Food and Recipes

A balanced diet is key to good health.

We are pleased to present a range of family healthy recipes aimed at promoting heart health and good nutrition.

These are some of our upcoming articles and recipes so check back regularly for updates:

• Good party food for children
• Children and healthy eating
• Healthy food for kids
• Healthy children’s food they can cook themselves
• Healthy snack recipes for kids
• Healthier school meals
• Low fat meals for kids
• Making food healthy for teenagers
• Family vegetarian recipes
• Family chicken recipes
• Family dessert recipes
• Family pasta recipes

The recipes posted here are courtesy of their respective authors.

Diabetic Salad Recipes

By: PeterHutch Click author’s name for more of his/her articles

Carrot and Raisin Salad

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups shredded carrots (about 3 large),

3/4 cup chopped celery,

1/3 cup raisins,

1/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts,

3/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise,

1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard,

1-2 teaspoons sugar,

1/8 teaspoon salt,

6 lettuce leaves.

Preparation: Combine carrots, celery, raisins, and walnuts in medium bowl. Add remaining ingredients, except lettuce, stirring until blended. Serve on lettuce-lined salad plates.

Servings: 6,

Calories: 115, Protein: 2.6 g, Sodium: 460 mg, Fat: 4.1 g, Carbohydrates: 19.2 g, Exchanges: 2 Vegetable, 1/2 Fruit, 1 Fat

Source: 1,001 Recipes For People with Diabetes.

Greek Salad

2 ripe tomatoes, sliced,

1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced,

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced,

2 scallions, white part and 3 inches (7.5 cm) green, thinly sliced on the diagonal,

1/4cup (15 g) chopped flat-leaf parsley,

2 ounces (30 g) low fat feta cheese, crumbled,

3 tablespoons (45 ml) fresh lemon juice,

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil,

1/4teaspoon (1.25 ml) crushed dried oregano,

6 crisp inner leaves of romaine lettuce, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.

Place the tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, scallion, parsley, and feta cheese in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, and oregano. Pour over vegetable mixture and lightly toss. Divide lettuce between 6 salad plates. Top with the salad mixture and serve.

Per serving:83 calories (59% calories from fat), 3 g protein, 6 g total fat (1.3 g saturated fat), 6 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, 3 mg cholesterol, 133 mg sodium. Diabetic exchanges:1/2 carbohydrate (vegetable), 1 fat.

Colorful Vegetable Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

1 medium Size head red leaf lettuce,

1 Bunch of radishes, sliced,

1 Carrot, thinly sliced or grated,

1 medium Sized red bell pepper, diced,

3 Green onions, chopped,

1/2 cup Alfalfa spouts,

1/4 cup Creamy Tofu dressing,

1 tbsp Toasted pine nuts.

Preparation: Nuts may be used.(pine nuts here cost 5.99 a pound)Separate lettuce leaves and trim, rinsing well in cool water. Spin or pat dry, tear in bite-size pieces and place in a large salad bowl. Add radishes, carrot, bell pepper, green onions and sprouts. Toss with dressing and garnish pine nuts. Food Exchange per serving: 1 vegetables exchange+1 fat exchange;cal:51;cho:0mg;car:7g;pro:3g;77mg;fat:3g;

Source: Light & Easy Diabetes Cuisine by Betty Marks. Brought to you and yours via Nancy O’Brion and her Meal-Master

Sunday best Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

(20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, juice reserved,

2 apples, peeled and cored,

1 (21 ounce) can peach pie filling,

2 bananas, peeled and diced,

3 kiwis,

1 pint strawberries.

In a small bowl, toss the chopped apples in reserved pineapple juice. Allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes. In a large salad bowl, combine the peach pie filling and pineapple chunks. Remove apples from pineapple juice and add to pie filling and pineapple mixture. Add chopped bananas to reserved pineapple juice and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Peel and slice kiwi and 1/2 of strawberries. Chop the other 1/2 of strawberries and set aside. Remove bananas from pineapple juice and add to pie filling mixture. Add chopped strawberries; toss together. Arrange kiwi slices around the edge of the serving bowl and alternate with strawberry slices. Chill and serve.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory

Food Q&A

Readers have asked the following questions which we will find and post the answers for asap

• Q. What food is eaten on Good Friday?
• A. Hot Crossed Buns are the traditional food eaten on this day. According to religious custom, this is meant to be a day of fasting, or eating very little. Only one meal or two small meals would be permitted and no meat would be allowed. For more information on food eaten on Good friday click here.

• Q. What food is good for constipation?
• A. There are many foods that can ease this problem. Drinking 4-6 glasses of water is the simplest solution and can be very effective. Prunes are generally regarded as one of the most effective foods for getting things moving quickly. Drinking three to four glasses of dark grape juice can be very effective and works very quickly. A couple of tablespoons of molasses with a glass of milk also works well. Plums, apricots and grapes can all work well but remember to drink plenty of water when you eat these and you should get good results.

• Q. What food is good for hair?
• A. Protein-rich food such as fish, eggs, nuts, beans, lean meat (mainly chicken) all support hair growth and strength. Avocados, bran and vitamin B-rich foods (carrots, cauliflower, soybeans, peas) help to reduce hair loss – foods rich in iron also help this such as leafy green vegetables, legumes and dried fruits. Omega-3 helps maintain shiny hair and is found in salmon, flaxseed and walnuts.

• Q. What food is good for me?
• A. Generally any fresh food is better than a processed version of it. fresh vegetables, mainly green leafy ones and any bright coloured vegetables are very good for you. Silverbeet, cabbage, lettuce etc are all great. Root vegetables are also very good but eat less than leafy ones. Wholegrain cereals and bread are much better than white or highly processed cereals and flour-based food. Eggs and nuts have valuable protein and other important nutrients but eat in smaller quantities. Red meat is very high in iron, chicken and fish are high in protein. All meats should be eaten fresh whenever possible and keep portions small. Processed meat products should be avoided as much as possible.  Always drink plenty of water. If you can afford a water purifier then get one and make sure you change the cartridges at the due time. Water filters are better than nothing but generally don’t remove all the heavy metals and toxins. Imported bottled water from New Zealand is some of the best you will find anywhere.

• Q. What food is good for skin?
• A. The skin is the largest organ in the human body, and is also one of the first to show signs when our diets are out of balance. Follow our standard recommendations for a balanced diet and your good skin health will follow. Specifically, brazil nuts, carrots, sunflower seeds, avocados, berries, salmon and green tea all have nutrients which are important for skin health.

• Q. What food is good for the heart?
• A. Heart disease is a huge killer, the biggest killer of americans annually. The first steps to better heart health are: Stop smoking! Get regular exercise. Eat foods which are low in trans fats, salt (sodium) and cholesterol. This report from The Mayo Clinic lists specific foods which are identified to promote heart health and which ones to avoid.