Healthy Cooking: Recipes and Tips for Eating Well
Are you well-versed in healthy eating and meal preparation or are you baffled about what healthy cooking really is? Our Healthy Cooking Web Guide shows you the best resources for revamping your pantry and putting all of that wholesome goodness to work. Learn to enjoy food on an entirely new level with healthy recipes that taste delicious. The healthier you eat, the healthier you’ll feel. Let this guide show you the difference healthy cooking can make. For a Spanish-language version of the Guide, click here.
The first step in healthy cooking is the use of healthy ingredients. This guide spells out the staples in every healthy cook’s kitchen and shows you how to make delicious meals that are consistently wholesome and nutritious.
- As you find links or recipes you like, bookmark them for easy access later on. Consider making a “Healthy Cooking” folder for bookmarks.
- If you can’t make it to the grocery store once or twice a week to stock up on healthy ingredients like fresh veggies and legumes, purchase the low-sodium canned or frozen variety.
For essential facts about healthy foods …
The World’s Healthiest Foods
presents the most healthful foods in season. Hosted by a nonprofit organization that seeks to provide unbiased information on healthy ingredients and eating, you’ll find lots of recipe ideas and nutritional information on hundreds of healthy ingredients.
offers a top 10 list of healthy foods complete with nutritional benefits for each one.
Food Standards Agency,
a U.K. government organization, presents this informative Web site on what constitutes the most healthful diet and how to achieve it using healthy ingredients.
For grocery shopping tips …
helps you locate key information on food labels and shows you how to make shopping for healthy ingredients faster and more efficient. The site also discusses the health claims of certain new food items on the market.
magazine features an article on “Healthy Grocery Shopping Made Easy.” Learn how to make a healthy shopping list and find tips on how to shop smart.
is a women’s magazine that focuses on eating healthy and staying fit. This shopping list, suitable for both genders, can help fill up any pantry with basic healthy ingredients and other necessities for the health-conscious cook.
With a little bit of know-how and the following healthy cooking tips, you can make virtually any recipe healthier. If your favorite dishes call for refined flour or loads of butter, these resources can help you find nutritious substitutions.
- In order for recipes to taste their best, you should use the freshest, most seasonable produce available. Try this convenient freshness guide to help you pick the best produce.
- Keep this list of common ingredient substitutions in your kitchen drawer or recipe box. Many of the replacements for common ingredients are healthier options.
American Heart Association
offers some basic strategies on how to maximize your food’s nutritional value. Look for healthy cooking tips on what to eat and how to prepare it.
Fitness and Freebies
advises you on ways to make food healthier. Despite the poor design, this site has a lot to offer and is worth a thorough browse. It offers possible substitution ideas and ways to reduce fat and sugar in baking. The site also tells you what foods to eat and which to avoid along with a number of additional healthy cooking tips. Visit the "Tips for Healthy Cooking
” section for even more info.
Healthy Cooking Tips,
a blog with lots of sound advice on healthful eating, regularly adds new discussions and articles offering advice on how to cook and eat more healthfully.
The sites below show you that you don’t have to sacrifice flavor for nutrition. Get in the habit of cooking with healthy recipes, and your body (especially your taste buds) will thank you.
- Health and fitness magazines are good places to look for healthy recipes. Visit the online version of your favorite or try Men’s Health, Women’s Health or Self.
- If you’re looking for even more healthy recipe ideas, visit findingDulcinea’s Recipes Guide. Many ethnic cuisines, for example, have nutritious recipes worth browsing.
is a beautiful site full of pictures and user reviews. This section focuses exclusively on healthy eating; you’ll find nutritious recipes for any meal, including ones targeted to vegetarians and kids.
does a fine job of highlighting seasonal possibilities. Fresh ingredients are featured along with the most popular healthy recipes. Choose nutritious recipes that follow any type of diet, including low fat, low calorie, low carb and more.
has photos and videos of healthy food preparation. Use the links on the left navigation bar to find light recipes and healthy eating suggestions.
sorts its collection of healthy recipes by category. Select recipes by course or by specific diet: “Egg-Free,” “Gluten Free” and “Low-Calorie” are just a few of the possibilities.
shows you how to prepare healthy dishes with elegance and style. No matter where you navigate on this site, you’ll get nutritious recipes and information on how to prepare the healthiest meal possible.
Even if you’re not inclined to pursue an entirely meat-free diet, you can still have fun with vegetarian recipes. Use these sites to find vegetarian recipes that are delicious and easy.
- The fact that it's a vegetarian recipe doesn’t necessarily make it healthier. A pasta recipe that calls for heavy cream sauce, for example, is not more nutritious just because it’s meat-free.
In a Vegetarian Kitchen
is vegetarian cooking legend Nava Atlas’ archive of vegetarian recipes and cooking tips. Use the links on the left to find recipes for kids and teens, her advice on ingredients and more.
has its own vegetarian-specific page with daily highlights. Look at “Browse Deeper” for appetizers, grains, beans, chilis, soups, stews and other vegetarian recipes.
in Ithaca, New York, is one of the pioneers in vegetarian cuisine. Browse the restaurant’s recipe archives; most recipes are low in fat or vegan in addition to being vegetarian.
International Vegetarian Union
indexes vegetarian recipes from all over the world. The site design is simplistic, but the flavors of these meatless dishes are complex and intriguing.
This section offers strategies for bringing organic food into your kitchen and onto your plate. Learn how to recognize when something is truly organic, and how to grow organic produce yourself.
- Farmers’ markets and CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) are great sources for organic food. CSAs let you buy a membership in a farm share. Each week, a box of fresh, local produce is delivered to a pickup point, or to your door.
- Another source of community-supported agriculture is a co-op. Find out how they work, and whether there’s one near you, at the Coop Directory Service.
For tips on organic food preparation…
has a “Tip Library
” that suggests practical changes to make your lifestyle more earth friendly. The Food category is loaded with helpful tips on organic foods.
To buy organic food…
focuses on getting you the local, organic food you want. Its popular CSA, farmers’ market and organic/natural food store locator is an extensive nationwide resource. The online store even brings organic and natural food to your doorstep.
store locator can help you find its real-world locations almost before you can say, “Gluten-free cherry almond streusel muffin and a soy milk, please.”
Heritage Foods USA
lets you order a variety of meat products online. This independent company offers an impressive list of traditional livestock species, seafood, Native American foods and some dried goods.
To make sure that you’re really eating organic…
The USDA’s National Organic Program
consumer site gives you the official line on organic labeling and what these labels really say about the contents of the organic food you’re eating.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
helps you navigate your way to safe, socially responsible seafood. Their online and printable pocket guides feature a simple rating system to evaluate the environmental soundness of eating different seafood species.
To grow organic food…
magazine’s month-to-month, region-specific gardening almanac is a nice resource for the amateur organic gardener. Look for guides and tips for soil and wildlife management, landscaping and growing specific crops.
American Community Gardening Association
offers a straightforward guide to finding a community garden, though it can also help you start your own. Connect with gardeners around the country to share resources, expertise and advice.
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