Tips For Making Classic Kids Foods Healthier

Everyone hopes for a re-vamped version of their absolute favorite foods but often the "re-do" just doesn't stack up in flavor and texture as the original. But every once in a while, luck may be with you, and somehow you get more compliments on the re-worked version than what you ever heard on the original.

An important component to this trick though, keep your secrets to yourself as the chef and do not ever tell your family that tonight's version is a "new recipe" of their favorite food. The subconscious mind alone will immediately mutiny and no matter how good the taste or the quality of tonight's meal, their mind is just not going to think this version is as good as the original.

So just play it safe, serve the new version and reap the compliments for tonight's dinner and then the next time you can just casually mention you tried it this way again since everyone loved it so well. Before long, all of your slimmed down, lower calorie, reduced fats, sodium and carbohydrate foods can become a normal part of your family's healthy diet.

Five Easy Re-Do's For Classic Favorites

What's the number one favorite of every casserole ever invented?

Ask this to a group of people and the number one answer is always Macaroni and Cheese. But the fats, sodium, and carbohydrates in this fantastic meal tend to go overboard on any kind of diet plan. So let's keep all the flavor and texture of your own recipe but lose some of the artery clogging fats.

• change the use of whole milk to 1% milk to drastically reduce the fats


• do not salt the water when pre-cooking the macaroni. Just stir the pasta a few times during cooking and this will help prevent your pasta from sticking together.


• change up the full-fat Velveeta cheese product (or American cheese) to a smaller quantity of sharp cheddar. Because the flavor is stronger, you can use less cheese to obtain that great flavor. Some people also like to add about 1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese to the top of the casserole for a great taste change.


• as a thickener for your casserole, remove the flour from your recipe and add some cornstarch. I know some people who even prefer this done by adding some 100% whole grain oatmeal to the casserole dish before baking to help absorb the excess liquid and give it just a slight flavor twist..


• if you need to get some more vegetables into you and your family's diet, add some diced onion, celery or fresh parsley. By using all or any of these singly, it will give just a slight different flavor without adding any measurable amount of calories or fats.

Now getting those vegetables into your child's diet can often be pretty hard, especially with the school age kids. But carrot sticks are really pretty darn boring, but how about carrot curls, radish or tomato roses, green onion daisies, cucumber fans etc.. A few simple swipes with a knife and a glass of water can often work miracles when it gets your kids to eating vegetables.

Another fast and simple method which somehow makes those vegetables a whole lot tastier is Vege Kabobs. A simple wooden skewer, an assortment of fresh vegetables, cooked or raw, and a simple side of tasty salad dressing is all it takes to take vegetables from bland to exciting.

Your third makeover suggestion, if you have a child, who hasn't heard of chicken nuggets? Sometimes I actually wish the chicken had never gave us such a quick fast food favorite. All of that grease or oil, breading mix and egg wash is a waistline's downfall any day of the week. So a few tweaks to dress up the chicken and make him just a little more compatible to a slimmer waistline include:

• use all white meat instead of the dark meat


• remove the skin before coating


• do not deep fry. Use a small skillet with a small amount of olive oil or even better is use the oven for a baked version of chicken nuggets


• use a homemade breading mix which is lower in fats, calories and sodium than the standard fast food faire.

For a quick summertime treat on a hot summer day you need to head to the freezer and grab a popsicle. But the amount of sugars, artificial colorings and dyes and artificial flavors in those can take this treat and blow your health concerns all out the window.

Don't worry though, a couple of super easy ingredients and your own freezer is all it takes to make your own homemade versions without anything artificial on Mom's homemade label.

And finally the kids are starved, Mom and Dad are still at work and what are they supposed to grab. Most kids hit the junk foods or the freezer and there grab a box which can be zapped in the microwave. But from now on, forget the deep-fried, pre-cooked pizza pockets, or breaded mushrooms from the microwave. Potato chips straight out of the cooking oil aren't any better.

But what you can fix simply at home ahead of time and store for when the kids need a few bites is fresh veggie chips. Pick an assortment of fresh veggies, slice thinly, season lightly and bake until done. You just saved yourself a ton of money over the grocery store gourmet foods selections and you have still served a fast, fresh and delicious, nutritious snack the kids will still love.

So when you need to makeover a few old-fashioned classics that become the new generation favorites, a little ingenuity and some kitchen time can solve your whole family's quest for some fast, simple but still delicious fast food treats.

