Nutritional Meals: The Facts

With all the advertisements enticing you to buy, you need the facts to plan nutritional meals.

The first fact you need to know is that food in it's most raw or basic form provides the most nutrients. That is, eating raw fruits and vegetables is best.

Ok, so you aren't going to eat everything raw.

Next best, would be foods with minimal processing. Yes, cooking is considered processing. That means lightly cooked vegetables are better for you than mushy ones.

As for the meats, they should be without hormones or antibiotics. These would be found in the natural or organic meats. Shop at your local farmer's market for significant savings.

From there we can look at processed foods. With today's hectic schedules, manufacturers have met the need with frozen and prepared meals.

The packaging makes these meals look most appetizing. They appear to have everything you need in a complete meal. So, are they alright?

No, not exactly.

Processed food has had a hard life. Conventional farming practices uses heavy chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Even washing doesn't get it all off if the chemicals get into the pulp.

Did you know that an estimated 70% of processed food contains genetically modified ingredients?

Yes, it's true. And the sad thing is, no exact figure can be calculated because many manufacturers may not even know if they are buying altered ingredients. Then there are food additives , like flavoring. Since processing destroys taste, chemical flavors replace them. Or, how about replacing the nutrients lost in processing.

Obtaining nutrients naturally is far superior than a man made duplicate of a nutrient. Don't you think your body can tell the difference between what's real and what isn't?

Of course these prepared foods have to last till you buy them. So they need preservatives.

So when you are planning your meals keep in mind that the best nutritional meals would be made by you. When you can't prepare it yourself, read the food labels before you buy. Those prepared meals with the least ingredients would be better.

Increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables. Serve a choice of two with meals to give your family an option. Buy organic food whenever you can. The processing in organics limits what can be added as an ingredient, giving you a workable option.

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