Fruits and Vegetables

Besides having wonderful tastes, fruits and vegetables not only abound in vitamins and minerals and also provide plenty of fiber in our daily diet.  Reasonable increasing fiber intake can reduce blood cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. It is widely believed that those who consume larger amounts of vegetables tend to have a lower risk of developing non-genetic based heart disease.

Many vegetables tend to be low in calories and, unless fried, have no fat or cholesterol.  Therefore, it is not surprising that top heart specialists advise you to double your intake of vegetables if you are serious about reducing your risk of heart disease.  However, remember that excessive heating and frying with saturated fat can easily neutralize many of the heart benefits of fruits and vegetables.  Many people just prefer to eat boiled or steamed vegetables.  If you must, use only small amounts of cooking oil to fry your vegetables.

Due to their lower caloric content and lack of fat and cholesterol, consumption of oranges and orange juice is a great way to help with heart healthiness.  Lemon juice too is completely free from fat and cholesterol.  Being a rich source of vitamin C and an antioxidant vitamin, lemon juice is a good choice for our heart. Similarly, grapes also have a high vitamin content and lack fat and cholesterol.  They are excellent for your heart.

Milk

Milk is an excellent source of protein, calcium, phosphorus and vitamins.  For helping in the prevention of coronary heart disease, skimmed milk is surely preferred among the different available fat levels.  A cup of skimmed milk contains 60 calories as compared to 160 calories contained in whole milk.

Bread and Rice

Bread with its different names (muffins, rolls, loaves, etc) has been one of the significant foods that is consumed all over the world. Bread, if made with whole grains, contains a lot of fibers which are good for the heart as they lower blood cholesterol. Refined white flour bread does not give you the same advantage. Bread may also be prepared from other grains including corn, guar or soya bean flour. Mixed flours not only add to taste but may also increase the nutritional value of the bread. The lower the added fat in the bread, the better it is for your heart. In recent years, there has been substantial increase in the consumption of ‘ no fat, no cholesterol’ breads. Unrefined or natural brown rice is a very rich source of fiber. Rice loses its fiber with refinement. In many countries rice bran products that are rich in fiber are also available.

Fiber-rich Foods

High fiber intake can reduce the chances of coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus and obesity. High intake of soluble fiber has been found to lower the blood cholesterol by 10-25 percent. Oat bran is high in soluble fiber which lowers the absorption of cholesterol in your digestive tract. During the past ten years, the use of oat bran has risen enormously in Western countries. In general, all cereals and grains are rich in fiber and are good for the heart, but you should review the particulars of what you eat before consuming it.

Almonds

Almonds and nearly all other nuts are rich in fatty acids and protein.  However, almonds have a high ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids. Consumption of mono unsaturated fats can reduce the total cholesterol and LDL, the bad cholesterol.  Many nutritionists believe that ten to twenty almonds per day are good for the heart and the body in general.

Besides almonds, walnuts and groundnuts are other types of nuts that merit special mention.  Since the vast majority of Indians cannot afford to consume costly walnuts or almonds, peanuts are a good substitute.  Groundnut oil is rich in unsaturated fat and is , therefore, much better than desi ghee or saturated fat for the heart.

It is important to remember though that when choosing food for your daily consumption, it is important to think in terms of calories, fat and cholesterol content of each food item.

The book is short and looks rather simple – because it is! The cover states, “If you can understand a traffic light, you’ll understand this diet.” Foods are grouped into three different categories: red light foods (for never), yellow light foods (for sometimes) and green light foods (for always). Gallop suggests that your weight loss success is based on creating a food plan from green light foods. There is a wide variety of foods to choose from – healthy and low calorie and low fat foods.

Some surprises to the system are that there are some fruits that make it into the red light category. You should not eat pineapple, as it is a red light food. Caffeine is also a “no-no” on this diet. Some might consider this diet to be restrictive as your food choices are very much chosen for you. But the diet is moderate and healthy.

Begin with a healthy bun. Switch your bun to whole wheat or whole grain.

Condiments are usually low-cal – but read labels. Ketchup often has a high sugar content. Switch to a low-fat mayo. A popular choice is mustard which is very low in calories but packs on lots of flavor.

Veggies are an ideal choice to “top” your burger. Try fresh or grilled veggies like onions, peppers (sweet or regular), tomatoes, spinach, lettuce and avocado. A burger topped with veggies lowers the calories and adds lots of fiber and a serving of vegetables.

Many love cheese on their burger – but this choice can add lots of calories. The trick is to use shredded cheese and sprinkle a bit on for flavor. You’ll get enough cheese in each bite for a good taste, but not so much to have added calories and fat.

There are many reasons to love Greek yogurt. This yogurt has a rich and creamy taste. Even when you choose the fat free version, it tastes just as rich and creamy as the fuller fat version. Best of all, Greek yogurt has lots of protein; many containers will tell you they have 20 grams per serving! This is a terrific way to have a light lunch that is so healthy for you or get a healthy snack that you know will taste delicious.

