COOKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
“Eating habits can last a lifetime and affect
our physical and emotional well-being.
Are we serving our families healthy meals? Or ‘meals out of a box’,
‘freezer prepared’ and ‘fast food’ too often?
Tips on steps we can take to serving more nutritious meals at home.
“Run and Not Be Weary” – Nutritious Cooking with
Food Storage We have a lot to do
in our lives and in our lifetime – HF want us to have optimal health so we can
accomplish what is asked of us.
Three Parts – First:
Nutrition/WofW/health Second: tips on how to be efficient Third:
specific examples (samples) – There are other people who know A LOT more than I
do!
First:
Nutrition/WofW/health:
Diabetes, heart disease,
high blood pressure, kidney/liver ailments, obesity ….
Not to mention emotional
trauma from being physically unhealthy – fatigue, lack of energy, depression,
discouragement, concentration problems, behavior problems ….
There
is a reason why we have the WofW – spiritual blessings as well as physical
Foods
today are filled with preservatives
– -long shelf-life (1-5 yrs) – liver (cleans blood) & can’t breakdown,
kidney has a harder time processing
-sodium – high blood pressure – water retention
-sugar – 6 t/day – white
(5 chemical processes) v. organic (1 heat process) – (6 t in 8 oz. yogurt/8 t
in 12 oz of soda)
-high fructose corn syrup
– gatorade & other drinks, candy bars, granola bars – our bodies can’t
break it down, stays in liver, not natural – better to have straight sugar –
chemistry is changed (can’t make it at home)
Plus we have organic and non-organic choices –
milk/meat/produce
Some people feel that cooking from scratch is
not as easy or quick, but it is not that difficult or time-consuming either –
plus it’s a lot cheaper (not to mention healthier) – and tell yourself: “I am NOT going to be lazy!” My family’s health means more to me.
Second: Now
we’ll quickly review some quick tips on more efficient cooking and making cooking
from scratch easier:
1. Meal
planning – don’t have to decide each day
what to fix
holds
costs down – food ready in cupboard – shop once/wk or month
2. Prepare
2 meals at once (can be lazy on the second day!)
3. Brown
extra hamburger/chicken/beans and freeze - shred a whole block of cheese
4. Buy
on sale – Winco (bulk spices, produce…) – bread store
5. Use
choppers, blenders, processors, rice cookers, crock pots….. use sharp knives
6. Start
earlier in day so you have little to do after school when things are more hectic. Brown hamburger (or whatever), chop
whatever…. even set table early
7. Get
a good basic cookbook – go online/google
8. Talk
to your children (husband) about nutrition – they are not stupid – teach them
about the WofW (right from the WofW) – And teach them how to cook! Let them help you plan and prepare! (Make
them!)
9. Take
it a step at a time – one new good habit
- eliminate
one bad habit
- not
a 100%’r – be reasonable – 4 out of 7 days or whatever
10. Fast foods used to be a
treat – even sit-down restaurants – portions/costs
11. Laziness
– consider the time, the health benefits, costs – it’s really not that time consuming - be cheerful, involve
family
12. Don’t
be afraid to experiment – (R&D - research and development CEO of you family)
13. Portions
– weight control
Third: Examples
and samples of breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners
Breakfast
– cold cereal is
the easiest but most expensive and not really healthy – make it a treat
- **Oatmeal
with add-ins (apples, cin., dried, fresh or canned fruit, applesauce)
- **Breakfast
cookies
- Eggs
– burritos
-
Fruit,
fruit, fruit – fresh or **canned
Lunch
-
Roll-ups (tortillas) – anything
goes!
- Vary
bread – **grains
- Pre-packaged
is costly –doesn’t mean you don’t love your kids!
- We
do not need chips and pop every day – make them a treat
Snacks -
after school/sports
- Water
is REALLY good – 100% juices
-
++Homemade
granola to munch
- **Trail
mix – nuts, dried fruit
-
Overripe
bananas – try banana shakes, cookies instead of banana bread
(But
do make banana bread once in a while)
- **Homemade
popcorn (WAY healthier – 2T oil, 1/3 C popcorn med. hi, salt & ¼C butter)
Dinner
**Hamburger
helper/noodles/rices (see recipes-same time, equal/lower cost, MUCH healthier)
**Mac
and Cheese – (white sauce with grated cheese) add-ins (hamburger, ham, peas,
olives)
**Rices – add-ins
(bouillon, juices, baconbits, curry, dill, parsley, cilantro, lemon, almonds, diced veg…..)
3 ripe mashed bananas 1 cup organic peanut butter
½ C honey or agave 2 t. vanilla
2 t cinnamon ½
t baking soda
½ C organic sugar 3 C regular rolled oats
1 C whole wheat flour 3 C dried fruit (nuts)
Mix together. Spoon ¼ C (or so) onto baking
sheet. Bake 350 15min.
Yields:
18-20 large cookies
GRANOLA MIX
5 c regular rolled oats 1 C shredded coconut
1 C sunflower seeds 1 C nuts
2 T cinnamon
¼ C oil ¼
C molasses
¼ C honey ½
C agave
½ T vanilla ½
t salt
Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients and combine with dry.
Spray
large pan.
Bake at 350 for 8-10 min. Stir
and bake another 8-10 min.
BEEF STROGANOFF - instead of from a box (no
preservatives)
2 Lbs hamburger – browned with 1 onion & 1
can mushrooms.
Cook 12 oz. pasta
When both are cooked, mix with 8-16 oz. sour
cream and 1 T basil.
Salt and pepper to taste.
TERIYAKI NOODLES – instead of from a pkg (no
preservatives)
2 C dry mini spaghetti pasta – cooked
1 C peas 3-4
green onions diced
¼ - 1/3 C Yoshidas 1/8-1/4 ginger
Mix together and serve.
PARMESAN PASTA – instead of from a pkg (no
preservatives)
2 C dry mini penne pasta – cooked 1 C medium white sauce
¾ C parmesan cheese 1 t basil or parsley
Mix well and serve.
