Making Fast, Healthy, and Delicious Meals

Making Fast, Healthy, and Delicious Meals

In today's fast-paced culture, the prospect of planning, cooking, and savoring a home-cooked meal can seem daunting. The "quick-and-easy" way of life full of microwaves, fast-food restaurants, and packaged meals easily overshadows the importance of cooking and preparing food the old fashioned way: at home in your own kitchen. But the convenience comes with a price. Many prepared foods, whether from the drive-thru or a microwave-safe package, contain a myriad of unhealthy ingredients.



In addition, many of us have been put on special diets to address specific health concerns ranging from heart disease prevention and diabetes, to weight loss. Diets often have you eating the same things over and over, which can become monotonous over time. Being exposed to different types of foods and creative methods of preparation can infuse your diet with a new twist and give you the delicious tastes you've been craving.
Taking a few minutes to prepare quick and healthy meals gives you more control over what you and your family are eating. Seeking out a variety of healthy recipes and preparing nutritious meals can help prevent common medical conditions and concerns, and engages your senses in a sumptuous world of flavors, textures, aromas, sights, and sounds! It can also be a wonderful way to bring your family together, while helping you save money.

from -http://helpguide.org/life/healthy_recipes.htm

Try Eating High Protein Snacks Instead of Junk Food

Try Eating High Protein Snacks Instead of Junk Food

We are all guilty of taking pleasure in eating snacks between meals. This is actually something that can be quite healthy, as long as we are eating the right kinds of snacks. Unfortunately, all too often we reach for a bag of potato chips or a chocolate bar, which are not the healthiest snack choices for us to make. Yes, we all have cravings for junk food and it's okay to have it once in a while, but if you are a regular snacker, then you need to make sure that the snacks you are eating are healthy and are not going to lead to health problems in the future.
High Protein Snacks for Energy
Usually at around three or four o'clock in the afternoon, we start to get the "blahs". We feel our energy winding down, and we just don't feel like getting the rest of our tasks done. This is when we need to have a little pick-me-up and high protein snacks are just the thing to have. Protein is a natural source of energy, and when you eat high protein snacks, you will get the energy you need to get you through the rest of your day at work, or whatever it is that you are doing. And because we need to have a certain amount of protein in our diets anyway, these snacks are an excellent way to make sure that we are getting enough and that the protein we get is being digested throughout the day.
Foods that Make Excellent High Protein Snacks
There are all kinds of delicious foods that make great high protein snacks and they are healthy enough for your whole family to eat. And some of the snacks are so tasty that you will have a difficult time believing that they are actually healthy. This is great when you have kids who are fussy and refuse to eat anything that is good for them. Some of the high protein snacks that you may want to start incorporating into your family's diet include:
Egg whites - Eggs are a complete protein, but there are a lot of people who just do not like eggs, especially kids. For a delicious sweet treat that your kids will love and never know they are eating something healthy, whip up some egg whites with a teaspoon of vanilla and some artificial sweetener. Bake until they are stiff, and you have delicious, healthy meringue cookies that everyone will want to eat all the time.
Cheese - Everyone loves cheese and it is an excellent source of protein, vitamin D, calcium, and other essential nutrients. Some sliced cheese, any kind, and a few whole grain crackers make an excellent choice in high protein snacks, and this snack will also provide good carbohydrates and fats, as well as fiber that is necessary for digestion. Make this snack even healthier by adding some delicious, healthy fruit, such as apple slices or orange wedges and maybe even a few grapes for good measure. Another delicious snack is filling celery with cheese spread, which should also be low fat.
Beef Jerky - Believe it or not, beef jerky can be a healthy snack and it is extremely high in protein. When buying beef jerky, make sure that you find a type that is low in sodium. An even healthier alternative is to cut some thin slices of beef and season them to taste. Cook them in the oven at an extremely low heat for a few hours, and you have your own home-made, healthy beef jerky that your entire family will love.
Peanut Butter - Who doesn't like peanut butter? This is an excellent source of protein and a pretty tasty one, too. Peanut butter on whole grain crackers makes a great afternoon snack, or serve your kids a peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole grain bread. If your kids don't like brown bread, there are new white breads that offer all of the nutritional goodness of whole grain products.
Oatmeal - Maybe you won't be able to convince everyone in your family that a bowl of oatmeal is a healthy snack, but you can make delicious oatmeal treats that are high in protein and your entire family will love snacking on them. You can take your favorite oatmeal cookie recipe and substitute the sugar for artificial sweetener. And you can go all out and find a new recipe that uses whole wheat flour instead of white flour. These cookies will be delicious and healthy and loaded with protein.
Yogurt - All dairy products are complete proteins and yogurt is a delicious dairy product that most people love. Just make sure that you give your family yogurt that is low or non-fat. For a sweet treat in the summer, take your favorite flavored yogurts and pour them into trays made for making iced treats. Add the sticks and in a few hours, you will have frozen yogurt pops that your kids will love. For additional vitamins and nutrients, add extra berries into the mix before freezing.
Cold Pizza - This is a delicious treat that most of us love and when it is prepared properly, pizza can be extremely nutritious, providing us with the nutrients from all four of the basic food groups. When you make homemade pizza for your family, make enough so they can have it to snack on for a couple of days afterward. Use whole wheat flour for the dough and fresh tomatoes for your sauce. Add lean meats, chicken, pineapple, mushrooms, peppers, and other healthy ingredients and this makes one of the tastiest high protein snacks going.
These are just a few of the choices you have when it comes to high protein snacks. You can get really creative in the kitchen if you have the time, and there are plenty of great recipes available on the Internet and in cook books that you can use. And you can always use your own favorite recipes and substitute healthy ingredients for those that are not as good for you and your family.