About the Author: Kathi Robinson
For most of the easy recipes above but some popular sugar free snacks that no one will ever tell are sugar free, check at my website at http://www.allergyfreeandsugarfreesnacks.com/

8 Chinese New Year Food Symbols for Happiness, Prosperity and Health

"Lucky" Chinese New Year symbols are an important part of
celebrating the Spring Festival.

Afterall, it is the start of spring -- a perfect time to
have your New Year wishes come true!

And what better way to usher in happiness, prosperity and
health than to enjoy "auspicious food" with family and
friends?

Here are the Top 8 auspicious food symbols for Chinese New
Year.

Top 8 Auspicious Food Symbols for Chinese New
Year

1. Hot Pot

A steaming hot pot (or chinese fondue) with meat, seafood
and vegetables) is a must.

Huo3 in hot pot huo3 guo3 火锅 is the same word as huo3 in
hong2 huo3 红火 "prosperous and booming".

2. Fish

Another must-have dish if you want to experience abundance
in the new year.

Fish yu2 鱼 is the most popular dish served during Chinese
New Year.

In Chinese fish has the same sound as "surplus" and
"abundance" 余.

A whole fish is served on Chinese New Year's eve for the
reunion dinner.

Usually the fish is steamed.

It is a good omen to leave the bones and head and tail
intact.

This symbolizes surplus/abundance and a good beginning and
end in the new year.

Best served whole.

3. Shrimp

Shrimp xia1 虾 in Mandarin and ha in Cantonese sounds
like someone laughing.

Eat shrimp for happiness and well-being.

4. Boiled dumplings

A Chinese New Year tradition is eating boiled dumplings.

These are shaped like gold ingots.

Dumplings jiao3 zi 饺子 sounds like jiao1 zi3 交子which
means the hour of transition into the New Year.

Hence, in northern China, dumplings filled with meat are
eaten on Chinese New Year's eve to usher in good luck and
wealth in the New Year.

Sometimes a coin is placed in one of the dumplings. Whoever
bites on it will have plenty of wealth in the new year.

When dumplings and yellow noodles are cooked together they
mean "golden threads through gold ingots".

In the eastern cities of China, like Shanghai, Hangzhou and
Suzhou, egg dumplings are eaten as they look like gold
ingots.

5. Oyster

Hao2 sounds like hao3 shi4 好事 which means "good
things".

In southern China, it is served with thin rice
noodles.

6. Green vegetables

For close family ties, serve some greens.

Qing1 cai4 青菜 sounds like qing1 亲 as in qin1 re 亲热 mea
ning "close/intimate"

7. Sticky rice cake

Nian2 gao1 年糕.

Nian2 means year and cake gao1 sounds the
same as high gao1 高.

So eating this steamed cake made of rice flour and topped
with red dates has the meaning of attaining greater
prosperity and rank in the new year.

8. Noodles

Known as chang2 shou4 mian4 长寿面 meaning "longevity
noodles".

A wish for good fortune -- Good Luck, Prosperity, Longevity,
Happiness and Abundance -- is central to the Chinese way of
life.

Even more so during Chinese New Year!

For more auspicious Chinese food symbols and DIY Chinese recipes, visit www.living-chinese-symbols.com.

Want to discover the culture of Chinese symbols and characters and enhance your life? LIOW Kah Joon is your guide. Read his Chinese New Year Special and sign up for his free monthly Chinese Symbols ezine at Living Chinese Symbols.

Health Food Stores Battle Food Allergies

At health food stores, customers are complaining about food allergies more often now with statements like, "I can't eat this", or "I can't eat that." Why do so many people, especially those who frequent health food stores, believe they have food allergies? It's funny, I've never heard anyone say, "I'm allergic to coffee, cookies, cakes, popcorn, pizza or candy", and yet these are things that people ingest regularly without a second thought. So, what's up with all these health food store shoppers who have food allergies?

Food allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to a protein molecule in the offending food. This can happen even with those who stick to food from health food stores. The body is unable to break down that particular protein molecule, so it reacts by trying to "get rid of it". It produces a chemical called 'histamine' and symptoms appear in the form of rashes, hives, itching, wheezing, breathing problems, and lots of mucus being expelled through the mouth, nose, ears, lungs, or sexual organs. More serious reactions from food allergies are: vomiting, diarrhea, loss of consciousness, drop in blood pressure, or even death.

Intolerance to certain foods is different than true food allergies, and this is a more common complaint at health food stores. With food intolerances like lactose intolerance, where a person has difficulty breaking down the sugar in the milk, the symptoms are much milder. One may have some bloating, excess gas, cramping or diarrhea. While food intolerance is unpleasant, it is not life threatening like food allergies can be in some severe cases. The usual distresses are intolerances to wheat, soy, dairy and anything at health food stores that the shopper feels is too expensive.

