Healthier Meals

Question: I want my family to eat healthier meals, what are some ideas with hiding food? My husband and 2 yr old are fussy eaters, how can i get them to eat healthier? Does anyone have any recipes that you can hide vegies in?

Answer: I love smoothies in the mornings, just mix 100% juice and fruit-frozen or fresh. Adding carrots, celery or spinach don't alter the taste at all. I mix veggies with meat for lasagnas, Shepard's pie, enchiladas and burritos. Instead of hiding them, try and decorate them up a bit with new recipes. Or, try different dips for fresh veggies.

Question: What are some healthier meals that I could make for supper? I am a college student and am living in an apartment. We all tend to cook for ourselves. I LOVE noodles, bread basically any carbs, but i am getting really sick of all of that because i feel bloated and just nasty. I don't generally have a lot of time to make huge meals for myself since I am going to school full time working and doing homework...PLEASE help!!

Answer: get some frozen fish or chicken and some steam in the bag vegetables. Gorton's makes really good fish, but get the grilled ones, not the battered or breaded ones. I prefer Green Giant veggies. some come with rice, if you want. they nuke in just a few minutes and are very healthy. Tyson's has chicken ready to warm up. they cost more because of the convenience. Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers have good meals and entrees. I don't like Healthy Choice as much. you can always make a salad, just be careful what you put on it.

Question: Healthier Options for Meals? Any Ideas? I would really like for my family to eat healthier. I hate all these processed food that contains sooooo much sodium and other junk that isn't good for us. I want to cook healthier meals for my family without spending all day cooking. All Natural foods are great but hard to find and often expensive! Help! I know there are other families out there eating healthy, What's your secret? Thanks Busy Mommy Of 2! Email me a catalog, [email protected], that sounds great!

Answer: I was in this same situation about 3 months ago! I have a daughter that cannot consume tons of sodium as she has a health problem so I was looking for a natural alternative to taco seasoning and gravy and canned soup and box mac & cheese, you know all the stuff we love to eat but the stuff that contains loads of sodium! I found Wildtree Products. They have changed my life! I am not only a Independent Culinary Consultant through them now, but I use these products exclusively. We eat healthy and have cut our grocery bill by 50%, no lie! They offer Culinary Blends, Infused Grapeseed Oils, Dressings and Sauces that are natural containing no additives, preservatives, MSG or food dyes, they make cooking quicker, easier and healthy. I now make healthy meals that are delectable! Nobody believes that I can make Shrimp Scampi at home that tastes great in under 20 minutes and pay less for my whole family to eat it than for one dish at a restaurant! This stuff it awesome! Feel free to contact me if you might be interested in looking at a catalog, I'll email it to you! Good luck on your search to find more healthy options, it's great to see people who want to take charge of what there family is actually consuming!

Question: How can a school get healthier meals to serve students, without changing the budget? I need to know how a school can change what they serve their students, without making a difference in how much it costs. This means that they wont raise their prices, and their normal food budget would be the same. I heard a school in either Kansas, Oklahoma, or Ohio was able to achieve this which caused many of their students grades to go up, awareness levels increased, and fights decreased.

Answer: now im not aware how much certain food prodcuts cost but here are some things that most people dont think about. *The can cut Gatorade. Nothing personal to the company, but one of those drinks have the same sugar levels as soda. They cut soda because it was too much sugar (well in California atleast), but they kept Gatorade. *Substitution. Schools are always saying, "We dont have enough money to add anything new to the menu." Don't only add things, try to substitute them. Instead of white bread, buy wheat. Instead of low-fat milk, they should buy fat free. *Cut the cookies, slurpees, ice cream, and smoothies. Yes, smoothies- "made with real fruit." We add so much sugar to smoothies, they arent even healthy anymore. Sorry all you Jamba Juice fans but did you know that a Sixteen has the calories of a big mac? Yes, shocking. Cookies, slurpees, and ice cream. Those dont need much explaining- everyone knows they are unhealthy. ---Side note. Those junk food items are indeed a big draw to the students. I mean who doesnt love sweets? Most students dont buy their meals at school because they love the menu, infact most dont. They eat at school because no one likes to get up early to make a lunch. Its easier to simply grab a couple bills and go out the door. I think that those students who eat at school, will continue to even if the menu changes. *Change the salad. Yes everyone thinks salad is healthy- and dont get me wrong. It is- but without the dressing. The dressing is what fattens the salad, so try to get the school to simply buy differnt, healthier dressing. Little things like this will help. Hope it answered your question.

Question: What are the arguments for why healthier meals aren't served in schools? Is it money? If so do you have a website that provides this information

Answer: Just because in America you have a right to eat poison, nowhere is a school required to serve it to you. School lunches, many paid for by taxpayers, should be healthy and not harmful. Don't want to eat it? Fine, go hungry until after school and buy what you want and can afford from the store. If I'm paying, eat healthy or go hungry. I'm not obligated to supply you with *^**!

Question: Are these meals healthy? If not, are there ways to cook them so they'll be healthier? Here's a list of some of the meals we've had recently: Crock Pot Ribs w/ Baked Red Potatoes & Baked Beans on top. Meat Loaf, Corn Bread, Mashed Potatoes, & Corn. Fried Chicken, Fried Plantains (Tostones), and Yellow Rice w/ Habichuelas (a type of beans). Ground Beef cooked with Elbow Noodles, & Sharp & Parmesian Cheese. Italian Sausage w/ Green Peppers & Onions. Beef Cubes & White Rice w/ Gandules (a type of bean), Sazon, Sofrito, and Adobe on top. Pork Chops, Macaroni & Cheese, String Beans, and Yellow Rice.

