On this page I will be offering cooking tips to help you cook your meals in a healthy manner. If you ever have any questions about cooking or ingredients feel free to e-mail me at my personal e-mail address 4myeyes2Conly@comcast.net. Please do not bombard this address with questions about the program. Cooking questions only thank you.

Proteins:

Proteins are the building blocks for almost every part of your body. Protein is derived from Beef, Poultry and Fowl, Pork and Seafood. Protein is also found in other foods such as legumes and nuts. Here we are going to concentrate on how to cook the meats in the healthiest way.

Remember to be sure to always purchase the leanest cuts of meat: Beef round, sirloin, tenderloin, chicken breast, chicken legs, pork tenderloin and white fish, salmon etc., just ask your butcher for the leanest cuts.

Never fry your proteins in oil as frying adds fat to your foods. Instead grill, broil, bake and stew your proteins for a healthier way of cooking proteins that eliminate the fat content. If you are using stocks for soups or stews look for fat free beef or chicken stocks. A healthy alternative is a vegetable stock which has no fat in it.

Here is a recipe for a rub that works well with all types of Proteins:

13 Cajun Spice Rub:

4 cups Paprika	2 Cups Cumin
2 cups Chili Powder	4 Tablespoons Thyme
4 Tablespoons Cayenne Pepper	4 Tablespoons Oregano
4 Tablespoons Black and White Pepper	4 Tablespoons Basil
4 Tablespoons Marjoram	4 Tablespoons Gumbo File
4 Tablespoons Garlic Powder	4 Tablespoons Fennel Powder
4 Tablespoons Onion Powder

Rub on your preferred Protein and either grill, bake or broil and enjoy.

Starches:

Starches are carbohydrates that include pasta, rice, potatoes, cereal, breads, whole grains and some fruits and vegetables.

The desired ways of cooking starches are: Boiling and baking with no added fats. No butter, no oil etc… Instead of white rice or semolina pasta use brown rice and whole wheat pastas. When cooking pasta add a few pinches of salt to the water for flavor. Always bake or boil potatoes never fry you don’t want or need the added fat. Try cutting your potatoes in wedges, season and bake for a healthy side dish for breakfast or dinner. For breads and cereals look for whole grains or whole wheat. It is a good idea to read the ingredient label on breads and cereals. Do not choose them if they contain sugar or anything ending in ose. Ingredients ending in ose are sugars. Also you don’t want chemicals in your food so if there are a lot of words you can’t pronounce pass on it. There are a lot of small independent bakeries that make breads without all of the added sugars and chemicals. Look for those breads on your grocers shelves instead. Eat toast with 100% fruit jams or marmalades instead of butter. Eat oatmeal or whole grain cereals without sugar or whole milk. Try using non-fat milk and 100% maple syrup for a healthier meal.

Vegetables and Fruits:

There are a wide variety of vegetables and fruits and all are good for you. They contain a lot of the vitamins and nutrients our bodies crave for. Eating these in abundance can never be bad for you.

Vegetables can be cooked or eaten raw which ever you desire. When cooking vegetables always blanche, boil or sauté using a little vegetable stock or water. You can add a tablespoon of butter for flavor but no more then that. If blanching or boiling add a few pinches of salt to the water for flavor. Eat vegetables that are fresh, fresh frozen ( frozen vegetables retain more of there nutrients and vitamins as they are flash frozen soon after picking), or canned as long as they are packed in water with no added preservatives.

Fruits are best eaten raw. They can be cooked but I like them best raw. They make the perfect snack and contain a lot of calories, vitamins and nutrients.

Fats:

Good Fats:

Our bodies need certain fats. There are good fats and bad fats below are a list of both. Use good fats in moderation and never with carbohydrates. Good fats—the unsaturated kind that helps fight the very diseases that consuming excess fat was said to cause. These unsaturated fats are divided into monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, and both types are thought to have beneficial effects on cholesterol levels.

Monounsaturated fats help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol while also boosting HDL (good) cholesterol. Polyunsaturated fats are also thought to help lower total and bad cholesterol.

But let's not ignore polyunsaturated fats. These are often a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, found mostly in cold-water fish, nuts, oils and seeds, and also in dark leafy greens, flaxseed oils and some vegetable oils.

Good fats are unsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats.

Sesame Seed Oil	Flaxseed Oil	Olive Oil	Canola Oil
Butter

Bad Fats:

Then there are the bad fats—those artery-clogging saturated fats and Trans Fats. These fats are solid at room temperature. Saturated fats not only clog our arteries, they also directly raise total and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Avoid them as much as possible.

Trans Fats are produced from a process called Hydrogenation. Hydrogenation converts liquid vegetable oils into solid fat. Hydrogenation gives the oils a longer shelf life.

Bad fats are Saturated fats and Trans fats	Shortening
Lard	Deep Fat Frying Oils

Herbs and Spices:

Instead of flavoring you food with rich sauces and butter or other fatty flavorings get to know Herbs and Spices and use those instead. There is a huge variety of both with many different flavors that compliment the foods you eat. Research and utilize these treasures that were once traded as currency and boost the flavor of your foods naturally.

To help you in your quest for a healthier way of eating below is a grocery list to aid you at the grocery store.

Fresh Vegetables:
All Lettuces	Cucumbers	Carrots	Asparagus
Zucchini	Radishes	Tomatoes	Green Beans
Onions	Green Onions	Peppers	Cauliflower
Broccoli	Peas	Celery	Potatoes
Corn	Sweet Potatoes Squash
Fresh Fruits:
Bananas	Apples	Oranges	Pears
Peaches	Nectarines	Grapefruit	Berries
Kiwis	Mangoes	Papayas	Cantaloupes
Honeydews	Watermelons
Frozen Foods:
All Vegetables	Chicken Breast	Vegetarian Burgers
100% Fruit Juice Bars
Canned Foods:
All Fruits and Vegetables packed in water with no added sugars or syrups.
Beans	Marinara sauce	Tuna packed in water
Meats:
Lean cuts of Beef	Lean Hamburger 4% fat		Pork Chops
Chicken Breast	Chicken Legs		Turkey
Ham	Fish		Shellfish
Grains and Cereals:
Whole Grain Bread	Whole Grain Pasta		Whole Grain Cereal
Oatmeal
Beverages:
100% Fruit Juice	Water	Tea	Tomato Juice
Dairy and eggs:
Non Fat Sour Cream	Non Fat cottage Cheese		Real Butter
Non Fat Yogurt	Non Fat Milk		Eggs
Non Fat Cheese
Other Items:
Flax seed Oil	Sesame Seed Oil	Olive Oil	Low Fat Mayo
Honey	Maple Syrup	Mustard	Low Fat Dressings
Herbs	Spices	Nuts	Garlic
Low Sodium Soy Sauce		Ginger	Mushrooms

Print this if you like and use it as a guide when you are shopping.