Food will be even tastier when it is cooked inside a slow cooker or a crock-pot. The flavor of the food that is cooked can be enjoyed since it still contains the goodness of the herbs and the stock that have been used for cooking the meal. The meat that is cooked in a crock-pot also becomes nice, soft and tender due to the moist heat. The cooker should be functioning in a proper manner and the rules regarding cooking using a slow cooker should be followed correctly. This makes the food that is cooked perfectly safe and bacteria free.

Cheap cuts of red meat and white meat get cooked in a much better manner when they cooked in a slow cooker. They also help in saving money compared to expensive cuts of meat. The fat content in cheap cuts of meat is much less than that of expensive cuts of meat. This reduced fat content makes them suitable to be cooked in a slow cooker. A time period of eight hours is required to cook meat properly in a slow cooker.

The crock-pot should be filled with food only up to two-thirds of its total capacity. If a slow cooker is filled up to the brim with food, then it will not be cooked properly. But food will be cooked in a much quicker manner when the liquid level is lesser than normal. Food that is placed in the bottom half of the slow cooker will get cooked faster due to the presence of the simmering fluid. When meat has to be cooked, the fat should be removed and the skin of poultry that has to be cooked in the slow cooker should also be removed. Due to the long and slow cooking process, the fat in meat will melt and the completed dish will not taste good. During the last thirty minutes of the cooking process, the setting of the slow cooker should be changed to a high setting so that the juices involved in the cooking process will become thicker and the flavor of the food will be concentrated.

Seafood like fish, which has to be cooked in a slow cooker, should be added only in the last hour of cooking. This will prevent the seafood from getting overcooked. Seafood that has been cooked for too long will have not have a good texture. Ground meats that have to be cooked in a slow cooker should first be fried in pan before being placed in the cooker. Large cuts of meat can be turned brown in this manner before being placed in the cooker, though this is not an essential step. This only helps to give a special flavor to the meat. Vegetables like mushrooms, tomatoes and zucchini should be added in the last forty-five minutes of the cooking process to prevent them from being overcooked. A small amount of Tabasco sauce and cayenne pepper should be added after the cooking time has been completed so that the food does not get a bitter taste. Spices should also be added to the food at the fag end of the cooking duration so that their flavor is not lost when they are mixed with the other ingredients that are needed to cook the meal. Normally, dairy products like curd, milk or butter should be added towards the end of the cooking duration unless the recipe states something different.

If the recipe for the meal does not state that a slow cooker should be used to cook the meal, then the amount of liquid used should reduced by half or at least one third since the liquid in the crock pot does not boil so soon. Slow cookers are easy to use since they can cook food on low temperatures and the lid of the cooker is closed all the time. This helps to avoid cooking accidents like a fire. There are certain types of meat that will get cooked better when they are cooked slowly in a slow cooker.

“More cheese on your pizza means more crust in your arteries,” said CSPI nutritionist Jayne Hurley. CSPI, the group that warned us about the fat in movie popcorn, also isn’t fond of stuffed crusts. “You need cheese stuffed into a pizza crust like you need reverse liposuction to force more fat under your skin,” the center warned in its newsletter. So nutritionists probably won’t be any happier about Papa Murphy’s new Deeper Dish Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza, which boasts more cheese and toppings than regular pizzas.

Pizzas that rated the group’s approval include Hand Tossed Veggie Lover’s pizza from Pizza Hut, Papa John’s Original Crust Garden Special and California Pizza Kitchen’s Tricolore Salad Pizza. Some tips from CSPI and the American Institute for Cancer Research for putting your pizza on a diet:

• Pick healthy toppings. Veggies are best. Second best is chicken or ham. Pepperoni has less fat than sausage or beef.
• Order your pizza with half the usual amount of cheese - or no cheese at all.
• Order a side salad so you can cut down on the amount of pizza you eat and have a healthier meal.
• Shirk the side orders. Other than salads, side items like cheese bread and buffalo wings do more damage.
• If you’re making a pizza at home, sprinkle on part-skim mozzarella or another low-fat cheese.
• Make a Mexican pizza with beans, salsa, low-fat cheese and chopped oregano or cilantro.

