Improve Your Nutrition One Day at a Time

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Nutrition Tips
By Shereen Jegtvig,

Roast - Don't Fry Your Chicken

Use a vertical chicken roaster to keep your chicken out of the grease in the bottom of the pan. You can also remove the skin from the chicken, spray the chicken with a cooking-oil spray and coat the bird with instant potato flakes and sprinkle with your favorite herbs, spices, and lemon pepper before baking. Use a meat thermometer to make sure you cook the meat to the proper temperature so that it is safely cooked, but still moist and juicy.

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Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a great source for vitamin C, and for lycopene. Use tomatoes in sauces like spaghetti sauce served on whole grain pasta. Salsa also tastes delicious on potatoes or with eggs. Serve sliced tomatoes as a side dish, or on salads. Little cherry or plum tomatoes also make a healthy low calorie snack.

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By Shereen Jegtvig

Healthy Chili

Dry beans like navy beans and pinto beans are a great source of protein and fiber. Here is a healthy recipe for Vegetable Chili With Beans from our Southern Food Cooking Guide. You make it in a crock pot and let it cook all day. Imagine coming home after work to smell the the great aroma of chili cooking in your kitchen.

Vegetable Chili With Beans

Ingredients:

* 3 cups dry small red beans or pinto beans
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large onion sliced thinly
* 4 cloves of garlic minced well
* 1 bell pepper, coarsely chopped
* 1/2 cup red unpeeled diced potatoes
* 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes undrained
* 1 teaspoon chili powder (use more if you wish)
* 1/2 teaspoon cumin
* 1/2 cup uncooked brown rice (may use white if you wish)
* 5 cups water or vegetable broth
* salt and pepper to taste
* grated cheese for garnish, if desired

Preparation:
Cook beans according to package directions, until tender. Drain. Put beans in slow cooker. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil or a small amount of liquid; saute onion and garlic until soft, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, chili powder and cumin. Continue cooking, stirring frequently for 3 minutes; transfer to slow cooker. Add rice and water or broth; cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 7 hours or until chili is thick and rice and beans are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with shredded cheese if desired.

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Yogurt

Yogurt is a great source of calcium and can often be tolerated by people who normally can't tolerate milk products. Yogurt also contains healthy bacteria like acidophilus and lactobacillus, which help to keep your digestive system healthy. If you don't like dairy products, there are also soy yogurts available.

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Eat Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source for vitamin C and vitamin A. They have a great flavor on their own so you don't need to add syrups, sauces or lots of butter to enjoy them.

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Fruit Smoothies

Make a healthy fruit smoothie as healthy replacement ice cream treats. First freeze some bananas and keep them in your freezer. Take one frozen banana, cut it into chunks and put it into a blender and add some strawberries, blueberries, some low fat milk (or you can use soy or rice milk) and a few ice cubes. Blend the mixture until smooth

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Blueberries

Blueberries are a delicious source of vitamins and antioxidants. Try this great Fruit Salad which has a mix of healthful berries and fruits.

Summer Fruit Salad
What better way to get your recommended daily fruit servings than with this colorful, seasonal medley of vitamin- and antioxidant-rich fruits. Enjoy with a spoonful or two of low fat vanilla yogurt or whipped topping.

Ingredients:

* 1 cup strawberries, halved or quartered
* 1 large unpeeled nectarine, sliced
* 1 cup blueberries
* 2 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
* 1 large mango, peeled and chopped
* 2 tbsp orange juice
* 2 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:
Combine fruit in large bowl. Drizzle with orange and lemon juice. Toss gently. Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve with low fat or fat free vanilla yogurt or whipped topping.

Serves 4-6

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Bananas

Bananas are healthy and tasty. Eating a medium sized banana is a great way to get fiber, potassium, vitamin C and selenium into your diet. Freeze bananas and make a fruit smoothie with non-fat vanilla yogurt add some vanilla extract and a table spoon of peanut butter for a refreshing snack.

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Potatoes

Potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C, and if you eat the skins they are also a great source of potassium and fiber. One medium sized potato has only 100 calories and no fat or cholesterol. Try topping a baked potato with your favorite salsa and one and one-half ounces of shredded cheese. You will have a healthy meal with only around 300 calories.

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Kitchen Safety Tips

Keep your kitchen clean and healthy. Keep raw meats apart from raw fruits and produce. Your workspace should be clean and sanitized. Store leftovers promptly in the refrigerator. When you shop, carefully select produce that is not moldy or spoiled.