About Protica Research Founded in 2001, Protica, Inc. is a nutritional research firm specializing in the development of protein-rich, capsulized foods (dense nutrition in compact liquid and food forms). Protica manufactures Profect protein beverage, IsoMetric, Fruitasia and more than 100 other brands in its GMP-certified, 250,000 square foot facility.

from - http://ezinearticles.com/?Try-Eating-High-Protein-Snacks-Instead-of-Junk-Food&id=5085795

10 Delicious, Healthy Junk Food Alternatives

10 Delicious, Healthy Junk Food Alternatives

Over time, various ‘recreational foods’ have permeated into every aspect of our culture. We eat them not only for the way they taste, but also for entertainment. And despite ample and increasingly strong evidence about their risks to our health, we consume more than ever. While our individual reasons may be diverse, the primary motivation is the same in each. Scientific studies clearly demonstrate eating junk food has similar addictive patterns to drugs like cocaine and even heroin. (1) (2)
The recreational or ‘junk’ foods mentioned here can be categorized into 4 basic groups:
1. Soft Drinks – This category contains any drink with large amounts of sweetener like sugar or especially high fructose corn syrup. This includes soda, flavored waters, and even most commercially sold ‘fruit juices’. Each glass often contains enough calories in simple carbohydrates to make a medium size meal all by itself, with almost no nutrition.
2. Fatty Foods – While dietary fat is not nearly as dangerous as sugar (as the marketing for ‘low fat’ food implies), the risk level depends upon the balance of your diet. And there are many fatty foods, including hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, breaded foods, and more. A Western cultural tradition of eating many animal based fats without a proper balance of plants contributes to a variety of health issues both mentally and physically.
3. Starchy Foods – This may now actually be the largest, most abused category out of the four. Starch – root vegetables, grains, and similar – is found in a huge variety of foods. Bread, chips, fries, pancakes, pasta, puffs, many more. These foods are either simple or complex carbohydrates which in many cases digest just as fast as sugar, leading to the same consequences (weight gain, heart damage, skin problems, etc).
4. Sweets – Another very abused category, though perhaps falling by the wayside as public institutions wake up to its dangers. Anything with unnatural amounts of sugar, fructose, HCFS, or other sweeteners qualifies. And there are too many to mention. Bars, candies, cake, donuts, ice cream, pie, twinkies – chances are, you know it when you eat it. These foods rarely ‘disguise’ themselves.
It is important to note that many of these foods overlap into several categories. Donuts, ice cream, and some restaurant specialties all have large amounts of both animal fats and sugar, for instance.
Salt is also a special mention. While not a category by itself (as it can be applied to many foods), regular table salt holds little nutritional value and causes health problems in large quantities.
And this brings us to our list of healthy, great tasting junk food alternatives:

