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Ann Hunter, PhD, RD, LD, FADA Wichita State University Now that you’ve invested in Health Craft waterless / greaseless cookware, it’s time to reap the many rewards of hassle-free cooking, delicious meals, and improved health. I know through my years of experience in the food service industry that nothing detracts more from a pleasurable cooking experience than not having the right food to prepare or the right equipment to work with. As a dietitian, I want my finished entrees to appeal to the eye and the palate, and to meet my clients’ nutritional needs. Overcooked vegetables that have lost their color and flavor have little to no nutritional value. Dried out meats that have lost their flavor, are difficult to chew and swallow. With the Health Craft Nutritional Cooking System, you can rest assured that these cooking nightmares won’t happen to you. Waterless/Greaseless Cookware retains the valuable vitamins and minerals as well as the natural moisture in your foods. Because we understand your lifestyle needs, much care went into the selection of the recipes in this cookbook. We recommend you reference the nutritional breakdown of each recipe. For a complete explanation of this breakdown, see page 15. In addition to including the most nutritious entrees, Health Craft has made your variety of choice almost limitless. Choose from a variety of irresistible recipes, such as Singapore Fish, Chicken Satay, Hom Bow, and even Chocolate Mousse. Part of my role has been determining the nutritional information for each recipe, but through the process I’ve listed, tasted, and visualized each meal personally. During this project, recipes were improved by reducing fat, sodium, and caloric count, while increasing fiber whenever possible. All this was done without sacrificing the appearance, texture, or taste of the dishes. Each recipe was then retested for taste, quality, and accurate preparation instructions. So much has been written about nutrition, cholesterol, fats, and diets during the past ten years, it’s no wonder we sometimes feel bombarded with information. That’s why in this cookbook we’ve gotten back to the basics of nutrition. You should find the following sections particularly useful: The Surgeon General’s report as it relates to foods and nutrition; the Food Guide Pyramid; the basics of metabolism and fats; the new food labels and how to use them; and the calorie point system. We hope you’ll turn to these reference pages for years to come. I’ve enjoyed my Health Craft cookware for many years and still continue to learn new ways to prepare foods-without added fats and water. You will too! Easily prepared, nutritional meals that are appealing to the eye and the palate… What more could you ask for? |
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Staying Fit with Health Craft There is increasing evidence that certain foods may help prevent or hinder some types of cancer. While the evidence continues to accumulate, adding these foods to your diet certainly cannot hurt and likely will help. It is a particularly smart diet strategy. Eating many kinds of fruits and vegetables is sound advice from the American Cancer Society on cancer-proofing your diet. Most experts also recommend cutting down on fats and eating healthy amounts of fiber-the same prescription that experts say reduces heart attack risks. Maintaining your foods’ natural goodness by cooking the waterless, greaseless way only makes good sense. |
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As human beings there are four major factors that influence our health: heredity, the environment, nutrition, and the amount and type of exercise we get. We have the most control over our nutrition and the amount of exercise. This section has been designed as a primer on nutrition, to help you find a more healthful way to eat. By understanding where we currently are on the road to better health, we will all live longer more healthful lives. A quote from the Surgeon General’s report on Nutrition and Health focuses on the cultural and social pleasures of our heritage. Today, 12.5 million children are overweight in the United States—more than 17 percent. Overweight children are at greater risk for many serious health problems. This initiative promotes the importance of healthy eating and physical activity at a young age to help prevent overweight and obesity in this country. The chart brings to the forefront the dangers associated with the American diet. As the chart illustrates obesity and the related causes of early death in the United States are influenced by our diet and have increased dramatically since 1991. |
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Food Guide Pyramid The pyramid takes the original food groups and expands them into nutritional ingredients required in our daily diets today. A few years ago few of us knew about complex carbohydrates, now we are beginning to learn. The same is true for the fats in our diet. The basic four did not have a place for fats or cholesterol, which fell basically into two categories, the milk group and the meat group. We now know, through medical research, that the amount of fats in our diet affects not only our waistlines but our longevity as well. The same is true for the amount of fiber we eat. This is why our website and cookbook recipes have been designed with a nutritional breakdown for every recipe, per serving. This information will allow you to plan more healthful as well as delicious meals. |
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What Counts as a Serving? Vegetables: 1 cup raw leafy vegetables, ½ cup cooked or chopped vegetables, ¾ cup juice Fruit: 1 medium apple, banana, orange; ½ cup chopped, cooked, canned; ¾ cup juice Milk, Yogurt, Cheese: 1 cup milk or yogurt, 1 ½ oz natural cheese, 2 oz processed cheese Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, Nuts: 2-3 oz lean meat, poultry or fish; ½ cup cooked dry beans, 1 egg, or 2 tablespoons peanut butter count as 1 oz of meat |