The question that customers at health food stores ought to ask is not, "What food am I allergic to?" But rather, "Why is my immune system reacting to what should be health food?"

When determining specific food allergies and intolerances, some factors to consider are:
1. What is the trigger food?
2. When am I eating the trigger food?
3. Am I improperly combining fruits and vegetables or grains or meat and dairy?

The list can be quite exhaustive to hunt down the offending trigger food and how it is being consumed. In fact, most food allergy experts will tell you to keep a diary of everything you eat, and when you find the trigger food to just avoid eating it. Well, that sounds simple, but if you react to many things, including those that should be health food, it's not so simple? Of course, you can eliminate the most common triggers to food allergies like: corn, wheat, eggs, dairy, and peanuts, but if that doesn't work, then what? The truth is, your immune system can overreact to many substances. The best way to address food allergies is to strengthen your immune system and get in balance with all the systems of the body. Shop health food stores for specific foods to feed your 5 main systems equally: immune, endocrine, digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems. This may be difficult at typical health food stores, but searching online will produce results.

When you feed all your body parts with healthy, whole food nutrients, and eliminate the fake, processed foods in your life, your 5 systems can come into a perfectly natural balance. Then you can eat what you know you should be eating. It is better to strengthen the body's systems with properly combined health food and ward off illness and disease the natural way. When you consume the right nutrients, the body operates at optimum levels for a more relaxed, healthy life. You have access to so much good nutrition at health food stores and plenty of options for avoiding food allergies or intolerances that it's a shame to limit your choices unnecessarily.

Cliff Smith is the owner of an online health food store specializing in properly combined, concentrated whole food formulas that nourish, cleanse and balance the body. Many of his customers have overcome their food allergies and intolerances with health foods that are not sold in typical retail stores. Visitors to the online store are encouraged to take the free alkaline food test, request catalogs, sample products, and discover more nutrition facts.

Tempeh - The Super Healthy Probiotics Food

If you are a person who concerns about health, healthy food should be in your family's daily menu. For your today's menu, why don't you cook something delicious with probiotics contents and have many health benefits to reduce cancer risk, good for diabetic diets, lower cholesterol, boost immune system, and even help weight loss program? 'Is there one single food that have all those benefits?' Yes, that is tempeh, a traditional food made from fermented soybean!

In my country, Indonesia, tempeh has been our traditional food from maybe hundreds of years ago. We can find tempeh in almost all markets, even in small villages. Tempeh has been a part of our life. Whether we cook for daily meals (served with rice), or when we have a fine dining in restaurants, we can always find tempeh. It is because tempeh can be processed into many delicious foods. But not as many of its health benefits!

Probiotics
Tempeh is one of many probiotics food sources. Rhizopus Oligosporus, good bacteria contained in tempeh, produces natural antibiotic that inhibits some harmful bacteria. Rhyzopus can also improve your intestinal digestion health, as well as your skin health, from atopic dermatitis, pimples, cellulitis, etc. On the other hand, the fermentation process that change whole soybeans into tempeh, produces an enzyme called phytase. This enzyme can break down phytate acid, and therefore increase body absorption of minerals like iron, calcium, and zinc. Good news for you who have anemia, as tempeh is also claimed of having 4mg iron/100 gram!

High Protein - Low Calories
Tempeh, being processed from soybeans, becomes a high protein food, even highest among other plant foods. Daily consumption of 166 gram tempeh contributes around 60% of our protein daily needs. And with the fact that tempeh has less than 329 calories, it is safe to assume that tempeh can be your perfect choice of healthy food!

As a plant protein source, tempeh can provide healthy diet for diabetes mellitus patient too. Diabetic people can use tempeh as a substitute of animal protein foods like milk and meat.

Isoflavone
Now you can get many healthy benefits of isoflavone from tempeh, which is including :
· Improve bone mineral content, reduce the risk of osteoporosis
· Antioxidant to fight free radical that cause cancer
· Lower cholesterol (lower LDL and increase HDL)
· Lower heart disease risk
· Relieve menopause symptoms

High Fiber
The high fiber content of soybeans which is found in tempeh can help diabetic patient to control sugar level in their blood. It can also prevent colon cancer, improve kidney health by replacing animal protein to soybeans, and prevent diarrhea in children.

Boost Immune System & Health
The amino acids can improve the superiority of tempeh in boosting immune system. Tempeh is also an important source of vitamin B12, which vegetarians can use to replace meat, and an excellent source of calcium.

