Chef Paul’s Pantry Essentials
March 11 2013
There are a few essential ingredients that no pantry should be without. Whenever you want to put together a quick snack or meal, these ingredients will help get you on your way:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This “healthy fat” is wonderful for everyday cooking. Extra virgin olive oil is a great substitute for butter or margarine. Use it also for sautéing onions and garlic, drizzling over salads, add it to a bruschetta mixture, and more.
Spring is Near – Grow Fresh!
March 06 2013
Even if you’ve never gardened before or you think you don’t have a green thumb, growing your own food can be simple and economical. A huge bonus for your bank account!
Despite what most people think , you don’t need large plot of land to grow a kitchen garden. All you need is soil, light and the ability to water the plants on a regular basis. Growing herbs on a windowsill, in pots on your veranda, or hanging tomato baskets from your balcony is an easy way to cut your food bills.
Cooking with fresh herbs adds wonderful flavor to most dishes but buying a bunch of thyme when you know that you only need a small amount of chopped thyme can sometimes be wasteful. Growing thyme, basil, cilantro and other herbs can be easy, fun and a money saver.
Children who grow up learning about the connection between growing food and eating food, have a better understanding of the importance of a healthy, nutrient rich diet. Get the kids involved and let them have their own indoor garden pots.
Check out this site for more information on growing your own herbs indoors: Container gardening
MealEasy puts kids in the Driver Seat
February 27 2013
Chinese style noodles with chicken
One of the best ways to introduce children to new cuisines is to try new dishes in the comfort of your own home. Children are curious and love to explore new things. Making it fun by letting them choose the country not only gets them involved, but puts them in charge.
Kids love being in the driver’s seat. When children are involved in the healthy What’s for Dinner? decision, they will learn to make better choices and be proud to be part of the solution.
MealEasy offers many cuisine options including Chinese, Greek, Italian, Mexian, Middle Eastern and so much more.
Take a stroll around the world with MealEasy. Explore new foods, and have fun with your children.
Get Fresh, but Stay Safe
February 18 2013
Leafy greens have been found to be a common source for food borne illnesses in the United States.
In light of the recent illnesses at fast food chains, eating at home makes more sense than ever.
Many food borne illnesses that surface in green vegetables can easily be avoided by washing greens thoroughly and ensuring fresh fruit and vegetables do not come into contact with raw meats. Cross contamination is easy to do if you’re not careful. Using a separate cutting board and utensils is very important when preparing raw meats for cooking and then chopping fresh vegetables.
Our very own Chef Paul uses many cutting boards when preparing dishes and always washes his hands with hot soapy water after touching raw meat.
Have a look at Chef Paul’s latest video for safety tips:
Plan Portions and lose pounds, Naturally
February 08 2013
What you eat is just as important as your exercise plan. With MealEasy, you can slim down naturally with a stress-free plan.
MealEasy blends the art of cooking with the science of nutrition to ensure each meal has maximum nutritional value to meet your specific health needs and weight goals.
Personal preference settings allow you to set your calorie ranges, eliminate certain food groups and ingredients from your diet.
Don’t want some milk products, but you do like certain cheese types or yogurt? No problem! MealEasy gives you the freedom to choose what you want and leave out what you don’t want in your diet.
You’ll be surprised by how easy it is to eat natural, fresh foods and enjoy life again. There’s no need to stress over counting calories, MealEasy does that for you!
Prepare to eat smart. Stick to your personalized MealEasy meal plan and slim down naturally.
3 Easy Steps to Good Health
February 01 2013
It’s easier than you think!
Follow these three easy steps using MealEasy’s meal planner to help you get on the path to health and keep you there!
Step 1: Plan Easily schedule your meals with MealEasy. Meals are automatically suggested based on your personal preferences. Suggested meals are complete meals; we do the work for you and pair the main-course with the right side-dishes. There’s no need to spend extra time searching. If you’re looking for something specific, use the enhanced search tool.
Step 2: Shop Manage your groceries online. Automatically generate and print a categorized grocery list at the click of a button. We do the math – ingredients are automatically added up with only what you need. Edit your grocery list and add whatever else it is you need to pick up while you’re at the store.
Step 3: Prepare Making MealEasy meals in the comfort of your home is easy. We provide simple step-by-step instructions to guide you from chopping and dicing to broiling and blending. Every meal is quick and easy to prepare so you can enjoy your time at home.
Give MealEasy a try and see how a little planning can lead to a worry free lifestyle. No more, “What’s For Supper?” agony.
All new subscriptions carry a 10-day Satisfaction Guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with MealEasy, cancel your subscription within 10 days to receive a full refund.
Save Money by freezing homemade meals
January 24 2013
Prepare to Eat Smart – Freeze your culinary delights
Making meals ahead of time and then freezing them to either take for lunch or to eat for dinner at a later date makes a lot of sense and saves a lot of cents.
Many of MealEasy’s fast and delicious meals are easily frozen and can then be thawed and reheated for a supper quick weekday super. And because the MealEasy Meal Planner allows you to change the portion size of most of the meals, you can plan on cooking extra to save for future meals. Each recipe states whether or not it is freezable, so you don’t have to guess.
