Tips for Ensuring Healthy Dinners

I received this handout at the cooking class last week at Attrezzi European Marketplace in Portsmouth, NH. Tracey Miller put together this tip sheet and, with permission, I am sharing it with you. It's packed with great tips on how to start creating healthier dinners in your own kitchen. Be sure to sign up for the next cooking class, Super Nourishing Spring Greens, happening June 8th.

Tips for Ensuring Healthy Dinners

Plan ahead! Don't wait until the last minute to figure out what's on the menu! Invest time early in the week to draft a meal plan to take the stress out of cooking during the week.

Focus on quality, not quantity. Choose real foods which are as close to their natural state as possible. REAL food is more nutritious and will provide more of the necessary nutrients for your cells and organs to function optimally.

Choose organic when possible and see out local foods. Studies show that organic foods are up to 30 percent more nutritious! Strengthening your immune system begins with eating REAL food and decreasing their toxic load.

Plan with the seasons. Let the seasons dictate what's for dinner. Pick what's fresh and in season.

Eliminate processed foods that include:

• enriched white flour
• partially hydrogenated fat
• high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• artificial colors and flavors
• artificial sweeteners (including Splenda)
• MSG (monosodium glutamate)

Make your plates colorful! The more colorful your plate, the greater the range of vitamins and minerals you'll get. Make sure to featuer at least three to four colors on your plate.

Burn the rice! Try new foods to go beyond your list of the same "30" foods. Think outside the (processed) box!

Cook once, eat twice. Make extra so you can freeze leftovers like homemade soups to get you out of a pinch.

Keep it simple - a piece of meat, two to three vegetables, brown rice or whole grain pasta!