March 30, 2012. Samuel Valero
Preparing nutritious and healthy meals for families can almost require a science degree if you start looking at food additives and how they impact on one’s health. If you are unsure as to which food additives are impacting negatively on you and your family it is probably wise to avoid them altogether.
There are so many additives in food products we consume now, not just the basics like preservatives, colorings and flavorings but a host of other nasty additives for which the long term health affects have not been determined.
Choose your daily food intake from basic ingredients that have not been refined or processed or pre-packaged as a general rule. Processed foods are usually high in fat, sugar and sodium so not good for regular intake. There are still some options for packaged foods that I will go into shortly, but for now try and make these foods your fundamental food choices;
- Lean meats, fish, organic eggs, legumes, whole-meal cereals, oats, basmati or brown rice, dairy and fruit and vegetables.
Try and choose organic produce when you are able to as the less chemical additives you consume in your diet the better off your health will be in the long term. If you find that you are short on time and just don’t have the luxury of creating food from basics every night, or you just like to have some shortcut items stocked up to make food preparation simpler. There are plenty of pre-packaged items that do not contain any additives, or may contain simple additives like vegetable gum that are harmless. Check the ingredients first but here are some examples of foods that are available pre-packaged without harmful additives;
- Salmon steaks and fish fingers, fish cakes and pizza bases, organic pastry, blueberries, gelato, peas and beans etc.
For another way to prepare easy meals buy a slow cooker add your ingredients in the morning and dinner will be ready when you get home in the afternoon. There are lots of recipes to choose from like sweet potato casserole which is terrific if you are adhering to a healthy low sodium diet.
Updated March 30, 2012. Published June 6, 2011. Samuel Valero
