How to choose the leanest cuts of meat for healthy eating
Zaak OConan

Choosing the right cuts of meat is one of the most difficult things to do when following a healthy lifestyle. Meat can be among the most calorie and fat dense foods, and it is not always easy to spot the leanest cuts of meat in the butcher’s case.

It is important, however, to choose lean cuts of meat when cooking healthy dishes. Even the lowest fat meal can be sabotaged by the addition of a high fat pork chop, roast or other cut of meat.

Of course it is still possible to include meat in a healthy diet. There are many lean cuts of meat available at the local grocery store, and meet provides much needed protein for energy and muscle development.

The key to buying the leanest cuts of meat for your healthy diet is to examine the cuts of meat carefully, and to have any additional fat trimmed. In cases where the grocery store has its own butcher, this is a relatively easy process. Most in store butchers are happy to show customers the various cuts of meat, and to trip the meat to their specification.

In the case of grocery stores where all the cuts of meat is prepackaged, choosing the leanest cuts is often more difficult. Meat is often packaged to conceal the fat, so additional trimming may need to be done once the meat is purchased.

It is important, however, to trim meat carefully, no matter where it is purchased. Trimming the extra fat off the meat you cook is very important when preparing healthy meals for yourself and your family.

Shopping for good cuts of poultry is much easier than finding the leanest cuts of meat. That is because the most common poultry products, such as chicken and turkey, are naturally low fat. There are high fat varieties of poultry, such as goose and duck, but these are not served on a regular basis in most homes.

The biggest problem poultry shoppers face is the calories and fat added by chicken and turkey skin. Most grocery stores sell skinless varieties of chicken breast, and these can be a great time saver. If the skinless varieties are a lot more expensive, however, it may be more cost effective to buy the cheaper cuts and remove the skin yourself.

Like poultry, most varieties of seafood are naturally low in fat. Salmon is probably the best known exception to this rule; salmon is fatty for fish, but still much leaner than many cuts of meat. Most varieties of fish, however, are naturally lean and very healthy.

As a matter of fact, those striving to follow a healthy diet should try to add more fish and seafood to their diet. Fish is very high in protein, and low in fat and relatively low in calories. This is a valuable combination for any one food.

As with many aspects of smart food shopping, when it comes to meat, poultry and seafood, fresher is better. There are a number of prepackaged, ready to heat and eat, varieties of meat, seafood and chicken at the local grocery store. While these products can be fine for an occasional quick meal or snack, they should not form the basis of a healthy diet.

The reason for this is simple. Processing meats, seafood and poultry often involves the use of unhealthy additives such as preservatives and sodium. Check the sodium level of any processed meat products you buy, and use such products only occasionally.

While buying fresh meat, seafood and poultry products is best, it is important to handle such foods properly on their journey from the grocery store to the dinner table. Improper food handling is responsible for the vast majority of food borne illness in the United States, and it is important to handle any raw meat, seafood or poultry product carefully.

Probably the most important part of food handling safety is making sure that foods that are not cooked, such as salads and breads, do not come into contact with raw meat, poultry or seafood. Most food borne pathogens are killed during the cooking process, but they can easily spread to salads and other uncooked foods if care is not used.

That means scrubbing counter tops carefully with an antibacterial product, using separate cutting boards for meats and vegetables, and of course washing your hands thoroughly after handling meat, poultry or seafood products.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

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Healthy eating for a healthy body
Zaak OConan

Healthy eating means many things to many people, and everyone has different goals for the perfect diet. The key to following a healthy diet is to find a diet you can stick with for the rest of your life. A diet should not be simply a temporary change in the way you life, eat and exercise. Rather, it should be a permanent change that you can live with day in and day out, year in and year out.

For some people, a healthy diet can be as simple as increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in the daily diet. For others, a radical change, involving strict control of fat and cholesterol, may be required.

Of course what is needed will depend on the goal of each individual. The serious runner in search of greater conditioning will of course have different goals than the couch potato who is concerned about the possibility of heart disease.

Even though every person will different goals when it comes to healthy eating, the basic tenets of healthy eating are the same. The most important thing is to eat a good variety of foods, while eating less of the bad stuff and more of the good.

That may sound like an oversimplification, but it really is that easy. Putting that simple concept into proactive, however, is the hard part. Everyone wants to eat healthier, but there are so many temptations in today’s world that healthy eating can be very difficult. The key is to make healthy choices as appealing as unhealthy ones.

One way to make healthy foods appealing is buying a wide variety of exotic fruits at the local supermarket. There are probably varieties of fruits and vegetables at your local grocery store that you never even heard of before. Why not make your next trip to the grocery store an adventure by sampling these exotic offerings?

