5 Easy Tips to Picking Healthy Bread

It's common to hear people say among themselves, "Should I eat Multi-grain or whole grain? Does the bread have enough fibre in it? Should it be thin-sliced/low-carb?" Then again when we make decisions upon getting bread products such as muffins, pancakes, wraps, bagels, and a whole bunch of other choices - our heads often end up in a whirlpool as we don't know exactly what should we be buying!

Well, now let me share with you these wonderful tips for making a great choice then. The key is to keep your eyes pinned to the labels' nutritional facts/ingredients. This guide is absolutely simple, and it will surely help you navigate to make the healthiest choice.

#1 Let's identify the Types of Flour

Whole wheat flour is the no.1 ranker in bread as it is made off complete grain, including the germ and the bran. That means, you would receive naturally from the grain all the healthy benefits!

Enriched wheat flour is flour that has been artificially enriched with certain nutrients that are lost in the procession of bread-forming, this often includes minerals like niacin, vitamin D, iron, calcium etc. You can say that despite adding back some of these nutrients; the bread still does not contain germ nor bran and isn't as good as compared to the whole wheat flour!

Wheat flour looks and sounds similar to Whole wheat but does not contain the germ or the bran and therefore it is not entirely nutritious as whole wheat flour.

#2 Look out for the 'Words' on Labels

Often you see many types of words and ingredients listed on the labels - that keeps you confused as you don't know exactly what to look out for to have yourself make the best choice whilst seeking the healthier option. Therefore, look out for breads that have the word "Whole" on the label. Bread with words like "Whole grain, whole wheat, stone-ground whole wheat" are kings upon making choices. These are the products that provide you the entire health benefits - as well as entire germ and bran.

#3 Read out the Ingredients List in Hierarchical Order

When you look onto a list of ingredients on a bread package, make sure you read it from top to bottom. This is because the first ingredient mentioned is always the largest amount which then descends by weight down the list until the last few ingredients. So now you know if the word "Whole wheat" appears far at the bottom on the list - it probably means that it contains very little content of that, however if it appears FIRST on the list - it has got to be rich and full of that ingredient. Pick those types of bread!

#4 Avoid bread Ingredient-marketing Gimmicks!

Sometimes you pick bread and on their package captions you read "made with whole grains" - noticed carefully the words used and you would be able to see that most of the time these breads do not always contain whole wheat. For example, "Made with Whole Grains Gardenia White Bread" uses enriched wheat flour, and not whole wheat flour! Whole wheat only appears 4th on the list of ingredients after water. Would you prefer bread with more water than true good old wheat? I guess not.

#5 Serving Size

This is one portion that's many-a-time often unlooked! You have to check that out. Let's say if you were to reduce your calorie intake, choose bread with thinner slices as they weigh less. You have to decide the serving size depending on your personal goals and perspective towards what you want to get!

For example, if you pick Brand "A" bread which has a serving size of 38 grams and 100 calories per slice vs Brand "B" bread with a serving size of 27 grams and 70 calories per slice - in a loaf, you're actually cutting yourself down on 400+ calories!

I hope this article has added value in your search for making the right bread choices. Enjoy!

Healthy Eating - The Adzuki Bean

The Adzuki bean, Vigna angulari, is an annual grown commercially for domestic consumption. Spelling variations also have the Adzuki bean listed as Azuki and Aduki - I have alternated between the different spellings throughout this article. Beans are high in soluble fibre, which can aid regular bowel function and are a rich source of Vitamins B1, B3 and Niacin. Beans are also high in protein, complex carbohydrates and iron.

The Aduki bean is popular around the world, especially so in Asian countries. Japan is a large consumer of the Adzuki bean. The minerals - Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium and Zinc can all be found in the in it.

Aduki Beans are low in sodium and can reduce and aid in preventing high blood pressure.

Vegans and Vegetarians use the Azuki bean with other high protein grains as a substitute to meat or other animal proteins.

In traditional Chinese medicine, Adzuki beans have been used to aid the urinary tract and can benefit the reproductive system.

Some research into phytoestrogens shows evidence the Azuki bean may help to prevent breast cancer. The study of oestrogens is well beyond the scope of this article but to touch the surface, In women, phytoestrogens fool the body into believing it is still producing real oestrogen. Azuki beans have shown to play a part in this.

Azuki beans have many uses in the kitchen.

Soups

Azuki beans are recognised as part of the Soup Bean group.

Sprouts

Aduki's are popular in bean sprout mixes as well as on their own.

