Dr. Oz and Rachael Ray: Inexpensive Solutions to Healthy Meals
Finally! Dr. Oz invited Rachael Ray to join him on his show after he appeared on her show. The good doctor needs to help his audience learn how to prepare healthy meals and Rachael sets a good example.
The best idea that Rachael and Dr. Oz shared with everyone was the value of buying food in Bulk. We’ve been buying in Bulk quantities for forty years and we’ve saved thousands of dollars over the years.
Bulk bins in many grocery stores will save you a large percentage when compared to small packaged items of the same food. Whole Grains, nuts, flour, sweeteners, dried fruit, and even some healthy snacks are perfect examples of paying less when buying a pound at a time. The only thing that you have to watch is the length of time that the food has been in the bin. Some flour, nuts, seeds, and coffee will go rancid within a short period of time, so check the bin for the date when that item was placed in the bin.
Personally, I don’t have time on any given day, even the weekends, to spend more than three hours in the kitchen preparing meals for the week. However, if your schedule allows for doing this marathon; then Rachael has shown you a way to make your meals go further and spare you some prep time. The preparation of a vegetable broth is one that you should take to heart, even if it is only enough for two or three meals.
Carrots, onions, and celery are the basis for most broths and you can add everything from potatoes to tomatoes with herbs and spices to build a base for soups, stews, and many main dishes. We like to add some tamari to our broth and throw in a stick of kombu to provide additional minerals. It is much healthier to use a home-made vegetable broth than to use the canned ones. They have little Life Force or Chi remaining…
Rachael cooks a lot of pasta, because it’s quick; but please stay away from whole wheat pasta. One company is making rice pasta and it’s excellent for selecting a healthy alternative to pasta made from refined white flour. We also like artichoke pasta and soba noodles made from buckwheat which make a good noodle soup with your vegetable broths.
The spaghetti squash that can be forked to resemble pasta is not REALLY going to take the place of pasta, but it gives the appearance of strands of squash and the texture on the palate is comparable. You can steam or roast your squash and pumpkin, but instead of a marinara sauce – we use a teriyaki or miso sauce with scallions, minced ginger root, shallots, and roasted garlic cloves.
You can also sweeten the deal by using maple syrup, date sugar, or organic cane sugar with cinnamon, clove, and allspice. The zest of a lemon or lime or orange will add extra zip to your squash dishes. We seem to always sprinkle some Gomasio on our squash whether it is an acorn squash or any other variety…it deserves some sesame and sea salt to bring the succulent vegetable to life. If you have to use something that resembles butter; then use a seed oil or the soy butter alternative. We’ve also been known to drizzle some balsamic vinegar on our baked squash.
This is the season for soups and stews. You can add root vegetables that are not your favorites when eaten separately, but make a deeper and richer base in soups and stews. Parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes, yams, leeks, and even dark leafy greens are excellent additions to soups and stews to add nutrients and flavor.
Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, cumin, thyme, oregano, and other seasonings will jazz up your taste buds and keep you strong and vibrant during the winter months. If you add some sliced lotus root to your soups and stews, you will even support your lungs to keep them clear of congestion. Lotus root is intriguing and beautiful and will be the talk of the town at your dining room table!
We would like to encourage the production team at the Dr. Oz show to keep bringing back good cooks who know how to prepare healthy meals. Rachael Ray ACTUALLY said that it is an entire ‘Lifestyle’ change for obese or bullied teenagers when she was talking about some of the projects she is working on…
The people on the Food Network and the new Cooking channel and folks like Jamie Oliver are changing the face of school and home menus for our youth! It’s long overdue, so support their efforts and be the voice of reason for healthier meals in schools and family homes. Kids love to garden and grow herbs, kids love to learn in the kitchen, and kids love to participate in the care of the family around food; so give them this beautiful opportunity to be strong and healthy from childhood into adulthood!
