Tips for Cooking Healthier

Healthy meals, whether they be for one or a family, can often be the biggest struggle my clients have. Knowing what to serve. Knowing how to cook. Having the time to cook. All of these can be barriers in the way of you and your family's health. We don't want to spend hours in the kitchen; however, we still want to make sure we (and our families) have the best nutrition available.

Check out some of the healthy cooking tips below to see what you can incorporate in your daily routine!

Try one new, healthy, recipe per week (or month)
Feel like you make the same things over and over again? Try cooking one new healthy recipe once a week or once per month. Start weeding through your stacks of paper recipes, cookbooks, or Pinterest saves. You may even find something that becomes apart of your weekly meal rotation!

Try better-for-you cooking methods
Instead of frying try baking, roasting or steaming for your veggies and protein sources. Baking can be a simpler way to get a meal on the table, since it is a bit more hands off once you get the food in the oven. Roasting is a great way to bring out the natural sweetness in veggies! Steaming can help to retain the nutrient content of your foods (versus boiling).

Leave sauces/dressings on the side
We often think about dressings or gravies on-the-side for eating out; however, try the same strategy at home. If you need to, cook with a small amount of the sauce you need and leave the rest on the side to use sparingly.

Swap it out
Do you normally use mayo? How about swapping in avocado instead? Normally use a lot of oil? Try swapping or cutting the oil with a low-sodium vegetable broth. Use white breads or rices? Try whole grain or brown rice options. Look at your typical meals/recipes and see where you can swap in a more nutritious item!

Use more herbs and spices
In place of high-salt, high-fat sauces or seasoning blends, try using fresh or dried herbs/spices - basil, parsley, sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika. etc. Read through the label of your favorite seasoning blends to see if you can replicate a healthier option.

Cook once, eat twice
When cooking grains (rice, quinoa, barley, etc), cook in larger quantities. Use leftovers for the next day's meals so you can reduce the amount of time you spend in the kitchen.

Add at least 1 cup of veggies
Most Americans are not eating enough vegetables. One way to boost your intake is to commit to choosing at least 1 cup (2 servings) of veggies with each meal. Alternate with fresh, no-salt-added frozen or canned veggies. Try a variety of herbs and spices or sprinkle fresh lemon or lime juice on cooked veggies. The veggies will add a variety of nutrients (including fiber) to the meal and help to keep you fuller for longer.

How will you plan to cook healthier this week? Do you have a healthy cooking tip to share? Leave it in the comments below!

Healthy 1-Dish/1-Pan Meals

Big, elaborate dinners are nice; however, they are not very realistic for the on-the-go parent or family. Below, I complied some 1-dish, crockpot meals that I found to be quite tasty! If you don't have the time to prep all the ingredients in one day, try prepping some the night before. Then, the day you are cooking, you will just have to throw everything together.
Package leftover portions into dishes that you can freeze and take to work/school for a quick, healthy meal.


Balsamic Chicken and VegetablesIngredients:
•               1/4
cup bottled Italian salad dressing
•               2
tablespoons balsamic vinegar
•               1
tablespoon honey
•               1/8 - 1/4
teaspoon crushed red pepper
•               2
tablespoons olive oil
•               1
pound chicken breast tenderloins
•               10
ounces fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces, or one 10-ounce package frozen cut asparagus, thawed and well drained
•               1
cup purchased shredded carrot
•               1
small tomato, seeded and chopped

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, stir together first 4 ingredients. 2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook for 5-6 minutes. Add half of the dressing mix to the skillet and transfer chicken to a serving plate. 3. In the same skillet, add asparagus and carrots. Cook for 3-4 minutes and add to serving plate. 4. Stir remaining dressing mixture, add to skillet. Cook for 1 minute. Drizzle over chicken. Sprinkle with tomato. **Baking Instructions: Mix all ingredients and pour over chicken breasts. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes (until chicken is cooked through).



Greek ChickenIngredients:   1 pound carrots, cut into 1 1/4-inch pieces, or 3 cups baby carrots   1 pound (3-4 medium) yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, peeled and cut lengthwise into                      1 1/4-inch-wide wedges   2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed   1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth   1/3 cup dry white wine   4 cloves garlic, minced   3/4 teaspoon salt   1 15-ounce can artichoke hearts, rinsed and quartered if large   1 large egg   2 large egg yolks   1/3 cup lemon juice   1/3 cup chopped fresh dill   Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation1. Spread carrots and potatoes over the bottom and up the sides of a 4-quart or larger slow cooker. Arrange chicken on top of the vegetables. Bring broth, wine, garlic and salt to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour over the chicken and vegetables. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours on high or 4 to 4 1/2 hours on low.2. Add artichokes to the slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk egg, egg yolks and lemon juice in a medium bowl.3. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a serving bowl using a slotted spoon. Cover and keep warm. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid into the egg mixture. Whisk until smooth. Whisk the egg mixture into the remaining cooking liquid in the slow cooker. Cover and cook, whisking 2 or 3 times, until slightly thickened and sauce reaches 160°F on an instant-read thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in dill and pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables and serve.



Apple-Spinach ChickenIngredients: 2 teaspoons vegetable oil4 (4-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon black pepper1 garlic clove, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard1/2 cup apple cider1 medium Granny Smith apple, cored and sliced6 cups fresh baby spinach or chopped Swiss chard  Preparation:1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, and add to skillet. Cook 5-6 minutes on each side or until well browned. Remove to plate, and keep warm.2. Add next 4 ingredients (through apple slices) to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, stirring often, 5 minutes. Return chicken and juices to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes.3. Add spinach to pan, and toss until wilted, about 1 minute. Serve hot. 

Eggplant and Chickpea Stew Ingredients:  1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms  3 cups hot water  2 large eggplants (about 1 1/2 pounds each)  3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided  2 large onions, thinly sliced  6 cloves garlic, minced  2 teaspoons dried oregano, crumbled  1 small (1-inch) cinnamon stick  1 teaspoon salt  1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper  1 bay leaf  1 cup chickpeas  1 28-ounce can tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped  1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Combine dried mushrooms and hot water in a bowl. Stir well and let stand for 30 minutes. Strain through a sieve lined with a paper towel and set the liquid aside. Finely chop the mushrooms.
3. Meanwhile, peel eggplants, if desired, and cut in half lengthwise. Brush the cut sides liberally with 2 tablespoons oil. Place on a rimmed baking sheet, cut-side down, and roast until tender, about 25 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut into 1-inch cubes and transfer to a 4-quart (or larger) slow cooker.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 3 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, cinnamon stick, salt, pepper, bay leaf and the chopped mushrooms; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the reserved mushroom-soaking liquid and chickpeas. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the eggplant.
5. Cover and cook until the chickpeas are very tender, about 4 hours on High or 7 to 8 hours on Low. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Stir in tomatoes and parsley.



http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/greek_chicken_vegetable_ragout.html

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/eggplant_chickpea_stew.html

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/soups/barley-vegetable-soup/

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chicken/balsamic-chicken-and-vegetables/