Recipes for Health: Choosing Natural Ingredients - The Healthiest Ingredients

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Recipes for Health: Choosing Natural Ingredients
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Remember, if a food has a label, it has already been processed in some way.  I try to encourage people to purchase foods in their natural state or as close to their natural state as possible.  Foods that are close to the way they are found in nature are going to be nutrient rich and more economical.  The more marketing and packaging that goes into a product, the higher the cost as well. 

When purchasing ingredients for a recipe, how can one choose the healthiest ingredients without altering the taste of the final product? 

The biggest factor for making healthy items taste great is the same factor to making any dish taste great: quality ingredients.  When you use high quality and/or fresh ingredients, you get a lot of flavor in your food without having to add a lot of extras.  For instance, when you purchase produce in season, it will be at its peak flavor and will not need a lot of heavy dressings, butter or seasonings to taste great.  Simple steaming, roasting, or grilling of fresh vegetables can bring out their natural sweetness.  You just want to be sure that you’re selecting products that are in season, preferably those that are close to home from your local farmer’s market.  That will ensure you’re getting the freshest ingredients.

High-quality ingredients also mean you can often cut back on the higher-fat, higher calorie ingredients without sacrificing flavor.  For example, if a recipe calls for cheddar cheese, you can find excellent tasting, quality sharp cheddar cheese and cut back on the amount specified in the recipe.  This will reduce calories and fat, without compromising flavor.  The same is true of things like chocolate, olive oil, and other high calorie ingredients.  Select quality and you can oftentimes use less with still excellent results.

Do you see us as a country heading toward a healthier culinary culture?  What do you predict for the future of the American kitchen?

I do see a lot more emphasis on whole, natural and organic foods that I think goes along with our country’s renewed interest in environmental sustainability and growing health concerns.  We have seen our children’s health compromised by poor eating habits and we have an aging baby boom population that wants to stay as healthy as long as possible.  For these reasons, I think there continues to be a strong interest in healthy cooking and eating.

The challenge for the future will continue to be how to balance our busy schedules and desire for convenience with preparing healthy, economical meals.  Many people want to eat healthy, but they also want quick and easy ideas for preparing meals that can fit into busy lifestyles.  Meals need to not only be simple and easy-to-prepare, but also appeal to everyone in the family.  One of the goals I have when I teach cooking classes at Monroe Community College and in the Rochester Community is to show people that basic, whole foods are versatile, healthy and can be prepared quickly and easily.  Once people see that these foods are easy-to-prepare and taste great, they are excited to make those changes in their own kitchens at home.