products and produce in your market. You might ask yourself what the benefits of buying organic groceries would be. What makes it worthwhile to go organic?

The Organic Trade Association defines organic production as "based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers. Organically produced foods also must be produced without the use of antibiotics, synthetic hormones, genetic engineering and other excluded practices, sewage sludge, or irradiation." So what does eating food grown organically mean to our bodies, to the planet, and to the future?

1. Better health - Organic food container higher levels of vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, iron and chromium on average. Organic food also retains more antioxidants which help rid the body of stressors and help prevent cancer. Also, it has no pesticides which also may contribute to cancer.

2. No negative additives - Certain food additives can contribute to health issues such as heart disease, osteoporosis, hyperactivity and migraines.

3. Avoids pesticides - Many foods still have a pesticide residue, even after being peeled or washed! These toxic pesticides are not found on organic produce. As mentioned earlier, pesticides can contribute to cancer. Also, the use of pesticides is harmful to farmers using it and the environment.

4. No reliance of drugs in animals - There is growing concern on the high, routine use of antibiotics on farm animals and its effects on human health. Organic farms do not use routine antibiotics on their animals.

5. No genetic modification of plants or animals.

6. Supports small farmers - the majority of organic farms are independently owned and are less then 100 acres in size. Supporting organic foods encourages these farm's business.

7. Cares for animals - organic standards take the treatment of animals very seriously. Animal welfare groups such as Compassion in World Farming acknowledge the benefits of organic approach when it comes to animal welfare.

8. Protects water quality - pesticides contaminate ground water in many areas of the world. Conventional agriculture is considered the largest non-point source of water pollution in the United States!

9. Good for the environment - the producing of organic food is better for wildlife, produces less carbon dioxide and produces less dangerous wastes.

10. Better Taste! Organic food tastes more like the real deal, is typically much more fresh, and is more local. Also, organic foods are not treated with fungicides, so they are sent to market as close to harvest as possible. The produce is ripe and lovely. This often means it should be eaten or cooked quicker to avoid spoilage.

There are a great number of health, environment and economic reasons to choose organic foods. But in the end its all up to you and your personal choices. When seeking organic, be sure to check for the claims "100 percent organic", "made with organic (ingredients or food)", or simply "organic". All in all, organic food is definitely worth it to try; for taste, for quality, for health, for supporting small business, and for the future.

By vida humphreys

Labels: eat healthy food, fast healthy food, healthy eating food, healthy fast food, healthy food, healthy food eating, healthy food pyramid, healthy food recipes, healthy foods, the healthy food

The one thing you really need to make a children's party a success is lots of food! Children are always busy, so it makes it easy for you to plan for small finger foods. This gives them the ability to run up to the refreshments table, grab a bite to eat and go back to what they were doing. Try to serve a wide variety of snacks so they have a good chance of discovering one or two items they really like.

You can also serve up each child with a plate of their own treats that have a little of everything. This works well if you know what each child likes. It also keeps the food in one area. You have to admit that the best thing about feeding kids at a party is you get to use your imagination. Make foods that have interesting shapes or have favorite flavors.

Sandwiches work as good for kids as they do for adults. These foods are easy to handle and eat. Make up a bunch of small finger sandwiches using different spreads. Stay away from nut spreads just in case someone has allergies. Cut up the sandwiches with cookie cutters to make them extra fun and set them out on a colorful tray. Try cutting them into dinosaurs, circles, trees, cars or other fun shapes.

Every kid loves pizza. Make up some pizzas and cut them into bite sized pieces that they can easily pop into their mouths. They will taste a lot better than frozen pizza rolls and you will not have to worry about toppings being too hot like you can with fillings. Keep the pizzas simple... cheese is a perennial favorite with kids. You can also add a little chopped pepperoni or ham to make them more interesting.

Got dip? Kids love to dip food. Serve up a big bowl of dip with fruit or veggies that they can enjoy. Chips are great with dip too as long as they are nice and sturdy. No one likes to eat from a dip bowl full of broken chips. For a healthy choice, think about serving hummus as a dip. It is delicious and fun.

