In today’s society people don’t cook as much as they did even 30 years ago. Eating out, especially at fast food restaurants, or buying processed foods are a dietary staple in the lives of many Americans. One of the consequences of not cooking is that people forget how to cook and children don’t learn how to cook from our parents. This creates new generations of people that don’t know how to prepare food for themselves. We don’t know what appropriate portion sizes look like and we don’t know what a balanced meal looks like. When I started doing cooing demonstrations 6 years ago it was to help people taste healthy recipes and see how easy they are to prepare. I would make two dishes so people could try whatever ingredient I was showcasing that day. The number one question I get in cooking classes is what do we serve with this? It taught me that people didn’t know how to figure out how to put food combinations together themselves. We have forgotten what a healthy plate looks like because we don’t see it every night.
I can help de-mystify that question. When you are preparing a healthy meal you want to think about what you are putting on your plate. I recommend that one-quarter of the plate be lean protein, or about 3 oz of a fish, poultry, lean red meat, or seafood. One-quarter of the plate should be a starch like brown rice, whole wheat or whatever healthy grain you would like to use. Finally, half the plate is comprised of fruits and/or vegetables and this is what you could play with. If you want to you can make a bowl of salad and one cooked vegetable. Or you could have two servings of vegetables. Or you could have one serving of vegetable and perhaps some baked apples as a dessert. Once you put it all on a plate you have a healthy meal for you and your family. It is a visual way to check in on your healthy plate.
I hope you find this a good start to creating a health meal.
Live Vibrantly,
Dr. Dae
Dr. Dae's website: www.healthydaes.com
Dr. Dae's book: Daelicious! Recipes for Vibrant Living can be purchased @ www.healthydaes.com
Dr. Dae's Bio:
“Dr. Dae" (pronounced Dr. Day) Daemon Jones is a Naturopathic Physician who completed her training at the University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine. She is certified as a General Practitioner by the North American Board of Naturopathic Examiners (NABNE). Dr. Dae provides tailored treatment to meet the unique needs of every individual she sees in her practice. She also provides specialized support for persons challenged by nutritional deficiencies, weight problems, hormonal and reproductive system disorders, attention deficit disorder and those experiencing chronic diseases. Dr. Dae is an adjunct faculty member for Smith Farm Center for Healing and the Arts. She is the author of Daelicious! Recipes for Vibrant Living. Dr. Dae is a featured chef with www.myfoodmyhealth.com. Dr. Dae is a regularly featured writer for the Elite GoogleNews Website empowher.com where she shares her personal and professional vision for living whole and living well. To learn more about Dr. Dae, her products and services, please visit her on the Web at www.Healthydaes.com.