Where Catering Is An Art and Dining Experience A Delight!

Basics on a Healthy Diet

March 28th, 2012 Posted in Foods and Dishes | No Comments »

 

Providing balance in your diet involves an intentional inclusion of different foods in proportion to each other based on the value that each food has to your total goal. For some, food choices might include a specific macronutrient balance. Most health organizations recommend a diet consisting of a balance from Carbohydrate at 55-65%, Protein at 10-15% and Fats at no higher than 30% of total calories. Other programs sometimes recommend that the nutrient balances be altered to a 40: 30: 30% or 75: 15: 10% Carbohydrate: Protein: Fat total calorie percent balance, respectively.

Lastly, balance refers to choosing healthier foods more often than foods that are less healthy. Give top priority to fruits. Add them as often as possible. If you feel you’re really hungry, start of with that orange. It not only hushes your burning desire to eat something instantly, but it also make you maintain that balance, which you need so badly.

Moderation
With obesity incidence growing at epidemic rates, one of the biggest concerns for almost everyone across the globe. The more cold the region the more is the chance to put on heavily, especially on your butts, if you are a woman! Moderation first involves learning how much food is enough and how much is too much. More often than not, when you sit at your dining table, your body generally talks to you a lot. It’s just that you need to listen to its rumble and comments while eating.

When you really feel the need to have just a little more of that tasty pie, stop right there! It’s quite likely that you don’t really need that helping, it’s just that, the lure of that pie is so mesmerizing that you just cannot help yourself with another serving! Many dieting programs are very successful simply because they are very good at helping clients learn to plan food portion sizes appropriately. Because the feeling of fullness in the stomach can take as long as twenty minutes to register to the brain, it is important to regulate how much food is ingested before waiting for a full-feeling. Moderation, therefore, also involves learning the distinct difference between hunger satisfaction and fullness.

Variation
All healthy diets involve the inclusion of several food-types. The primary reason for this is health. Including a wide-variety of foods increases your likelihood of obtaining the required amounts of essential nutrients. It is well recognized that vitamin and mineral composition is food-specific. Another suggestion in this regard would be to add in a spice to your food. Try out new recipes and make the food look appetizing enough.

A simple well-decorated salad could make that huge difference in following a nutritious meal. Add in some fruit or the other from time to time. While some fruits are high in vitamin C, they are low in Calcium. So a variation helps to avoid food-boredom: trying new foods can be interesting and exciting. You could also add in a dash of your favorite dry fruit, meshed with a tablespoon of honey for a whole huge bowl for added benefit and flavor. It sure will look appetizing that way. After all who knows, you might discover that you really do like spinach!

 Source: http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/1-11-2005-64012.asp

Tags: , , ,

Sizzling Summer Salads

March 27th, 2012 Posted in Foods and Dishes | No Comments »

 

 

Sizzling Summer Salads

A sensational summer menu can be simple, yet satisfying; exotic, yet familiar. Instead of making salad a sleepy side item this summer, mix things up and add some sizzle to the table with a sumptuous entrée salad straight from the grill.

Grilling adds intense flavor to summer’s freshest salad ingredients. Try choosing a selection of colorful fruits, flavorful meats, crisp vegetables, delicious seasonings and luscious marinades that pop. Two delectable choices that can make your grilled salads sing are beef and fresh mango. Beef is a traditional summer grilling favorite. In fact, according to a recent survey, conducted by Pelegrin Gray on behalf of the Beef Checkoff Program, 55 percent of Americans prefer to grill beef, such as a steak like filet, ribeye or T-bone, versus other meat. Also, mango is the world’s most popular fruit, and a year-round source of the naturally sweet, refreshing taste of the tropics. For recipes and instructions on how to select and cut a mango, visit mango.org. Visit BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com for beef grilling guidelines and additional recipes.

Simple Steak Grilling Tips

  • Use a medium heat setting on a gas or charcoal grill. For charcoal grills, carefully hold the palm of your hand at cooking height above the ash-covered coals. Count the number of seconds you can hold your hand in that position; approximately 4 seconds is medium heat.
  • Always use tongs to turn steaks. Using a fork will pierce the beef, allowing flavorful juices to escape.
  • For best results, cook steaks to medium rare (145°F) or medium (160°F) doneness. The most accurate way to determine temperature is with an instant-read thermometer.

Make the Most of Mangos

  • Mangos contain more than 20 different vitamins and minerals, are an excellent source of vitamins C and A and a good source of dietary fiber.
  • Color is not the best indicator of ripeness. Simply squeeze the mango gently to determine ripeness level. A ripe mango should give slightly, but not be too soft.
  • To ripen mangos, store at room temperature. Once ripe, store mangos in the refrigerator for up to five days

Source: http://www.culinary.net/articlesfeatures/FeatureDetail.aspx?ID=3386

Tags: , , , ,