It has long been agreed that humans need a certain amount of fat in their diets. It’s a small amount, but this little bit of fat is essential to good health. And if you strive to make sure that most of the fats that you consume are of the “good” variety, your health will flourish even more.

Good Fats

All good fats are known as unsaturated fats. Within this category, there are two different kinds of fats.

Monounsaturated fats have been proven to aid in weight loss. They also lower our LDL (bad cholesterol) levels while raising our HDL (good cholesterol) levels. Monounsaturated fats are found in many different kinds of nuts, including almonds, peanuts, pistachios and walnuts. There is also a large amount of monounsaturated fat in certain oils, including avocado oil, canola oil and olive oil.

Like monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats lower LDL cholesterol. But they also provide protection to the heart, making heart disease and heart attacks less likely in those who consume them regularly. There are two main categories of polyunsaturated fats: Omega-3 fatty acids and Omega-6 fatty acids. These fats are found in corn, soy and sunflower oils, as well as fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and rainbow trout.

Bad Fats

Saturated fats are naturally occurring bad fats. We need a small amount of saturated fat in our diets, but most of us get too much of it. Eating too much saturated fat raises bad cholesterol and increases our risk of many different diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

There’s another kind of bad fat, which is man-made and is found in many foods. Hydrogenated fat, also known as trans fat, is created by adding hydrogen to polyunsaturated fat. This is done to make the fat solid at room temperature. Use of trans fat was widespread for many years, because it was believed to be less harmful than saturated fats. But it was recently discovered that trans fat is even worse for our health than saturated fat, as it raises LDL cholesterol and lowers HDL. The FDA now requires the amount of trans fat in foods to be shown on the nutrition label.

Too much of any kind of fat is a bad thing. But if we replace the harmful fats in our diet with those that are good for us, and consume them in moderation, our health will benefit.

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People often think that when they’re trying to drop extra pounds they’re limited to what they can eat, and that’s true to a degree. But, there’s no need to starve yourself or eat nothing but rice cakes. You can have snacks which are healthy and taste great so you won’t have to suffer while you’re slimming down.

Advertisements on television and in magazines state each person needs a certain number of dairy servings a day. The ads claim you can actually lose weight by consuming dairy products. Well, why not eat low-fat yogurt as a snack. Add fresh fruit to the yogurt and you’ve taken care of one serving of dairy and one serving of fruit for the day. You’ll also have the benefit of the vitamins and minerals from both foods which are necessary for health.

What do you do if you don’t like yogurt that much? You can get dairy servings in other ways, too; try a low-fat milkshake or smoothie. Using skim or low-fat milk, ice, and either fresh or frozen fruit, you can make a great milkshake to enjoy for breakfast or at any other time of the day.

If you’d like to try something different, why not simply try a green smoothie? You use water, 100% fruit juice, water, fruit, and then add raw spinach or another green leafy vegetable. It may take a bit to get used to, but once you’ve had this type of drink you’ll soon learn to love them. This will be very low fat, as you’re not adding anything to the fruit, vegetables and water, and will be full of health-giving vitamins and minerals.

Make muffins using applesauce in place of the fat (margarine or butter). This will make the muffins lower fat than traditional recipes and you may not even recognize the difference as far as taste. Add shredded carrots to the muffins to give you more nutrients. Use other fruits or vegetables such as bananas and zucchini to make the muffins moist and delicious.

Popcorn is a great healthy snack idea as long as you don’t smother it in butter. Air-popped popcorn has no fat, is healthy, and can be filling. Instead of using salt and melted butter to flavor the popcorn, try adding onion powder, garlic powder, or nutritional yeast instead. Be adventurous and try to find a combination that you’ll enjoy. If you feel you must use fat to help flavor the popcorn, use a spray of olive oil which is a good fat.

When choosing healthy snacks that help you lose weight, remember to choose foods which are low-fat. You also want to limit the amount you eat at one sitting. Even snacks which are healthy can cause you to gain weight rather than lose it if you eat too much.

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Ingredients:
1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced
1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
½ cup raspberries
2 cups cottage cheese
1 tsp apricot jelly

Instructions:
In a large bowl, combine sugar and lemon juice. Add banana and mango slices and stir, so that the fruit is well coated.

Use a fine mesh strainer and press the raspberries with the back of a spoon. Extract all the raspberry juice.

In a small pot on very low heat, melt the apricot jelly and stir in the raspberry juice.

Divide the cottage cheese in 4 individual bowls and cover with the fruit slices. Drizzle with raspberry sauce and enjoy this delicious and light dessert.