You don’t have to give up the foods you like to help protect yourself from cancer. Instead, choose “more often” the foods that might reduce your risks of cancer and choose “less often” the foods that might increase your risks of cancer.

Keep in mind, no single food can prevent cancer; no single dietary slip will cause cancer. However, making positive choices in your diet every day can promote good nutrition and good health and can reduce your risk of some types of cancer.

The American Cancer Society publishes nutrition guidelines to advise the public about dietary practices that reduce cancer risk.

• Choose most of the foods you eat from plant sources.
• Eat five or more serving of fruits and vegetables each day. Scientific research shows that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of cancer of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts.
• Eat other foods from plant sources, such as breads, cereals, grain products or beans several times each day. Eat 6-to-11 servings a day of grains (breads, cereals, grain products, rice and foods made from them).
• Choose whole grains in preference to processed grains, and select beans as an alternative to meat. Grains are an important source of many vitamins and minerals, which are associated with a lower risk of colon cancer.
• Limit your intake of high-fat foods, particularly from animal sources. High-fat diets have been associated with an increase in the risk of cancers of the rectum, prostate and endometrium.
  Choose foods low in fat. If you eat luncheon and variety meats, choose those that are labeled “reduced fat content”.
• Limit consumption of meats, especially high-fat meats. To reduce the fat in your diet, choose more often the lean cuts of beef, lamb and pork and less often the high-fat cuts. Trim away all the fat you can see before you cook the meat and again before you eat it.
• Be physically active: Achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
• Be at least moderately active for 30 minutes or more on most days of the week.
• Stay within your healthy weight range.
• Limit consumption of alcoholic beverages, if you drink at all. Risk of cancer increases with the amount of alcohol consumed and may start to rise with as few as two drinks a day.

The major sources of potassium are fruits and vegetables. Nature was kind enough to provide guidance in this area. The deeper orange a fruit or vegetable is, the more potassium usually is contained. Many people think they must eat only bananas or orange juice to get their daily potassium. Not so! The list includes sweet potatoes, winter squash (such as Hubbard or banana squash), raspberries, cantaloupe, mango and mango nectar, fresh and dried peaches and apricots, honeydew, Casaba and Persian melon and tomato, tomato salsa and tomato juice.

However, nature is allowed to be a bit deceptive. Sometimes natural advertising is subtle. Mushrooms, cooked beans and dried peas, peanut butter, figs, avocados, salmon and dairy products are also good sources of potassium, though they lack orange or red coloring.

Potassium is a water-soluble mineral. This means it is easily washed out of your system. To keep your heart beating and your eyes blinking, eat several servings of potassium-rich foods every day.

Get your fill

These foods have 300 or more milligrams of potassium per serving:

- 8 ounces whole, low-fat, nonfat milk and buttermilk
- 3 ounces cooked beef, liver, pork, canned salmon, chicken and veal
- 4 ounces dried apricots, raisins or prunes, 1 medium banana, 1/2 small cantaloupe or honeydew, 2 ounces dried dates and figs, fresh peaches and apricots, 1/2 medium avocado
- 4 ounces cooked beans
- 10 fresh mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 baked potato
- 1 baked sweet potato
- 1 medium tomato
- 6 ounces canned tomato juice
- 1 cup cold all-bran cereal

This is America’s concept of dinner. Small wonder we’re growing larger by the minute.

Perfect Portion Diet Dish

“I lost 24 pounds with it after the birth of my second son,” says Gorman, whose before and after photos appear in the product’s promotional materials. She used the dish to control the “grazing” she
did at home with two small children.

The product consists of a segmented see-through plastic dish, base, cover and preprinted discs that fit between the dish and base. The diner selects a disc for breakfast, lunch or dinner - for a beef or Italian meal, for instance - and then fills the compartments based on instructions on the disc. The lid ensures that food is not heaped up too high. Properly filled, each plate provides about 500 calories, with portions and proportions consistent with the food pyramid and U.S. dietary guidelines.

