|
One of the wonders of the modern world is that we can enjoy
foods from other places and times. Books, magazines, TV shows,
internet searches, community cultural events, as well as ethnic
restaurants are marvelous sources of food delights.
There is only one problem with this: Many ethnic foods have
their roots in ages when both mechanization and wealth were less
common. Foods that meant survival to our ancestors can lead to
early death for ourselves. Even dietary laws which were based on
the protection of health can now cause health problems. Longer
life expectancies made this discovery possible.
But curiosity and willingness to experiment can create good
modifications to great recipes.
Consider these examples of outmoded concepts.
One of my nephews was training as a French Chef. He was taught
that "Fat is Flavor."
Salt, once needed as a preservative, is at dangerously high
levels in snack foods, canned and frozen prepared foods, and
many traditional foods.
White bread and rice were favored by the wealthy as signs of
their wealth. As a consequence, whole grained foods almost
vanished from "modern" diets for numerous decades.
Sweetness, alcohol, and over eating became associated with
celebrations and luxury, especially in eras and areas when /
where hunger was more common. As a consequence, more than half
of us consume too much of refined sugars, alcohol, and foods.
Spices and herbs, originally added to foods that were not edible
otherwise (especially before refrigeration), are to be found in
ordinary grocery stores, but far too many are packed with
totally unneeded salt. In fact, wise use of spices can produce
flavorful foods that are low in salt.
If you are getting enough calories every day, there is no reason
that you cannot reduce the fat, salt, sugars, and alcohol in
your diet and still enjoy what you eat. Even athletes and
laborers, who need lots of calories, can get them from unrefined
carbohydrates instead of saturated fats and refined sweeteners.
Essential fatty acids can be found in plant foods and fish, as
well as four legged meats.
And wise up. "Low carb" is "high dumb".
By the way, the search for good flavor has lead to the wide
spread use of synthesized Mono Sodium Glutamate, MSG. Various
government agencies of various countries assure us that MSG is
entirely safe, but enough of us get headaches, agitation, and
dizzy or spacey feelings to know that just ain't true. Good
chefs do not require MSG.
So, what can we do about it?
* For the ethnic foods you already enjoy, go through the
ingredients and make substitutions and deletions.
* For new experiences, look more to Oriental and Asiatic recipes
than to "farmer" or "noble" foods from France or Germany. But
leave out the sugar which was added by missionaries in China,
Japan, India, and more. For that matter, leave sugar out of
Italian recipes and others.
* Realize that traditional soy foods can provide all the
essentials found in meats, without one having to declare one's
self a vegetarian. (But add high calcium foods if you cut back
on dairy and meats.)
* Learn that fruits, or fruits with nuts, can taste very sweet,
yet provide fiber, minerals, vitamins which are totally absent
from man made sweeteners.
* Avoid deep fried foods. Learn to use non-stick cook ware and
sprays, pressure cookers, microwave ovens, crock pots, et cetera.
* Instead of butter, use newer spreads that contain no
hydrogenated oils. For sour cream, use non fat yogurt or a rich
blend of non fat powdered milk in water.
* I seldom use cornstarch, but find whole wheat flour can also
serve as a thickener.
* Instead of fatty sausage or bacon, fry small patties of lean
ground beef, or slices of extra firm tofu.
* Replace lard, bacon drippings, tallow with un hardened plant
oils, and try using less.
* Leave out the ham hock or bacon chunk when making soup.
Here are some examples of my experiments.
My former wife was great for preparing Tex-Mex foods. For Tacos,
she used a mix made by a prominent USA spice company. When I saw
(and tasted) that salt was early on the list of ingredients, I
volunteered to make my own. I obtained some salt free chili
powder, some dried garlic flakes and oregano, and mixed with a
small amount of whole wheat flour. My version became the
favorite with wife and two teen agers.
I have written elsewhere about replacing part of lean ground
beef with soy tempeh or extra firm soy tofu, mashed, in such
dishes as meat loaf, stew, pasta / spaghetti, and mock steak.
Be inventive. Enjoy flavorful foods through a long life.
About the author:
Dr. Donald A. Miller is author of "Easy Health Diet"
http://easyhealthdiet.com/diet.htm, "Easy Exercise All Ages"
http://easyhealthdiet.com/eeaa.htm, and numerous free articles
on health http://easyhealthdiet.com/articles/. Seven of ten
deaths are caused by preventable diseases.
|