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(Yields 2)

Ingredients:
¼ lb angel hair pasta
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
10 medium shrimp, cleaned
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch of salt and pepper
1 ½ tbsp freshly chopped parsley
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Cook angel hair pasta according to package directions and drain.

In the meantime, in a skillet, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden brown. Remove garlic from skillet and discard. Add shrimp, salt, pepper and parsley to oil and cook until shrimp turn pink. Remove skillet from heat.

Toss with spaghetti and add parmesan and remaining parsley.

Serve immediately with garlic bread and a tossed salad.

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Ingredients:
2 cups water
¾ cup sugar
1 piece cinnamon stick (about 3”)
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 firm pears

Sauce:
¼ cup cream (half-half)
½ cup sugar
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp almond extract

Instructions:
In a two quart microwave safe casserole dish, combine water, sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Microwave at HIGH (100% power) for 4 minutes, covered.

In the meantime, pare pears, cut thin slice off each bottom so that pear will stand up. Leave the stems on.

Place pears in the casserole dish with hot syrup and microwave covered at HIGH for 10 minutes. Turn the pears after 5 minutes. Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Sauce:
In a medium size bowl, combine cream and sugar. Microwave, uncovered, at HIGH for two minutes, After 1 minute, give it a quick stir. Add the chocolate and microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Add almond extract and butter and stir until melted.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of chocolate sauce onto each dessert plate, top with a pear and pour another tablespoon of sauce on top.

Serve immediately!

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Ingredients:
2 cups smoked oysters
¼ cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp garlic, minced
½ lb bacon strips, cut in thirds
Toothpicks

Instructions:
Wrap bacon slice around an oyster and place toothpick through to hold it together.

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet, add garlic. Then fry bacon wrapped oysters until the bacon is nice and crisp. Remove from the skillet and place on paper towel to drain.

A great appetizer for your Valentine’s Day Party.

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For those of us not aware of it there is a good guide pyramid, which can help us better understand the different food groups. All of our food is divided into grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy products and meats, beans, poultry, fish and nuts. Your child gets a balanced diet when all the food groups are covered. There are some groups where the intake needs to be lesser than the others, such as the oils and meats.

The benefits of healthy eating for kids will not be felt if you blindly follow the food groups. For example an apple in its natural state will do more for your child’s well being and overall good health than an apple pie with sugar would.
For children to develop healthy eating habits the parents will need to lead by example. It is always advisable to start a child out eating right from a very small age because this becomes habit forming. You should never put a child on a restrictive diet without the approval and supervision of a pediatrician. Overweight children go through quite a lot of trauma as a result of their size and all of this can be avoided if the parents take onus for ensuring that the children eat the right kinds of healthy nutritious foods they need.

Given below are some ideas on how to draw on the benefits of healthy eating for kids:
• You can guide your family’s choices by doing the shopping right; never dictate it will not go down well. Make sure your home has plenty of healthy foods like fruit and vegetables, yoghurts and dips that you can turn into healthy meals and snacks for the family. Don’t stock up on crisps and other junk food no matter how attractive the packaging and how easy it makes the shopping, to simply load up the trolley with a bunch of pre-packaged foods for kids.
• Make mealtimes a family affair with a lot of happy talk and exchange of ideas. This will help children to eat more slowly. Gobbling food will not help a child differentiate between a full and overfull stomach. When there is fun and laughter at the table you will find your children wanting to stay put and take the meal at a slow pace.

• Take your children with you when you go shopping and when you prepare meals as much as possible. Take the time to learn about their preferences and use the opportunities to teach them about the importance of nutrition and the benefits of healthy eating for kids.

• It is no secret that children enjoy snacking between meals and plenty of low fat milk and fruit should be the healthy alternatives. Try to avoid over eating at any cost. Always remember that what you don’t have at home your children cannot eat – so throw out the junk food!
Exercising and being active goes hand in glove with eating right so make use of this article to better understand the benefits of healthy eating for kids.

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You can give your kids what they like to eat, yummy foods that are delicious and healthy. Teaching a child to eat healthy from the start will avoid a lot of problems later on as the child grows. Overweight children tend to have medical issues involving the heart and blood pressure and then there is the psychological factor as well, overweight children get bullied and mocked. You can prevent all of this as a parent by making sure your child eats the right kinds of nutritious food and leads an active life.

Parents can develop healthy eating patterns in children by being innovative and making use of some very healthy kid friendly recipes that use vegetables and proteins in combinations that provide for lower calorie, vitamin and mineral rich foods will teach a child to eat right and enjoy it. Whole grains are full of proteins but need to be served up as appealing fare to get children to eat the food and calcium rich foods are a must for the child’s bone development.

