African American Food PLR Ebook

Sample Content Preview

Introduction

Good food is one of the great pleasures of life and is often at the center of family traditions and gatherings. This is true for most cultures, including African Americans. Unfortunately, the foods that are often found to be the most “comforting” and which are often present at social gatherings can also be high in fat, calories, and salt. Great food that is comforting and enjoyable does not have to be unhealthy. This is an important fact since 4 out of the 5 leading causes of death among African Americans: heart disease, cancer, diabetes and stroke, can be prevented or managed with some simple lifestyle changes, including choosing healthier foods and making a point to be more active (CDC, 2005).

The goal of this cookbook is to bring you a variety of traditional African American recipes that have been “made-over” to contain less fat, sugar, and sodium. The recipes have been gathered from members of the African American community in Lancaster County, including local cookbook author Phoebe Bailey. This cookbook is not only about the food, it’s about leading your family down a path towards better health. Helpful tips about making healthy changes in your eating habits and lifestyle are included throughout the book.

Good food can still be at the center of your family traditions and gatherings, just in a healthier form. Adapting your recipes and making a point to be more active will ensure that you have many more healthy, vital years to spend with your loved ones creating new traditions to pass down through the generations! The information in this cookbook is geared toward the general public of adults and children over age two. It is not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician or other qualified healthcare professional.

Lancaster General Health

African American: Favorite Traditional Recipes Made Healthy,Tasty and Easy

Modifying Recipes

Choosing healthy foods every day is important for your overall health. Many of the leading causes of death, including heart disease and cancer, can be managed or prevented with some simple changes to your diet. These changes will be easier if you learn how to make your favorite recipes healthier instead of giving up all of the foods that you love. The following is a list of some ways that you can give your recipes a healthy makeover.

Reduce the Amount of Fat, Sugar, and Sodium You can often reduce the amount of fat, sugar, and sodium in a recipe without losing the flavor. By cutting fat and sugar, you also cut calories, which is important for weight management. Here are some general ways to do this:

• Fat. Use half the amount of butter, or oil; replace the other half with unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, or prune puree. If a recipe calls for 1 cup of shredded cheese, use 1/2 cup instead.

• Sugar. Reduce the amount of sugar by one-third to one-half of the amount required. Try adding or increasing the amount of seasonings that enhance the sweetness of foods, like spices (such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg) or flavorings (such as vanilla or almond extract).

• Sodium. Reduce salt by one-half in baked goods that do not require yeast. However, for bread products made with yeast, 1/4 teaspoon of salt per cup of flour is necessary for adequate rising of dough. For most main dishes, salads, soups, and other foods, you can reduce the salt by onehalf or eliminate it completely.

Omit an Ingredient

In some recipes, you can omit an ingredient altogether.

• Skip the high calorie toppings like frosting, whipped cream, coconut, and chopped nuts.

• Leave out optional condiments like pickles, olives, butter, mayonnaise, syrup, jelly and mustard, which add unnecessary sodium, fat, sugar and/or calories. Use a Low Fat Cooking

Method

Sometimes, changing the cooking method of a recipe can significantly reduce calories and fat. This is especially true in the case of deep frying, which adds a lot of unnecessary fat and calories to a recipe.

• Choose recipes that rely on baking, broiling, poaching, braising, grilling, and steaming instead of frying.

• For recipes that are usually fried, try baking instead. Lightly spraying the top of the food with a non-stick cooking spray may help to give food the crispier crust you would have achieved with the deep-frying method.

• For recipes that require sautéing, try using a smaller amount of oil, or substitute with a fat-free liquid such as broth, or non-stick cooking spray. Using good non-stick pans also helps to minimize the amount of fat needed to prevent sticking.

• For recipes that require basting the meat or vegetables in oil or drippings, baste with wine, fruit juice, low sodium vegetable juice, or low-sodium broth instead.

Reduce the Portion Size

Some recipes are difficult to modify, and as a result, may still be high in sugar, fat, or sodium despite all of your efforts to change them. In this case, simply choose to eat a smaller portion. Remember that balance is important, so when you do serve a high fat or high calorie item, offer plenty of healthy accompaniments, like fresh vegetables and fruit with the meal.

• License: Private Label Rights
• Category:Ebooks
• Tags:2023 Ebooks With Audio & Video Private Label Rights