Food

Tips to Help Your Family Eat Better

Eating healthy is easier said than done. And when you’re trying to get your family to eat better, the challenge is more formidable than ever. Even if your spouse and you are committed to eating healthy, your children may not be on board. Or there may be older people in the family who need a special diet recommended by the doctor.

Eventually, you find yourself cooking five different dinners for the five members of your family. That’s when your resolve falters. And you go back to packaged foods and quick dinners that fit your busy schedule. Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be that way.

With some planning and flexibility, you can ensure a healthy, home-cooked meal for your family every evening. This article will describe ten practical, healthy eating tips to get your entire family to eat healthy together.

Ten Tips to Help Your Family Eat Better

Trying New Fruits and Vegetables Can Be Fun – Take your children along for grocery shopping and ask them to pick out a new fruit or vegetable that they want to try. Talk about the different ways to eat fresh fruit or vegetables, ask for their help to prepare the food and eat it together! Choosing which fruit or vegetable to eat makes children feel like they are in control and gets them excited to eat it.
Choose Wholegrains for Your Family – When shopping for breads or biscuits, choose products made from whole grains. You can check the ingredients to ensure your family gets wholegrain products. If you enjoy baking, experiment with baking bread and cakes with whole grains and serving them instead of store-bought bakery products.
Regulate the Consumption of Fats in Your Family’s Diet – Good fats comprise unsaturated fats in non-tropical liquid vegetable oils such as olive, sunflower, or sesame. Use more of these oils in your cooking than butter or shortening, rich in saturated or trans fats. You can also serve oily fish like mackerel, salmon, or trout to increase the quantity of omega-3 fatty acids in your family’s diet. Plan to serve fish at least twice a week for a healthy diet.
Nutrition Labels are Important – When grocery shopping, we often forget to read the nutrition labels on our products. Some labels also have nutrition tips about combining the product with other food items or for healthy seasoning options. A quick scan of nutrition labels before buying something can clarify if that food product is good or bad for our health.
Home Cooking – Cooking at home may solve all your nutritional problems. When you cook at home, you control the quantity and quality of ingredients in your food. You can ensure that only well-cooked and healthy food reaches your dinner table. If you are working full-time with no support for household chores, it is understandable that you don’t have time to cook. In such cases, investing in gadgets like a roti or tortilla maker is advisable. They cook fresh bread for you and your family using your chosen ingredients.

1. Pack Your Own Lunches – It can be difficult to be committed to eating healthy when your office lunch menu is full of tempting options. Please pack a lunch box from home and carry it to ensure you have a nutritious meal when you need it the most. Schoolchildren should also bring a lunch box and healthy snacks from home.
2. Choice of Cooking Techniques – Cooking techniques can also make a big difference to the nutritional content of your food. For example, frying your food can reduce nutrients and increase the caloric content. Bake, steam, or poach your food instead of frying it.
3. Prep Your Meals Beforehand – Set aside an hour or two every weekend to prep some meals for the week. Preparing grains, vegetables, dips, and proteins can save precious time on weekdays when you have less time to cook and need quick options.
4. Mealtimes Should be Free of Screens and Increase Outdoor Activities – Encourage your children to eat at the dinner table without distractions like mobile phones and television. Also, ensure that everyone in the family gets some exercise to build up a healthy appetite.
5. Follow a Mealtime Schedule – Follow a schedule for all meals to ensure everyone gets healthy, home-cooked meals when hungry. Family eating time can be a harmonious experience. Regular mealtimes are good for regulating digestion and metabolism.

A family that eats together stays together. It may take some effort initially, but if everyone helps, the whole family can live healthier and fitter lives. Stay positive through the journey and encourage each other without pressurizing. Your family will soon fall into the habit of healthy eating and look forward to the fresh and healthy meals you make for them.

Food

America’s French Fry King Sounds An Alarm

Americans are revolting against McDonald’s and other fast-food establishments. This is harming French fry suppliers like Lamb Weston.

