If you are like a lot of people, you probably wonder if you and your family are eating the right foods, consuming too many calories or even getting the right balance of nutrition with your meals. Add in today's hectic lifestyles, cultural favorites and comfort foods and a lack of knowledge about cooking in general, and you really can get confused about what you're putting on the table.
We found some Valley residents struggling with the same questions and then asked the nutrition experts at Lehigh Valley Health Network for their advice. They listened and put together a commonsense meal plan that is simple, well-balanced and tasty, no matter what kind of cook you are.
It's not that Courtney doesn't try to cook, but when it comes to her culinary creations something always goes awry. Meat is usually seared to a dry, hard puck, shepherd's pie turns into a mashed potato-smeared mush and then there was that recent Crock-Pot chicken stew she describes only as “horrible.”
“I feel obligated to cook, being a wife and a mother, but I really do not like it, therefore I'm not good at it, or maybe it's the other way around. Regardless, it ranks right up there with skinning my knee or scrubbing the bathtub,” she admits.
Courtney seeks out simple recipes with the least amount of ingredients and the fewest steps. “I love spicy and savory foods, but forget trying to make any dish interesting, it just turns out bad!” Lucky for her, husband Tom enjoys cooking and always makes sure there are leftovers so they will have healthy meals ready to go even on the nights when he doesn't feel like cooking.
Kate Boardman, MS, RD, LDN at LVHN's Weight Management Center, thinks these approaches are right on track. Basic recipes and homemade meals ready to heat can make weeknight dinner way less daunting.
Most consumers often state that they are forced to make poor food choices because they cannot cook. Today the average consumer has an on-the-go lifestyle and may think that they do not have the time or energy to cook a healthy meal at the end of the day or to prepare food ahead of time for the rest of the week. However, by learning a few cooking tips and tricks you can turn a multi-hour cooking ordeal into a quick, healthy meal that will enhance both your diet and your health.
Deep frying, heavy cream and lots of butter are all ways to give dishes an extra kick, according to Bernard. For more than 40 years he has been known to go for the gusto with a steady routine of church breakfasts, annual picnics and special occasion dinners for the family where large-scale traditional Polish and Austrian meals are a menu standby.
“My approach to cooking is simple! I use what I have grown in the garden, what is on sale at the grocery stores, and make all types of variations and combinations of a dish to create a new one. This is really the fun part of cooking!” Cooking in quantity is his specialty and everyone knows that when Bernard is cooking you won't leave hungry.
Jenny Koscho, RD, LDN, CDE, an Outpatient Dietitian at LVHN, took a “portion control for the good cook” approach to Bernard's concerns. Who says you need to eat tasteless food to lose weight? Even good cooks who like to serve large quantities can learn portion control. Simply follow these easy steps.
Georgeann is a busy mom, global marketing manager and helps out at Deja Brew in Bethlehem, the business she owns with husband, Jeff. Georgeann says her family sits for dinners at the table three to four times a week at most. Recently she has made strides in trying to get the family to eat healthier, but it's still a struggle.
“Each week I get these wonderful organic veggies, but just don't know what to do with them, nor do I have the time to figure it out,” Georgeann says.
Susan O'Donnell, RD, LDN, of LVHN's Weight Management Center says Georgeann is headed in the right direction. Oftentimes when parents are strapped for time they resort to the lure of the fast food drive-thru. While fast food restaurants are consistent with offering options that are convenient, the foods are mostly high in calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium.
“Food is expensive. Don't give your money to a manufacturer or restaurant that is not catering to your nutrition and or weight loss goals,” O'Donnell says.
She proposes that fresh foods can be fast foods, and when the clock is the enemy to keep in mind that many convenience stores and supermarkets are now offering healthy options in grab-n-go areas for busy customers.
Options often include: low-fat string cheese, hard-boiled eggs, whole or already-cut fresh fruits, chopped vegetables with hummus, apples and peanut butter, raw nuts, cottage cheese, yogurt, skim milk, single servings of whole grain cereal, protein bars (look for 3 grams of fiber) and bottled water.
Another option for Georgeann is to follow the recipes we've provided, for plenty of ways to use those fresh farmers' market finds.
Ingredients
1 lb. shrimp (peeled and deveined)
2 cups shredded green cabbage
8 whole wheat
6” tortillas
Fresh cilantro (for garnish)
Lime wedges
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon smoky chipotle powder
Pinch salt and pepper
For Creamy Cilantro Sauce:
1/4 cup low-fat mayo
3/4 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Directions
In a small bowl, combine olive oil and chipotle powder. Add shrimp and chill 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, shred cabbage and make cilantro sauce by blending mayo and yogurt. Mix in the lime juice, stir well. Toss in cilantro. Place tortillas on a baking sheet to be warmed in the oven.
Put shrimp on skewers and grill (or on a baking sheet and broil) until shrimp turn pink, about 8-10 minutes.
Assemble tacos with shrimp, shredded cabbage, veggies (whatever kind you may like) and cilantro. Pour dressing over tacos, then add salt and pepper to taste. Place lime wedges on plate and squeeze additional juice on top to taste.
Adapted from appforhealth.com
Ingredients
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped red or green bell pepper
1/2 cup finely diced carrots
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
10 mushrooms, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup fine bread crumbs (use 2 slices stale wheat bread)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 ¼ lbs. lean ground turkey
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Lightly spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, saving half of the ketchup and half of the Worcestershire sauce and mix well with your hands.
Equally divide the mixture among the muffin cups.
Stir the remaining ketchup and Worcestershire sauce together and use to top each meatloaf halfway through cooking time.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Note: This recipe can easily be made days before eating and then frozen into single servings.
Adapted from appforhealth.com
Ingredients
1 12 oz. box whole grain fettuccine
1 ® cup skim milk or Skim Plus milk
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste (white pepper preferred, but black can work, as well)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tablespoons reduced-fat onion and chive cream cheese
1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
Pinch ground nutmeg, optional
Chopped parsley for garnish
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions.
For the sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the milk, flour, salt and pepper. Add in the crushed garlic cloves. Cook about 6 minutes until sauce mixture comes to a simmer and thickens, stirring with a wooden spoon occasionally. Remove from heat.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic cloves and discard them. Stir in cream cheese, other cheeses, lemon peel and nutmeg into the sauce. Set sauce aside.
When pasta is done, drain and return to large pot. Pour the sauce over and gently stir to coat pasta with sauce. Divide into 6 portions and garnish with chopped parsley if desired (about 3/4 cup serving).
Adapted from appforhealth.com
Ingredients
1 bag of boil-in-a-bag whole grain rice
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 cup chopped onions
3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 lb. ground lean turkey breast
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 15 oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz. can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes with jalapeno peppers and spices, not drained
1 5.5 oz. can tomato juice1/4 cup low-fat cheddar cheese
Directions
Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
While rice cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper and turkey, and cook 3 minutes or until done, stirring to crumble. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and the next 8 ingredients (chili powder through tomato juice); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Serve over rice and sprinkle with cheese.
Adapted from cookinglight.com
Ingredients
1 ½ Tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ Tablespoons butter
2 cups seeded plum tomato, diced
1 ½ Tablespoons capers
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 ½ Tablespoons minced fresh chives
1 Tablespoon minced fresh tarragon
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 Tablespoon canola oil
4 tilapia filets
Directions
Heat olive oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomato to pan; cook 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in capers, Dijon mustard and minced garlic; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley, chives, tarragon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and red pepper; keep warm.
Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add fish to pan, skin side down; cook 3 minutes or until skin is browned. Turn fish over; cook 3 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Serve fish with the sauce.
Adapted from cookinglight.com
