Our world is full of unhealthy drinks, snacks, and fast food. As a culinary student in Southern California, I learned some tricks to turn unhealthy favorites into yummy healthy alternatives. While there is a misconception that everything healthy is vegetarian, it isn’t true. Even a vegetarian diet can have harmful components. I will share some of my secrets that even your kids will love!

Replacing Rice

Rice is a big staple in the diet of a lot of different cultures. When trying to cut down on carbs and calories, there is a healthier alternative. This little secret will even get your kids to eat their vegetables without even knowing it. Use cauliflower rice to replace the rice. Cauliflower rice has a similar texture to rice and even looks like it. No one will know the difference. In my household, rice and beans are something we eat quite often for lunch. I switched to cauliflower rice, and my kids didn’t even notice. Try out this recipe the next time you have left over chicken.

•    Teriyaki Chicken Bowl using Cauliflower Rice

•    Chicken breast (2 cups shredded)

•    Spinach (4 cups)

•    Sugar snap peas (1 cup)

•    Orange bell pepper (you can use red or yellow bell pepper)

•    Yellow and red cherry tomatoes (1 cup)

•    Teriyaki sauce

•    EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

•    Cauliflower rice (2 cups)

Take your bell pepper and thinly slice it and set it aside until ready to sauté. Cut all your tomatoes in halves or quarters depending on your preference. Once you’ve chopped everything, lightly drizzle the EVOO into a pan on a medium high heat. Add all the vegetables and the pre-shredded chicken into the pan to sauté. Once all the contents are nice and hot, add about six tablespoons of teriyaki sauce. 

While sautéing your chicken and vegetables, start heating you cauliflower rice in a separate pan. 

Tip: You should always keep a food thermometer in the kitchen. A safe temperature for food to be served is between 145-170 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Once it is all at a safe food temperature, place the cauliflower rice in a bowl and top with your teriyaki chicken and vegetable mixture. It is now ready to eat.

There are many different recipes with cauliflower rice. Talk about a cut in calories; cauliflower rice is only 25 calories per cup versus 199 calories per cup of white rice or 216 calories per cup of brown rice.

Say No to Sodas

While sodas are a huge market for drinks, they are extremely unhealthy and full of calories. There are 138 calories per can of Coca Cola, one of the leading brands of soft drinks. You don’t have to cut carbonated drinks out of your diet but try switching from sodas and try flavored carbonated water which has zero calories. If you have kids that don’t like to drink water, this is a great trick because it has all the ‘fizzle’ kids love but none of the calories and harmful ingredients that sodas have. 

Carbonated water also satisfies thirst while soda makes you thirstier. You won’t have the sugar crash with carbonated water that you get from sodas either. In my opinion, there are also more flavor profiles to choose from with carbonated water than with soda. 

Healthy Tips and Tricks

Here are some healthy tips and tricks to keep a healthy diet and lifestyle:

•    To follow healthy eating, eat three meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner) with small snacks in between meals. Instead of reaching for a candy bar or cookies as a snack try having fresh fruits or nuts. Even a small portion of yoghurt and granola would be a great healthy snack.

•    Fish holds a significant bit of Omega 3s (ALA, EPA and DHA). EPA and DHA can help with stiffness in joints. DHA is essential for neurological and visual development in infants. After much research, cultures that eat a diet that contains higher levels of Omega 3s have a decreased rate of depression and bipolar disorders. It doesn’t hurt to increase your intake of fish.

•    Your brain can sometimes trick you to think you are hungry when you are thirsty and vice versa. Try drinking water when you start getting hungry between snacks and meals. But at the same time, you don’t want to drink way too much either. So try to drink in moderation. Eating in moderation is also a good thing to practice.

•    Always try to make time for breakfast! Breakfast is the meal that is the most important. It gives you that energy boost to get your day going right. You will notice your ability to focus better as well as a boost to your metabolism. Remember that eating in moderation is important too. Eating breakfast in the morning will cause a chain reaction to not overeat during later meals and snacks. 

While the list of healthy tips and tricks can go on and on, you don’t have to get overwhelmed. You have to find what fits you and your family best. Staying healthy can be easy if you put your mind to it and be creative. Positive thinking will also promote a healthier lifestyle. It is up to you to get out and exercise, eat healthily, and live healthily. 

Keywords: Eat Healthy, healthier lifestyle, healthy tips, healthy, alternatives, healthy diets, calories, cauliflower rice, eating in moderation

 

 

Healthy eating is the key to mental and physical well-being. There is a broad range of healthy low-calorie recipes. Your taste buds will not be compromised by the slightest.