Low Calorie & Low Carbohydrate
And last but not least, tempeh is a suitable food for weight loss diet. Being low calories and low carbohydrate, including tempeh in your dietary food list, will help you to reduce the amount of fat stored in your body. If you combine this perfect diet with exercise, you will increase lean muscle mass that will help you to burn fat. And what make it more perfect, tempeh has its high protein you can use to regain your energy after having your weight loss exercise session.

So, I don't need to underline, that tempeh is definitely a super healthy food for healthy people, with healthy budget, which, with a little creativity can turn into a super delicious food!

Fanda is the owner of 1st Probiotics. http://www.1stprobiotics.com will help you to know more about probiotics, the good bacteria. From the health benefits, to recipes to serve probiotics to your family. You can also learn more about tempeh and other probiotics source food in http://www.1stprobiotics.com

How Does Our Food Intake Affect Our Health?

When mapping out some of the healthier foods, we can begin to advise others on which food combinations make us healthier at the end of the day. In order to live a long and fit life, one needs enough servings from the right items in the food pyramid to meet their individual needs combined with an hour or so of productive exercise.

This formula may be different for a 15-year-old girl than it would be for an 80-year-old man. Unfortunately, everyone's individual calorie intake can differ just as much as which foods are best for our bodies. Can you see how someone slight and thin may need to adapt their food pyramid differently than someone solid and muscular? The guideline that outlines the food pyramid is so general, it is up to each person to discover which foods work best for them and come up with a plan.

It's true that the items listed in the food pyramid are necessary for our daily health, but in what quantities do they work the best? The answer is different for everyone. Which foods make different people healthy are unique to each person.

A plan that works for me may not work for everyone. Nutritionally, we're all different, and so are our levels of appropriate calorie consumption.

Once we have decided which food plans work for us, it's only a matter of memorizing it. We factor in what benefits it has for us, and incorporate it into our daily routines as necessary. And don't forget how important exercise is to each of us. For us to keep our bodies functioning and healthy off the good food we eat, we need it to stay in shape. This can be done through proper exercise.

Your calorie needs are just as unique as you are, according to recent studies by the USDA. So how can you figure out what those needs are? One way is to keep a food journal. Determine what your daily calorie needs are, and check with a nutritionist to find out which vitamins and minerals can help you fulfill those needs. Now take your nutritional requirements, combine it with your calorie intake, and reference the food pyramid to choose which foods you love that can also fulfill your daily requirements. Now you have a healthy eating plan that's right for you.

And this plan works only for the unique guidelines that surround you. While it won't necessarily work for your friends or family members, you can help them on the road to healthy lives using the formulas you applied to yourself. It is here where we need to pick up where government-regulated schooling left off. These are the types of techniques someone should have learned in school. Perhaps learning this would give young people today the groundwork they need to begin the process on their own, practice it all their lives, and pass it on to their own children. Whatever the formula turns out to be, which ever foods you need to take and what calorie contents work best for you, what it comes down to is a plan like this can improve your general health every day of your life. Obesity is caused by overeating, and anemia can be brought about by not eating too much. Take the time to find the guide that works right for you and get to planning for your new, healthy life!

If you are looking for workouts to lose weight author and personal trainer Anu Morgan has excellent information for you. Get a copy of her free report, "The Seven Personal Trainer Secrets to Weight Loss" by visiting AnuMorgan.com.

Effects of Junk Food on Health

The phrase "junk food" itself speaks of endangerment to health. Junk foods are deemed to be trash foods as they are high in fat and sugar components regardless of how they are labeled by manufacturers. The apparent effect of junk food on health administers when there is excess in intake. Teenagers comprise the higher bulk of junk food fanatics and they seem to be unhealthy with such a lifestyle of munching in chips, fries, crackers and other snack foods in front of the television. Majority of junk food choices do not deliver beneficial nutritional values, but you could actually integrate a few junk foods in your diet with an assurance that it is of moderate amount.

Regardless of age, the effect of junk food on health settles as bad as it could be especially when you eat too much of some. You will end up easily getting exhausted by being a junk food fanatic. Because it doesn't balance the appropriate levels of energy you ought to consume, you have tendencies of craving for more food when you eat junk foods. Also, you can be less focused with anything you undertake at work and home because what you are acquiring from junk foods are mere fats, not healthy ingredients. Also, you will experience lack of important oxygen that eventually result to poor brain functioning.