Lamb Weston, North America’s largest manufacturer of french fries and a significant supplier to fast-food chains, restaurants, and grocery stores, is closing a production facility in Washington state. Last week, the company stated that it would lay off almost 400 employees, or 4% of its workforce, and temporarily shut down manufacturing lines in response to falling customer demand.

Lamb Weston (LW) shares have plummeted 35% this year.

America’s French Fry King Sounds An Alarm

The potato giant is oversupplied at a time when demand is low. In recent years, restaurant prices have risen faster than grocery store prices, prompting shoppers to avoid fast-food establishments.

This move has had an impact on Lamb Weston because individuals are less inclined to prepare French fries at home. According to Lamb Weston, fast-food restaurants account for around 80% of all french fries consumed in the United States.

Fast-food restaurants, such as McDonald’s, are offering bargain menus to entice customers back. McDonald’s has introduced a $5 meal that contains a McDouble cheeseburger or a McChicken sandwich, small french fries, four chicken nuggets, and a small soft drink. However, these promotions are not benefiting Lamb Weston because customers are purchasing fewer portions of fries.

“Many of these promotional meal deals have consumers trading down from a medium fry to a small fry,” Lamb Weston CEO Thomas Werner stated during an earnings call last week.

Lamb Weston did not immediately reply to CNN’s request for comment.

McDonald’s, Lamb Weston’s largest customer, accounts for 13% of revenue. As McDonald’s goes, so does Lamb Weston.

America’s French Fry King Sounds An Alarm

And McDonald’s is struggling. Sales at US restaurants open at least a year declined 0.7% last quarter compared to the same period a year ago, dragged down by fewer consumers visiting the brand.

Lamb Weston is also heavily exposed to other fast-food companies, according to analyst R.J. Hottovy of analytics firm Placer.ai, in a research note to clients last week.

Customer traffic to fast-food restaurants fell 2% last quarter and 3% the prior quarter compared to the same period last year, according to Lamb Weston.

SOURCE | CNN

Food

Logan Paul And MrBeast Have A Lunchables Competitor That They Say Is Healthy

YouTube’s top stars have launched their competitor to Lunchables.

MrBeast, Logan Paul, and KSI are collaborating on a “groundbreaking new better-for-you lunch option” called Lunchly, combining all their goods into a single meal geared at their younger fans.

The all-in-one meal includes a bottle of Prime Hydration, a sports drink alternative founded by Paul and KSI that has grown in popularity; a Feastables milk chocolate bar created by MrBeast, a popular YouTube star with over 300 million subscribers; and one of three processed food options, including pizza, nachos, or turkey aand cheese with crackers.

Logan Paul And MrBeast Have A Lunchables Competitor That They Say Is Healthy

“Our ultimate goal has always been to offer not only high-quality products, but also healthier alternatives,” Lunchly cofounder Logan Paul stated in a press release. He also stated that the school lunch industry has been “dominated by Lunchables” since he was a child, and that it is “time to provide a better option for those looking for a convenient, healthier choice.”

Lunchly promises to be “healthier” since Prime contains more electrolytes than a Capri Sun in Lunchables, and Mr. Beast’s chocolate bar contains less sugar than a Kit Kat or Crunch bar.

Lunchly’s launch comes after Lunchable, owned by Kraft Heinz, announced a huge initiative last year to participate in school lunch programs. However, the company had to reformulate the components first to guarantee that the items met regulatory rules, which included incorporating fresh fruit into their meals.

Consumer Reports reported in 2024 that it recently studied the nutritional profiles of two Lunchables kits supplied in schools and discovered that they contain significantly more sodium than the Lunchables kits available in stores.

Logan Paul And MrBeast Have A Lunchables Competitor That They Say Is Healthy

Of course, KSI, Paul, and MrBeast know how to create brands, thanks partly to their devoted following. Despite government worries about the caffeine content of some of its drinks, Prime sales have risen, threatening industry leaders such as Gatorade and BodyArmor.

