Archive for the ‘Health and Nutrition’ Category

Healthy eating habits are developed while kids are young, which is why it is a great idea to start teaching kids about good nutrition now. Statistics show that more kids are dealing with obesity today, which is a huge health risk. The best thing you can do is to start teaching your kids about proper nutrition. It is also important that you show your kids by example the healthy ways to eat. To help you teach your kids about healthy eating, here are a few nutrition dos and don’ts to remember so you can keep your family healthy.

DO go with foods that your family enjoys. You do not have to eliminate the favorite foods of your child. It is easy to find healthier alternatives so you can all enjoy the foods you love while still eating healthy.

DO plan out meals for each week. This helps you to plan meals that will be healthy. When you do not plan meals, it is easy to end up going with unhealthy choices when you are in a hurry. Planning out those meals will also help you save on your grocery budget too.

DO get everyone involved in planning meals. Let the kids help out with the planning and even get them involved in helping to prepare the food as well. This helps to create a healthy relationship with food.

DO make sure that you get nuts, grains, dairy, protein, veggies, and fruits each day. These are foods that are essential to your healthy and they will also help to keep everyone full too. This way you do not end up grabbing foods that offer empty calories.

DO NOT skip meals, especially breakfast. Skipping meals is a bad idea and you definitely do not want to have your children skipping meals. When you skip meals, you do not get the nutrients that your body needs. Sometimes this can lead to overcompensation when you do eat later.

DO NOT make fast food or foods that are deep fried a part of the family diet. Instead of frying or going with fast food, choose foods that are baked, grilled, broiled, roasted, or sautéed.
Dill and Lemon Chicken Recipe For a simple and healthy dish, this dill and lemon chicken recipe is a great choice. The combination of flavors offers a nice pan sauce that is Greek inspired. Serve along with tasty veggies for a healthy meal.

What You Need:

• Ground pepper and salt to taste
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• ¼ cup of onion, finely chopped
• 3 teaspoons of olive oil, divided
• 1 cup of chicken broth, reduced sodium
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons of fresh dill, chopped (divided)
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons of flour

How to Make It:

Sprinkle pepper and salt on both sides of the chicken breaks. In a large skillet, heat 1.5 teaspoons of the olive oil over heat that is medium high. Place the chicken in the pan and sear on both sides. This should take about three minutes for each side. Put the seared chicken on a plate, tenting the plate with some foil.

Reduce the heat on the skillet to medium. Add in the rest of the olive oil. Cook the garlic and onion in the oil for one minute. Whisk together the lemon juice, one tablespoon of dill, flour, and broth in a measuring cup. After mixing, add to the pan. Cook until it thickens, whisking the mixture. This should take about three minutes.

Put the chicken back in the pan with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Reduce the heat level to low and allow to simmer until the chicken has been thoroughly cooked. Take the chicken out and place on a warm platter. Add salt and pepper to the sauce and then spoon on the chicken. Use the leftover dill to garnish the chicken.

Eating healthier is definitely a great idea for any family. Chicken is a great way to get lean protein and you can find great chicken salad recipes and more. You may want to try a lightened chicken parmesan recipe as well.

BonelessChickenRecipe.com – Chicken so delightfully moist, you can almost smell it through your monitor.

When it comes to consuming fish, there are many consumer warnings that are out there today. You will also find that the scary and confusing information that is given has made many people stop buying and eating fish. Fish is a great source of protein and offers a lot of important nutrients when it is handled and cooked the right way. You do not need to avoid eating these dishes. Seafood includes a great source of essential fatty acids and lean protein, so it is important to learn how to eat it the right way. To help you avoid any seafood related illnesses, here are some great fish and seafood tips that you should use.

Make Sure Fish is Skinned

One important tip that you need to remember if you are cooking fish is to make sure that the fish you eat is skinned. Harmful chemicals like DDT and PCBs have been banned for quite some time within the United States. However, they still are used in a variety of different countries today, so they are still to be found in the environment. Fish can absorb these residues. To lower the chance of being exposed to the residues of dangerous chemicals, you should skin the fish before cooking, no matter how you plan on cooking it. When you skin fish, it also eliminates the layer of fat that is just below its skin. This fatty layer is usually where the residues of chemicals end up, so you can avoid eating these chemicals by simply skinning fish.