Experimenting with new recipes is another great way to bring excitement and adventure to healthy eating. A quick perusal of your favorite low fat or healthy eating cookbook will likely present you with many fun and exciting recipes to try. Often a new cookbook, or a couple of new recipes are all it takes to spur a healthier lifestyle.

It is also important to know that eating healthier does not necessarily mean making a radical change. There are very simple things you can do, such as cutting the skin off your chicken breast, or trimming the fat from your favorite steak, that can result in significant fat reductions and health improvements. Dieters should not overlook the importance of these small changes when seeking a healthier diet.

Other examples of small changes resulting in healthier eating include:

– Replacing whole milk with skim or 2%, both in recipes and for drinking
– Snacking on sorbet or low fat frozen yogurt instead of premium ice cream
– Spraying pans with nonfat cooking spray instead of using butter or margarine
– Replacing high fat cuts of meat with leaner ones
– Eating more low fat fish and less red meat
– Using egg substitutes, the kind made from egg whites, in recipes, meals and baking

There are probably hundreds of other such tips, and they can add up to significant health improvements, whether your goal is to get fit, lose weight or improve your level of health. No matter who you are or what your current level of fitness, eating a healthier diet and losing weight may be easier than you think.

In the end, eating a healthy diet, improving your level of fitness, and managing your consumption of fat and cholesterol boils down to common sense. Depriving yourself of your favorite foods can be counterproductive to a long term dietary change. Deprivation leads inevitably to cravings, and that can start a vicious cycle of dieting and splurging.

It is best to think of healthy eating as a marathon rather than a sprint. The goal of any healthy eating program should be to make easy, lifelong changes in the way you shop, cook and dine. Only by making changes that you can follow for a lifetime will you truly be able to enjoy a healthy diet.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

Tags: Author, Bad Stuff, Cookbook, Couch Potato, Eating Habits, Exotic Fruits, Fruits And Vegetables, Healthy Choices, Healthy Diet, Healthy Eating, Healthy Foods, heart disease;, Local Grocery Store, Losing Weight, Oversimplification, Permanent Change, Perusal, Proactive, Radical Change, Rest Of Your Life, serious runner, Strict Control, Temptations, Tenets —

Getting the most from healthy fruits and vegetables
Tony Robinson

Fruits and vegetables are among the healthiest of all foods, and
the great variety of these foods at the local grocery store
makes it easier than every to enjoy great meals and snacks
anytime the mood strikes you.

The latest food guidelines recommend that adults eat from five
to nine servings of fruits and vegetables every day. While that
may seem like a lot, it is an important goal to strive for, and
a very reachable one.

A serving of a fruit or vegetable is equal to:

1 medium sized vegetable or fruit (such as an apple,
orange or banana) 2 small fruits (such as kiwi fruit or
plums)  cup of fresh, frozen or canned fruits or
vegetables  cup of 100% fruit juice  cup of
dried fruit 1 cup of green salad

Eating a diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables is a great
way to start a healthier lifestyle. Diets high in fruits and
vegetables have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease,
diabetes, stroke and even some kinds of cancer. Diets high in
fruits and vegetables are also important in maintaining a
healthy weight.

Since different varieties of fruits and vegetables contain
different types and levels of nutrients, it is important to each
a good variety of fruits and vegetables. Eating a good
combination of yellow, orange, red and green fruits and
vegetables is a great way to ensure adequate levels of nutrition.

Fruits and vegetables are also an important source of fiber. One
way to maximize the amount of fiber you get from fruits and
vegetables is to eat the entire fruit and vegetable including
the edible peel. Eating fruits and vegetables whole, instead of
simply drinking fruit juice, is the best way to enjoy the fiber
these foods have to offer. Orange juice may be very healthy, but
it does not contain the same amount of fiber as a whole orange.

Getting sufficient fiber in the diet offers a great many health
benefits, including aiding in digestion, lowering levels of
cholesterol in the blood, reducing the risk of heart disease and
stroke, and reducing the chances of some forms of cancer. In
addition, fiber is though to play an important role in
controlling levels of blood sugar in diabetics. Fiber also helps
dieters feel full while limiting the number of calories you
consume.

Many people wonder if canned and frozen fruits and vegetables
are as healthy and nutritious as the fresh varieties. The simple
answer to this question is yes. Canned and frozen fruits and
vegetables contain just as many vitamins and minerals as their
fresh counterparts, so it is fine to replace fresh fruits and
vegetables with canned and frozen varieties when fresh ones are
not available.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are often less expensive, however,
especially when they are in season. In addition, local farmers
markets and produce stands are often great sources of the
freshest, most delicious fruits and vegetables at some excellent
prices.