Answer: It wasn't until the last meal I saw any real veggies! I'd start by adding veggies to each meal, and not sarchy ones like corn or mashed potatoes. Stuff like carrots, broccoli, cabbage, fresh salads, cauliflower, beets, greens, etc. And my only other thought is to use lean cuts of meat. Maybe instead of ribs, use country ribs w/ the fat removed (more meat, less fat)> Use lean ground beef (<5% fat), Bake your chicken instead of frying, and poke holes in your Italian sausage to drain out as much fat as possible.

Question: How can i eat healthier meals??!?!? ok i don't want this to sound like an excuse but our family is indian so we eat lots of curies and indian food and stuff which is really unhealthy and fattening. Im 16 and want to lose some weight and generally be healthier so what simple food can i get to eat and some simple meal ideas that i can make?? thanks

Answer: Indian food is fattening because of ghee and oil. So if ur the one cooking then:, 1. add less oil to whatever you cook, 2. and dont put any ghee on the roti, or ask yur mom or relatives to do do this. (if your gna eat that food) 3. Walk afterwards, eat lots of fruits an water

Question: Why do people say families in the 1950's ate healthier meals? When in FACT mothers cooked food in lard and fat, spread sandwiches with real butter and used a lot of salt and sugar in cooking (ugh) Give me oils, sweeteners and flavorings any day over salt, sugar and FAT! ugh! My body is a temple and I refuse to fill it with JUNK!

Answer: Because they are all stupid dogs

Question: If I drink lots of water, eat smaller healthier meals and excercise lots in 3 days, can I loose a few pounds? I have been trying to get fit. I'm not fat, I just have extra pounds that are very unattractive on my stomach.butt,thighs, and arms. I would like to loose them as quickly as possible!

Answer: in 3 days no. 3 weeks yes

Question: How many meals a day should a healthier than average person eat? Im looking for some heath food advice... I eat organic foods and such....but how many meals should I be taking in per day? Sometimes my body only feels the need to eat 2 meals per day but I was told I should I should aim for six meals a day. This seems a little much to me... How many meals a day should I eat to be healthier than average without overdoing it?

Answer: there are many factors in this question.. your height, weight, and age play a factor into what your body "needs" as in daily calories.. it is healthier to eat 5-6 meals a day (spread out between 2-3 hours) than to eat 1 or 2 meals daily..

Question: Is it healthier to eat fruits and vegetables before meals or after? I read that due to the acidic nature of fruits and vegetables,they cause discomfort and bloat the stomach if eaten after meals.Would it therefore be healthier to eat them on an empty stomach,before the main meal please?

Answer: Vitamin C aids in the absorbtion of Iron from food. So on that basis it is healthier to eat the fruit after the main meal. Also I would argue that eating the acidic fruit prior to other food is more likely to add to acidity and possible reflux. However, no doubt there could be good argument the other way too.

Question: How can i make healthier choices for meals/snacks while i'm at home? Especially if i have no say of what groceries are brought into the house. So i can't exactly go out and buy healthier foods.

Answer: eggs: only eat the egg white limit sugar in drinks: drink lots of water or milk or 100% fruit juice no butter on potatoes, put cheese on it instead fill plate with 1/2 veggies and then a small portion of lean meat (the size of your fist) eat the veggies first choose whole wheat bread (if possible) - for a snack you can place a piece of cheese and put in toaster oven or spread pb on it. for snacks choose yogurt over ice cream, nuts over candy, popcorn over chips. when cooking popcorn only eat a small bowl and put the rest in individual bags or snacking later choose dark chocolate over milk chocolate low fat milk over whole milk eat veggies with every meal dip fork in dressing instead of pouring on salad don't eat the skin of chicken just the meat

Question: What is healthier eating 5 small meals, or 3 big meals in a day? I'm looking to lose weight. I'm um, eh, em, sorry... 147 pounds... :| i was wondering what is healthier?

Answer: 5 small meals as it speeds up your metabolism.

Question: Is there anything I can do to make Regular Meals Tastier & Healthier? Or even ways to make food fresher. Thank-you for your answer! To Adam: That seemed obvious I don't like salt on anything LOL ;)

Answer: Add as many veges as possible... It mixes flavours up and gives you all the extra vitamins and minerals... You can add crushed up or chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, almonds, macadamias etc etc)... You can add healthier cheeses like low fat ricotta, cottage cheese or feta.... For a fresh taste the best herb is coriander (cilantro) or basil....

Question: What are some of your favourite healthy meals? I'm trying to make healthier choices and I'm just trying to add more of a variety to my diet. I find the only thing healthy I'm eating lately is whole grain sandwiches and omelettes with some of the yolks taken out. As I'm typing this I'm actually combining the two and making an egg sandwich. There is so much information about what is not healthy and what is healthy, and since every source says something different it's all pretty overwhelming. What are some of your favorite healthy meals or healthy snacks?

Answer: I like salads, I actually prefer it without the fattening dressing. And green tea, you should drink natural green tea (the teabags you get form Tim Hortons are really good) Rice cakes....lol the ones with the buttery taste Tositos!! With homemade dip Corn, like the little pieces one which comes frozen and you can make them yourself. Whole grain pasta For a good snack, I like those little mini cucumbers or pickles. For lunch I like the Turkey sandwiches! Check out this website http://whatscookingamerica.net/RecipeIndexDiet.htm

Question: are home cooked meals healthier, just in general? I don't care what ingredients are being used but I'm just wondering if its better just to eat at home.

Answer: Very good question. Home cooked can be healthier. As other responders have stated, control of the ingredients is what makes home cooking better. Restaurant meals can taste great and be healthy but it's harder to know exactly what you're getting. Lasagna man above gave a great comparison. What I do know is, you can make your food dollars go much further if you plan your meals and cook at home. Bon appetit!