WEEK 7 NUTRITION: 10 ways to make your dinner healthier

BY JAMES COLQUHOUN, FILMMAKER (FOOD MATTERS AND HUNGRY FOR CHANGE)

You’re eating well and reaping the benefits, but are you getting as much possible goodness out of your dinner as you can? Take the nutrition of your evening meal to the next level with our simple and easy tips!

1. Make your own salad dressing

That way you’ll know exactly what’s in there! No chemicals, preservatives, artificial flavors or stabilizers needed! Adding a dressing made with an oil to your salad or vegetables also helps you absorb more of the fat-soluble nutrients. Check out these healthy homemade salad dressing ideas to get you started. [And this week’s Winter Salad Dressing Recipe by Georgia]

2. Serve your lunch at the same time

If you tend to go back for seconds or eat a little more than you should, set aside the leftovers into portioned containers before you even dish up your dinner. That way you’ve prepped your lunch for the next day or two, and won’t be tempted to keep eating!

3. Feature vegetables

So often vegetables are thought of as as side dish, but we say make them the focus of your meal! Load up your plate with vegetables and add the extras from there.

4. Mix up the method

Avoid microwaving and boiling, instead, opting for steaming, slow cooking, or pressure cooking. You’ll retain more nutrients and avoid the dangers of cooking with a microwave – find out more here!

5. Cook with heat stable oils

Vegetable oils and extra virgin olive oil struggle to maintain their integrity when faced with high heat. When they become unstable, they produce volatile compounds that are dangerous to our health. Opt for more temperature stable oils including avocado, macadamia, coconut, and almond oil. Keep the extra virgin olive oil for cold dishes such as salad to get the most benefits! For more information, click here!

6. Eat a lighter meal

Many of us eat our biggest meal at night, when we don’t need as much energy. Rather than having the heaviest meal at dinner, try eating like a King at breakfast, like a Prince at lunch, and a Pauper at dinner. This will give your body more time to properly digest your food, and use up the energy those meals provide throughout the day.

7. Make it with broth

From time to time, use broth instead of oils with the technique known as a wet sauté. Use twice as much broth as you would have oil and enjoy all of the nourishing benefits! Need a recipe? Try our vegetarian Potassium Balance Broth.

8. Cut the carbs in half

If you’re fond of having a pasta or rice dish, use less grain and add in more vegetables! Rice? Make half rice, half cauliflower rice. Pasta? Have half spelt or whole grain pasta, half zucchini noodles. The meal will be easier to digest, reducing the burden on your gut before bedtime!

9. Spice things up

Ginger, cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, and chili pepper are all easy additions to your dish, bringing a delicious flavor, and a fat-burning boost to your metabolism! Sprinkle over roast vegetables and salads, add to curries, coat fish before baking, or roll peeled, boiled eggs in them. We love this Eggplant and Green Bean Curry!

10. Scrub your vegetables

Don’t peel them. Scrubbing removes any loose dirt and debris, whilst still retaining all the nutrients found in and close to the skin of the vegetable. Plus it adds extra tummy-filling fiber to your meal!

Source: http://foodmatters.tv/content/10-ways-to-make-your-dinner-healthier

About the Author

James Colquhoun, filmmaker of Food Matters and Hungry For Change and founder of FMTV. Along with Laurentine ten Bosch, James founded Food Matters, giving people the tools (films, books, website, TV) to take charge of their own health. Food Matters is an internationally acclaimed widely popular documentary about the medical and healthcare industries. His latest documentary, Hungry For Change, reveals how the diet and processed food industries are the enemies of permanent weight loss, vibrant health, and natural living.