Over the last few months we have talked about a wide variety of subjects. Today I would like to talk about how you can infuse your Jewish recipes with extra nutrients. These tips and techniques will help you to create dishes that will supply your body with the nutrients and components that it needs to function properly, to fight off disease and to stay strong.
The first component that you want to add to your recipes is fiber. Most people in Western cultures do not get enough fiber in their diet. Because of this they suffer from irregularity, digestive cancers, high blood cholesterol and obesity. There are several ways to add extra fiber to diet. You can cook with whole grains, you can eat whole foods or you can add flavorless, colorless fiber powders to your traditional recipes.
Pre-packaged foods not only are lacking in fiber, but they are also lacking in natural vitamins and minerals. Many products that we buy in the store are labeled as “enriched.” While this sounds like a healthy product to buy, they actually aren’t. The products have to be “enriched” because the ingredients have been chemically stripped of their natural nutrients during their processing, and then artificial nutrients were pumped back into them. The best way to get vitamins and minerals in your diet is to add fresh vegetables and fruits to your recipes.
Any Jewish recipe can be transformed into a healthy traditional Jewish recipe. All you need to do is enrich them with whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. For example, you can enrich sweet parve Jewish recipes with fresh apples and fruits, or you can simply select a healthy recipe like autumn vegetable soup.