Basics Ways to Add Nutrition into Meals

The best way to begin cooking healthily for your family is to start with meals and recipes that you already use and that your family already likes. Just like most people don't go out and get a whole new wardrobe all at once, don't seek to change your families diet all at once. Start with the basics. Select a few recipes that your family likes and that you think you may be able to modify to be more healthy. Look for recipes that have basic ingredients and few processed foods. Then just dive in. Here are some ideas of where to start:

• Blend up some vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini or other squash) and add them to spaghetti sauce or other sauce.
• Substitute some whole grain flour (wheat or other grain) for part of the white flour in breads or desserts.
• Add some cooked, chilled grains or legumes to a fresh salad.
• Add cooked, pureed pumpkin or other winter squash to cream soups.
• Use bean or other whole-grain flour to thicken soups and sauces instead of white flour.
• Use beans or cooked grains as a ground beef (or other meat) extender.
• Use dehydrated fruits (apples, raisins, etc) and unsalted nuts as snacks instead of prepackaged snacks that are often high in fat, sodium and sugar.