In the long run, your heart cannot function as it should because of too much cholesterol absorbed in the body as an effect of junk food on health. If there's too much plaque in the arteries, your heart has to assert more effort in pumping blood which may cause you to be in fatigue. The excess amount of cholesterol in your body can destroy the liver as well, leaving you overweight at the same time. Most of obese kids have acquired their overweight dilemma because of too much junk food intake. Most of those who are junk food eaters are likely to get diabetic at any point in their life because of high presence of sugar in the body. High blood pressure due to great amount of sodium from junk foods can also occur.

As they always say it, whatever is avoided comes so tasty. Ice cream, chocolate, junk foods, fries, burgers, potato chips and shakes are all tempting. You can perhaps be disciplined in indulging in these types of food because they are initially unhealthy to have. Too much of anything sweet or salty is health threatening. Not only will you have a bad effect of junk food on health, you will also largely embrace mood swings, decreased enthusiasm to handle workouts, weight gain and constipation problems if you eat junk foods unstoppably. In lieu of them, you can pick fruits and high-fiber food for good snacks and meals.

Gary Pearson is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about junk food effects visit Healthy Foods Today for current articles and discussions.

Uncover Valuable Information on Urinary Tract Health Cat Food

Ever wondered how your cat develops urinary tract health problems to begin with? By definition, UTI is a bacterial infection that affects the bladder and urethra of little miss kitty. (Or Mr. Kitty) As this infection spreads throughout the pet's body, it gets progressively worse, as minerals start to clump together in the urethra, which will prevent urine from passing easily or perhaps at all. Why does this condition happen? There's no definitive cause, and the problem has been linked to several probable causes, including old age, lack of water, stress, obesity, genetics, allergies and food. Cat food for urinary tract health may not be sufficient for the cat's urinary health to improve to the level wanted. The cat must usually change its lifestyle to promote easier digestion and release. Since kitty doesn't understand the intricacies of urinary tract diagnosis, it is left up to you to convey the message. The best way to convey that message to kitty (who already knows you're up to something) is to change the cat's diet to urinary tract health cat food instead of commercial food.

Is this really necessary? Yes, especially if you have been feeding your cat dry cat food for a number of years. Food determines the pH of the urine, so you owe it to your cat to buy only the best quality cat food, especially after you get the diagnosis of UTI. When you first take your cat to the veterinarian, if the condition is severe, the doctor may prescribe antibiotic treatment, or recommend some other type of medicine for immediate relief. However, after this initial visit it will be up to you to prevent further flare ups of UTI, and one of the best ways to do this is by buying specially formulated urinary tract health cat food.

Now this does not necessarily mean that all urinary tract health cat food or any type of "special diet food" for cats will be appropriate. In fact, some believe that special dietary cat foods may actually cause certain types of crystal formation, even while they inhibit the formation of other crystals. One thing is for sure-you have to cut out the dry, generic quality cat food you buy from the grocery store. This type of cat food is so unhealthy, that some experts are actually blaming the cat food for starting urinary tract infection in the first place. Some sources state that because generic quality cat food is high in carbohydrates, low in water and contains nutrients that a cat cannot comfortably digest, this type of food does far more damage than it does good. Since your cat is attempting to recover from UTI, you need to eliminate this threat-not only until full recovery but also for the rest of its life. It's a small price to pay for significantly extending the years of your furry friend.

Beyond Urinary Tract Health Cat Food

Obviously, you're not going to only feed antibiotics or homeopathic formulas to your cat for the rest of its life. Cats want to eat what they enjoy, and they enjoy cat food. What type of diet should you be looking for? Besides accepting the vet-recommended urinary tract health cat food after your first pet hospital visit, try buying canned food. Canned food has more water in it, and your cat will require a far larger water intake in the coming months. As far as planning healthier foods, know that your cat will require plenty of protein. Since cats are carnivorous creatures, they need a steady supply of protein, not to mention some essential nutrients that can only come from meat. They also should have a low carb diet during this difficult time, which means the less dry cat food you given them the better.

In conclusion, remember that your cat is recovering from a major illness and needs some time to heal. Make sure you make this healing time as comfortable as possible with cat food for urinary tract health. Urinary tract health cat food is part of your cat's treatment for recovery and prevention.

To read more, go to http://www.pet-bladder-treatment.com

My name is Einar Eskeland. I am a Norwegian medical doctor, and a yoga and meditation enthusiast since youth. I promote several high quality sources of knowledge and products for self improvement, health, evolution and growth as a part of my practice as a doctor, and as a help for my patients in their struggle to regain health and balance.

http://www.pet-bladder-treatment.com