Women are advised to eat three plates a day (1,500 calories), while men are allowed four. The meat portion is 2 ounces, smaller than a deck of cards. The rest of the plate is filled with fruits, vegetables and grains, with dairy on the side. The dish can be filled with food ahead of time and refrigerated for a meal at work or away from home. Gorman recently has developed heart-healthy, vegetarian, diabetic and children’s discs. A low-carbohydrate disc is available as well, although its guidelines are not as drastic as popular low-carbohydrate diets, says Brenkus.

Interest in the device has exploded since spring, when it was featured in Prevention magazine. Plans for an infomercial and a book are in the works. The exposure also has sparked interest among health professionals. The Diabetes Prevention Project, a grant-funded national study aimed at preventing new cases of diabetes, has purchased 1,000 units. Gorman is working with a group at Akron Children’s Hospital that plans to use the dish in treating overweight families. Health-care providers with nutritional expertise, such as dietitians, often use the plates without the inserts in order to train clients in recognizing appropriate portion sizes.

Is Perfect Portions the answer to every dieter’s dilemma? That depends. If what you’re planning to eat fits in the plate, you’ll probably lose the weight - but much of what we actually eat will never get there. Americans are eating out more and more, and super-sized, fat-laced restaurant meals tend to reinforce portion distortion. Gorman includes a dining-smart card with guidance about food choices and meat portions in restaurants, as well as advice on how to make room for occasional treats. But if you eat out often, you will have to apply the same old discipline. Same if you’re a midnight snacker (or weekend beer drinker).

But this gadget is an excellent template on which to model long-term eating habits. If portion size is your problem - and for many of us, it is - for about $12.95 the product is worth a try.

This recipe makes 4 servings (4 rice bowls).

Here’s what you’ll need:

1 short pot (or 1 large saucepan)
2 cups of white rice (preferably glutinous, Persian or converted - depending on how sticky you want the rice)
2 tablespoons of margarine, butter, vegetable oil or rendered fat
3 or 3.5 cups water or broth
salt, to taste

Preparation:

1. Place the rice at the bottom of the saucepan and rinse it by washing it with cold water, and then pouring off the cloudy water. Repeat for a few times, until the water is clear and you can recognize the rice grains through the water. Pour off the last rinse.
2. Put your middle finger in the saucepan until it touches the bottom. Pour in broth or water until it reaches the second line of your finger.
3. Add the oil/butter/margarine and salt to taste.
4. Place on the stove and cover loosely (there should be about a centimeter of space between the edge of the saucepan and the side of the cover.
5. Turn on the stove at low/medium heat, and leave the saucepan for about 20 minutes.
6.Check to see if the rice is done. If it’s not, leave it a little longer (checking it for every 5 minutes).
7. How to check the rice: stick a spoon in the middle, and gently push to the side. If there’s any water left, move the rice back to cover the hole (trying not to touch it too much).
8. If you run out of water before the rice is completely done (or the level of softness you desire), pour 1/4 cup of hot water in the middle of the well you made for checking, and move back the rice to cover the water.
9. When the rice is done, turn off the heat, cover it completely and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
10. Stir, then serve.

There’s also another way to cook rice, this time for when you want it plain.

Here’s what you’ll need:

A large bowl
A strainer
As much rice as you want (up to 5 cups).
A pot of salted water with about a tablespoon of oil

Preparation:

1. Set the pot of salted and oiled water on high heat.
2. Rinse the rice repeatedly in a large bowl, until the water is somewhat clear.
3. Drain as much water as you can from the rice, then wait until the water on the stove starts boiling.
4. When the water reaches a fast, rolling boil, gently pour in the rice.
5. Stir well to make sure the rice doesn’t stick together.
6. Cook for about 10 minutes, occasionally stirring the rice, then check to see if it’s done.
7. Check every two minutes after that, and when the rice is as soft as you want, turn off the heat and pour the rice into a strainer.
8. Shake the strainer a little (to get out as much excess water as possible), then return the rice to the (now empty) pot.
9. Season the rice to taste, then serve.

Unless it is parboiled rice, rice cooked this way can be used to make rice balls. If you want to make deep-fried breaded rice balls, parboiled rice is best.