1. Sea Salt

Sea salt is vastly superior to conventional table salt. Not only does it taste much better (and different sea salts have a variety of tastes), but it is much healthier. Unlike table salt which is as much as 99% calcium chloride, it contains multiple valuable minerals including calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

2. Nuts and Seeds

When we think of nuts, the first thing which often comes to mind is the traditional can of ‘mixed nuts’ available at the grocery store. We may even think: I don’t like these! There are, however, hundreds of varieties of nuts and seeds available on (and off) the market. Amongst these is bound to be a variety you really enjoy. And in the process, you can also enjoy the fact that nuts and seeds are among the absolute healthiest foods you can eat: very high in fiber, minerals, vitamins, protein, omega 3; and low in unhealthy calories.

3. Fruit and Vegetable Smoothies

For many of us used to eating ‘recreational foods’, the last thing we tend to think of when considering fruits and vegetables is delicious. However, this is exactly what they are when combined into a smoothie using one of hundreds of freely available recipes online or in books & magazines. Fruit smoothies and ‘green’ smoothies, as their called, can contain all the nutrients of traditional fruits, nuts, and vegetables while tasting radically better than sweets like ice cream and candy.

4. Juicing

Another good use for fruits and vegetables is juicing. This makes an excellent alternative to ultra-sweet sodas and store bought juices. Unlike the latter items, juicing your own is not only far healthier (all the vitamins and nutrients), it also tastes far better: it’s fresh, you can make your own combinations, and the natural fructose sugars taste far better than anything refined. For more about juicing, click here..

5. Water (and Flavored Water)

When most of us get thirsty, we usually want something which ‘tastes good’. This usually puts water last on the list. However, many people find they start liking water more as they replace other junk foods with delicious, healthy alternatives, and it’s more convenient than juicing. Even more preferable if you’re looking for exciting taste, however, is flavored water. And far from the carbonated, sugar based kind at the store (which is hardly different than soda) is a new alternative: natural flavoring with fruit, herbs, and minerals. While not as sweet as sugar, it’s a lot healthier – and more interesting.

6. Salad

There are an infinite number of possible salad varieties. Along with the traditional lettuce salads are all-vegetable salads, fruit salads, and salads which include hundreds of possible side ingredients (nuts, diary, more). Try searching for some recipes online using your favorite ingredients.

7. Vegetable Trays

These make an excellent alternative to chips and similar snacks. Make your own or buy convenient pre-made trays at most grocery stores. Healthy dips include humus, guacamole, salsa, nut butter, and others.

8. Seafood

There was a time when fish was among the healthiest foods in the world. While pollution has changed this to some extent, the nutrient content of fresh, pure seafood can not be denied. Like any animal product today, try to find a natural source rather than industrial production. And there are so many types of seafood you’re sure to like something: from crab to shrimp to lobster, sardines, tuna, and kipper, larger fish, clams, oysters, many others. Eat it plain or mix into your favorite recipe.

9. Cocoa

Despite the bad things we’ve heard about chocolate, it’s origins are actually incredibly healthy. That origin is Cocoa, a small evergreen tree from South America. And along with common nutrients, it contains some ultra rare anti-oxidants and mood-enhancing chemicals. If you don’t like the bitterness of pure cocoa, try mixing it in many of the various recipes online. As long as you don’t consume it with excessive sugar the health benefits will be retained.

10. Eggs

Eggs are another healthy food with a bad reputation. We hear almost constantly about their high fat content and its danger to our cholesterol levels. In fact, however, cholesterol is a repair mechanism of the body activated by arterial inflammation due to excess sugar consumption. This means all the vitamins, minerals, and protein in eggs can be enjoyed without concern.
With time, you’ll find that healthy foods such as these taste far better than the junk foods we are all accustomed to. You’ll also feel healthier and happier. For more ideas about how to use these foods, click here..

from - http://www.5minutelife.com/diet/10-delicious-healthy-junk-food-alternatives/

Vegan Junk Food and Snacks

Vegans typically enjoy good health naturally due to wise food choices and avoidance of animal derived foods.

