We all want to eat healthy....or at least we're always being told that we should. With all the information about food, all of the do's and don'ts, eating healthy may seem too complicated, too confusing, too expensive and often BORING! At Harvest Home, we think we've found an easy way to think about eating healthy. Like most of you, we're busy, so let's keep it simple!
Think of what you eat in a day or even a week. Half of everything you eat should be fruits and veggies - more veggies than fruits. The other half of what you eat should be divided between healthy proteins and grains/carbs.
4 SIMPLE STEPS TO BETTER EATING:
FRESHEN UP your eating! Make small changes and gradually get healthier.
STEP 1: Start eating better by simply changing the balance of what you eat. A little less meat and a lot more veggies! And skip the junk food as much as possible BUT REMEMBER having the occasional favorite treat keeps you on a healthy path.
STEP 2: Cook your own food as much as possible. It will save you money, suit your tastes and make it easier to control what's in your food!
STEP 3: Plan your meals before you go grocery shopping. Look for chicken or fish that's on special for the week. Visit a Harvest Home Farmer's Market near you for FRESH veggies and fruits. (Visit HarvestHomeFM.org for our list of Farmer's Markets) Save $$. Try one meal a week that either doesn't have meat or uses meat as a flavor accent.
STEP 4: Cut back on packaged foods. Most of them contain lots of sugar, salt, chemicals/preservatives, and fat that are low in nutritional value and don't help to power you through a busy day. In fact, a lot of them can actually slow you down!
Each week, Harvest Home FRESHEN UP will provide recipes and tips for making tastier, healthier meals. (If it doesn't taste good, who wants to eat it?) Our recipes will feed a family of 4 for under $10.00 a meal! Join the conversation and let us know what you think. Together we can all have fun this summer while we get healthier.
Vegetable Satay with Chicken
Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups of cauliflower florets
- 4 carrots cut in match-stick size pieces
- 1 cup broccoli (optional if not too pricey)
- 1 pound of chicken pieces
- ½ onion sliced thinly
- 2 tsp of olive oil
- Satay Dressing (see below)
Preparation
Veggies
- Steam cauliflower and carrots 4 mins until slightly soft.
- Add broccoli for 3 mins.
- Remove from heat, rinse with cold water and set aside.
Chicken
- Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and thinly slice the onion.
- Sauté chicken in 2 tsp of olive oil until cooked.
- Add onion and sauté until the onion is soft.
- Remove from heat and mix with veggies.
Dressing (Whisk ingredients together)
- 1 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 2 tsp curry powder
- ¼ tsp salt
Add dressing and let sit for 2 hrs at room temp or cover and refrigerate. Serve hot or cold.
A Side for Satay and More
Tips
Serve Satay with Coconut Rice
- Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups brown rice
- 1 can coconut milk
- ½ tsp salt
- Preparation
- Rinse rice.
- Add rice it to a pot with coconut milk, salt and 2 ½ cups of water.
- Bring to the pot to a boil, lower the heat and simmer covered with a tight lid for about 20 mins.
- Turn off the heat, leave the cover on and let sit for 10 to 15 mins.
- Plan meals with the veggie as the main ingredient. Then add enough meat to make a heartier dish. Saves $$ and cuts back on calories!
- Cook greens you like, like collard greens, spinach or kale. Add your favorite beans like chickpeas or black-eyed peas. Season to your taste then add cooked chicken or beef for more flavor and a bit of protein.
- In a hurry? Toss a can of tuna into your veggie dish for extra protein!
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Comment below, follow up on social media and join our mailing list for healthy recipes and tips on how to prepare your meals!