We’re all looking for tricks and tips to eat, cook and serve healthy meals. Try these five Healthy Hacks for the kitchen, for the table, and for the grocery store.
Portion Size Healthy Hack. The bigger the plate, the more you eat. Invest in smaller plates and bowls, or serve dinner on salad plates and use a mug for your cereal or ice cream. Another trick: Spread food, rather than mound it. It looks like a lot when it’s not.
Vegetable Prep Healthy Hack. Freshen up your limp kale or other vegetables by dropping them into ice water. Plants wilt due to water loss. Ice water restores their crispness.
Grocery Bag Healthy Hack. In a recent study, researchers found that 64 percent of the 25 used reusable grocery bags tested were contaminated with bacteria. Make sure to wash your cloth bags weekly and use single-use bags (e.g., plastic) for raw meat, poultry, and seafood.
Cooking Healthy Hack. Zap lemons, limes, or oranges for 15 seconds in the microwave before squeezing. The fruit will yield twice as much juice.
Mindful Healthy Hack. Signal that mealtime is over by turning off the light and closing the door (if you have one).
Lisa Lewis is the author of Healthy Happy Cooking. Her cooking skills have been a part of First Place for Health wellness weeks and other events for many years. She provided recipes for 16 of the First Place for Health Bible studies and is a contributing author in Better Together and Healthy Holiday Living. She partners with community networks, including the Real Food Project, to provide free healthy cooking classes.