 

 However, most vegans love to indulge and eat sweets and treats just like everybody else once in a while. Slaving over a stove or purchasing exotic and expensive ingredients is not required to satisfy your vegan junk food cravings
from - http://www.suite101.com/content/vegan-junk-food-and-snacks-a245508

Factory Farms: Backbone of The Junk Food System

There is more and more information coming out that highlights the true environmental and health costs of factory farmed foods. The idea that human population can only be fed by massive industrial farms is a myth and it is destroying our world. The following is from some of the articles that have been coming out recently about this industry.

THE SLOW INSIDIOUS DISPLACEMENT of home cooked and communally shared family meals by the industrial food system has fattened our nation and weakened our family ties. In 1900, 2 percent of meals were eaten outside the home. In 2010, 50 percent were eaten away from home and one in five breakfasts is from MacDonald’s. Most family meals happen about three times a week, last less than 20 minutes and are spent watching television or texting while each family member eats a different microwaved “food.” More meals are eaten in the minivan than the kitchen. From the article Eating at Home can Save your Life.

There is no more potent symbol of the almost absolute control wielded by the international agri-food system (from landgrabbing to retailing), than the factory farm. These industrial complexes cause extensive pollution and disease in entire regions and emit huge amounts of greenhouse gases, all in order to produce food destined for the poor: “cheap” meat of dubious quality, whose true costs are never measured. This system is imposed on us, on humanity, and represent in one crisis the sum of multiple crises. In the almost endless list of calamities caused by factory farms, the genetically modified soy bean monoculture – farmed with pesticides and then used to feed imprisoned animals – means that everything returns to the same pockets at a harsh cost to the planet.

from - http://www.helladelicious.com/blog/stories-and-news/2011/02/factory-farms-backbone-of-the-junk-food-system/

Junk food delicious Are there Really Any Junk Food ‘Value Meals’?

Are there Really Any Junk Food ‘Value Meals’?
If you want to eat a delicious organic Fuji apply you might have to spend around 75 cents. However, commonly value meals are provided at the cost of merely 99-cents. The cost of the food itself might be only 24-cent if general expenses are considered. If a big delicious Fuji apple cost 75 cent how is it possible to provide a whole meal at the cost of only $99 cents.
How is it possible to sell a meal for less than a dollar knowing that providing the meal carries various expenses like; ingredient, table & chairs, wages for cooks and servers, refrigeration equipment, restaurant rent, advertising and utility bills?


The real question is, how is it possible to sell wholesome food at 99 cents while equally generating a profit?
In America nearly 70 percent of the population is overweight. Other developed countries are also slowly adjusting to the trend. There are hundreds of junk food dealers like Pizza Hut, Mars, McDonald’s, Coca-Cola and Kraft, which are selling foods to attract customers. Humans are genetically programmed to consume delicious food and junk food has captured this unique feature of having a nice flavouring taste.
Humans are genetically programmed to store fat. In the past, our predecessors lived under periods where they were exposed to famine. Those people who had the best ability to store fat were those who survived. This is why our genes have this inherited ability to save food when there is a surplus of food available. This is why junk food is a problem to society. It is cheap and available in quantities. Moreover, carbohydrates of junk food are easily changed and stored as fat. This is why an increasing number of people are obese and children are now suffering from Type II Diabetes.
In other words, those commercial deals entitled value meal are causing damage to our body. They are also triggering premature death, not directly from the food but from pathologies that develop with time after consuming junk food.
Additionally, food dealers have found that people are effortlessly addicted to sugars as well as simple carbohydrates. So marketers find simple but tasty food solutions for customer. They are not necessarily healthy but rather tasty. This is why there is an increasing volume of junk food on the market.
In fact, the “value Meal’s” that is being sold by various food dealers do, in reality, poison our body. Companies claim that they are providing great affordable products; however, what’s really in the food is another question

Delicious Treats From New Zealand

Delicious Candy Food...
Gotta have it, tastes fantastic - New Zealand Treat food!!
It is the full dairy cream - lavish amounts of it, along with yellow butter and small production runs that make our Treats so much richer and creamer flavored...yummy.
If you are a homesick Kiwi in a far off land, then you need to get a Homesick Pack fulled with classic Kiwi goodies from us!

