Topic of the Week: Get Cooking!
Chances are as you’re following the South Beach Diet, you’re spending more time in the kitchen, preparing wholesome, nutritious meals. And after last week’s meeting, you probably have a variety of new recipes to prepare! Whether you’re a cooking novice or veteran, check out the <a>South Beach Diet Kitchen</a> to get tips on shopping and preparing healthy meals, and learn how you can <a>save time in the kitchen.</a> Got quick cooking or preparation tips? Post them now!
This week's guest is Marie Almon. Marie, a licensed, registered dietitian with a master's degree in nutrition, helped develop The South Beach Diet with Dr. Agatston. She currently coordinates getting the most up-to-date information onto The South Beach Diet Online. She is also presently in private practice with Dr. Agatston in his Miami Beach office. Marie has more than 25 years of clinical experience, including 11 years working as the cardiac rehabilitation dietician under the direction of Dr. Agatston at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach. She also served as the clinical nutrition manager of both the Mount Sinai Medical Center and the Miami Heart Institute. Marie speaks frequently about nutrition at seminars, and she has been interviewed for radio and television programs as well as magazine and newspaper articles. She is a member of the American Dietetic Association. Welcome, Marie!
How to Save Time in the Kitchen
Making healthy, South Beach Diet-friendly meals doesn’t have to take up a lot of your time. There are many ways you can save minutes in the kitchen and still eat nutritious, delicious food. It’s just a matter of having the recipes and ingredients on hand and learning a few shortcuts. So, if you’re feeling time-pressed and daunted by the idea of preparing healthy meals, here are simple time-saving tricks to help you get started:
1. Always read through the recipes you plan to make to be sure you have all the ingredients prepped and assembled before you start cooking. 2. As soon as you get home from the grocery store, prep fruit and veggies and separate them into individual containers to use during the week. Always keep a bag of pre-washed greens on hand to create a healthy salad in minutes. 3. Instead of mincing garlic each time you need it, throw whole cloves into the food processor. Refrigerate any leftovers in a plastic container and use within one week. 4. Cook once so you can eat twice (or more). On Sunday, for example, prepare enough food for two or three meals so you can freeze some in microwavable containers and enjoy the leftovers throughout the week (and take a night or two off from cooking). If you’re grilling, grill extra for lunch the next day. 5. Stock your kitchen with easy non-cook foods, like canned or pouched tuna, plain low-fat or nonfat yogurt, or ready-made hummus, to grab for on-the-go snacks. 6. Prepare veggie crudités once a week and keep them in the fridge to snack on or chop to add to soups, salads, and more. 7. Clean as you cook — rather than stacking the dishes in the sink to clean after dinner, wash pots, pans, bowls, and other kitchen utensils as you’re preparing the meal.
If I may ask, what is the principal at work regarding the “green” produce bags. Are they effective in extending produce’s life ? Does rinsing and soaking lettuce in vinegar help it last longer too ?
In our South Beach cooking, there is always that choice of what to use as a sweetener.
There are mixed thoughts on the use of Agave as a sweetener. I read that “agave nectar" has a low-glycemic index and I was drawn to it from that however now I am hearing because it is largely made of fructose, they say is now known to be a very damaging form of sugar when used as a sweetener. “
Marie, What are your thoughts on this?
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