A real fun food is pigs in a blanket. Use the tiny smoky sausages and roll them up with a little cheese and some biscuit dough. Bake them until done. These treats are great for little hands and fun for them to eat. If the kids are older, you can serve them on toothpicks or cut up cooked hot dogs or other foods and put them on sticks.

All of these easy party appetizers are simple to throw together on your own. You do not need to worry about expensive caterers. Do not forget a few sweet treats like cookies, small cakes, or sweetened popcorn. Make sure they have juice, punch, or other beverage on hand for when they get thirsty.

Hosting a children's party can be very easy. With plenty of fun foods, the kids will remain happy and busy. Preparation will be simple as many of these items can be made ahead of time. All you need is a little planning and some great finger foods.

By Christine Szalay-Kudra

Labels: eat healthy food, fast healthy food, healthy eating food, healthy fast food, healthy food, healthy food eating, healthy food pyramid, healthy food recipes, healthy foods, the healthy food

Following a cabbage soup diet isn't everyone's cup of tea. The reason being the plain taste of the soup doesn't go well with all. If you are still willing to stick onto the cabbage soup diet, you need to incorporate variations in its flavor. This thing can be simply done by employing new ingredients to your soup. You can consider using garlic or ginger for the added taste. In addition, you can go in for the seasoning herbs as well. Some good options in this context are basil and oregano. As you add the ingredients, you enjoy the flavor more and hence can easily continue with your diet for long.

Make note of the fact that you need to follow the cabbage soup diet just for a span of seven days. If the diet is continued for long it can pave way for issues like deficiency of vitamins and minerals. If you do not wish to battle any of such deficiency problems, it is advised to take help of multi vitamin supplements in your diet. Remember that no weight reduction can be considered right if done keeping the essential levels of vitamins and minerals at stake. If the vitamins and minerals are present in the body in the right percentage, it can help the body dump the exaggerated weight. This in turn is excellent news for your weight loss program.

If you want to seek the best weight loss benefits that the cabbage soup has in store for you, it is essential that you increase the intake of cabbage soup to a significant extent. The bigger is the consumption, the grater is the chance sof fat burning and hence bigger is the weightloss chance. If you want to feed on the cabbage soup, ensure that you keep it handy always. You can make the cabbage soup in plenty and then store it in the refrigerator. Utilize it when you're hungry. All you need to do is to heat it and you are all set to have it. You could also put the soup in a flask. In this way you can carry along soup safely wherever you want.

It's also suggested that you drink plenty of water when following this diet. Water helps flush out the poisons from your system, which further aids in weight loss. If you do not actually like the taste of water, you can consider adding a touch of lemon to it. Lemon not just helps enhance the flavor of plain water but also raises the rate of metabolism. Drink 8 glasses of water together with following the cabbage soup diet and you'll be able to hurry along the weight management process.

So, put aside all your weight worries. All you need to do is to follow the given dietary measures. It is crucial to understand that you can not depend on the cabbage soup diet alone. After all, it is just a trend diet and hence needs to be supported by a healthy eating to promise the optimal functioning of the body.

By : Stella Hudson

Labels: eat healthy food, fast healthy food, healthy eating food, healthy fast food, healthy food, healthy food eating, healthy food pyramid, healthy food recipes, healthy foods, the healthy food

We all are becoming so modernize and scientific, in terms of cooking that new methods are created to cook food which not only enhances its flavor but also minimizes cooking time. Baking is one of them. Baking refers to cooking food in sealed enclosure. In past, food was baked closed under wooden or stone stove or underground but these days special purpose stoves are available for baking food and those are called ovens. Oven is advanced version of a simple stove. It has the ability to cook food by baking, grilling etc.

An Oven can be operated either by using electricity or gas. Electric and gas ovens are both used for all types of cooking but electric ovens are generally used for baking cakes and bakery items in bulk , while gas ovens are preferred to use for rest of the cooking which includes roasting, grilling etc.

