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!

Cut the Salt Habit

You may have heard from your doctor or dietitian that you need to reduce your sodium intake to help decrease your risk for heart disease and high blood pressure. High levels of sodium in the diet causes fluid retention, which makes the heart work harder to pump blood throughout the body. Excessive intake can also lead to bloating and weight gain.

So many clients tell me that they are not consuming that much sodium because they don’t add salt to their foods. In reality, the average American adult eats more than 3,400mg of sodium per day, which is more double the American Heart Association’s recommended limit! According the CDC, 65% of sodium consumed comes from the food bought in retail stores, 25% comes from restaurants, and 10% comes from home cooking. Your body needs less than 500mg to function properly. The current dietary guidelines recommend less than 2,300mg of sodium per day for adults and children with a further restriction to 1,500mg for those with pre-hypertension and hypertension.

Help to keep your heart healthy by knowing what and where to look for sodium in your favorite foods. Check out the tips below for ways to cut back on your sodium intake!

Look at the Nutrition Facts Panel

Always be sure to check the nutrition label of packaged foods. Compare different brands to see if one is lower than the other. Remember to check the serving size and servings per container because if you consume more than what is recommended, you will need to double or triple the sodium content!

Set Meal and Snack Sodium Limits

Aim for less than 500mg of sodium per meal and less than 250mg of sodium per snack (or side dish) as a rule of thumb. 

Aim for Low-Sodium or No-Salt-Added

More and more companies are putting the words “no-salt-added” on the front of their package. While this won't guarantee the product is "low-sodium" (less than 140mg per serving) it is a great step. Try buying canned sauces, vegetables, and beans with this statement and again always check the food label.

Rinse Your Canned Foods

Drain and rinse canned vegetables and beans to cut the sodium by approximately 60%. 

Limit Highly Processed Foods

Luncheon meats, cheeses, cakes, cookies, and restaurant foods are almost always loaded with sodium, along with more calories and fat. Try to limit your portions of these foods and compliment them with more fresh fruits and veggies. 

Watch Your Sauces/Condiments

Sauces, gravies, salad dressings, ketchups, can all be ladened with salt. Look for low-sodium options. If you are going out to eat, ask for these items on the side and use sparingly. 

Opt for Fresh Fruits and Veggies

Fruits and vegetables are naturally low in sodium. Try to make at least half of your plate veggies and add fresh fruits to your snacks!

Cook More at Home

When you are cooking at home, you are able to control how much sodium goes into your meals. Experiment with fresh herbs and spices for flavor. Also, try adding citrus (like lemons or limes) to boost the natural flavor in foods. 

Just a reminder, a food label can claim a meal/main dish is "healthy" if it contains less than 600mg of sodium, which is still a lot. Be the salt sleuth and take control of what you eat!

Check out the American Heart Associations article on table salt versus sea salt: http://sodiumbreakup.heart.org/sodium-411/sea-salt-vs-table-salt/

References

www.heart.org

www.health.gov

Salt: The Silent Killer

Put down the salt shaker and slowly walk away! Those pure, white crystals look so innocent as they gleam in the shakers. Appearances sure are deceiving since high intake of salt is a major cause of high blood pressure, which ultimately leads to heart attacks and strokes. Just 1 teaspoon of salt contains about 2,400 mg of sodium. That is almost double the recommendation of 1,500mg of sodium (American Heart Association).

You may be thinking "I don't add salt to my foods, so I can't possibly be consuming that much sodium." Think again! About 77% of sodium comes from processed foods and foods eaten outside the home. The foods that contribute the most sodium, because of their frequent consumption, are: bread, cheese, deli meats, cakes, canned soup, and cookies. Even those "healthy" frozen dinner meals are prime suspects of high sodium content. 1 package of Boston Market's Homestyle Meal Beef Sirloin contains 2,270mg of sodium. 1 bowl of Uncle Ben's Teriyaki Chicken Rice contains 1,450mg of sodium.  Most restaurant meals provide more than a whole day's worth of sodium! For example, General Tso's chicken with rice contains 3,150mg of sodium.

Why is salt used if it leads to such horrible things, like high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes? In some foods, salt is used to help bacterial growth. It is also used to mask "off-flavors that develop during high-temperature processing and long storage.

Ready to shake the salt habit?! Look below for some tips on cutting back on your sodium! Your heart will thank you later.

Tips for Cutting Back on Your Sodium:
-Read the food label! Check how much sodium, per serving is in the product. Watch for the words "soda" and "sodium."
-Taste your food before salting it. Some people have a habit of adding salt, before they even taste the meal.
-Buy fresh, frozen, or canned vegetables "with no salt added."
-Choose "convenience" foods that are lower in sodium. Cut back on frozen dinners, pizza, packaged mixes, and canned soups or broths.
-Rinse canned foods, such as tuna, to remove some sodium.
-Try herb-seasoning packets or other spices in place of salt.

Home-Made Herb Seasoning
Combine all ingredients below in a shaker:
-1 teaspoon celery seed, ground
-2 1/2 tsp. marjoram, crushed
-1 1/2 tsp. thyme, crushed
-1 1/2 tsp. dried basil, crushed
-1/2 tsp. black pepper
*You can mix and match tons of different herbs!