My mom always told my
three sisters and me that “the way to a man’s heart
was through his stomach.”
My husband can
attest to that since I was able to
engage his interest after the first
steak dinner I prepared for him.
And, as a dietitian, I have been able
to keep him happy and healthy for
the past 39 years.
Today we are faced with a dwindling
population of skilled home cooks. It
is so easy to drive through a fast food
eatery and obtain a flavorful fried
meal. This lack of basic cooking
skills and abundance of fast food
eateries has gradually produced a
population of overweight and obese
adults and children.
Obesity is a major health threat
among our young population, and
the cure begins in our homes by
learning how to prepare healthy, fast
meals for our families.
Learning basic cooking skills can be
a fun experience for the whole family.
I call it “Team Cuisine.” Assign a
duty to each family member. From
the menu to the shopping experience
to the production and final
enjoyment of the meal, the whole
family can be involved.
So how do you get started?
Pick up the free monthly or seasonal
healthy cooking magazines at the
grocery store. H-E-B has the monthly
Show Time Guide and the seasonal
Goodness Magazine.
Use the cooking instructions and
recipes on food packages. At H-E-B
we make these recipes easy and quick
to prepare (six ingredients or less
and 15 to 30 minute prep times).
Look on the fresh meat package for
cooking instructions. Check your
supermarket Web site like HEB.COM
for easy-to-prepare recipes. Buy a
basic cookbook that covers meat, vegetable
and salad preparation techniques.
Try the new American Heart
Association Cookbook and go to
their Web site for information on
heart disease, diet and recipes:
www.americanheart.org.
The most important thing to remember
about learning to cook healthy
for your family is to have fun. Your
children will always have great memories
of the time spent together as a
family preparing special recipes for
your magical meal time together.
Here are a couple of recipes to
get you started.
HEALTHY VEGGIE PIZZAS
Prep Time: 15 minutes,
Cook Time: 18 minutes
3 H-E-B whole wheat tortillas
3 Tbsp H-E-B tomato sauce no added
salt
1/2 cup H-E-B fat free mozzaralla cheese
1 cup chopped zucchini squash
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 cup chopped basil leaves
1. Heat the oven to 450ºF. Line a large
baking sheet pan with foil and set
aside.
2. Place the wheat tortillas
directly on the center oven rack and
bake for 5 minutes so that the tortillas
get crisp like a pizza crust.
3. Spread
1 Tablespoon of the tomato sauce on
each crisp whole wheat tortilla and
place on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Sprinkle 2 Tablespoons of shredded
cheese over each pizza.
5. Combine
the chopped squash, onion, garlic
and basil in a bowl and toss to mix
well.
6. Sprinkle 1/3 of the mixture over
each pizza and top each with 2
Tablespoons shredded fat free
cheese.
7. Bake the pizzas on the
center oven rack for 12 minutes or
until the cheese melts. Enjoy!
Makes: 3 servings
Nutrition Information: One serving = 1
cup, Calories 190, Protein 14 gram,
Total Fat 0 gram, Saturated Fat 0
grams, Trans Fat 0 grams,
Carbohydrates 29 grams, Dietary Fiber
6 grams, Sugars 4 grams, Cholesterol 5
mg, Sodium 690 mg
THAI SHRIMP & NOODLES
Prep Time: 15 minutes,
Cook Time: 15 minutes
1 bag (16 oz) H-E-B frozen wild gulf
brown shrimp (10-15 size), thaw, peel& devein
4 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup each: fresh chopped cilantro,
basil & mint leaves
1/2 package (16 oz) Central Market™
Organics whole wheat spaghetti or
Central Market™ Organics cappelini
pasta
1 Tbsp each: peanut & sesame oil
1/2 cup Central Market™ Organics
satay sauce
1/4 cup chopped H-E-B Snax spicy
peanuts
1. Peel and devein the thawed shrimp
and slice each shrimp in half lengthwise,
set aside.
2. Combine the
chopped green onion, cilantro, basil
and mint in a small bowl and set
aside.
3. Prepare the pasta according
to package directions and drain.
4. While pasta is cooking, heat a large
skillet over high heat for 3 minutes.
5. Add peanut and sesame oils and
shrimp. Stir-fry the shrimp for 2 to 3
minutes and set aside.
6. Combine
the cooked pasta, stir-fried shrimp,
Central Market™ Organics Peanut
Satay Sauce, and green onion mixture
in a large pasta bowl. Toss to combine.
7. Top the dish with the
chopped peanuts and serve hot.
Makes: 8 servings
One serving (with whole wheat
spaghetti) = 1/8 of entree, Calories 260,
Protein 16 grams, Total Fat 12 grams,
Saturated Fat 2.5 grams, Trans Fats 0
grams, Carbohydrates 26 grams,
Dietary Fiber 5 grams, Sugars 5 grams,
Cholesterol 70 mg, Sodium 200 mg
One serving (with Cappelini) = 1/8 of
entree, Calories 210, Protein 14 grams,
Total Fat 11.5 grams, Saturated Fat 2.5
grams, Trans Fats 0 grams,
Carbohydrates 14 grams, Dietary Fiber
2 grams, Sugars 5 grams, Cholesterol
70 mg, Sodium 220 mg
