Nutrition and the Kitchen
My Approach to Cooking, Eating, and Health
In 2019 I graduated with a degree in Nutrition. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have learned about the world of health and food during those college years. I also learned plenty, if not more, after receiving my diploma as I delved into homemaking and taking care of a family. Combining my education with first-hand experience in the home (where there is no perfectly stocked pantry and you're on a time crunch) has helped me develop a healthful, but not stressful, approach to feeding my family well. My goal is to share this mindset with others so they too can have confidence in the kitchen. Eating healthy at home should not be complicated.
In our home we do not follow a certain diet or count calories. We instead focus on nutrients and whole foods. Picture this. You have a cup of apple juice in one hand and a cup of whole milk in the other. Which is the better choice? Which has more calories? The milk. Which provides more nutrients? The milk. So, I would argue the milk is healthier- even though it has more calories. Those calories are coming from protein and fat that give your body the material you need for muscle and bone health. Plus, you will stay feeling full longer, which can protect you from overeating. The calories from the juice are pure sugar, providing a little energy...and that's it. Strictly counting calories is not a good practice because it does not take into account the vitamins, minerals, fiber, probiotics, etc. provided by a food. Food is so much more than a number.
Calories are one hot topic, and Macros are another. As I create my family's meals, I am thinking of a balance of macronutrients- carbohydrates, fat, and protein. Our bodies need each of these nutrients to function properly. Once again, there are extreme approaches to this in the food world. Some "cut out" entire food groups, while others laboriously calculate their percentages "just right". What if we go back to the basics and stop worrying about perfect ratios? Instead, we could prepare foods that naturally go together (cheese and bread, meat and potatoes, fruit and nuts) and give us the fuel we need without all the stress. Basically, I have a checklist in my mind when I plan a meal. I need a protein, a fruit or vegetable, a source of healthy fat, and maybe a grain of some kind. With this framework I have all the bases covered.
Even purchasing food can get tricky with marketing and "natural" products. When buying our food, I am trying to get ingredients that are close to their original state. This looks like buying raw potatoes instead of the box of dehydrated mashed potatoes, oats and honey instead of a package of granola bars. Or go back to the apple juice example. Think about an apple versus a bottle of juice. Eating a whole apple provides fiber along with the fruit sugars. Your body has to break down those bites of apple and is able to use that fiber to aid in digestion. Compare that to juice that is simply swallowed and then quickly moves to your bloodstream. When you start with whole ingredients, you are getting the real deal. Plus, the more transformed and manipulated they become, the more preservatives are added. Obviously, there are exceptions, but most of the time it is better to buy the less processed version of a food. Not only is it better for your health, it is also more cost effective AND gives you flexibility as you create meals in your kitchen.
I could go on and on about different diets, fasting, GMO's, organic vs. non-organic, but the point is this: I encourage you to keep food real, whole, and simple. With it we can nourish our families well.
