Guest Post by Allison Brooks : Family Favorites: Healthy and Healing

Family Favorites:

Healthy and healing

Today, people are trying to find ways to get a flatter stomach, be happier, and live healthier lives. This is all good and well, but depending on your lifestyle, family situation, or health issues it is hard to eat the healthy foods needed or they just do not appeal to some.

For example, nobody really cares for hospital food and refusing eat can be a probable in nursing homes and other facilities. Cancer facilities have come up with spin-offs of family favorites to encourage eating.  Nursing homes are following in these footsteps as well, to encourage eating and reduce depression in residents that are battling deadly cancers like pancreatic or mesothelioma cancer.

Healthy spin-offs of old favorites are also great to encourage healthy family meals.  Since children are not too keen on certain vegetables, these alternatives can sneak in the healthy.  With these few  meal ideas, you will see taking everyday family favorites and making them healthier is as easy as ordering a pizza.

Chicken and Rice

Every family has their own favorite chicken dinner. One of the easiest ways to make a chicken dinner – any chicken dinner – healthier is to bake or grill the chicken instead of frying it. Instead of breading chicken as a way of seasoning, place chicken breasts in a baking pan and cut up some lemons. Squeeze lemon juice over the chicken; throw a little white wine sauce into the pan and season with natural herbs. Place slices of lemon over the chicken and bake. Serve with brown rice and fresh steamed broccoli for an elegant, delicious dinner that is low on calories and big on health.

Mac and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is one of the most popular dishes around. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the least healthy; but anyone can make a mac and cheese that is healthy by making a few substitutions to their favorite recipe. Start by cooking whole wheat pasta. When it is mostly cooked, place it in a baking dish and sprinkle it with a majority low-fat cheese such as cottage and a minimal amount of fatty, unhealthy cheese. Mix with skim milk instead of whole and place spinach in the dish and mix it all together. Bake until the top is golden brown and serve with half the calories and half the fat content.

Cheeseburger

Everyone loves a burger but the calories and fat content is through the roof. For a healthier, but equally delicious burger, substitute ground beef for ground turkey. Use low fat cheese and pile on the vegetables. Skip the mayonnaise and opt for low calorie condiments such as mustard. To cut even more calories, use only half of the bun and leave one end open or skip the bun all together and wrap the burger in large leaves of romaine.

These healthy fixes for family favorite meals are cost effective, healthy and delicious. The entire family will love them; and they may not even notice the differences. 

Author  Bio:

My name is Allie and I went to the University of Mississippi. I earned my degree in biomedical anthropology and now I am currently studying in the field to finish an ethnography on the effects of biomedicalization on Bolivian cultures.  I became interested in nutrition and natural health after seeing the ways in cultures view healing  and their diet. Now I try my best to  spread the word about different ways to heal  and be healthy.