Busy work schedules and microwavable food have seriously affected the growing child’s overall growth and development, because bad eating habits make for nutrition less food. Parents tend to think that as the child grows these deficiencies can be made up for but that it is absolutely the wrong thinking. Right nutrition goes a very long way in making for a healthy child and the positive effects carry on into adulthood, helping defend against medical illnesses.

Children who are raised on nutritious foods adapt quickly to the food and don’t have any problem with eating it, but it is important to start them off right from the word go. Potato crisps are yummy but not nutritious, while fruit is tasty and good for a child. While it is true that it is far easier to whiz through the market picking up snacks and other munchies, it is well worth the time invested in shopping for healthy fruits and vegetables. Buy more fish, which is full of omega 3 fatty acids that are excellent for the body. Always check the child’s food pyramid for your food options and try as far as possible to stick to it.

Make sure your healthy kid friendly recipes include generous helpings of the daily recommended allowances of vitamins and minerals. You can get the vitamins and minerals chart to help you closely adhere to the necessary daily intake and make sure the food groups you buy cover all of them. Children who eat healthy, nutritious food seldom need vitamin supplements. Your pediatrician can help you make informed decisions about the food you give your child. Calcium, iron, zinc and fluoride, and vitamins A, C, D and K should be included in healthy does in the foods you feed your child.

There are several good books that you can buy, which provide healthy kid friendly recipes to help feed your child favorite foods that are healthy alternatives to high calorie diets.

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While it is very easy to hand a bag of potato chips to your child to munch on, it will not give the child any nutritional value. Too much fast food, oily foods and over eating have led to a huge problem of overweight children across the country. As parents we have to take control of our children’s eating habits and steer them on the right path to eating foods that provide the nutrition the body needs to grow healthy and strong.
Children get hungry very quickly and if you have trained your child to eat right from a very young age you will not have any problem in getting them to eat the right kinds of snacks. Every growing child is going to need fillers between meals and it is better to train a child to eat smaller portioned meals more often. Healthy snacks are good fillers and can consist of fruits and other whole grain snacks that will add value to the growing body.

Supermarkets are inundated with kids snacks in exciting packages and oh so easy to just dump a few in the trolley and move on. Time savers indeed! These processed foods contain plenty of sugar that is not good for anybody. You can make eating fruit a lot more fun by blending it into yoghurt that makes for a very tasty snack. Alternatively you can also serve the child a fruit platter with a bowl of flavored yoghurt as a dip. Another alternative to getting your child to eat more fruit is to make fruit popsicles – goes down great on a summer day. Fruit smoothies are really very popular among children and can be made from low fat milk, yoghurt and fresh fruit. Your child gets the dual health benefits from fruit and low fat dairy products together. You can make up combinations of fresh vegetables and exciting dips or put low fat peanut butter on whole grain crackers. All of these ideas make for healthy snacks that are going to fill your child up in more ways than one with the goodness of nutrition.

When we are busy rushing around between work, the kids and home with barely a minute to breathe, it is very difficult to think nutritious when easy is all that comes to mind. However, every parent is urged to find the time to make up a list of fun healthy kids snacks based on the preferences of the child. Make a conscious effort to shop right; if you don’t have it in the house the child is not tempted to eat it!

If you take the time to consider your options to provide fun healthy kids snacks you will be pleasantly surprised, there is quite a list of possibilities ranging from fruit, pretzels, crackers with peanut butter, muffins, yoghurt, granola and so much more. Make the time – your child’s health depends on the food you feed him or her.

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As parents we have a responsibility towards maintaining a balanced healthy diet for kids to help prevent childhood obesity. To do this the parent needs to ensure that the child consumes foods that will provide nutrition and help maintain a healthy weight. Beverages can also greatly increase calorie intake, so it is best to try to limit the amount of soft drinks consumed and promote water as a healthier alternative.

Parents are encouraged to find new and interesting recipes and to make foods that provide nutrition and the right amount of calories as attractive and appealing as possible. Some of the healthy foods on the food pyramid include: fruits, vegetables, whole grain products, low fat dairy products, lean meats, fish, poultry, beans and lentils. You can reduce portion sizes so that they are reasonable instead of unlimited, and pour out water for your family as an alternative to unhealthy soft drinks. The consumption of refined sugar and saturated fats should be controlled.
Parents will need to bring all of their ingenuity into play to find ways to promote a balanced healthy diet for kids, which is both nutritious and attractive. A heap of greens on a plate is far from appealing and of course your kid is not going to want to eat it! The internet is filled with recipes for new ideas to make dishes more nutritious and balanced with vegetables and even fruits. A macaroni and cheese diet is easy to throw together and will fill your child up but will it provide the nutrition needed?