More tips for cooking rice

To get a nice golden color, stir a teaspoon of turmeric into the water in which the rice will cook.

Bouillon or seasoning blocks give a really nice flavor to rice. You need to stir the cubes after cooking in order to distribute them evenly.

Leftover rice can be used to make fried rice, or to replace bread crumbs for adding a little starch to a meatloaf.

Cooked rice should never be left to sit out for more than a few hours (unless you keep it very hot). To keep rice from burning at the bottom, place it in bain-marie (a pan that is atop a pan of water that is over a tea light or other warmer). To cool off rice quickly after a meal, transfer it from the pot to small containers.

If you’re following a salt-restricted diet but don’t like sweet rice, season it with a little pepper and some salt-free chicken broth to enhance its flavor.

Tags: rice, cooking, vegetable, tips, sticky, boil, boiling, grains, recipe

2 sweet red peppers
1/2 cup Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
1/4 lb feta cheese, cubed
1/4 tsp black pepper

On a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, broil peppers, turning frequently, about 20 minutes or until skin is blackened and blistered; wrap in foil and let stand 10 minutes.

Remove peppers from foil; peel and cut into chunks, discarding seeds and membranes. In food processor or blender, purée pepper chunks. Add mayonnaise, feta cheese and pepper; process until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Serve with mini pita breads, flatbread wedges, soft bread sticks or assorted fresh vegetable pieces for dipping.

Tip: For a softer texture, allow dip to come to room temperature before serving. Substitute 1 jar (313 mL) roasted red peppers, drained, for broiled sweet red peppers.

News Canada

Tags: red peppers, peppers, vegetable, seasonal, fall, autumn, season, recipe, fall recipes, fresh

Plan Ahead.
Devote one afternoon to prep for the week’s meals. Chopping and slicing ahead of time will allow you to quickly grab what you need to cook weekday meals. Trimming the minutes it usually takes to have that delicious meal on the table will leave you feeling less hurried at dinnertime.

Create Homemade Frozen Dinners.
Instead of reaching into the freezer for another expensive, prepackaged processed meal, double your favorite healthy recipes, separate into individual portions and freeze for serving later in the week. The Reynolds Handi-Vac Vacuum Food Storage System is a handheld vacuum sealer that virtually eliminates freezer burn, making it easy to store your homemade frozen dinners. This makes for a less expensive and healthier alternative when dinnertime is tight. These good-for-you meals on the go are also perfect as an easy lunch to take to work.

Satisfy Picky Eaters.
In the mood to try that great recipe from the neighbor, but worried your picky eater won’t touch the spicy red curry? Freeze your family’s favorite dishes in individual portions — that way you are always armed with a Plan B if the hard to please eaters won’t bite on your occasional culinary adventure.

Let Kids Help.
Packing school lunches can be a time-consuming task during the busy morning rush. Measuring snack items like pretzels, nuts and cookies into single servings ahead of time shaves valuable minutes off lunch-packing prep. Reynolds Handi-Vac is easy to use, so kids can pack and seal their own lunchtime treats. With the lunch snacks already packaged to go, kids can have fun deciding what goes in their lunch.

Enjoy Mom’s Night Off!
Make sure your family isn’t missing out on a healthy and delicious meal because you’re taking a night off from the kitchen. A ready supply of individual meals that can be reheated and are ready to eat at any time will keep your family out of the drive-thru.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Tags: meals, quick, easy, cooking, food, back-to-school, kids, planning, delicious, healthy eating, school

This year, parents can send kids back to school with the tools necessary to build strong minds and strong bones by following a handful of useful nutrition strategies. Ninety percent of girls and 75 percent of boys ages 9 to 13 do not get the 1,300 milligrams of daily calcium recommended, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. What’s more, the majority of parents (60 percent) aren’t sure how much calcium their kids get each day, according to a 2007 survey by independent research firm Opinion Research Corporation More than 30 percent of surveyed parents mistakenly believed their children needed less than half of the daily recommended amount.

Parents have an opportunity to become better educated about bone health in order to effectively increase their kids’ bone mass. Bringing bone-healthy foods into the home is one simple step parents can take to help their kids build and maintain strong bones.

