Nutrition

Pictured is produce being enjoyed at the Love house this week.

There is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yes, it is true! A rainbow of vegetables, from white onions, yellow squash, orange pumpkins, red tomatoes, purple eggplant, green beans, blueberries and more. The gold is good health.

Good nutrition is something that is talked about a lot, but from what we see not many take action to achieve it. There are many good books full of facts. Many speakers talk about the do’s and don’ts of healthy eating. But the larger fact is fast food industry; the quick and easy pre-packaged meals and junk food are all doing big business.

Healthy eating is not something that is hard to do but it does take a conscious effort to do it right. No books, charts or graphs are needed to achieve it. A few simple guidelines are all that are needed along with a goal to live a healthy lifestyle.

The ideal way to have the best quality food is to grow or raise it yourself. If that is not possible the next best is the farmers market and local fruit stands, butcher shop and mill. The closer to home the food sources are the fresher it is and it is usually better in quality also.

For those who shop in the supermarket, the easy way to select healthy food is to stick to the outer isles of the grocery section. That primarily includes the fruits and vegetable section, the dairy products and meats. The only other main section to visit is the baking section.

Fruits and vegetables come in all colors. The different colors indicate the vitamins and minerals in them. We don’t need to know the specific vitamins and minerals in each one. The best is to use as many different ones as possible. The more variety eaten the more balanced the diet. Every color group is important.

Herbs and spices are also important for good nutrition. They are used to flavor our food, but they have important nutritional value also. Again we don’t need to know exactly what nutrients are in each, but to use as wide a variety as possible. That way we get the benefit of things good for our health as well as a wide variety of taste choices.

Protein is necessary in a good diet. Most people get it from eating meat. Other good sources come from beans, nuts, eggs and dairy products. Nuts make great snacks and our favorite recipes to season them were posted at this blog site in April.

Fiber is just as important. It is primarily found in whole grains and nuts as well as some fruits and vegetables. We prefer to start most days with pancakes made with ground rice and oatmeal. Our recipe is still available at our blog sight at the address listed below. It was in our first blog in March.

Other choices can be a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon and raisins or a bowl of rice sweetened with honey or maple syrup in the morning. For lunch or dinner rice can be seasoned with garlic, pepper, ginger or a personal favorite spice.

If good health is the goal, the rules to remember are to obtain fresh and local grown or raised food, making sure to have a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grains and protein. It is easy to do, but will not happen with out serious intent. Meals do not have to be elaborate or difficult to prepare. Again we made suggestions in our column about quick and easy meals in April. It is also on this blog site.

Tehama County, California is a great area to find a good variety of foods that are not only good for us but taste good. We are very fortunate.