Deserts and sweet dishes

Adzuki's can be used to make sweet bean pastes for filling and flavouring pancakes and icecream. The beans can be boiled in sweet syrup and served with icecream.

Interesting Facts about Aduki beans

The Adzuki Bean is from the plant family Fabaceae (previously Leguminosae). It is an important bean economically with more than 100,000 tonnes produced yearly in Japan alone.

The Azuki's is the most common Bean grown in Japan. In popularity, it is believed to be second in popularity only to rice.
There are a lot of similarities between the growth habit and requirements for the Aduki bean and the soybean.
Azuki Beans are commonly cooked with rice in traditional Asian dishes

The Adzuki Bean is extremely popular in the health and health foods market. It can be found in supplements, Food products and in Alternative medicine. It is an important food product in several economies around the world including Japan and China.

Healthy Biscuits - A Quick, Easy Way to Start the Day

If biscuits and gravy are a favorite breakfast treat, then nobody has to sell you on the idea of baking biscuits in the morning.

We're not talking about those that originate in a refrigerated tube, of course, but the real thing, made from scratch. The smell of such delicacies baking in the morning can rouse a reluctant kid out of bed on school mornings.

But most people don't need another time sucker in their morning routine, nor in the dinner routine, when a quick side dish to go with a stew, chowder or soup is required.

What you do need is a quick, easy way to make biscuits, pancakes, waffles and more. While there are numerous mixes on the market, they may be little more than flour, salt, baking powder and water. It's easy to make your own biscuit and pancake mix out of ingredients you know will provide healthy, solid nutrition.

In the U.S., a biscuit is a small form of bread made with baking powder or baking soda as a leavening agent rather than yeast. Biscuits, soda breads and corn bread are sometimes referred to as quick breads to indicate they don't need time to rise before baking. Sweet variations of the biscuit are sometimes called scones.

Add more liquid and maybe an egg and some oil to a standard biscuit recipe, and it becomes a pancake batter. A little more egg, and you have the makings of a waffle.

Since they're all quick breads, the main difference between most biscuits, pancakes, waffles and even dumplings is the amount of liquid added and the method of cooking. A good biscuit mix should be able to accommodate most of these recipes.

For best results, use a double-acting leavening agent in your biscuit mix.

Single-acting baking powders are activated by moisture, so recipes with this product must be baked immediately after mixing. Double-acting powders react in two phases and can stand for a while before baking. With double-acting powder, some gas is released at room temperature when the powder is added to the dough or batter, but the majority of the gas is released after the temperature of the dough increases in the oven or on the griddle.

For biscuits, add just enough water to milk to create a soft dough, knead lightly, roll or pat flat and cut out rounds. If a touch of extra liquid is added, the doughs texture changes to resemble very stiff pancake batter, so that small spoonfuls can be dropped onto the baking sheet to produce drop biscuits, which are more creative in texture and shape.

For pancakes or waffles, mix the wet ingredients first, then add the mix to the liquid and stir briefly. Overmixing will result in tougher cakes, so its OK to leave lumps. Let the batter sit for a few minutes before pouring by 1/4 - to 13-cupfuls onto a hot griddle or waffle iron.

Few items in your baking pantry will be as versatile as a good biscuit mix.

Dumplings

2 C basic biscuit mix

2/3 C milk

Mix together until a soft dough forms, then drop by spoonfuls onto a boiling stew. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, then cover and cook another 10 minutes. Makes about 10 dumplings.

Healthy Biscuit Mix

5 lbs all-purpose flour, minus 4 C

3 C whole wheat flour

1 C flax meal

1 C soy flour

2½ C dry milk

¾ C double-acting baking powder

3 TBS salt

5 TBS wheat germ

½ C sugar

2 TBS cream of tartar

4 C shortening

Combine first six ingredients in a large bowl, and stir well. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Biscuits

1 heaping C healthy biscuit mix

About 3 TBS water

Combine mix and enough water to form a soft dough in a mixing bowl. Shape into a ball, knead about 10 times on a lightly floured surface. (Don't overknead or the biscuits will be tough.) Flatten out and roll or pat to ½-inch thickness. Cut dough into biscuits, put on a greased cookie sheet or in a greased cast iron skillet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes or until browned. Yields 5 biscuits.

Pancakes

½ C milk

1 egg

1 TBS vegetable oil

1 C healthy biscuit mix

Combine first three ingredients, blend well. Add biscuit mix, stir until smooth. (If thicker batter is desired, add more flour.) Drop batter on lightly greased hot griddle, and cook until pancakes are browned on both sides. Yields about five 4-inch pancakes.