Team up with the mother’s in your child’s play group to trade ideas on how to get children to eat the food that is good for them, trade recipes and plan play activities. What you need to be aware of is that simply eating right is not enough; your child needs an active lifestyle as well. You can also balance diet by ensuring that the appropriate amount of physical activity is engaged in to strengthen bones, reduce blood pressure and stress and help with weight management.

You have to be firm and remove all those calorie rich temptations from your fridge. If children see ice cream and chocolate and all those yummy things every time they stick their heads in the fridge, how much resistance do you think there will be to the temptation to gorge? A very good idea for a dessert is yoghurt filled with fruit; peaches, berries, mango in yoghurt make for a naturally sweet dessert that is really enjoyable.

Ensuring a balanced healthy diet for kids is every parent’s responsibility and one that needs to be taken very seriously.

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You can create a food journal out of any number of materials. You can get a three-ring binder with notebook paper, a spiral ring notebook, create a journal to suit your needs, or print out pre-made food journals which you find on the internet.

The purpose of a food journal is to track what you’ve eaten during the day. This will give you an accurate picture of what you’ve eaten all day long. It will ensure you’re getting all of the nutrients you need as well as helping you keep track of how much water you’re getting each day.

* Choose the type of journal you’ll use. As stated above, you can use nearly anything as a journal as long as you can carry it with you to track what you’re eating. Online journals aren’t recommended unless you write everything down during the day and then record things at the end of the day.

* Write down everything you eat during a 24-hour period. This includes all meals, snacks, chewing gum, hard candies, or beverages. You may want to use two pages per day to ensure you have enough room to write everything down. You can also use the space for the day to write down if you’ve eaten alone, with friends, what mood you were in when you ate, or other information which might affect how much you ate during the day.

* Throughout the day, look at your journal to ensure you’re getting enough of each food group. Did you eat get five servings of fruits or vegetables? Did you drink enough water? Did you eat too much of any food or too many fats?

* By keeping the journal, you can see what you’re actually eating, which foods you’re eating too many of and can cut back on, and which foods you need to eat more of. You can also determine how many calories you’re eating each day, and then make a decision as to where you can cut back.

Some pre-made journals will break down what you’re eating into categories such as fats, proteins, carbohydrates, fiber, fruits, and vegetables. You decide how in-depth you’d like your journal to be; if it’s too detailed and is more trouble than it’s worth you may not continue using it. The simpler you keep your journal, the more likely you’ll be to use it.

What can you learn when you create a food journal to help you lose weight? You can see if there are certain foods that cause you to stumble. You can also note if there are certain times of the day which you struggle most. Finally, you’ll have a better understanding of how much you’re actually eating during the day so you can decide what changes can be made to help you shed those unwanted pounds.

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The New Year is the time for resolutions, especially ones about kick-starting a lifestyle that’s healthier for the body as well as the planet. This January, Organic Valley - a farmer-owned cooperative of more than 1,300 organic family farmers nationwide - is wheeling out a promotion that will help people fulfill that noble but often elusive resolution for recipes for kids and adults.
Beginning today, consumers can go to OrganicRising.com and enter to win prizes that complement the healthy choices they make when purchasing Organic Valley breakfast products at their local grocery store. Organic Valley will award three grand prizes of a Trek bicycle, free subscriptions to Organic Gardening magazine; and five prizes of a year of free Organic Valley products. The website also offers healthy breakfast tips and valuable coupons for nutritious Organic Valley breakfast products, including milk, orange juice, soy milk, eggs, butter and Organic Prairie brand breakfast link sausage. While online, consumers can use Organic Valley’s online calculator Organic Counts (www.organicvalley.coop/organiccounts) to measure the amount of toxic pesticides and synthetic nitrogen they’re helping to keep out of the environment by purchasing Organic Valley products.
For each Organic Rising contest entry, Organic Valley will donate $1 to the Rodale Institute (www.rodaleinstitute.org), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people and the planet through organic farming. This will add up to thousands of dollars for organic health and environmental research.
“Organic Valley wants to inspire families to start the new decade focused on the health of their bodies and the planet,” said Sarah Bratnober, marketing communications director for Organic Valley. “Simple choices, from starting each day with an organic breakfast, to heading out the door for a bike ride for some exercise, to supporting the work of organizations like the Rodale Institute are small actions that add up to a big difference.”

SOURCE Organic Valley Family of Farms

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Some of the restaurants run the “kids eat free” deal every day of the week and some only offer it on a particular day of the week. Each restaurant also has its own definition of a kid. Kids are defined from age 3 to age 12 - each restaurant treats them differently.