How vegetables and fruits are prepared is just as important as
how they are chosen. It is important to rinse fresh fruit and
vegetables thoroughly under clean running water. This step is
important in order to remove any dirt, pesticide residue or
bacterial contamination. The outermost leaves of lettuce and
cabbage should be removed, and the outside of root vegetables
like carrots and potatoes should be removed, especially if you
plan to consume the skins of those vegetables. Vegetables and
fruits should be washed right before they are used in order to
keep them as fresh as possible.

The best ways to cook vegetables in order to maintain their
freshness are to boil, microwave or steam the veggies until they
are tender and crisp. It is best to use as little water as
possible when cooking vegetables. That is because overcooking
can destroy some of the valuable vitamins and minerals the
vegetables contain.

About the author:

Tony Robinson is a Company CEO, webmaster husband and dad. In
his busy lifestyle he has placed importance on health and
fitness. Visit http://www.eat-healthily.com for good eating tips
and techniques to assist you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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For A Healthy Living: Just Enjoy A Variety Of Vegetables
Rene Graeber

Eating healthy is important for everyone – and I bet: you know
that already…

Plus: one of the most important keys to eating a better diet is
eating more fruits and vegetables. I bet again: you knew that
too. But:

Many people are unsure how to use vegetables more effectively as
part of their diet, but it may be easier than you think to
provide yourself and your family with healthy, nutritious meals
at a great prices!

One way to create wonderful meals that are healthier than ever
is to take a stroll through the produce section of your local
grocery store.

Most major grocery store chains have huge produce sections,
containing a wonderful variety of fruits and vegetables from all
corners of the world.

Trying a variety of different fruits and vegetables is a great
way to keep your meals interesting and exciting in addition to
nutritious. It is all too easy to become bored when trying to
follow a healthy diet, and boredom can lead people to abandon
their healthy habits.

Avoiding diet burnout is important to the long term survival of
even the most sensible eating plan.

So if you’ve never had vegetables like collard greens, asparagus
or kale before, why not give them a try. Not only can trying new
things allow you to make great new discoveries, but it can
increase your level of fitness as well. Leafy green vegetables
like spinach, broccoli and kale are rich sources of many
important vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients.

Another great way to increase the variety of vegetables you
enjoy is to combine fresh, frozen and canned vegetables. While
fresh vegetables are generally better and healthier, frozen and
canned vegetables can be great alternatives for when the fresh
varieties are out of season.

One of the best things about fresh fruits and vegetables is the
great variety of flavors, colors and textures available. Eating
a variety of different colored vegetables and fruits does much
more than provide much needed variety. It also provides a great
variety of nutrients.

For instance, yellow and orange fruits and vegetables tend to be
very high in beta carotene, while green leafy vegetables are
often great sources of calcium and other important nutrients. So
why not spice up your plain old green salad with a splash of
color in the form of yellow peppers or orange carrot slices?

Many people wrongly think that they can make up for a crappy
diet by using vitamin and mineral supplements. This mistaken
belief is apparently very widespread, since sales of these
supplements continue to break records.

When considering vitamin and mineral supplements, however, it is
important to remember that foods contain many different
minerals, trace elements and other micronutrients.

That means that for every nutrient that has been discovered and
synthesized, there may be ten, twenty or more of these
micronutrients that have yet to be fully understood. That is why
no vitamin supplement, no matter how complete, can truly replace
a healthy, balanced diet.

In addition, vitamin and mineral supplements are quite a bit
more expensive than a good selection of vegetables and fruits,
and not nearly as tasty.

When changing your diet and eating for a healthier lifestyle, it
is important to educate yourself about eating right, and go
choose the right fruits and vegetables for your tastes. After
all, the best diet is the one you can follow for the rest of
your life.

One of the best ways to start eating a healthy diet is to choose
the freshest fruits and vegetables. Not only do fresh fruits and
vegetables taste better, but they are less expensive and more
nutritious as well. Choosing a variety of in season fruits and
vegetables every week is a great way to enjoy healthy and varied
meals.

Of course your favorite fruits and vegetables will not always be
in season, so it will sometimes be necessary to supplement those
fresh fruits and vegetables with canned and frozen varieties.
When choosing canned fruits, try to avoid those packed in syrup;
choose canned fruits packed in fruit juice or water instead.
They will be healthier and contain less sugar.

Adding fresh fruit, such as apple slices, mandarin oranges,
nectarines and the like is a great way to make plain salads more
interesting and more delicious. Combining fruits and vegetables
is a great way to enhance your nutrition as well.

About the author:

When it comes to vigorous energetic youthful health your very
first challenge is to separate the hype, theories, and outright
‘BS’ from proven strategies and tested programs – just visit
Rene Graebers website at http://www.gesund-heilfasten.de

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