 
Drink It With L&P Sodapop...
Then combine it with your favorite softdrink!
Have you ever tried Lemon & Paeroa (L&P) fizzy soda pop soft drink? It is unique to a small town in New Zealand that has a natural spring. Very refreshing.
Candy To Die For...
Otherwise, have a look at the range of candy that New Zealand Kiwis's crave for, world over!
Items like: Full Cream Chocolate, Crunchie Bars, Twisties, Chocolate Fish, Toffee Pops, Minties & Pineapple Lump candy, Milo drink - all wonderful New Zealand food shipped directly to you

from - http://productsfromnz.com/deliciousfoodfromnewzealand

What are the ill effects of junk food?

Junk food is very tasty and no one goes by not noticing it and wanting to bite into it. Resisting junk food is difficult, but with age, taking in junk food is something to be desisted as they do not have a healthy effect on the body. How harmful can junk food be exactly on your body? … Here’s a look on why you need to cut down on junk food eating

Junk food is made using a lot of saturated fats. Such fats are unhealthy and on digestion can release a lot of toxins into your body. You body gets food but not healthy food.

Junk food is sometime made using ingredients that are not very clean. This can in the long run spoil your stomach, liver and intestines.

Junk food does not contain vitamins and minerals and much of the nutrients seen in properly cooked food and in raw food. The body is not getting the necessary vitamins and minerals necessary to have good health and immunity from diseases. Consequently, it makes the person having such food very prone to illnesses.

Junk food makes you put on weight. People who have obesity or morbid obesity are those who have a preference for junk food and snacking.

Eating junk food can make you prone to diabetes, because it contain too much of sugar. You cn also become susceptible to heart disease and blood pressure because of the salt and high fats found in this kind of food.

Packed junk food contains preservatives and coloring, both of which contain carcinogenic substances.

In the long run, junk food actually fastens the effects of aging. People show signs of old age faster because of continuously eating junk food. This is because continuous eating of junk food exposes the body to long periods of bad nutrition. The result is release of free radicals which are the chief factors responsible for aging effect.

The habit of taking in junk food is seen particularly with children, teenage and young adult and in the long run it can tell on their health. The main factor that attracts people to eat junk food is their taste. This taste must be substituted with food that is cooked well and delicious, but at the same time healthy for the body while intake eating salads and fruits must be take up and even increased

from - http://www.helpfulhealthtips.com/what-are-the-ill-effects-of-junk-food/

Should junk food be taxed?

This article on junk food are readable.Good responses from many readers.Now, a days it has become fashioned to say that ,cool drinks,pizza cakes,more sweet consumption on sugar candies,and from many Indian and Pakistan sweets are responsible for obesity and some fat related diseases.As per medical reports,these junk food,sweet beverages may create obesity,more Blood Pressure and some digestive dis order,and,lastly,psycho problems among frequent users.If any government wants to impose more taxes to these latest products for more revenue and for minimum usages by us.Good in one aspect.Whereas ,what happened more taxes on tobacco products.Whether that created,crazy bad habits are stopped.Not much encouraging results till now.Old habits goes to the shelf and new habits of sweet,cool drinks and junk food among new generations are part of creating,urges towards these products by massive advertisement and publicity,especially spending huge amounts to world famous celeberatives for mad of these drinks.Finally speaking,whether tobacco or chewing a pawn in Asian countries,or drinking in public places,or seeing more tempted videos,crazy to certain films,songs,mad rush to world famous artist shows also comes under the categories for more taxation for arresting these mad tendencies among students,youngsters and among adults.Speaking of against these products are easy,but implementation against more usages are very difficult

from - http://blogs.reuters.com/ask/2009/09/02/should-junk-food-be-taxed/
link
http://meganfoxstar.blogspot.com/
http://elishasexycool.blogspot.com/
http://junkfoodtoday.blogspot.com/
http://japanesefoodyum.blogspot.com/

junk food today

from - www.spinwatch.org

Written by Maja PawinskaPublished on May 06 2005
In the week Super Size Me made its network premiere, Turner Broadcasting announced a cartoon series aimed at fighting childhood obesity. Maja Pawinska looks at a growing trend towards broadcast CSR
In the fight to stop kids getting fat, there has been a lot of finger-pointing ? at the Government, schools, parents, fast-food manufacturers and, not least, broadcasters for having the temerity to accept junk food advertising.