Bone-healthy foods include foods rich in calcium, along with those enhanced with prebiotics - non-digestible, soluble fiber that can significantly boost calcium absorption by encouraging the growth of beneficial bacteria in the body. By choosing to bring foods into the home that are both rich in calcium and enhanced with prebiotics, parents can ensure their kids are on the road to a lifetime of healthy bones.

“Back-to-school season presents an opportune time for parents to help their kids build strong bones by providing them with bone-healthy breakfasts and packed lunches,” says Coni Francis, Ph.D., a registered dietitian with GTC Nutrition.

There are an increasing number of kid-friendly, better-for-your-bones foods for parents to choose from, such as Barbara’s Bakery line of Organic Wild Puffs cereals. Barbara’s Bakery recently re-launched their tasty cereals with the added health benefits of NutraFlora, a natural prebiotic fiber. NutraFlora is one of the most effective prebiotics available, and is rapidly gaining awareness among parents and consumers for its ability to significantly improve calcium absorption.

In addition to serving bone-healthy foods, parents can help kids build and maintain healthy bones by encouraging them to exercise. Bones, just like muscles, become stronger through regular athletic activity. Most schools have a wide variety of organized athletics for kids, making back-to-school a perfect time for kids to start a new exercise routine.

To learn more about building and maintaining healthy bones visit www.nutraflora.com or www.nof.org.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Tags: healthy eating, nutrition, kids, children, bone health, school, calcium, milk, food, nutrients, back-to-school

On one hand, children want to enjoy the foods they eat while in school. On the other, parents - not to mention teachers - want to ensure that students eat the right things to sustain them through a long day, and beyond that, for a long life. Many snack companies are joining with parents, teachers and healthcare professionals to battle the rising tide of childhood obesity. New products, ranging from bagged apple slices to fortified breads, reflect innovations in product development designed to satisfy both finicky kids and concerned adults.

Portion control and calorie counting are key elements of weight control. With this in mind, many companies, including Snyder’s of Hanover, have started to introduce 100-calorie packs. These packs mix the power of portion control with convenience and kid-friendly appeal.

In time for back-to-school season, Snyder’s of Hanover is adding two MultiGrain Sunflower Chip varieties to its line of 100-calorie snack packs: French Onion and Southwestern Cheddar. The wholesome, all-natural snacks provide up to 6 grams of whole grains per serving. Whole grains are the building block of government dietary recommendations.

While adults can take heart in the nutritional profile and convenience of the 100-calorie snack packs, when it comes to children, it’s still all about favor and crunch. “The pretzels and chips in our new 100-calorie snack packs are our original delicious chips kids love and parents count on as part of a healthy diet,” said Claude O’Connor of Snyder’s of Hanover. “We realize that one of the keys to combating obesity is portion control - the snack packs are a great way for parents to teach kids about portion control and also to help with their own.”

Meanwhile, beyond planning lunches and snacks that are both good and good for their kids, parents are facing other stresses as they head into another school year. Chief among those concerns are higher prices for everything from school supplies to clothing to grocery bills. As part of its back-to-school promotion, many food companies are teaming up to help ease grocery costs with special seasonal promotions.

For example, Juicy Juice, Egglands Best Eggs, Snyder’s of Hanover, Hormel’s Kids Kitchen and Parents Magazine have created a special back-to-school coupon booklet, with savings of more than $47. The booklet will be included in specially marked packages of Snyder’s of Hanover 100-calorie snack packs.

Just as better-for-you snacks are part of a long-term approach to healthy eating, parents know that they must plan ahead for their children’s future education. To that end, Snyder’s of Hanover is offering a chance to win a $3,000 scholarship. Consumers can find out more information and enter online at www.snydersofhanover.com.

For more information on Snyder’s of Hanover full line of 100-calorie snack packs available in pretzel sticks, minis, snaps and the new MultiGrain varieties or about the coupon book and scholarship offer, consumers can call (800) 233-7125 or visit the company Web site, www.snydersofhanover.com

Courtesy of ARAcontent

Tags: kids, children, nutrition, snacks, snacking, school, fall, healthy eating, lunch, lunches, back-to-school