Healthy Eating — Facts, Tips, and Tricks

Choosing Ingredients:

·         At the store, purchase produce that is not bruised or damaged. If buying fresh cut produce, be sure it is well chilled, refrigerated or surrounded by ice.

·         Choose fresh produce over frozen, canned, jarred, pasteurized and enzyme depleted options.

·         Choose ripe fruits and vegetables over unripe. Such as red, yellow and orange peppers over unripe, difficult to digest green.

·         Choose seeded fruits and vegetables over genetically modified seedless options.

·         Buy whole spices and grind them yourself for optimum freshness and flavor

·         Choose fresh herbs over dried to obtain highest mineral content and flavor

·         Source locally grown product, when possible and eat as seasonal as you can to lower the environmental impact of exportation

·         Start your kitchen garden with sprouting seeds and grains. Sprouts are the most complete nutritionally foods you can incorporate into your diet, they are high alkaline, enzyme rich extremely high in proteins, vitamins and minerals.

·         The best reasons to choose organic products 

o        Organic farming meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations.

o        Growing organically supports a biologically diverse, healthy environment.

o        Organic farming practices help protect our water resources.

o        Organic agriculture increases the land's productivity.

o        Organic production limits toxic and long-lasting chemicals in our environment.

o        Buying organic supports small, independent family farms.

o        Organic farmers are less reliant on non-renewable fossil fuels.

o        Organic products meet stringent USDA standards.

o        Buying organic is a direct investment in the long-term future of our planet.

o        Organic farmers preserve diversity of plant species.

o        Organic food tastes great.

·         Reach for the organic version of your favorite snacks. There are organic yogurts, organic tortilla chips, organic chocolate bars. Every little bit helps.

·         Know the list of the 12 foods that are best at retaining pesticides and choose organically grown for these whenever possible: meat (beef, pork, and poultry), dairy (milk, cheese and butter), strawberries, apples, tomatoes, potatoes, spinach (and other greens, including lettuce), coffee, peaches & nectarines, grapes, celery, bell peppers.

·         Buy only organic produce; shop the sales and values on staple items like organic pizza, organic mac ‘n cheese and organic chips and salsa.

·         If there is an organic version of an item on your shopping list, buy it instead; wear organic cotton clothing, support local organic farms!

Food Storage:

·         Storing fresh herbs. For fresh packaged herbs, remove from packaging, rinse, pat dry and store in damp towels. If storing fresh herbs with roots and/or long stems submerge roots in fresh water and store in fridge, or counter tops if using in the near future.

·         Storing grains, and spices. When storing dry goods, always store in sealed glass jars to retail optimum freshness. This will also add more organization to your cupboards.

·         Storing nuts and seeds. To retain optimum freshness and longevity for nuts and seeds, store in sealed containers in freezer. Nuts freeze and preserve in nature.

·         Food preparation storage. Keep the quality of prepared foods by not keeping perishable foods for more than 3 days. After the 3^rd day the flavors and quality will begin to shift.

·         Storing in glass. To preserve freshness, store prepared foods in glass, sealable containers. Avoid storing any tomato based foods in plastic containers.

·         Storing herbs. To have fresh herbs accessible during the colder season, vacuum seal fresh herbs tight and store in freezer. In the heart of winter remove from packaging and you have the freshness of the summer.

Specific Ingredient Tips and Tricks:

·         When choosing ginger, be sure the skin is tight for optimum freshness, avoiding roots with wrinkles and soft spots.

·         When choosing ripe pineapple, try to gently pull the leaves from the center of the crown, if the leaves remove with ease it is ripe. Another technique is to smell the bottom for sweetness, the sweeter it smells the riper the fruit.

·         To ripen fruits faster, place them in a paper bag and this will speed up the ripening process.

·         Don't refrigerate those tomatoes you just purchased at the local market! Instead, store them stem-side down in a basket or bowl on your kitchen counter or table and they will continue to ripen, improving their flavor and texture. Refrigerate after desired ripeness is reached.

·         Bananas. For optimum sweetness and ripeness consume when covered with black spots.