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Why we Cook · To make food more palatable and appetizing · To kill harmful bacteria on food · To make food more digestible · To entertain, be creative, and have fun Keep in mind, however, a wide selection of foods are available in our modern day world, what we do with them prior to consumption either adds or subtracts from their nutritional value and to our health. Dietary Intake The following chart shows the current percentages of average dietary intake in the United States. As you can see, in this country complex carbohydrate consumption is a mere 58% of what it should be. The same is true for sugar consumption only reversed. We eat more, not less, sugar than we should and out fat intake skyrockets. |
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The American Cancer Society recommends the following; Protective Factors Green Vegetables, eat more of the crucifers: Brussels-sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, all cabbages, and kale. High Fiber Foods, eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables, wheat and bran cereals, rice, popcorn, and whole-wheat breads. Vitamin A, eat foods with beta-carotene: carrots, peaches, apricots, squash and broccoli. Vitamin C, eat fresh fruits and vegetables like grapefruit, cantaloupe, oranges, strawberries, red and green peppers, broccoli and tomatoes. Control your Weight through regular exercise and sensible eating. Risk Factors Avoid a High Fat Diet and cut fat intake. Eat lean meats, fish, skinned poultry, and reduced fat dairy products. Avoid pastries and candies. Sodium and Food Preservatives, choose these foods only on occasions; bacon, ham, hotdogs, and salt cured-meats and fish. Tobacco products and smoking is the biggest cancer risk of all. Pick a day to quit now. Alcohol is linked to kidney and liver disease. If you drink, do so in moderation. Excessive Sun Exposure can cause skin cancer and other damage. Protect yourself.
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Basics on Metabolism Metabolism is the process by which food is converted into useful energy. This begins with a chemical processes in gastrointestinal tract changing plant an animal food into less complex components so they can be absorbed to fulfill their various functions in the body; growth, repair and fuel. The body gets its energy in the form of carbohydrates, protein and fats. We measure the energy available in foods, and the energy needed for metabolism, physical activity and digestion, as calories. Carbohydrates provide 4 calories per gram, Proteins provide 4 calories per gram, and Fats provide 9 to 11 calories per gram. The daily caloric need varies widely and is dependent upon height, weight, age, level of activity, state of health, and heredity as well. It is generally accepted that the “typical” adult woman needs 1,500 – 1,800 calories per day, and the “typical” adult man needs 2,000 - 3,000 calories per day. Each pound of human body fat has about 3,500 calories of energy. Body fat is converted into energy when the calorie intake in food is inadequate. Likewise, calories eaten in excess of need are stored as body fat. A pound of body fat can be lost in one week by reducing energy intake by 500 calories per day, or by increasing physical activity by 500 calories per day. A combination of decreased intake and increased output will lead to a recommended slow healthy weight loss of 2 pounds per week, allowing the body’s metabolism and past eating habits to change gradually towards permanent weight loss. Fats are stored in the body and used as a later energy source. The body’s metabolism is a very complex process, and some fat must be included in our diet for important body functions including; insulation, transportation of fat soluble vitamins, i.e. Vitamin A is essential for vision, cell growth and development, reproduction, a strong immune system, healthy hair, skin and mucous membranes. Vitamin D is essential for proper metabolism of calcium for strong bones. Vitamin E is essential for healthy nerve function and reproduction. Vitamin K is essential for clotting of blood.
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Metabolic Facts Fat calories are deposited as body fat, whereas carbohydrates are more likely to be burned as body heat, for example: eating 100 calories of pretzels (carbohydrates) result in 25 calories being used for digestion and processing and 75 calories left to be stored; eating 100 calories of salad dressing (fat) results in 3 to 5 calories used for digestion with 95 to 97 calories being stored. Fatty acids in the small intestine are passively absorbed, using no calories; carbohydrates and proteins both require calories in their digestive process. Eating fats with sugar may create increased obesity because sugar simulates the release of insulin which encourages excessive fat storage. Extremely low-fat diets (less than 20 percent of total calories in fat) will not necessarily cause weight loss because the individual may eat excessive calories from other sources. We need to aim towards a healthy ratio of body fat and lean muscle mass which is 15 to 20 percent body fat for men and 19 to 24 percent for women. In the muscle, fat is only burned for fuel in the presence of oxygen and carbohydrates. Include a regular moderate level aerobic exercise to increase oxidation of stored body fat. To have adequate nutritional intake and lower fat – have at least five servings of vegetables a day and exercise 30 minutes five times per week. |
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Weight Loss & Dieting |
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