Healthy Eating

Most of us are very concerned about our health, as well as the health of our children. After all, it is a commandment from the Torah to guard our health. We hear so many things about how sugar is not good for us, how sugar substitutes are also not healthful, about trans fats and hydrogenated oils and it is difficult to know where to start. Hopefully, this article and the accompanying recipes will help you to begin your quest for good health.

Every health professional is telling us to cut out trans fat. Trans fat comes from a process in which liquid oils are solidified by partial hydrogenation, which stretches the shelf life of the oil yet turns it into a health hazard. Trans fats are found in margarine, baked goods, crackers and sometimes even in bread and fried foods. You must check the labels of the food you are purchasing to ascertain whether it has trans fat or not. Most labels have a trans fat count under the fat section on the nutritional label. All labels can be scanned for the ingredients and if you see the words "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" pass it up!

What is the kosher cook to do? We cannot use butter for meaty meals and we cannot always use oil in baking and cooking. One solution is to use olive oil whenever possible. Light tasting olive oil has all the wonderful health benefits of regular olive oil but without the heavy taste of virgin olive oil. Studies suggest that olive oil helps prevent heart disease, cancer and lowers cholesterol. There are those rare recipes that must use a solid fat like butter or margarine and for those, there is a margarine that is non hydrogenated and contains no trans fat. It is called Earth Balance and can be found in your local health food store. It comes in sticks for baking and is the best choice when you need to use margarine.

Another health concern is sugar. We are all aware that sugar intake can lead to mood swings, depression, diabetes, dental decay, hyperactivity in children and cause severe cravings. Perhaps even more questionable, are sugar substitutes. NutraSweet causes amino acid imbalance, Splenda is created by using chlorine to change the sugar molecules and Saccharin has a link to cancer. There is no doubt that these substitutes are not healthful. Luckily, G-d gave us a wonderful alternative called fruit. Fruit is sweet and when used in cooking and baking satisfies that sweet tooth and helps keep our bodies healthy and strong.

Finally, we touch on the issue of whole grains. Again, the health professionals urge us to increase our fiber intake. One easy way to get more fiber is by eating whole grains. Whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, oats, barley and brown rice are some common ways to increase fiber intake. Of course, there are some more "exotic" grains such as millet and farro that your family can try. Additionally, whole grains are digested and processed in the body much more slowly than refined grains – which tend to quickly raise the blood sugar. Another issue is that many people who have allergies to wheat and need substitutions. One easy substitution is substituting 2/3 cup of oat flour and 1/3 cup of brown rice flour for 1 cup of whole wheat flour. There is also brown rice pasta that tastes and looks like regular white pasta. If you wish to make these changes for your family, explain to your older children why you are switching to whole grains and they will be more likely to go along with your plans. The younger children are more adaptable and will be quite willing to go along with any changes you make. No matter what, go slowly to make these changes and your family will get accustomed to it them and will really enjoy these nutritious and delicious meals.

Upcoming Part II: Cream of Asparagus Soup, Onion Bread and Stuffed Baby Squash...