The key to successfully freezing meals is to tightly wrap any foods and try to remove as much air as possible; air is the enemy when it comes to freezing foods. Always remember to allow your foods to cool to room temperature before freezing, and it’s best to freeze them in a single layer so that they freeze more quickly; you can stack them when foods are completely frozen.
If you plan on doing a lot of freezing, investing in a vacuum food sealer might be worthwhile. Food sealers are wonderful for freezing uncooked meats and vegetables. If you don’t have a food sealer and are freezing meats, it’s important to double wrap them in plastic wrap and then place them in a freezer bag to be able to keep them for a longer period of time. Foods frozen in its supermarket wrapping or butcher shop’s brown paper will not last as long in the freezer.
New Year, New You
January 17 2013
The New Year brings a promise of renewal and change
No matter what your resolution is, it will only lead to real change if you fully commit to it with a plan.
A goal without a plan is only a wish
If you accept the MealEasy 3-month Challenge, you will see a difference. Not only in the way you feel, but in your relationship with food. Over the last few decades, we have become disconnected with our food, and seem to have lost the enjoyment of preparing meals in our home. The rush of daily life and the complications of meeting the needs of others, tend to push us toward quicker meal solutions such as fast food and drive-thrus. Try MealEasy meal planning for 3 months and see what a difference it makes in your life.
Enjoy our 10-day Trial on Us
All new subscriptions carry a 10-day Satisfaction Guarantee. If you are not completely satisfied with MealEasy, cancel your subscription within 10 days to receive a full refund. Many have tried to lose weight or get back to a balanced and healthy meal plan, but without the incentives that MealEasy offers, it’s difficult to stay on track.
Let MealEasy be your Personal Nutrition Assistant
We’ll help you stick to your Plan. Just follow our 3-easy steps of Plan, Shop and Prepare, and you will be on your way to a New You!
Not all fats are created equal
January 09 2013
A few easy ways to cut the fat from our diets
Not all fats are created equal. There are some fats that are good for you such as the monounsaturated fats found in avocados and the Omega-3 fats found in salmon and other cold water fish. The key to a healthy diet is reducing and eliminating the fats that are not so good for you. Trans fats should be avoided altogether and you should try to limit saturated fats as much as possible.
There are many ways to reduce the amount of saturated fats in your diet. One of the easiest is to choose lean cuts of meat and to trim all visible fat from your steak before cooking it; also, remove any skin from chicken and cook with less butter and cream whenever possible.
Using olive oil instead of butter will help reduce your overall fat intake and olive oil has been shown to help reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure! Try cooking with a non stick pan, this allows you to use less fat than you would with a conventional pan. Although non-stick pans have received a bad rap due to their non-stick coating compounds, there are new products available which are safe and not too expensive.
When shopping for ingredients try to find low fat or non fat versions of sour cream and yogurt. As well, keep away from ready-made snacks such potato chips and buttered popcorn. Make your own popcorn and lightly salt or season it with a mixture of spices instead of smothering it with butter.
Another great way to reduce your fat intake is to choose fruit for dessert instead of calorie rich desserts and treats. Not only will fruit increase your all important fiber intake, many fruits can help fight disease such as diabetes and certain cancers.
Here’s to a healthier, happier and leaner you in 2013!
Healthy Snacks for Kids
January 02 2013
The key to healthy eating for children is learning good eating habits early in life. Most young children graze and snack throughout the day. But is what they are eating good for them? Are they learning healthy habits?
Limit empty calories
Children will ask for food that is marketed directly towards them, such as fast food, candy and foods with empty calories. But by limiting the junk food that gives them empty calories and contributes to restlessness and sugar-rushes, you can help them learn good habits.
Children learn at a young age how food makes them feel. Comfort food such as homemade soup, homeade breads and healthy snacks will give children the association of goodness with good food. After all, junk food is loaded of fat, calories, sugar and salt and do not contribute to a child’s overall nutrition. Rather, they fill their tummies full of nothing, help them choose goodness over junk.
Give Unhealthy Snacks the Boot
Stocking up on sugary drinks and unhealthy lunch box snacks because they are on sale does not bring savings. In fact, if children are raised with unhealthy eating habits, they will continue throughout their life struggling with health issues. Giving your children healthy eating habits at an early age is a precious gift.
Here are a few healthy snack ideas to add to your child’s lunch box:
• Whole grain toast with low-fat cheese spread
• Veggie mixture of sweet corn, snow peas, peas, carrots, cucumber
• Yogurt, preferably natural without added sugar
• Cut up mixed fruit
• Homemade whole grain biscuits – add finely grated apple, cheese, carrots before baking.
• Raw vegetables such as carrots, or baby carrots.
• Dried fruit such as raisins, prunes, apricots, banana
• Seeds and nuts (please follow nut policies in schools and daycare)
• Eggs, scrambled, boiled, mashed
• Salads with healthy salad dressings
• Cherry or grape tomatoes
• Whole fruit such as a pear, apple, plum, grapes, orange