·         To get the most juice out of citrus as possible, prior to juicing, roll citrus on counter top to ‘loosen up juice’ prior to juicing.

·         If storing minced garlic in the refrigerator, cover completely with olive oil, this will help preserve it for longer shelf life.

·         Olive oil. Choose extra virgin, organic, cold pressed options for optimum quality and taste.

·         Purchasing and storing oils. Be sure when purchasing oils, you choose the ones with the darker bottle, this will insure that the product has not gone rancid form direct contact to light. Store in chilled place.

·         Keep strawberries fresh for several days by refrigerating them, unwashed, in an airtight container between layers of paper towels.

·         When adding whole cherry or grape tomatoes to a marinated salad, first carefully pierce them with the tines of a fork. They'll be more flavorful because they can absorb the marinade better.

·         Banana's past their prime? Then peel, slice or leave whole and freeze in a freezer zipper bag. Use frozen in smoothies, and even if blended on their own you have banana ice cream.

·         You'll get superb flavor as well as protection from discoloration if you sprinkle a sliced avocado with fresh lime juice instead of lemon juice. 

·         To ripen a tomato fast, put it with an apple in a perforated bag or a covered bowl. The apple gives off ethylene gas that speeds the ripening process.

·         To keep cut apple slices from turning brown, sprinkle them with a little lemon juice. Great for kid's lunches!

·         Don't squeeze fresh tomatoes to remove the seeds because it makes them mushy. Instead, scoop the seeds out with a teaspoon or very clean fingers!

·         When purchasing fresh mushrooms, always use a brown paper bag to hold them instead of a plastic bag. They will retain freshness twice as long than if stored in a plastic bag. Avoid washing mushrooms, instead wipe them or brush them to remove dirt.

·         There's more than one way to get the most juice from a lemon or lime. Roll them under the palm of your hand on the counter, heat for a few seconds in the microwave are two. The best way I have found is to simply cut the fruit in half and using the tines of a dinner fork, ream the inside while squeezing. You will be amazed at the amount of juice you get with very little work.

·         Store lemon, orange and grapefruit rinds in the freezer; grate as needed for pies, cakes and cookies.

·         Winter squash is mature when you cannot pierce the skin with your thumbnail. If the squash has a soft skin, it means the squash is old and past its peak.

·         Cutting salad greens with a knife may cause discoloration and bruising. Gently tearing the leaves is better and makes a more attractive salad.

·         To always have fresh ginger on hand for a recipe, you can freeze it either peeled or unpeeled. An added plus -- thawing releases the juices and makes it easier to crush.

·         To get the most flavor from herbs, stem them, leaving only the leaves. Put the leaves in a deep bowl and snip them with sharp scissors, or coarsely chop. Otherwise if minced on cutting board you lose most of the natural essential oils they carry.

·         When selecting onions, consider all the possibilities. The Spanish or Bermuda onion and the white onion are usually mild in flavor; on the other hand, Globe types, such as red, brown and yellow onions are stronger flavored.

·         To prevent wilting and flavor change, rinse green, leafy vegetables under cool water, and drain thoroughly. Wrap in paper towels, place in plastic bags, and store the vegetable bin of the refrigerator.

·         To pit a mango, stand the fruit on its butt end, then with a sharp knife cut from top to bottom skirting the big central pit. Score the flesh in a crisscross pattern, cutting to but not through the skin. Partially turn each piece inside out so the skin domes upward, exposing the cubes of flesh.

·         To crush nuts quickly and easily without the muss or fuss, place in a self-sealing plastic bag and roll with a rolling pin.

·         Arugula has a hearty, peppery flavor and delicate texture that mixes well with other greens and is great in salads and sandwiches.

·         Collards have a mild flavor and go further by holding more of their volume than many other greens, but take a little longer to cook. 

·         Kale is available in several varieties and has a mild, cabbage-like flavor with a slight peppery zip. Its texture helps it retain volume after cooking.

·         Swiss Chard has a hearty, likable flavor that works well in sandwiches, as stuffing for pork or chicken or mixed with other greens.

·         Turnip Greens are slightly—yet agreeably—bitter and traditionally cooked at low temperature for a long time produce a silky texture.