Advantages of Baked Foods:

•As far as healthy food is concerned, baked food comes first in this category because baked food items are low in fat. How they are low fat? Just think about the baking environment and you can easily understand why it has low fat content. Baking is done in area which is fully covered and no heat is passed outside until you open its door. So this stored heat helps in releasing natural energy/fat from the food (like meat) and in this way very little amount of oiling is done in the start which is just for triggering the process of baking.

•Baked foods are full of tastes as it cooks more within its own oil, so its very juicy and rich in flavor if cooked with accurate time, temperature and measured ingredients, otherwise baked item will become too dry, hard and will not taste good.

•Baked food items become more healthy and tasty when baking is done underground. For example baking a mutton leg or chicken. In this process a hole is made around the item which is to be baked and then red hot pieces of coal are placed in it and then the meal is covered for particular time. In this way all the aroma and flavor remains well absorbed and preserved. Keep in mind that any food will remain tasty unless its flavor is not removed.

Now by learning these benefits of baked food, I usually prefer to use it rather than cooking by deep frying and making oily food on stove. Although, we can’t ignore the importance of stove cooking but where ever possible it is better to bake your food.

By: Kashif Mahmood

Labels: eat healthy food, fast healthy food, healthy eating food, healthy fast food, healthy food, healthy food eating, healthy food pyramid, healthy food recipes, healthy foods, the healthy food

We all know that fruits and vegetables are good for us. Yet most of us don't make the effort to eat them as much as we should. Many of us are aware that fruits and vegetables can help prevent chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, as well as aid in weight loss, but surveys have shown that 78% of Americans do not even eat five servings per day, the amount recommended by the FDA.

When we look at our culture, it doesn't come as much of a surprise to learn that the two most commonly consumed fruits and/or vegetables are French fries and ketchup. These foods are easily accessible, and some might say cheap. It seems that although we know what is good for us, we do not always do what is right.

It is not unrealistic, or difficult, to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. It may actually surprise you to learn what counts as a single serving. Here are just a few examples:

* One small wedge of watermelon
* 12 baby carrots
* 8 large strawberries
* 1 large banana
* 2 large stalks of celery


An easy way to add more fruits and vegetables is to add them to things we are already eating. Think about adding strawberries or blueberries to your waffles or pancakes, or add spinach, broccoli or mushrooms to your egg or egg white omelet. Use vegetables as a topping on pizza; add lettuce, tomato and onion to your sandwich. For a snack, toast whole grain bread with peanut butter and add banana slices. And always try eating at least two vegetables with dinner.

By: Justin & Rachel Lukasavige

Labels: eat healthy food, fast healthy food, healthy eating food, healthy fast food, healthy food, healthy food eating, healthy food pyramid, healthy food recipes, healthy foods, the healthy food

In the hassle and bussle of today's world, finding and preparing easy and healthy recipes for kids can be a struggle! And then when you find them, there is so much that can goes into them: planning the menu, making the grocery list, driving to the store, doing the shopping, checking out in the long line, paying the bill, and driving home not to mention preparing the meal and sitting down to feast on your hard work.

Without missing a beat, the inevitable always seems to happen...the complaints.

"I don't like this".
"This looks weird".
"I don't like this color."
"I want pizza!"
"Can I have a cookie instead?"

Nutrition plays a vital role in our children's development, and we know this. But how easy is it to just grab a frozen pizza and call it a day! While tempting as it sounds, it's our responsibility as parents to find healthy recipes for kids that can be prepared and enjoyed at the family table.

Below are a few healthy recipes for kids that have been a hit at my own family table. But before I get to them, let's first discuss some tips on helping us plan some healthy recipes for kids and ways to get our kids excited for them!

1) Make a quick list of the foods your children love, hate, and are allergic to. With this in mind, it will be easy to pinpoint the recipes you're targeting and onto the healthy recipes for kids your family will love.

2) When kids are invested in a project, they are more readily accepting. Find healthy recipes for kids that your family can contribute to. For example, get your kids involved in the selection of the recipes, let them help with the shopping, or get the kids help in preparing the meal and setting the table.

3) Select one new vegetable, fruit, or food to try each week. Make it a game with your kids. They may love it or hate it, but it will teach them to be open to new foods and experiences at the table.