Go with Smaller Fish Varieties

Another important tip that you can use to avoid seafood related illnesses is to go with smaller fish varieties. When you purchase fish, bigger is not the way to go. Mercury accumulates in fish flesh, especially in the larger species of fish that eat other fish and accumulate even more mercury. Mercury is known to cause certain neurological issues, so you definitely want to avoid it. By going with some of the smaller fish options like tilapia and salmon, you will not have to worry about taking in as much mercury. Eating fish along with certain cruciferous veggies like cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli can also help to flush out the mercury from the body.

Avoid Saltwater Bacteria in Clams, Mussels, and Oysters

Last, if you are going with shellfish, such as clams, mussels, or oysters, you have to beware of saltwater bacteria. One common bacteria found in saltwater is vibrio. This bacterium is known to cause vomiting, cramping, and even diarrhea. If you cook your shellfish correctly, you can avoid dealing with the bacteria. Boiling shellfish for a few more minutes after the shells option can destroy the bacteria. You can also destroy it by steaming for an extra 9-10 minutes after the shells are open. Make sure that the internal temperature gets up to 145 degrees for safety.

Fish offers plenty of great nutrients, such as omega 3s, protein, and more. Just make sure you eat it safely. Use safety precautions to make sure you get the most from your oven baked fish recipes. Look for easy fish recipes that can be made fast and in healthy ways as well.

EasyFishRecipes.net – The Only Thing Better Than Our Recipes Is Catching Them Yourself!

If you are simply cooking for yourself, you may not even feel like taking the time to cook. It is easy to fall back on microwave dinners when you are cooking for one. However, microwave dinners are not always the healthiest or the tastiest choices out there. The great news is that there are plenty of easy recipes out there designed for one person. Another idea is to make these dishes, double the recipe, and then freeze the extra portion for another meal that you can easily warm up. Here are a few healthy and tasty meal ideas that you can try out if you are only cooking for one person.

Easy Smoothies for Breakfast

When you are cooking for one, easy smoothies for breakfast are a great option. By keeping a few simple ingredients around all the time, you will be able to treat yourself to a healthy smoothie on a regular basis. All you will need is plain yogurt, some milk, and some frozen fruit. Usually plain yogurt is the best yogurt choice, although you can try fruit flavored ones too. Go with Greek yogurt for an extra kick of protein. Use 1% or skim milk to lower the fat content too. Simply mix ingredients in a blender until you have your smoothie – it is that easy.

Simple Pasta Dishes

Of course, there are plenty of simple pasta dishes that you can easily make for one person. Spaghetti is a great choice. It does not take a lot of time and you can use lean meats and plenty of veggies to make it a healthy dish. Go with whole grain pastas for even better nutrition as well. Of course, this is not the only pasta dish to try. Try other types of pastas with a variety of fun sauces to have a hearty meal any night of the week.

Fun Desserts

Plenty of fun desserts can also be made for one. Try a yummy milkshake. You will need some milk, ice cream, and something to flavor the milkshake. Vanilla ice cream with fruit yogurts can make a variety of flavors. Try chocolate ice cream for a chocolate shake or add in some peanut butter for a chocolate peanut butter treat. Easy ice cream sundaes are also a simply idea for one. You can even try making fruit parfaits with a bit of yogurt, fruit, and some granola.

Simple Chicken Dishes

Chicken is always a healthy choice to go with for dinner, since it offers plenty of protein and is low in fat if you cook it right. So many things can be done with chicken. You can make various Asian style dishes, you can go with Mexican enchiladas or chicken tacos, or even try making some Indian dishes with chicken as well. Not only is chicken great hot, but it is great cold in chicken salads as well. Add refrigerated grilled chicken to a nice spinach salad or make up a chicken salad for sandwiches.