Ofcom has made it clear that a complete ban on food advertising to children would be neither proportionate nor effective. But until the regulator publishes its proposals for consultation later this year, broadcasters won?t know how the advertising rules will be tightened, and what the effect on their revenues will be.

In the meantime, a couple of major broadcasters are being proactive in defending their commercial interests and corporate reputations in advance. Last week Turner Broadcasting System Europe, which owns the world?s biggest network of children?s TV channels, including the Cartoon Network, announced that from October it will air a new cartoon series to promote fruit and vegetables to children.

Turner has invested ?250,000 in Elfy Food, and general manager Richard Kilgariff admits that the cartoon started out as a way of appeasing the Government and regulators, but has evolved into something of a personal mission.

?We wanted to counter the possible negative effects of advertising on kids? TV, but Elfy quickly developed into a positive project to provide parents and broadcasters with a tool to fight obesity,? he says. ?On the commercial side, it is protecting our ad sales business, but it is also about corporate social responsibility. We want to show Ofcom and the Government that TV storytelling can be used to communicate powerful messages to kids.?





Turner is not the first broadcaster to include healthy-food messages in its programming.

Nickelodeon has developed a library of original short programming on healthy lifestyle over the past two years, which is shown on all three of its channels. Viewers range from pre-schoolers to early teens.

?We?ve created programming that gets these important messages across in an entertaining and fun way that kids can relate to,? says Nickelodeon UK managing director David Lynn.

Nickelodeon has a mix of animation, such as the Family of Fruit and Vegetables, live cooking on Yummy Yummy, and Get the Skinny, which gives kids the facts on subjects such as fat. Lynn says more productions are in the pipeline.

Like Kilgariff, he acknowledges that there is a delicate balance between running a viable commercial channel that is attractive to advertisers of all kinds, and communicating healthy messages. They both prefer to describe the potential for children to receive conflicting messages ? encouraging them to eat carrots one minute and burgers the next ? as ?choice?.

Lynn says: ?We make this type of programming part of a normal Nickelodeon day. It?s made in a style totally in keeping with our channels and designed to entertain and appeal to our viewers as well as give them the information they need to make balanced choices.?

And Kilgariff is determined that Elfy will make a difference: ?Yes, this started off as a defence mechanism, but now I?m really on a crusade,? he says. ?Obviously there are good commercial reasons for doing it, but as a powerful brand, if you can make a difference, you should.?Turner briefed Ofcom on the cartoon, and the regulator?s spokeswoman, Julie McCatty, says the initiative has its support: ?As part of a wide discussion on food advertising to children, we are constantly talking to broadcasters, consumer groups, advertisers and the Government, and we support positive action by any party with a view on this important public issue.?

Turner is so serious about the need for Elfy that it is offering it for free to other broadcasters. ?If terrestrial channels and even our competitors don?t have the time or money to invest, they are welcome to use it for free, as are the Government and the COI. It?s much bigger than Turner,? says Kilgariff. ?The success measure is whether it has an impact on our audience of 70 per cent of the kids in the UK, and how Elfy Food can reach the other 30 per cent who don?t watch our kids? channels.?

At competitor Jetix Europe, formerly Fox Kids, head of PR Jenny Burbage says the broadcaster would consider showing Elfy Food: ?We have no specific plans for kids? programmes to promote healthy eating, but we are open to ideas.?

Turner wants to roll the cartoon out across Europe and the US, and has also created the Elfy Coalition to provide a one-message platform for charities and broadcasters to change the way kids think about fruit and veg. Kilgariff wants to attract like-minded organisations to join the coalition, hence its request to PR agency Taylor Herring to announce the cartoon six months before it will broadcast.

?There?s nothing to stop a supermarket chain or even food manufacturers joining the coalition, but we will keep the content very pure, and we haven?t produced it in consultation with advertisers. There won?t be any opportunity for product placement, unless your product is generic broccoli,? he says.

Kilgariff reveals that PR activity in the run-up to the show will include an Elfy Week this autumn.

Original programming