Why Eat Healthy?

Eating healthy is very important in order to sustain a good quality life. If we didn’t eat healthy we would be prone to lots of illnesses and would run the risk of gaining excess weight and joining the obesity crowd.

We are all allowed our bad times though and I don’t believe there is such a thing as the perfect healthy person. Even if you have stuck to healthy living for the past twenty years what about during your teen years and you visited McDonalds once a week.

I know I was one of their regulars and without the teenage population I very much doubt that they would be surviving during this current recession!

Healthy eating should be practiced on the whole though. I know you hear about it in the media on a daily basis and get sick to the back teeth of it but eating your five a day of fruit and vegetables is an amazing place to start.

Growing up in Leeds, England my grandparents wouldn’t hear of me going without my fruit and vegetables. The majority of my friend’s parents and grandparents had allotments. This meant that from a very young age we were given lots of seasonal produce that we grew up loving. My wife’s Granddad had a lovely allotment and to this day she still loves eating lots of raw carrots when she gets the munchies and is much better than sneaking a cream filled bun out of the fridge.

As a result of our upbringing we both adore fresh fruit and vegetables. This we believe helps us have a healthy lifestyle and we very rarely catch a cold or suffer from illnesses in general. Neither of us have had a single tummy bug since our son was a couple of months old and he will be eight this year.

Through embracing a good diet along with regular exercise we are able to enjoy playing with our son for hours in the park or on the beach without feeling over tired or out of breath like many kids are.

If you constantly eat the wrong foods you run the risk of other problems such as heart disease or diabetes. Also you will have great levels of energy and actually enjoy getting out of bed in the morning.

The Many Ways to Cook Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast

Boneless skinless chicken breast is the most popular cut of poultry in the United States and with good reason: they are low in fat, quick and easy to prepare and extremely versatile. This wonderful cut of poultry can be grilled, sauteed, broiled, poached, fried and baked. There is a downside however to this cut of meat: they are rather low in fat. You may be asking: "What is wrong with that? That makes them healthy right?" Yes, they are a healthier way to eat, but because they are low in fat, they are also low in moisture and that makes them very susceptible to over cooking. Nothing is less appetizing than a dry and overcooked piece of meat.

There are two ways to make certain your chicken is not overcooked. The first way, and the most accurate in my opinion, is to use an instant read thermometer. I own a handy little electronic thermometer with a voice alert feature. It is extremely accurate and has never let me down. The other method for checking doneness is by pricking the meat with a fork. If the juices run clear, then it is done. I think the first option is much safer, but you can be the judge.

There are literally hundreds of combined recipes and methods for cooking chicken breast, far too many to cover in this article, so I will talk about two very popular methods.

One of the easiest and tastiest ways is to marinate and grill them.

Below is a great marinade recipe:

GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST WITH CITRUS HERB MARINADE

INGREDIENTS:

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice

2 Tablespoons of Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

1/3 Cup of Freshly Chopped Parsley

1/3 Cup of Freshly Chopped Basil

1 Clove of Garlic Minced

1 Teaspoon of Salt

1/4 Teaspoon of Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Mix together everything, accept the chicken breasts, in a large bowl.

Step 2: Add chicken to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for several hours.

Step 3: Get you grill nice and hot and oil the grates to prevent the chicken from sticking.

Step 4: Grill chicken about 4 minutes per side or until done.

Another fantastic way to cook chicken breasts is by baking them in foil in the oven. The foil helps keep the meat nice and moist while cooking. What you put inside the foil is only limited by your imagination, but to make things easier, I have included a great recipe below.

CHICKEN WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES AND KALAMATA OLIVES

INGREDIENTS:

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

10 - 15 Kalamata Olives Pitted and Chopped

8 - 10 Sun Dried Tomatoes Cut Into Thin Strips

4 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons of Freshly Chopped Basil

2 Tablespoons of Freshly Chopped Parsley

Salt and Pepper to Taste

DIRECTIONS:

Step 1: Preheat Oven to 450 Degrees F

Step 2: In a bowl, combine the olives, tomatoes, basil, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Step 3: Cut 8 Squares of Aluminum Foil (Cut them large, about 18 inches square)

Step 4: Grab 2 squares of foil and place one on top of the other.

Step 5: Grease the foil with some olive oil

Step 6: Place a chicken breast in the center of the foil and spoon some of the tomato and olive mixture on top

Step 7: Loosely fold the foil over the chicken forming a tent and seal tightly

Step 8: Repeat this process for the remaining chicken breasts

Step 9 : Place the wrapped chicken breasts on a baking sheet and place in the pre-heated oven

Step 10: Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until done. To check for doneness, cut a small slit in the foil to allow the steam to escape and then carefully unfold the foil. Check for doneness with an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature should read 160 degrees F.

Step 11: Let the chicken breasts stand for about five minutes before serving.

Four Tips for Better Budget Cooking

Are you looking for places to tighten your budget? Well, look no further than budget cooking! Your food bill is a good place to save money and learning how to cook is a great way to trim the food bill. When you learn the basics of cooking method, you waste less food, you prepare better food at home and you can buy in bulk, which is another cost-saving measure. It's simple to master these cooking techniques that will save you money - with just some knowledge, study and a little practice. Here are just a few ideas to get you started.

Buy in Bulk

If you know how to prepare meat (chicken, beef, pork) quickly and efficiently, it makes sense to buy your favorite meats in larger quantities when they are on sale. Trim and prepare the meat, portioning it into serving sizes. Label and date each package and put each portion into the freezer. Now, when you are ready to prepare dinner some night, just take out a portion and prepare it using your favorite cooking method with your favorite ingredients. This budget cooking tip actually saves time AND money!

Celebrate at Home

Going out to a restaurant to celebrate a special occasion is always a treat, but it does have its drawbacks. For starters - if you want to enjoy a bottle of wine, expect to pay somewhere around 2 1/2 times as much as you would buying the same bottle at a store (and that's before tip!) But... when you know how to apply basic cooking methods to great ingredients - you can create very high caliber meals right at home. And you can do this quickly, easily... and cheaply! This can also justify using the highest quality ingredients you can find and afford. You'll still be saving money by toasting your occasion... at home.

Take the Whole Tenderloin - not just the filet

One of the nicest steaks you can prepare - especially on the outdoor BBQ grill - is the filet mignon. But even at the grocery store, this premium cut of beef comes at a premium price. So - I've got some great news for you! One of my favorite "chef secrets" is that breaking down an entire filet is actually much easier than most people think. I made a cooking video that discusses purchasing an entire tenderloin (at a much better price than just the filet) and learning how to prepare it yourself. This is still one of my best money saving tips!

The not so Obvious

It might seem obvious, but the best way to save money on your food bill is to eat less, right? Well, the actual truth of the matter is that most of what is cooked is not eaten and goes to waste. A great way to save money is actually to make less - not necessarily eat less. Portioning is a secret of basic cooking method and a great way to save money. This is because most home cooks over-produce food rather than run the risk of running out of food, which everyone hates to do. However, if you portion correctly on the preparation side, you will save money and have another added bonus: proper portioning also ensures you will not have to even worry about leftovers. So you've solved another common budget cooking dilemma - what to do with leftovers? There won't be any!

Once you've mastered a few basic cooking methods and simple techniques for preparing great food, you'll find it to be a very simple and rewarding way to incorporate budget cooking into your frugal lifestyle.