McAuley - Hamlyn All Colour Cookbook 200 Healthy Feasts

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COOKBOOK SERIES If your aim is to eat healthily, but you dread feeling hungry and lacking in energy, then this is the book for you it is full of delicious, substantial and nutritious recipes designed to satisfy even the biggest appetites and keep you going until the next meal. This book will show you that healthy doesnt have to mean boring.

The great flavours, appearance and aromas from the recipes it contains will appeal to all your senses, and the energy-boosting ingredients used will help to reduce any craving and your desire to snack while keeping energy levels high. By following the recipes in this book, you will find it easier and more enjoyable to eat a healthy, well-balanced diet without the feeling that you are being denied all the good stuff, and this could change the way you eat forever. reasons to eat healthily There are so many reasons to keep your body healthy, and the way you eat often has a direct influence on the way you feel. Eating a well-balanced diet with plenty of the essential proteins, vitamins, nutrients, carbohydrates and essential fats is very important in maintaining good health. It can help control cholesterol, as well going a long way towards avoiding constipation, bad skin and poor hair condition. It has also been proven that a healthy diet can help us to avoid serious conditions such as coronary heart disease, strokes and even some cancers.

For example, a diet rich in fibre can reduce the risk of bowel cancer. The path to general well-being through the aid of a healthy diet doesnt usually have to mean a complete overhaul in the way that you eat. More often, it is just a few subtle changes in the way that you think and cook that will leave you reaping the rewards in both the short and long term. 5 a day With the enormous choice and variety available to us today, its easier than you might think for you and your family to get all of the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Almost all fruit and vegetables, and even beans and pulses, count towards one of your 5 a day, whether they come fresh, frozen, dried or canned. One adult-sized portion of fruit or vegetable weighs approximately 80 g (just over 3 oz), or roughly the amount that will fit into the palm of your hand.

Even a glass of fruit juice or a smoothie counts, although its best not to drink more than one of these each day as the sugars they contain can do damage to your teeth in the long term. Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables each day really will improve your health. Consuming your 5 a day can be achieved on any budget, no matter how busy your lifestyle. It just takes a little planning and effort. the GI GI stands for the Glycaemic Index. Foods containing carbohydrates have an effect on blood sugar levels and can be distinguished by either a high- or low-level GI.

Foods with a high GI value release sugar into the bloodstream quickly, giving you that familiar sugar rush. This rise in blood sugar, however, doesnt last very long and quickly leaves you feeling tired, hungry and low in energy. Foods with a low GI value, however, release sugar into the bloodstream slowly, supplying a slow, steady source of energy. This leaves you feeling satisfied for a longer period of time, which in turn results in less snacking throughout the day. The recipes in this book tend to include lots of GI foods, such as wholewheat pasta, beans, pulses, lentils, yogurt, fruits and vegetables. starchy foods Starchy foods are an important part of a healthy diet.

They include foods such as pasta, rice, cereals and bread and are a vital part of any meal, as they provide a great source of energy and essential nutrients. Try to choose wholegrain and wholemeal varieties of starchy foods, such as wholewheat pasta and couscous, brown rice and wholemeal bread, as they have a low GI value and will keep you feeling satisfied for longer. fish Eating plenty of fish will help ensure that your body is getting lots of important vitamins and minerals. We are recommended to eat a minimum of two portions of fish a week, of which at least one should be from an oily fish, which is high in omega-3 fats. Oily fish include tuna, salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines. fats Not all fats are bad. fats Not all fats are bad.

Some are essential when eating a healthy, balanced diet. Our bodies cannot provide us with all the essential fatty acids that we need to stay healthy, so it is important to include them in our diets. Extra virgin olive and rapeseed oils are a great source of unsaturated fats, which are also found naturally in oily fish, nuts and seeds. It is recommended to avoid eating too many saturated fats, as there are fears that they could increase the risk of high cholesterol and coronary heart disease. salt and sugar Salt and sugar are two foods that it is advisable to cut back on. To reduce the risk of getting high blood pressure, and therefore reduce the risk of strokes and heart disease, it is important not to eat too much salt.