Week 8 #HealthyHabits Challenge: Cook 5 Dinners at Home this Week.

Hey there YMCA community! We hope you have been enjoying all of our Healthy Habit tips and challenges. Our new #HealthyHabits challenge we have for you is to try Cooking at Home! We all know that having a consistently healthy diet is important, but why? The CDC states that keeping to a healthy diet can boost your immunity, maintain your weight, and even help you live longer.

One of the best ways to ensure you are getting a balanced diet is by cooking at home. When you eat out at a restaurant, there are always added ingredients and calories that you have no control of. When you cook for yourself, you know exactly what you are consuming! When you cook at home you are reducing the amount of

Fat
Salt
Processed foods
Deep frying

This month, we challenge you to cook at home. Although cooking can seem like a huge task, it can be as simple or complex as you make it! Here are a few tips and tricks to help you take control of your diet at home!

Plan your meals. Make sure you have a game plan for the week when you go grocery shopping since cooking on a whim can be very difficult. It can be frustrating when you don’t have the proper ingredients prepared! Preparing some dishes can be time consuming, so planning out recipes according to your schedule can be super helpful!

Start fresh. Home cooked meals start with you! Making healthy decisions at the grocery store translates to making healthy decisions when cooking. When shopping, make sure you are buying fresh fruit and meats and avoiding processed goods or pre-made frozen meals.

Cook nonstick. Using nonstick cooking equipment can reduce the need for cooking with oil. If you do need something to cook with, try liquids like wine or juices instead of butter and oil. This can help reduce your fat intake as well as calories per meal.

Add herbs. Although salt is a quick fix for spicing up a meal, sodium is not always good for you. Too much salt in your diet can lead to conditions like heart disease or high blood pressure. To avoid use of salt, add dried herbs instead for flavor.

Stock with staples. Cooking can create incredibly unique dishes. However, many dishes start with similar ingredients. Staple ingredients can be used in many recipes and help you create basic healthy dishes. Healthline recommends these 15 staple items to always have in your kitchen: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/healthy-staples#The-bottom-line

Try a new cookbook. Yes, we need food to eat. But cooking is an exciting opportunity to try new things as well as experiment with old recipes! Trying out new recipes is a great way to introduce new foods into your diet. Although there are plenty of online recipes out there, here are a few healthy recipes that take under 20 minutes! https://www.eatingwell.com/gallery/13723/20-healthy-meals-you-can-make-in-20-minutes/

Eat your vegetables. Did you know that it is recommended that vegetables take up 50% of your plate? Vegetables provide great sources of nutrients and fiber and can reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. However, no one vegetable can provide all your needed nutrients, so it is super important to mix up the vegetables you are eating. Try to base your meals off a vegetable (ex: make noodles out of squash for spaghetti night or make a colorful salad the base for your protein).

Prioritize protein. Protein is vital in growing, development, and keeping your bones and muscles healthy. It also can help energy and satisfaction after meals last longer. Although protein is traditionally thought of when it comes to meat, you can also find large amounts of protein in seafood, beans, tofu, and nuts! There are plenty of ways to prepare your meals with protein!

Remember that it is easier to gradually change your diet. Change does not happen overnight! By altering your dietary habits little by little, you will ease yourself into a healthier lifestyle. Hopefully with the help of this challenge, you can find new ways to prepare your at-home meals that are both delicious and healthy!