These are just a few of the restaurants featured in the article…

*Chick-fil-A:* Tuesday nights from 5:30-7:30 p.m. At participating locations, kids can eat a free kid’s meal at Chick-fil-A on Tuesdays for Family Fun Night. There is a limit of 1 free kid’s meal per adult combo meal purchased.

*Boston Market:* Saturday & Sunday - two free kid’s meals with 1 adult purchase of $6 or more. Four free kid’s meals with purchase of a Family Meal. Offer available to kids 14 and under for dine-in, carryout and at drive-thru. No coupon required, but kids must be present to claim their meals. Promotion ends 1-31-10 and is not valid with any other discounts, coupons or special offers.

*Captain D’s:* Thursdays get 2 free kid’s meals with any adult entree purchase at regular price (dine-in only). Participating locations only - please check with your local Captain D’s for details.

*O’Charley’s:* Every day you can get 2 free kid’s meals for ages 10 and under per adult entree purchase.

SOURCE ChristianPF.com

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To help parents prepare Real Food they can feel good about serving the whole family this holiday season, Hellmann’s® and Best Foods® Mayonnaise partnered with critically acclaimed chef, author and TV personality Bobby Flay to create the “Real Holiday Helpings” program on www.Hellmanns.com and www.BestFoods.com. The online program includes recipes and tips for how to easily prepare Real Food that tastes great and is made from simple ingredients including Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise made with eggs, oil and vinegar.

Bobby Flay is a celebrated chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, television personality and he gained a widespread following by showing people how to prepare delicious meals that are made from simple and fresh ingredients.

SOURCE Hellmann’s

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As a part of his appearance, the nine time X Games gold medalist unveiled a new addition to the tour, a “Tony Hawk: RIDE Like a Champion” interactive video game experience, which allows players of all skill levels to step onto a revolutionary skateboard shaped controller and use their bodies to perform grinds, ollies and grabs like the pros.

“As a member of the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, it’s an honor to have Tony Hawk: RIDE featured in the ‘Live Like a Champion’ mobile tour and to be able to share the sport I love with the students of California,” said Tony Hawk. “I am committed to promoting healthy lifestyles and Tony Hawk: RIDE is one more way to encourage people to engage in an activity they can enjoy on their own, as well as with their family and friends.”

Live Like a Champion is an award-winning initiative from the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and Anthem Blue Cross. The 16-city statewide tour features interactive games and challenging sports-themed activities that encourage students to bring out their “inner champion.”

SOURCE Activision Publishing, Inc.

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Bursting with the rich flavor of vanilla custard and caramelized sugar, and infused with a tangy cranberry zing, Cranberry Creme Brulee Kefir has only 160 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving. And just like the other 13 flavors of Lifeway Kefir, there are 10 exclusive live and active cultures that work in your body to help build and restore immunity, improve digestion and help fight off pesky cold and flu bugs. Delicious and nutritious, Lifeway Kefir is a perfect way to enjoy holiday flavors guilt-free.

CFO Edward Smolyansky said, “Our hope is that seasonal flavors become an annual tradition for us at Lifeway and something that our customers look forward to each year.”

Julie Smolyansky, CEO commented, “Our Kefir customers have been asking for a special holiday version for years, so we have been working to develop just the right flavor profile.”

Source Lifeway Foods

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Raw carrots, celery, and broccoli were provided either with or without peanut butter for dipping and those not provided peanut butter, did not improve vegetable intake.

“We measured what they ate and were excited to see that even those who reported not eating vegetables, who are the most challenging group, ate a greater variety of vegetables with the peanut butter,” said Dr. Craig Johnston, Instructor at the Behavioral Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine, at the USDA-ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center in Houston, Texas who conducted the study.

Vegetable intake has been shown to be beneficial against the development of many chronic diseases, but consumption in adolescents is well below recommended levels and strategies to increase intake in adolescents are limited.

Peanut butter was paired with vegetables in this study, because it is a nutrient-rich comfort food loved by kids and adults alike. In fact, it was well received and readily consumed by the students in this study all of whom are Mexican-American.

The adolescents are part of a treatment group in a successful weight loss program in schools that is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS). Though some believe peanut butter would be associated with increased energy intake, the study has demonstrated significant weight loss that is maintained over time.

In the United States, over two-thirds of the nuts eaten are peanuts and peanut butter. Peanut butter provides over 15 key nutrients and is offered in Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) packages because of its protein, nutrient content, and affordability. Numerous studies have also shown that peanuts and peanut butter reduce the risk of chronic disease when eaten in small amounts daily and that they can help in weight management and keeping you satisfied.

