Friday, January 01, 2010

Make Healthy Changes To Favorite Foods

If most of your favorite dishes revolve around chicken and fish, there is no reason why you should not be able to enjoy healthier versions of these by just making some simple, healthy substitutions and choosing better ways of cooking them.

Let's first start with fish. One of the leanest varieties of fish that can be found is salmon, which also brings with it one more great health benefit. It provides an excellent dose of Omega 3 fatty acids that are believed to be so crucial in preventing heart diseases and lowering cholesterol levels. The recipe that we suggest now also contains garlic and olive oil; both believed to be equally beneficial.

To make a great-tasting but healthy dish with salmon, begin by mincing a few cloves of garlic and just placing them on a plate. Next add some salt, pepper, a dash of freshly squeezed lemon juice and any of your favorite herbs or seasoning. Now add two tablespoons full of extra virgin olive oil and mix everything together. Wash and rinse salmon steaks and place them in this mixture. Turn them around well so that they are coated well with the mixture. Now leave them in this marinade for about half an hour or so - keep it in the refrigerator if you like. The best way to cook this salmon now is to just broil it or grill it on either side till it is done. Steamed broccoli or a baked sweet potato will be excellent, healthy accompaniments with this dish.

To make your chicken dishes more healthy, you could have tried grilling them or baking them. But after a few days, this could get boring. Here are a couple of new methods of cooking chicken breasts in a healthy way.

You may love pasta and you of course love chicken. So why not combine the two and throw in some fresh vegetables for a completely healthy meal? As you are getting the pasta ready, you can prepare the chicken - fresh broccoli will be a great, nutrient-rich addition. Spray a non-stick skillet with some cooking oil and brown chunks chicken breasts along with a couple of minced garlic cloves. Partially cook the broccoli beforehand and then add it to the chicken breasts along with some chicken broth. When they seem done, throw in the pasta and cover with Parmesan cheese. You have a meal ready that is not only easy to make, very filling but chock-full of carbohydrates and proteins.

Another simple recipe for making a delicious but nutritious dish with chicken breast is as follows. Just as above, brown chunks of chicken breasts on a non-stick skillet along with crushed or minced garlic. Add a pinch of ginger, some soy sauce and a small can of pineapple pieces. Cover the pan and let the whole thing simmer till the chicken pieces are almost done. Add fresh vegetables at this stage and toss it all till the vegetables are tender. Use this with brown rice for a wonderfully nutritious meal.

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