“Prime brings a youthful buying cohort that hasn’t had a lot pitched their way beyond traditional kids’ drinks,” Jeffrey Klineman, editor-in-chief of BevNet, previously told CNN. “Paul is significantly more intriguing to a 13-year-old than a juice box.”

SOURCE | CNN

Food

Beyond Soups and Stews: Unexpected Ways to Utilize Your 5 Litre Pressure Cooker

Pressure cookers are very popular cooking utensils for preparing soups, stews, and tenderising meats in quick time. However, their versatility and uses go far beyond these traditional uses.

If you’re trying to use your 5 litre pressure cooker differently, you are at the right place, as we are going to explore unexpected and creative ways to use this essential kitchen utensil.

Infused oils and extract

You can use your pressure cooker to prepare infused oils and extracts. To do that, you have to put the herbs, spices, or citrus peels in a jar filled with oil or alcohol. Then, seal the jar and cook under low pressure for a short time to infuse the flavours uniformly.

By this method, you can extract intense flavours in a quick time as compared to what it takes through traditional infusion methods. You can also experiment with combinations like rosemary-infused olive oil or vanilla extract for baking.

Artisanal Curd Making

You can use your pressure cooker to prepare yoghurt. To do that you have to heat the milk to a proper and specific temperature, and then cool it down before adding yoghurt culture. After that, keep the mixture in jars, seal, and ferment in the pressure cooker with the use of the yoghurt setting. And yes, after that, you will have creamy, homemade yoghurt at a much lower cost than store-bought varieties. You can add up your yoghurt, various flavours and toppings for a healthy breakfast or snack option.

Quick pickling

You can also prepare quick pickles using your pressure cooker. For doing that combine the ingredients such as vinegar, water, salt, and your choice of vegetables or fruits in the cooker.

Now, after that, cook under pressure for a few minutes to infuse the flavours rapidly.

Once it is done and cooled, your quick pickles will be ready to eat and enjoy, giving a taste of tangy flavour to sandwiches, salads, or charcuterie boards. You can do this using different spices and herbs to prepare unique flavour profiles for your pickles.

Steaming vegetables and seafood

You can use your pressure cooker’s steaming capabilities to cook vegetables and seafood very easily and quickly. To do that, you have to place a steamer basket inside the cooker, add water, and put your ingredients.

Then, after that, cook under pressure for a few minutes to keep the nutrients intact and also get the perfect tenderness. From crisp-tender asparagus to succulent shrimp, the possibilities of preparing the dishes are many. You can add different flavours using aromatic herbs, spices, and citrus zest.

Homemade bread and desserts

You can amaze your family with freshly baked bread and delicious desserts that can easily be prepared in your pressure cooker. To do that, use the cooker as a makeshift oven by placing a trivet inside and also adding water to it.

After that, you have to place your bread dough or dessert batter in a heat-proof container, cover it, and then cook under low pressure. In very little time, you will get tender bread or delicious desserts without even messing up the kitchen. You can also try various other recipes like chocolate lava cake or savoury herb bread for a delightful treat.

One-pot pasta dishes

You can easily prepare one-pot pasta dishes that are cooked perfectly in your pressure cooker. To do that you have to combine pasta, sauce, vegetables, and protein in the cooker, and also remember to check and put enough liquid for cooking. Then, seal and cook under pressure for a few minutes. This will allow the flavours to get mixed beautifully.

And with this, from classic spaghetti marinara to creamy Alfredo, your pressure cooker can do it all. You can enhance your pasta with your favourite ingredients and garnishes.

Conclusion on a pressure cooker

Cooking indeed is a creative method. Do justice to your creative culinary spirit with your 5-litre pressure cooker. Bake bread, make homemade yoghurt, and make several main dishes as well as side dishes using a wide pressure cooker.

Impress everyone and yourself! Make the best out of your culinary instincts.

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