Basic Biscuit mix

10 C all-purpose or bread flour

1/3 C baking powder

1 TBS salt

2 C shortening

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. With two knives or a pastry blender, add the shortening in spoonfuls and cut it in until the mixture is the texture of coarse cornmeal. Keep mix stored in a labeled, tightly closed container. It will keep on the pantry shelf for up to six months in dry weather. In hot or humid weather, it is a good idea to refrigerate the mix.

Yields about 10 cups of mix.

Healthy and Balanced Barbecue Chicken Mix Kabobs Recipe

This is another swell recipe for your barbecue's list.
As we know, meat make up of a large portion of food we grill during our barbecue.
However, in order for us to enjoy a healthy and balance meal, we need to consume vegetables.
Therefore, this chicken mix kabob is a combination of meat and veggie which give you the necessary nutrient for a healthy meal.

Ingredients

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serving Size: 4

- 4 strip of chicken fillets 150g

- 2 1/2 piece of hotdogs (optional)

- 1/4 small yellow onion

- 1/4 red capsicum

- 1/4 green capsicum

- 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce

- 1 1/4 teaspoons of sugar

- 2 teaspoons of dried margoram

- 1 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme

- 1/2 teaspoon of dried dill leaf

- 2 teaspoons of olive oil

- 8 bamboo sticks or skewers

- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

- 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper

Preparation

1. Cut the red capsicum, green capsicum into 1.5 inch pieces. Cut the yellow onion about 1/2 inches width. Place them into the mixing bowl. Add the 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme and 1/2 teaspoon of dill leaf tips and sprinkle some salt and black pepper into the bowl, and stir to coat well. Put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour

2. Cut the chicken fillets about 1.5 inches pieces and place the chicken fillet into another mixing bowl (Not together with the vegetables). Add in 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1 1/4 teaspoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of salt,1 teaspoon of dried thyme and 2 teaspoon of marjoram, stir to coat well. Put in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

3. Cut the hotdog into 3 equal pieces. Fill bamboo sticks /skewers with pieces that are uniform in size and leave a little space between pieces so everything gets equally and thoroughly cooked. Don't overload bamboo stickers /skewers with food packed tightly together.
You are free to arrange the pieces in any order.
(My Kabob combination: Onion, Chicken fillet, red capsicum, chicken fillet, green capsicum, hotdog)
Put the Kabobs in the refrigerator until you are ready to grill.

Outdoor Grilling Method

1. Let then heat to stable first before setting the kabobs on the grill.

2. Turn the kabobs frequently as they're grilling. You have to grill for about 12 - 15 minutes (depending on the actual temperature) before serving

Oven Grilling Method

1. Set the oven mode to toast and preheat the oven to 180C before setting the Kabob on the grills.

2. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.

This article is provided by I love that Recipe.

Healthy Foods - What to Eat to Start Off Your Day

When it comes to eating healthy foods, I'm sure you've been told countless times that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Of course, people never tell you the real reason behind eating a healthy breakfast every morning. They just tell you that a good breakfast will get you through the day. What they probably don't know is that a well balanced nutritious meal in the morning will lift your energy levels to prevent fatigue, prevent the loss of concentration and more.

If you are going to eat healthy foods, you are going to need to follow your meal schedule the way it is formatted. Too many people feel if they skip breakfast, it still will not affect their overall goals, but they are actually hurting themselves. Once you skip a breakfast here and there, it will eventually become a habit. These habits will lead to days of fatigue and days of lack of concentration. So if you don't won't your mornings to result to this, you will make sure you start your day off by eating breakfast.

Lots of people main reason for not starting their day off by eating a healthy breakfast is because they don't have time. Time can be made for you to prepare something to start off your day. If we can make time anything else, we can make time to make a healthy breakfast. It is important that we take a stand and take care of ourselves a little bit better.
For those of you that find it difficult to prepare yourself a meal for breakfast, here are a few ways to make life a little easier for you.

1. You can make some instant oatmeal which only requires milk or water and a couple of minutes in the microwave.
2. Warm up some frozen multi grain waffles, pancakes, or French toast along with fresh fruit.
3. An egg and a couple slices of toast.
4. Cereal bars can be a great alternative for breakfast.

Making yourself a nutritious breakfast does not have to be a difficult task. As long as you make something that is healthy and good for your body, there is no need to worry about how much time is put into making the meal. The key is to develop healthy habits to improve your lifestyle. Overtime, after adapting a healthy breakfast into your daily routine, your whole life will improve because of healthy foods.