Eating Habits Worldwide

In 2008, over 1.4 billion adults aged 20 and older were overweight. The World Health Organization claims half of all adults in the US will be obese by 2030.HHSindicates the typical American diet doesn’t incorporate enough fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, dairy products, and oils as recommended.

Chances are, you are not consuming enough of the nutritious foods that you should be. What does this mean? You might be consuming too many or too little calories, or food that is deficient in vitamins and minerals vital to your health.

HHSstatistics show American diets tend to exceed recommended intake levels within the following categories:

• sodium
• saturated fat
• refined grains
• calories from solid fats and added sugars

A Healthy Diet Is The Way To Go

What you consume has a direct effect on how you look, feel, and how vulnerable you are to certain diseases.

Not too thrilled about your prospective health-conscious journey? Don’t fret. Gone are the days when healthy eating meant adopting the diet of a rabbit.

According to HHS, 40 {ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of total daily calories for those aged 2-18 come from solid fats and added sugars. There are a tremendous number of low-calorie healthy recipes that are simple to prepare but just as tasty.

Healthy Low-Calorie Recipes

Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps (4 Servings)

Total prep & cook time: 13 minutes

Ingredients

–    8 Romaine lettuce leaves

–    1.5 lbs. lean ground turkey

–    1 tbsp.chillipowder

–    ½ cup tomato sauce

–    One avocado, diced

–    Two tomatoes, diced

–    ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

–    ¼ bunch cilantro, chopped

1. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
2. Add ground turkey, stir periodically for 5 minutes.
3. Mix in chilli powder and tomato sauce. Stir for 3 minutes.
4. Add salt & pepper.
5. Place lettuce leaves on plates (2 leaves per plate).
6. Put ground turkey inside the lettuce leaves, dividing it evenly.
7. Top the turkey with avocado, tomato, shredded cheese, and cilantro.

Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Noodles Pasta (4 Servings)

Total prep & cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

–    Four medium zucchinis

–    3 tbsps. virgin olive oil

–    3-4 cloves minced garlic

–    ¼ Tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

–    Two tomatoes, chopped

–    ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese

–    1 cup basil leaves, torn

–    One tsp. cornstarch

–    Two tbsps. cold water

–    Salt, to taste

1. Trim and spiralize zucchinis into noodles (the length of spaghetti).
2. On medium heat, add olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes to a deep skillet. Add zucchini noodles when oil begins to bubble around garlic.
3. Toss the noodles, cook for 5-7 minutes.
4. Stir in tomatoes, basil, and parmesan cheese (cook for 1 minute). Transfer to serving dish, leaving the liquid in the skillet.
5. Bring liquid to a simmer. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and cold water. Whisk this mixture into the simmering liquid.
6. Whisk until the liquid thickens to a sauce.
7. Add salt.
8. Pour the sauce over zucchini noodles. Top with parmesan.

One Pan Lemon Roast Chicken And Asparagus (4 Servings)

Total prep & cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

–    Two boneless chicken breasts

–    3 lemons, zest 2 & slice 1

–    Juice of ½ lemon

–    Two cloves garlic, grated

–    2 tbsps.Herbes de Provence

–    2 tbsps. Basil, dried

–    1 tbsp. honey

–    Salt & black pepper

–    500g potatoes

–    One bunch of asparagus, trimmed

1. Preheat oven to 180 °C.
2. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, honey, and dried herbs.
3. Spread marinade over chicken.
4. Slice the potatoes in half, lengthwise.
5. Drizzle with olive oil and salt & pepper. Scatter with thyme sprigs and place in oven for about 10 minutes.
6. After 10 minutes, add the chicken to the pan. Place pan back in the oven for 10 minutes.
7. After 10 minutes, add asparagus to the pan. Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place back in the oven for 10 minutes.

LSI Keywords – overweight, obese, recommended intake, health-conscious, healthy eating, eating habits, American diet, little calories, deficient in vitamins, nutritious foods, healthy diet

Source Links

http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/disease-prevention/nutrition/data-and-statistics

https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/resource-center/facts-and-statistics/index.html

http://www.inspiredtaste.net/29992/garlic-zucchini-pasta-recipe/

https://www.jenreviews.com/spiralizer-veggetti-recipes/

http://www.melaniecooks.com/turkey-taco-lettuce-wraps/11280/

https://saltedmint.com/one-pan-lemon-roast-chicken-and-asparagus/