With these tips in mind, here are a few healthy recipes for kids that have been a hit with my own. Give them a try and see if this could be a meal your family will love!

Healthy Recipes for Kids #1: Oven-Baked Carrot Fries

My kids love these healthy fries!

Oven-Baked Carrot Fries

1 ½ lbs. Carrots
1 tsp. Sugar
2 T Olive Oil
½ tsp. Salt
2 T Fresh Rosemary, finely chopped
Pinch of Pepper

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a shallow pan with foil. Peel each carrot and cut off the tip and the end off of each one. Cut carrots in half cross-wise, then cut length-wise, then cut length-wise again.

Combine the carrot sticks, olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary and stir until they are evenly coated. Spread the carrots over the pan as much as possible.
Bake your carrots for about 20 minutes or until carrots are tender. Serve them hot or cool them a bit to room temperature.

Healthy Recipes for Kids #2: Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a family favorite and is easy on Mom and Dad in both the prep and the clean-up!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

½ Onion, chopped
½ tsp. Garlic, minced
4 tsp. Cilantro, chopped
1 T Butter
30 oz. Chicken Stock
8 oz. can Tomato Sauce
½ package of Taco Seasoning
14 oz. can Mexican Style or Plain Stewed Tomatoes
4 ½ oz. can Diced Green Chilis
1 small can of Corn, drained
1T Worchestire Sauce
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (these can be frozen)

Put all the ingredients into a Crock Pot and cook on low for 8 hours. A half an hour prior to serving, pull out the chicken and shred. Put the chicken back into the soup and cook the remainder of the time (half an hour).

Serve with cheese, tortilla chips, avocado, and sour cream.

Healthy Recipes for Kids #3: Baked Spaghetti

Baked Spaghetti

1 lb. lean Ground Beef
10 oz. Whole Wheat Spaghetti
2 C Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
2 26 oz. jars of your favorite Spaghetti Sauce (make sure your sauce contains healthy ingredients and no sugars)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, drain and mix in your spaghetti sauce to the ground beef.

Prepare your pasta according to the packaged directions and drain.

Spoon one-third of your spaghetti sauce mixture into the bottom of your prepared pan and then mix the remaining spaghetti sauce mixture with the cooked spaghetti. Pour into the prepared pan and then top with the shredded cheese.
Bake for 25-35 minutes until brown and bubbly. Let baked spaghetti rest for about 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with a healthy salad and garlic bread. Enjoy!

By Emily Watson

Labels: eat healthy food, fast healthy food, healthy eating food, healthy fast food, healthy food, healthy food eating, healthy food pyramid, healthy food recipes, healthy foods, the healthy food

It is alarming that North Americans consume an excess of 300% to 400% of the required daily fat intake. Therefore one in every four North Americans is considered to be clinically obese. Therefore there is a great need for healthy recipes. Healthy recipes are also highly needed for children and teenagers who are 20% or more than their ideal body weight.

How does one recognize healthy foods or healthy recipes? Firstly you must know how to ascertain the quantity of fat in the foods you buy. Foods from the meat market may not come with labels that tell you how much fat there is. Also, the labels of foods available at the supermarket may be very confusing to read.

One thing can help: calculate the percentage of fat in your food. According to FDA's guidelines, you must read how many grams of fat there are in a product. Then multiply it by 9. Now divide the answer by the total number of calories mentioned in the label. Your answer may be a decimal number. This is the percentage of fat contained in that product.

The condiments, additives, sugar and salt content should be taken into account; but if you take care of the fat part, it will make a big difference. Avoid fast foods, as the spreads used are high in fats. If you get on the internet, you will find innumerable healthy recipes that can benefit you and your whole family. Healthy recipes limit the use of butter, coconut, salad oils, cream or cheese as all these foods have very high fat content that range from 90% to 100%.

By Hbconnection

Labels: easy healthy recipes, healthy chicken recipes, healthy dinner recipes, healthy food recipes, healthy heart recipes, healthy kids recipes, healthy quick recipes, healthy recipe, healthy recipes