Cooking for the Masses

For when you have to Cater for More than Just Family

1. It helps to plan ahead. This is where your Dry Erase board comes in handy. You may purchase boards which have monthly or weekly calendars printed on them. If yours doesn't, that's okay. You could just list the days down the side or draw your personal weekly calendar on it with permanent marker so it doesn't wipe off.

When setting up your dinners for the week, keep in mind any nights you will be busy or getting home late and plan the fastest meals for then. Also remember, any perishables you will require to make use of that week, and plan your meals to incorporate them. Soups and casseroles are a wonderful way to make use of veggies which are starting to wilt. You can also ensure you have everything available to prepare your meals for the week, cutting down on last minute trips to the grocery store.

2. When cooking healthy recipes, the focus ought to be on vegetables. Avoid oils, cream sauces, or using a lot of dairy products or meat. Healthy proteins such as beans or tofu can replace meat in many meals. In your favorite recipes, consider healthy substitutions where possible. Some examples are:

Sugar free applesauce can be complemented with oil to minimize the quantity of oil overall. Canola and olive oils are generally healthier than other kinds of oil and one should use them as much as possible. Utilize only the egg whites in recipes. Use whole wheat pasta and flour. Avoid fatty dairy products. Use 2% skim milk only. If a recipe needs lots of cream think about employing powdered no-fat milk paste. Utilize low sodium alternatives when available. Use brown rice instead of white rice. Think of meat as a condiment or side dish rather than the main course..

3. Choose recipes that can be made with healthy, quick cooking methods. A stir-fry only takes a couple of minutes to prepare. You'll be able to stir-fry vegetables and meats or tofu in a tablespoon of canola oil for just a few minutes after which you can use them to top rice or whole wheat or buckwheat noodles. Steaming is another healthy method of cooking. There are microwave steamers available that make it possible to enjoy steamed veggies with just a push of the button. Other healthy cooking methods are broiling, grilling, and braising.

Also consider uncooked meals for the easiest preparation. Salads, sandwiches and wraps can be nutritious and only take a few minutes.

4. Do as much preparation as possible before time. When you buy healthy meats, like chicken, cook it all at once using a healthy method, then freeze it in meal sized portions. If most of your preferred recipes call for chopped veggies, chop the entire onion at once then store. You only have to grab a handful or thaw out the container, then assemble when it's time to cook. By utilizing your dry erase board to plan meals in advance, it is possible to check the night before to find out what must be pulled from your freezer to thaw for tomorrow's dinner.

5. Keep track of food you and your family enjoy and jot them in your private cookbook. You can gather recipes in a binder and write down experiments that did the trick and have them available when you feel insipid. If you make alternate arrangements, remember to note it on the recipe so you'll recollect next time. Once you prepare a recipe in your binder, make a remark of anything you wish to perform differently next time and the time it took you to make it. This can help you whenever you plan future meals.

For more information on healthy recipes please browse Healthy Cuisines You can also have a look at some great video recipes by visiting Low Carb Recipes

Tags: family, fitness, food, Food Recipes, health, recipes, women

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 29th, 2010 at 7:37 am and is filed under Food Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.