Pairing vegetables with peanut butter is an effective, simple strategy for children and adolescents, which helps build positive eating habits and increases vegetable intake. Eating more vegetables with increased variety, by providing them with healthy, nutrient-rich foods like peanut butter may contribute to healthier lifestyles and chronic disease reduction.

The Peanut Institute is a non-profit organization that supports nutrition research and develops educational programs to encourage healthful lifestyles. Learn more about peanuts and health at www.peanut-institute.org

SOURCE The Peanut Institute

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One meal commonly prepared in a slow cooker is pot roast. While this meal is often traditionally prepared in a cast iron Dutch oven or in the stove, there’s nothing quite like how moist and tender a slow cooker makes the meat.

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

1 rump roast or shoulder roast
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 can water
2 cloves minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
6 small potatoes cut into quarters (red or golden)
1/2 onion, diced (or 1 teaspoon onion powder)
3 cups chopped carrots
3 cups mushrooms, whole or chopped

Begin by removing any large pieces of fat from the roast and put it into a slow cooker set on low. Chop the vegetables so they’re ready when needed. Add the soup, water, herbs, spices, and onions with the roast and let this simmer. When the roast has cooked 3-5 hours, add the rest of the vegetables and allow this to simmer for another 1-2 hours.

Perhaps your family is vegetarian. You can still use the slow cooker for making Vegetarian Chili.

1 - 16 ounce tomato sauce
1 - 32 ounce kidney beans, drained
1 - 16 ounce canned corn
1 onion, chopped
1 crushed clove of garlic
1 sliced green pepper
1 chopped tomato
2 teaspoons of chili powder
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon of salt

Add all ingredients into the slow cooker and stir them. Put the cover on the slow cooker and cook on high for 3 to 4 hours. This will make 6 to 8 servings and is great for leftovers, if you have any.

For those who like dessert with their meals, you can use your slow cooker for that, too. Here’s a recipe for Blueberry Cobbler:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar – divided
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 pinch each salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg
1 beaten egg
1 tablespoon of milk
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
2 cups of blueberries
1/4 cup of water

In a small bowl, combine flour, half of the sugar, baking powder, and spices. Combine eggs, milk, and oil in another small bowl then pour this mixture into the dry ingredients until it’s moistened. Grease the slow cooker on the bottom and sides and then spread the batter on the bottom of the cooker.

On the stove, over medium heat, combine the blueberries, water and the other half of the sugar. Bring this mixture to a boil and then remove it from the heat. Pour the berries into the slow cooker and cook on high for two hours. Turn off the cooker after the two hours, uncover it, and then allow it to set for at least 30 minutes before serving. You may want to serve with vanilla ice cream, home-made or store-bought.

Slow cookers are great for those days you want to have dinner waiting for you due to time constraints, but they’re also good for making dessert. If you try one of these three super-easy slow cooking recipes, you may find the slow cooker is one tool you’ll want to have in your kitchen.

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Turmeric

Used primarily in Indian cooking, turmeric is a root that is dried and ground into a powder. Turmeric’s active ingredient curcurmin is currently being studied for possible health treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and liver disorders. Turmeric has been recognized for thousands of years as a safe anti-inflammatory product. Curcurmin is also believed to be a powerful pain reliever and is currently being studied for treatment of arthritis patients. The spice contains potassium, manganese, iron, and vitamins B6 and C.

Coriander/Cilantro

Coriander and cilantro come from the same plant but from different parts, which makes it both an herb and a spice. Coriander is the seed and cilantro comes from the leaves and stems. You may recognize both of these as being used in Mexican, Mediterranean, and Middle Eastern cooking. They may help control blood sugar and lower cholesterol. They are also believed to help fight cancer and aid digestion. They contain manganese, magnesium, and iron as well as several essential oils which are good as an anti-diarrheal, antiseptic, and for reducing menstrual disorders.

Cumin

Cumin is another common herb used in curry. It aids digestion and can help relieve insomnia, asthma, respiratory problems, and bronchitis. Breastfeeding mothers will also benefit from eating curry as it can help with lactation, as well as beefing up your immune system and helping to fight cancer. It is recognized as an anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and antispasmodic product.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a common spice that is used around the world. It has been proven to be beneficial for those with diabetes as it may help to control blood sugar and regulate insulin. It is also believed to lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It is an antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory product and has been proven to be helpful in preventing gout and some arthritis problems. It contains manganese, fiber, calcium, and iron.