Tandoori Chicken Recipe

What You Need:

• 2 pounds of chicken, cut into one inch pieces
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 cup of yogurt, plain
• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons of curry powder
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, optional
• ¼ cup of fresh minced cilantro
• ½ onion, sliced very thin
• 2 cups of white Basmati rice, cooked

How to Make It:

Combine together curry powder, yogurt, ginger, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne in a medium bowl. Add in the cubed chicken and stir until all chicken cubes are coated with the mixture. Place coated chicken in a plastic ziplock bag and allow to refrigerate for 1 hour or longer. Do not allow to sit more than 24 hours.

Heat the olive oil in a big skillet on medium. Sauté the onions in the oil until they are tender and translucent. Add in the coated chicken, allowing to cook for about 8 minutes or until juices are clear. Stir often while cooking.

Serve the chicken over Basmati rice, topping with the minced cilantro.

When cooking for one person, there are plenty of great chicken recipes to try. Go Asian for a night with an orange chicken recipe. Make a hearty lunch by trying out one of the many chicken salad recipes available.

BonelessChickenRecipe.com – Chicken so delightfully moist, you can almost smell it through your monitor.

If you are trying to lose weight, a healthy diet is going to be important. A good diet will ensure you limit calories while making sure that you get the nutrients that you need. Some of the best diet plans out there make use of fish as a great way to take in protein. Not only does it provide a low calorie and low fat way to get protein and other needed nutrients, it also provides Omega 3 fatty acids, which are heart healthy. Adding fish to a diet that is low in fat and calories can help keep insulin levels regulated and can help burn off fat too. Here is a look at some ways that you can cook your fish to lose some weight.

First, it is important to realize that if you are going to lose weight, you have to lower your calorie intake. However, you do not want to start missing out on important nutrients. To lose about a pound of weight every week, you will need to cut about 500 calories every day. Some diets claim that you can lose faster, but they often result in losing lean muscle, which you want to avoid. A good diet that includes fish can allow you to avoid taking in too much fat while still giving you a quality source of protein.

Fats are important if you are trying to lose weight. You should be getting about 25-35% of your calories in fat form. However, some fats are healthier than others are. You want to avoid saturated fats, but Omega 3 fatty acids are heart healthy and they are contained in many different types of fish. Eating more fish that contain these Omega 3s can help you to lower your risk of heart disease in the future while helping you lose weight as well.

Of course, if you want to lose weight, you need to make sure you are choosing healthy cooking methods for the fish you eat. Some cooking methods can add extra calories and fat, sabotaging your diet. Avoid cooking with added fats or grease and take off the skin when cooking fish to keep the meal a healthy one. Avoid breading fish and frying. Instead, bake, broil, or steam your fish. To enhance the flavor, add your favorite low calorie and low fat seasonings, such as garlic, pepper, lemon, and others.

Nectarine Salsa Grilled Mahi Mahi Recipe

For a healthy fish meal that will help you on your quest for weight loss, consider trying this Mahi Mahi recipe that includes a flavor filled nectarine salsa. This is a delicious, fruity dish that is sure to be a great addition to your diet.

What You Need:

• 2 fillets of mahi mahi
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Salt to taste
• ¼ cup of onion, chopped
• 1 nectarine, peeled and then chopped
• 1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro, minced
• 2 tablespoons of cucumber, chopped
• 2 teaspoons of lime juice
• 2 teaspoons of jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
• ¼ teaspoon of black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of hot sauce, Louisiana style
• ¼ teaspoon of salt

How to Make It:

To create the nectarine salsa, combine onion, nectarine, cilantro, cucumber, lime juice, jalapeno, black pepper, hot sauce, and salt together in a medium bowl. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the salsa until ready to serve the fish.

Drizzle the mahi mahi with the olive oil and then sprinkle with a bit of salt to taste. Prepare the grill rack by moistening a paper towel with some olive or cooking oil to get the rack coated. Grill the mahi mahi on medium heat covered for about 3-5 minutes per side. Fish should turn opaque. Once fish is grilled, serve hot with the nectarine salsa. Makes 2 servings.

You can find great healthy fish recipes that will help you lose weight, such as oven baked fish recipes. Look for tasty fish chowder recipes to add to your diet as well as you are working to lose a few pounds.

EasyFishRecipes.net – The Only Thing Better Than Our Recipes Is Catching Them Yourself!