Cooking Tips

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Choosing the foods we eat and taking care of the time we dedicate to each of our meals, without interfering in our daily work and responsibilities is a must. Being as productive and as healthy as possible is the key to having a balanced lifestyle.

Eating three meals a day helps keep energy levels up and hunger at bay, according to (livestrong.com). Chef Eric and his team compiled the main benefits of having a healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. We also added quick recipes that will be a good option in our day to day, giving us all the energy, nutrients, and water we need.

As main advice, Chef Eric recommends that we should consume our 3 main meals in a 12-hour range. For instance, if we eat our breakfast at 7:00 am, our dinner should be at 7:00 pm. Let’s take a look at some QUICK AND EASY GOOD EATING HABITS!

1. BREAKFAST:

The importance of a healthy breakfast every day is because it helps to maintain nutritional balance throughout the day. Since it is the first meal we eat after a period of 10 to 12 hours of fasting, it is important that breakfast is away from processed foods. Choose real foods instead! Shakes are a magnificent option since almost immediately they conjugate all the nutrients and vitamins necessary to start the day right. You can combine different fruits and veggies, according to the purpose of your diet. Shakes can detoxify, nourish, and feed the body with the right amounts of healthy foods.

The most important benefits of a healthy breakfast are:

– Improves physical performance, the lack of breakfast causes fatigue and loss of energy
– Covers the needs of vitamins and minerals
– Controls body weight as it helps to keep our metabolism active, avoiding the accumulation of fat
– Increases productivity at work and there is greater mental clarity
– Reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
– Reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases
– Prevents the risk of obesity and overweight problems
– Improves concentration and behavior
– Maintains good growth and development
– Contributes to maintaining health and well-being
– Helps to preserve muscle mass, when we age we tend to lose muscle mass, which leads to bone and joint complications, hence the importance of supplementing with physical activity.

Lastly, the myth that skipping breakfast helps you lose weight faster, it’s FALSE!

Bonus Recipe # 1:

Banana, Mango, and Vegetable Smoothie: 2 Servings

Ingredients:

For the base:
• 80 g of kale or baby spinach
• 1 mango
• 2 bananas
• 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds
• Mint leaves
• Basil leaves
• 1 small handful of alfalfa sprouts
• Water

For the topping:
• 1 tablespoon of hemp seeds
• Sliced ​​mango
• Banana cut into slices

Method:
• Blend the base ingredients
• Serve in a bowl
• Add the toppings so that it is pleasing to the eye

2. LUNCH:

Lunch provides the energy that the body needs to face any activity. In the afternoon, having lunch reinforces a good dose of nutrients to your body and many more benefits that we will mention below:

– Nutritious and balanced lunch options should have 7% vegetables, 15% protein, and 15% carbohydrate
– Each ingredient that we use in our plate must benefit our organism
– Drinking water before eating lunch helps to have good digestion
– To accompany lunch, drink water or tea! Avoid dairy and sugary drinks
– You can eat whole grains or cereals, and avoid refined grains such as white rice and white bread
– Try to choose fish, poultry, legumes and nuts. Limit red meat and processed meats!
– Variety of colors in vegetables: Reds reduce the risk of cancer (tomatoes, peppers, radishes, watermelon, apple), orange and yellow strengthen the immune system (carrot, pumpkin, pineapple, peach), greens are detoxifying, help the immune and bone system (lettuce, artichoke , broccoli, spinach), and white ones, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and prevent diabetes (onion, garlic, cauliflower, mushrooms)
– For preparations and supplements, healthy oils such as canola, and olive oil should be used. Do not use margarines or trans fats
– Having ketogenic or “ketos” lunches as an alternative, helps us burn fat

Bonus Recipe # 2:

Grilled Swordfish with Herb Butter Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• Swordfish or other meaty fish, cut into 2 pounds 1 to 1 ½ inch steaks
• Olive oil 1/4 cup
• Lemon, zested and juiced 1 each

Herb Butter
• Unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 c / 1 stick
• Mixed herbs, chopped 1/2 cup
• (Parsley, dill, chives, tarragon, chervil, thyme)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
• Brush the fish with the olive oil and lemon juice. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
• In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the butter and mix thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Prepare a grill pan on medium heat.
• Spray the grill pan with oil and grill the fish for 7 to 10 minutes, turning once.
• Remove the fish from the grill and place on a heated serving platter. Brush with the softened herb butter and garnish with the lemon zest

3. DINNER:

A healthy dinner is one that is easily digestible and helps to have a good night’s rest. It is important to keep the following in mind and achieve a perfect end of day:

– Going to bed lighter after a healthy dinner can be the solution against insomnia
– The digestive process is relieved as it helps to repair any problems caused by heavy and abundant meals
– Eating a light dinner is a healthy habit that allows you to wake up earlier the next day and with more energy
– Improves general health and mood
– Eating lighter is the key to living longer and staying fit
– When you have a light dinner during the summer, it helps to keep your body temperature stable
– Try to eat dinner at least two hours before going to sleep
– Light cooking methods such as boiling, baking, and steaming are the most recommended in the evening hours
– Very heavy recipes with high fat content should be avoided. Dinners should contain in very moderate measures foods rich in Omega 3 or healthy fats
– You should only have dinner if you feel hungry

Bonus Recipe # 3:

Grilled Vegetable Ratatouille:

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil ¼ cup
• Garlic cloves, minced 4 medium cloves
• Thyme, chopped fine 1 t & sprigs for garnish
• Parsley, chopped fine 1 Tablespoon
• Rosemary, chopped fine 1 teaspoon
• Red Onion 1 large
• Basil, chiffonade 2t & sprig for garnish
• Zucchini, large 1 each
• Eggplant, large 1 eggplant
• Yellow squash, large 1 each
• Red Bell Pepper, roasted, peeled & chopped 1 pepper
• Tomatoes, roasted, peeled and chopped 2 tomatoes

Method:
• Heat a Grill Pan over medium heat. Combine the oil in a small bowl with garlic, thyme and rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set the bowl aside.
• Trim the zucchini and eggplant. Peel the eggplant, and slice the eggplant and zucchini into ½ inch thick rounds. Peel and cut the onions into ½ inch slices. Brush the vegetables with the garlic herb oil.
• Place the vegetables on the hot grill pan. You may have to grill in batches. Grill, turning the onions several times but the other vegetables once, until dark grill marks appear.
• Continue grilling until the vegetables are cooked through. While grilling, spread the chopped tomatoes on a platter. Place the finished vegetables on the platter on top of the tomatoes. Garnish with fresh herb sprigs and roasted pepper.

Prepare healthy and balanced recipes for your everyday menu. You will begin to see improvements in your body in no time! If you eat a healthy dinner, and prepare light, and rich dishes for the whole family – your children will get used to eating healthy from a young age. Take advantage of these QUICK AND EASY GOOD EATING HABITS! Make sure to include the little ones in the cooking process so they learn how easy and fun it is to eat healthy.

Chef Eric recommends healthy snacks if you feel a bit hungry between meals. You can incorporate walnuts, almonds, or peanuts in moderate portions. Fruits are also a good alternative for a healthy snack!

For additional fun, quick, and delicious recipes – don’t forget to subscribe to Chef Eric’s YouTube channel! Chef Eric’s YouTube Channel.