Keeping yourself and your family eating healthier is no easy task. You can find many healthier versions of nearly every recipe in the world if you look. The first rule in preparing healthy dishes is in using healthy ingredients. You cannot prepare healthy recipes without using healthy ingredients. Ensure that you plan ahead and buy the healthiest ingredients for each of your recipes.
Your second tip is to remember that timing is everything. If you do have time, you can cook up healthy meals for future needs. Simply prepare your recipes and then freeze them. This helps you to know that you always have a healthy meal when you need one. In cases where you simply do not have time to cook, this can be a healthy eating lifesaver. Instead of stopping for fast food, you can simply microwave one of your healthy meals.
The third tip is to always use the freshest ingredients possible. Dishes taste much better and are healthier when the ingredients are fresh. Using fresh herbs and spices will improve the flavor of your dishes. Fresh ingredients ensure that you are getting more health benefits in each bite. You should always use fresh vegetables when possible.
Using cooked or canned vegetables takes away from the health benefits. The fourth tip is about choosing healthy meats. This is not relating to the actual meat that you eat, but to the cut. Whenever possible, you should substitute fish or chicken for beef and/or pork. This is important for those recipes when substitution is simply not an option. If this is the case, then find the leanest cut of beef that you can possibly find.
Many people believe that ground beef is all the same. There are many cuts of beef and various types of ground beef as well. If you have a recipe that calls for ground beef, you can choose a leaner form such as ground chuck. You can determine how lean the cut is by checking the label on the meat package. You can also get answers from those in the meat department. Finally, your fifth tip is to watch out for those fatty sauces. There are substitutions that you can use instead of gravies and creams. Learn what foods make good substitutes for unhealthy ingredients and use them.