Ginger

Ginger contains the phytonutrients gingerols and shogaols, which give ginger its flavor. Ginger is known to aid digestion, calm motion sickness, and is often called a pregnant woman’s best friend as it calms morning sickness. It is often used in Chinese medicine to combat rheumatoid arthritis and has been used to treat those suffering with migraine headaches, chronic pain, and muscle aches. Please note, however, that self-medicating with ginger is not recommended for those taking blood thinners or those suffering from gallstones.

Besides tasting great, these five super spices can be used for their health benefits. Although they have been touted for thousands of years, it is a good idea to talk with your primary physician before using them in large quantities. You may want to do further research into these spices to see other benefits, as well.

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For those who aren’t aware, miso is a paste made from fermented and ground soybeans which has been fermented for two months up to two years. It is often mixed with rice, barley, or wheat to speed up fermentation. Normally, it can be found in the international aisle of most grocery stores.

1. Miso is versatile. It can be made into a dressing for salads, soup, or made into a tea. Miso comes in white, brown, deep red and creamy beige, each with its own distinct flavor. Flavors range from sweet and mild to savory and earthy.

2. Miso is also high in fiber and probiotics. It increases the enzymes your body produces in your digestive system by increasing beneficial micro-organisms. These micro-organisms will break down foods better which will enable more nutrients to be absorbed, giving you more energy.

3. Most people eat meat to get protein. However, miso provides high quality vegetable protein that is highly usable in the body. In fact, if you were to eat miso with whole grains, the proteins you consume would be increased. It also contains unsaturated oils and zero cholesterol, which doctors recommend as part of a heart-healthy diet.

4. Some reports have confirmed miso as being beneficial by helping prevent some cancers, heart disease, and other illnesses. It has also been touted to eliminate heavy metals, nicotine, and air pollutants from your system. Women who eat miso regularly have been shown to be less likely to develop breast cancer.

5. Miso is high in essential minerals such as zinc which aids the immune system. Iron, copper and manganese are also in ample supply in miso.

6. If you’re moving toward a more vegetarian diet, miso would be a great addition. It is high in vitamins K and B12, both essential for a healthy body.

How on earth do you use miso? There are a number of ways you can try to start using miso in your family’s meals: use it instead of a stock (chicken or vegetable) when making home-made soups, spread it on toast similar to butter, use it as a salt substitute when you’re cooking, or mix it with sesame oil and your favorite seasonings to make an Asian-inspired salad dressing.

Although doctors in the West can be slow to acknowledge the health benefits of foods used traditionally in the East, it seems they’re taking notice of miso. By reading these six reasons to start eating miso, you can see how this food from Japan can improve your health and help you avoid some diseases. Maybe it’s time to find it in your grocery store and make it a part of your family’s diet.

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Creating nutritious meals day in and day out may be tiresome. If you start with a menu plan, you can make weekly meals your family will love. Here are some things to consider about creating menu plans:

* A menu plan allows you to create a focused grocery shopping list. Knowing what you need for each meal keeps you from racing through the grocery store trying to find something for dinner.

* A menu plan also allows you to save time in the kitchen. By knowing what you need, you know you have everything in place before beginning to make the meal.

* You can make a menu plan for one week, two weeks, or more. Keep each week’s menu plan and you can take notes on them about which ones the family liked, which ones they’d rather never eat again, and changes to side dishes that might be better.

* Putting together a meal plan can be a great way to feed your family a meal they’ll love as well as end your family’s hectic day on a peaceful note.

Now you know how making a menu plan can save you time and money in the kitchen. If you’ve never made a menu plan before, you may like to learn. Here are some easy steps you may want to follow when making your first one; you may want your family’s help.

1. Make a list of all the main dishes your family enjoys; don’t forget anything. It won’t matter how neat the list is, it’s just to get the ideas down on paper.

2. Try to write down the amount of time needed to prepare each dish. You may want to mark dishes that take considerably longer than 30 minutes to prepare, not counting cooking time, so you can save those for days you have more time.

3. Put each main dish into categories such as Mexican, Italian, Sandwiches, Soups and Salads, or Casseroles.

4. Decide which day you’ll do your shopping. Many people do all of their grocery shopping on Saturday. You may want to have leftovers on Friday night to make shopping day easier.

5. Check your calendar and look to see if there are any really busy days. Plan on having soup and salads on that night.

6. Fill in the rest of the calendar with a category. Determine which category of food you’ll have each night and then plan on having that category of dish every week on the same day.

7. After you have your categories planned, now it’s time to look through your cupboards to see which ingredients you already have and which ingredients you need to purchase. You can create your focused shopping list based on the ingredients you need for the meals on your meal plan.

8. Be flexible. Plans change, people stop over, or meetings are called. By having a meal plan, you can choose to switch meals from one day to another and still know you have everything you need.

