Keep your plate bright

When you prepare and cook meals at home, you have better control over the nutritional content and the overall healthfulness of the foods you eat. Now jazz up your plate with the tips from the Healthy Eating Plate suggestion from Harvard School of Public Health! 

• Use healthy Oil (e.g. olive and canola oil) for cooking, on salad, and at the table. Limit butter. Avoid trans-fat as it increases the likelihood of cardiovascular vessels blockage.
• The more veggies and greater the variety. Choose green leafy vegetables instead of starchy ones. As they contain higher fiber content which may help lowering blood cholesterol, which help in preventing heart disease.
• Eat plenty of fruits of all colors. You may choose more red and purple fruits like tomatoes, raspberries, blueberries, grape, etc., as they contain more heart-friendly anti-oxidants like lycopene, anthocyanin, proanthocyanin, resveratrol, etc. They prevent cholesterol from oxidizing and hence protect the wall of our blood vessels.
• Eat whole grains (like brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and whole-grain pasta). Limit refined grains (like white rice and white bread). Whole grains provide more fiber and micro-nutrients which are essential for well-being. Same weight of whole grains provides a lower glycemic load (sugar) than refined grain. This prevents a glucose spike in blood and lower the chance for developing diabetes. A high blood glucose content cause damage to walls of blood vessels.
• Choose fish and poultry; limit red meat; avoid bacon, cold cuts and other processed meats: Deep sea fish is rich in omega-3 fatty acids (includes EPA & DHA). The American Heart Association recommends that people without documented coronary heart disease eat at least two servings per week of a variety of fish (one serving is 3.5 ounces of cooked fish). People with coronary heart disease should eat more, about one gram of EPA and DHA a day.
• Don’t eat fish?  You can turn to other sources of omega-3s. Add Nuts to the Menu. Nuts make a satisfying and convenient snack, and they’re also a great addition to meals. Stir-fries with cashews or almonds; salads topped with walnuts; pesto sauce made with ground walnuts, baked chicken or trout with toasted almonds.

1.     Cooking tips

• Low fat cooking method: baking, broiling, roasting, stewing and steaming. Avoid frying foods.
• Salt cut: Golden rule is no more than 1 teaspoon (5g) of salt per day (2000mg Sodium). This includes all the food and drinks consumed together with the seasonings added. Avoid prepackaged seasonings like teriyaki and soy sauce because they often contain a lot of salt Use fresh herbs whenever possible. 
• Awesome sauce: Vinegar, citrus juice and pepper are awesome sauce to add at the last moment of food preparation. Try eating greens with vinegar, it tastes great; citrus juice works well on fruits, such as melons. Fresh hot peppers can spice up your dishes.

2.     Healthy Cooking with CATALO