Often at the beginning of the New Year emphasis is placed on bettering ourselves through New Year’s resolutions concerning health. This may be by getting out and walking more, hitting the gym or just watching less television. One of the most important facets of getting healthy and creating that physique we want is eating well planned and healthy meals that encompass all of the food groups without piling on the calories. It is easy to find healthy dinner recipes that meet this goal and create an avenue with which to begin your path to a better you!
One of the basic steps when thinking about eating is beginning the shift from processed food that has been chemically altered and the nutrients have been modified to fresh, seasonal foods that you prepare yourself in your own kitchen. While it seems daunting to some, cooking is just like any other undertaking, practice will lead to perfection. In addition, just like any other hobby or new skill one learns, do not be scared to ask for help from experts or seek out help through the use of cookbooks or online resources. Time may be a factor for some emergent chefs to be, but many recipes are created with constraints in mind and numerous healthy meals can be prepared in very little time. With a small investment of some cooking gear, time and the willingness to learn a new hobby, just about anybody can be a master of their kitchen and begin healthy eating.
When planning healthy dinners it is important to look at portion size. A healthy portion of any meat dish is four ounces. That is about the size of a deck of cards. When planning a steak or chicken dinner keep that in mind as you are cutting your feast. A deck of cards may seem small but when paired with an array of healthy sides, it can also be very filling. It is helpful to consider your plate as you mete out your food. The bulk of your meal should be leafy greens and vegetables, the more colors you have on your plate, the more vitamins you have on your plate. If you imagine your meal being divided into three sections it is easy to visualize half your plate being greens and veggies, a quarter being meat based and the final quarter being reserved for a whole grain. Eating can be simple and healthy.
There are many websites devoted to healthy cooking so finding how to prepare that meat dish or how to spruce up that drab salad can be an easy adventure in culinary arts. Even a novice cook can pick most of these recipes right off the site and begin to prepare it. Keep in mind while looking for recipes to seek out ones that use a variety of vegetables and greens and allots for healthy fats such as olive oil, avocados and nuts. Look for recipes that are low in sodium and do not pile on the salt. Salts should bring out the flavors of foods, not over power them.