You can often find Greek yogurt with a side dish of honey, dip the honey into the yogurt for a sweet and indulgent taste. Try adding some sliced nuts to the honey for a richer treat. Or eat your Greek yogurt with fruit.

Sandwiches are one of the easiest picnic foods. You don’t have to make your sandwiches boring and everyday. Try some unique ingredients like a fancy mustard or hot peppers. Think of your favorite sandwich combinations to order at the deli and all of the little ingredients they add to make them special.

Food storage is one of the biggest challenges with picnics. Always try to choose a picnic spot that has some shade so you can put the food in the shade. Remember that the sun will move and the shade won’t last. Add ice packs to your picnic hamper to keep things cold. Things should be sealed tightly to keep them dry and also to keep things cool. Remember: when in doubt – throw it out!

Sweet desserts are a great idea for picnics. Try making homemade cookies, brownies or even a pie as a special treat. Most of us don’t bake all the time so this will be something special to be enjoyed.

Some picnic foods are quite popular – but they are actually the hardest to store and run the risk of spoiling. Potato salad and macaroni salad are beloved picnic foods but also have mayonnaise in them and also can be quite messy if they spill. Try packing tabuli salad or couscous instead which won’t spoil and are far less messy.

A graduation party is often a mix of adults and young adults. You’ll want to please both palates. Food needs to be both sophisticated and also fun. Some graduation parties may choose to have a casual menu – like a barbecue. This is an ideal choice for summertime. Fun choices can be to add shiscabobs so guests have something they can carry around and eat. Finger style foods will also be popular.

Another popular choice for a casual party is a giant submarine sandwich. This is a great way to please a large crowd and feed many people. Add to the sandwich a variety of delicious “side” dishes that will appeal to people, things they can eat with a fork like potato salad or macaroni salad or even potato chips or tortilla chips.

For a more elegant party, consider the cocktail party style. hors d’oeuvres can be passed and guests can drink alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. This can be a very sophisticated party. Hors d’oeuvres can be fancy like stuffed mushrooms, shrimp wrapped in bacon, scallops and Thai chicken.

One of the best ways to make fruit salad is to use fruits that are from your local region. This is a great way to also be environmentally friendly as you are using fruit grown less than 100 miles from you. Fruit salad is an excellent source of vitamins and fiber. It will give you a great healthy energy boost.

You don’t have to add any sugar to your fruit salad for sweetness. Try adding a splash of fruit juice or even a little honey for a natural sweetness. Add a little water to your fruit salad if you don’t use fruit juice.

Keep your fruit salad refrigerated. Fruit salad is popular with both children and adults as a healthy snack and dessert!

Watch this YouTube video to learn how to make great fruit salad.

Sweet potato fries are a popular favorite and are easy to make in the oven. Simply slice a sweet potato and sprinkle some garlic on the slices. Bake at 350 degrees for about half an hour until crispy. The slices should be thin enough to get crispy.

Caramel popcorn is a great snack that is both sweet and salty. Pop some corn and add some melted caramel. The best way to mix this combination together is to shake it in a paper bag. Then you’ll get caramel evenly all over the popcorn! There are many great popcorn combinations you can make that are delicious.

Onion rings are a great snack when you want something with a little crunch and don’t mind cooking. Who doesn’t like onion rings? This is a very popular snack. The best way to make onion rings is to make something sweet or savory to dip them into.

Watch this YouTube video to learn more about how to make this popular snack, the onion ring.

Just about any meat can be enjoyed as a barbecued meat. Popular choices are hamburger, chicken, steak and sausage. Another popular choice are to make shish-kabobs, with small chunks of meat and then vegetables or fruit on them. These delicious kabobs are quite popular when barbequed.

Everything counts when you get out there to barbecue. The heat of your grill, what you put on it, the marinate you use on your meat. Everything adds to the delicious taste of the meat. Serious barbecue fans are passionate about learning new techniques to help them get better at using their grills.

Watch this YouTube video to learn from the self-proclaimed First Family of Barbecue:

Ask guests to RSVP and manage your RSVPs ahead of time. Try using eVite.com which will send out party invitations and let you manage your RSVPs. Telephone guests who have not RSVPed within four or three days of the party date to see if they are coming – some may assume that you “just know” they are coming.

Stay informed about your guests food allergies and food preferences. While you shouldn’t have to cook 10 different meals for 10 different guests, if you have a vegetarian guest you should try to make accommodations. Or if you have a diabetic guest you should offer a diabetic dessert (like a piece of fruit) that they can enjoy. Simply asking people as they RSVP is the best way to get this information, don’t rely on past history to inform you.

Some hostesses stress about their home not looking “perfect” for a dinner party. That’s okay: no home looks perfect. They look like homes because we live in them. Simply clean the area which will be seen by the party guests and get rid of excess clutter. Excess clutter is often the thing most guests notice the most.

Even if you aren’t planning a cocktail hour, serve some sort of snacks and have a drink available for guests as they arrive. Some guests will arrive “fashionably late” or may get stuck at work or in traffic. This lets everyone visit comfortably as you are cooking and preparing things without constantly asking you when dinner is ready.