Menu planning can make meal time much easier for your family. Look at these suggestions and use those you find helpful. Then get out some paper, a pen, and your calendar and make your own meal plan – a great way to save time and money in the kitchen.

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Ingredients:
1 cup frozen cherries
1 cup water
½ tbsp coconut butter
1 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp almonds
A few dried dates (depending on your taste)

Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a blender and whiz until deliciously frothy.

Enjoy this vegan treat anytime.

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Ingredients:
½ box spaghetti
4 – 6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 large handful arugula
1/3 cup pickled peppers, diced
Generous amount of olive oil
Red pepper flakes (to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese

Instructions:
Cook spaghetti according to package instructions until al dente.

In a separate large pot heat olive oil, add the garlic and cook over low heat until the garlic is soft. Add the cooked spaghetti to the pot and gently sauté with the olive oil and garlic. Add the pickled peppers, pepper flakes, tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Toss until the spaghetti are thoroughly coated.

Remove from heat, then stir through arugula.

Enjoy the spaghetti with a generous helping of grated parmesan cheese.

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Ingredients:
2 pears, peeled and sliced
8 slices of bread (preferably sourdough)
½ cup blue cheese, crumbled
½ cup Havarti cheese, grated
¼ cup sour cream

Instructions:
In a bowl, mix together the blue and havarti cheese. Spread sour cream on one side of each slice of bread and top 4 bread slices with sliced pears and cheese mix. Grill sandwiches and the other 4 slices of bread for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and the bread is browned. Top pear and cheese sandwich with toasted slice of bread and enjoy immediately.

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Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
¼ cup orange juice
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions:
Using a food processor, firstly mix and chop garlic and parsley, then add the vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper.  Slowly add the vegetable oil and orange juice with running motor.

This dressing is delicious poured over steamed green vegetables, as a dressing for tossed salads or as a marinade.

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Ingredients:
1 medium cucumber, sliced
½ cup red pepper, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
2/3 cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 fresh and deboned fillets of salmon
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dill weed
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add rosemary and oregano. Fry the salmon fillets until nice and golden. In separate pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil, then sauté red pepper, cucumber slices and onion.

Mix yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill weed, parsley and coriander in a bowl.

Serve the cooked salmon on your choice of bread or bread roll, top with the dressing and sautéed vegetables. Top with another piece of bread or the top of the bread roll and enjoy this delicious salmon sandwich.

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Ingredients:
4-5 pieces of chicken (chicken breast preferably)
4 carrots, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups water
4 chicken broth cubes
1 tsp garlic salt
1 lb egg noodles
salt & pepper

Instructions:
Add carrots to your crock pot, then add chicken, onion, water, cubes and spices (leaving out the noodles). Turn the crock pot on low and cook for about eight hours.

When almost ready, cook egg noodles according to package instructions. While the noodles cook, take chicken pieces out and cut into child-friendly, bite-size pieces. Place chicken pieces & cooked noodles in the crock pot.

If needed, mix cornstarch, water and a bit of broth together and add to your chicken and noodles to thicken.

Enjoy!

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Ingredients:
2 lbs stew meat
3 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, sliced
1/2 cup yellow pepper, chopped
1 large clove garlic, finely minced
2 cup stock (preferably beef)
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 can (8 oz.) chopped tomatoes
1 can (4 oz.) mushrooms
1/3 cup barbecue sauce
3 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Instructions:
In frying pan sauté sliced onion, pepper, garlic and meat in olive oil. Add stock, salt and pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms and barbecue sauce and cook for a few minutes. Place in slow cooker and cook on low heat for about 8-10 hours. Just before serving, mix cold water and cornstarch in a little bowl and add to the stew to thicken.

Serve with hot brown rice.

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Ingredients:
1 cup plain yoghurt
Grated peel of lemon or lime
1 tbsp lime juice
3 tbsp liquid honey

Instructions:
Thoroughly mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover and put in the fridge for at least 10 hours. The mixture will thicken. Yields 1 cup.

Enjoy this dip with seasonal cut up fruit, from melon, pineapple pieces, grapes, strawberries, mango, papaya, bananas to oranges. The dip is the perfect accompaniment to get your whole family to stock up on vitamins.

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Ingredients:
1 cup banana, mashed
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mixed nuts, chopped (optional)
½ cup butter or margarine
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 ½ cups unbleached flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
½ tsp salt
2 eggs

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix the cinnamon with a bit of sugar and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and whisk in sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Grease large loaf pan and dust with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Pour in butter mixture and put into the preheated oven for about 1 hour.

Serve warm!

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