Cook Delicious, Healthy Food for the Family
What if there was a way to cook delicious food that helped you get the weight off and got your family eating healthier?
Husband and wife fitness experts Dave and Carrie Woodward, creators of bodyevolution.com, are the parents of four boys and have a typical busy family life. The Woodward’s created the “Strategic Cook” method to help them prepare great-tasting food that’s healthy. They offer these quick and easy ideas from their own kitchen:
1. Bake, don’t fry. Frying food in oil or butter adds additional unhealthy fats and takes away much of the nutritional value of the food. Try instead using parchment paper to cook foods you might normally fry, like chicken or potatoes. Place food on parchment paper. Then fold all the loose ends together before placing the item in the oven. By not cooking in fat, the food doesn’t pick up added calories. This technique not only seals in the heat, which can decrease cooking time, it also maintains a food’s nutritional value more completely and makes it more flavorful by locking in natural flavors. This is a great way to cook meat, poultry, fish, and veggies.
2. Grill more. When cooking meats, poultry or fish, use the grill. Not only does it make food taste incredible, it also cuts calories and fat because excess fats found in the food drip off. Veggies and even fruit can be grilled.
3. Veggies – The Un-Pasta: Most people love pasta, but unfortunately, pasta dishes are loaded with carbs and fats from ingredients like cheese and meats. In Carrie Woodward’s Mexican Vegetable Lasagna recipe, she replaces the starchy pasta and greasy meats with layers of veggies, such as zucchini; squash; and yellow, orange, red or green peppers; mushrooms; and eggplant on top of one another. Add sauce as you go along to make a high-fiber, high-flavor lasagna. You can also use whole grain or corn tortillas in the place of pasta for another twist.
