Cooking at Home

We all know that preparing meals at home is the way to go. It’s the only way to know what ingredients are being used. When dining in a restaurant, there is no way to really know how much oil is being used to cook the meal or what kind of oil they are using. What kind of ingredients do they use? How much salt are they adding? Basically, what you eat is in the hands of someone in the kitchen. Kind of a scary thought if you want to eat healthy.

So, yes… meals at home is the way to go, but if you aren’t cooking from scratch or using wholesome whole ingredients, you may be defeating the whole purpose of a “home cooked meal”. We all know that microwaved TV dinners aren’t healthy, but many people don’t realize that things like Hamburger Helper or other meal preparation aids are probably worse than eating out. They assume it’s just a few spices and don’t bother to read the label. Did you know that Hamburger Helper contains trans fats, food colorings, MSG and some other preservatives that I can’t pronounce? The list is really long and pretty surprising.

If you are cooking a meat dish and want to add some flavor, use spices like dried oregano, garlic powder, parsley flakes and dried basil. Adding a homemade tomato sauce is also a great way to give meat more flavor as well.  Don’t rely on the quick meal helpers like Hamburger Helper. Be creative and experiment. Search online for recipes and always take time at the grocery store to read the food label. 

Happy Cooking!

Multi-Grain vs. Whole Grain

Multi-grain. What does it really mean? Does the product contain whole grains? You would think so, but the multigrain claim can be slapped on a loaf of bread and not contain one whole grain! Many “multi-grain” breads only contain multiple refined grains. The FDA does not require companies to use whole grains in multi-grain products such as bread, so the consumer is frequently fooled by misleading claims.

What should we do as consumers?

Read the ingredient list carefully. Is every grain a “whole grain”? The ingredient list should specifically say “whole “ before the name of the grain. It’s also a good idea to look for the claim “100% whole grain”. This statement is actually regulated by the FDA to assure consumers that all of the grains in the product are indeed “whole grains”.

Why Whole Grains?

A whole grain consists of three parts: the bran, the endosperm and the germ. Refined grains are processed which removes the bran (the outer layer) and endosperm. The only part of the whole grain that remains is the germ, which means it is no longer a whole grain. During this refinement process, the whole grain is stripped of phytochemicals, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fiber. Research has shown that including more whole grains in your diet can help reduce the risk of many chronic diseases. Why eat empty calories found in refined grains when there is the option to eat whole grains that are delicious and healthy?