Real Food Real Flavor Real Easy®

Twenty-seven years ago, I married a man who was, and still is, twenty-five years my senior. As a young bride, I did not know how to cook and I knew even less about nutrition. I did realize that what I fed my new husband would have a great impact on how healthy he was and how long he lived. I made a decision to learn all I could about nutrition. I went to the college library and read all of the books on nutrition that were available at the time.

I am definitely not a nutrition expert, but my initial research has served me well through the years. I got a grasp of the basics and I taught myself how to cook with those basics in mind. The proof is in the pudding because at 73 my husband does not take any medications, has no illnesses that we are aware of and he feels good. He has never been over weight, except for a few pounds on occasion, and he is not plagued with colds or the annual flu. Can I attribute all of this to my cooking? Definitely not, I am not that naive. He has incredible genes and his father and uncles were all very healthy, long-lived men. However, I will take credit for not messing up his wonderful genes and keeping the odds of good health in his favor.

If I had to put my cooking philosophy into a few sentences, it would be the following. Eat a wide variety of fresh, colorful foods in moderate amounts every day. You will know a fresh food from a processed one because the fresh one never comes with a list of ingredients. If the food item has a label, it has been processed in some way. Keep foods with labels to a bare minimum. Keep fats and salt in your diet to enhance flavor and satisfaction. Do not deny yourself any foods that give you pleasure. All foods including desserts, candy, salty snacks and the ones commonly referred to as “junk foods” are meant to be eaten and enjoyed in moderation. Denying yourself the pleasure of these foods only leads to craving and over consumption. Water is my beverage of choice with tea, coffee and wine coming in second once a day. Because of their high sugar content and lack of fiber, I consider fruit juices, carbonated beverages and sweetened drinks desserts and, therefore, I treat them as desserts.

Essentially, I believe in eating real food with real flavor and cooking it simply to retain maximum nutrition and to provide maximum flavor and enjoyment. This philosophy has paid off for me as well. I am as healthy as my husband is.

Cooking is easier than you think and you are worth the time and effort it takes.