4 Steps to a Healthier Kitchen

Whether you are a run a restaurant or your home’s kitchen, what health score would you give the food in that kitchen?

It’s an important factor to consider in light of this article which states,

“…more than 7 in 10 consumers said they are trying to eat healthier at restaurants than they did two years ago. Women are more likely to say they are eating healthier at restaurants than men, at 75 percent and 66 percent reporting such, respectively. Additionally, three-fourths of consumers said healthy menu options are an important factor when choosing a restaurant, with 80 percent of women and 71 percent of men reporting this.”

Knowing that consumers strongly consider healthy options in their restaurant decisions and that people also seriously consider the same health aspects in their own kitchen, it is prudent to contemplate how we can make all of our kitchens healthier.

Below are 4 steps to a healthier kitchen – just enough to get you started in the right direction.

1) Lower the heat on nonstick cookware

High temperatures easily cause the nonstick lining on cookware to release fumes that contain PFCs (perfluorocarbons). PFCs are linked to liver damage and developmental problems. Use wooden utensils in your nonstick pans instead of metal utensils, which could lead you to ingest the PFCs in the nonstick lining. As an alternative to nonstick, try using cast iron.

2) Remember what’s fishy about fish

Fish can be a robust source of omega-3s and a delicious protein to serve for dinner, but some fish have become increasingly infamous for their mercury levels. In high doses, mercury can harm the nervous system, heart, lungs, kidneys, and immune system (and even low levels can affect the brains of young children). Use this handy guide to determine which fish are healthiest (and which are unhealthiest).

3) Trim the fat, don’t chew it

Meat and dairy are excellent options for getting protein and other nutrients. But animal fat can contain dioxins – chemicals that are stored in animal fat and have cancer-causing properties. More than 90% of your exposure to dioxins is through food, mostly meat, dairy, fish and shellfish. To help reduce dioxin exposure, select lean meat and low-fat dairy products. Take the time to skin chicken or trim the fat from meat before cooking it.

4) Learn the dirty dozen

Do you know which fruits and vegetables are linked with higher levels of pesticide? Pesticide exposure is linked with diseases of the nervous system and problems with cell growth, including reproductive problems and some cancers.

Keep a list on hand of “the Dirty Dozen”—the 12 fruits and vegetables the Environmental Working Group has identified as having the most pesticide residues to reduce pesticide exposure. Remember though, even conventionally grown fruits and vegetables deliver important vitamins and other nutrients. So, if buying organic is not an option for you, don’t sweat it: it is more important to eat fruits and vegetables than to shun them because they’re conventionally grown.

What steps will you take to make a healthier kitchen? Let us know in a comment below.

Tips for Hosting the Perfect Dinner Party

According to this TED Talk, people with the longest lifespans have the following life habits:

• Moving naturally (regular walking or bike riding)
• Having the right outlook in life (having a life purpose)
• Eating wisely (a plant-based diet with minimal meat eating)
• Connecting with others (having a strong social circle)

The last point about connecting is what we will focus on for this week’s blog. If you enjoy socializing and hosting dinner parties, then we have some excellent tips for you. Not only will these inspire a fun night filled with laughter, but when used over time they will inspire a fun life filled with laughter.

Here we go:

• Cook what you know
  • Cook recipes that you have successfully made in the past. If you were hoping to reinvent an old recipe or experiment with something new, try doing that on a night where you aren’t trying to impress your dinner guests.

• Breaking from tradition can lead to fun (and tasty) results
  • Having a formal dinner party can always be fun, but so can an informal dinner party that focuses more on socializing and less on remembering to keep your elbows off the table. Either way, knowing your crowd will guide you in the right direction.

• Dip into something that makes your taste buds explode
  • Want to impress? Try a variety of fresh breads from the bakery, great olive oil for dipping and pickles, olives, roasted peppers, and a platter of local cheeses from the grocery. In fact, a lovely party can be made solely of flavorful nibbles from your favorite specialty grocer without the laborious main dish.

• Take people up on their offers
  • Even if you don’t ask guests to bring something, if someone offers to, politely say yes. People typically enjoy performing favors for others and the additional food will diversify what’s already in store.

• No match? No problem
  • A cacophony of different styles of plates, bowls, glasses, and dishes can clash, but it can also reassemble itself into a beautiful symphony of various styles. Put on your creative thinking cap, mix and max your styles, then find something that works.

• Travel for the right meal
  • If you are not sure what to cook, try traveling to another region – not literally, of course, but a finding a recipe or set of recipes from a particular region will not only help you settle on what to cook, but will also lend a fun, creative element to your dinner party.

• Plan ahead, clean ahead, and enjoy ahead
  • If you really hope to enjoy yourself as much as you want your guests to, plan ahead so you can enjoy yourself ahead. In general, people are not bothered by the fact that a person has not dusted their bathroom or behind the bookshelf before the dinner party, but be sure to pick up any clutter that may create some eyesores throughout your home.
  • Find an enjoyable music selection and have it playing when guests arrive to prepare a sociable setting. Make sure the table is set as well.
  • The more you have planned and prepared ahead of time, the more you can enjoy yourself; and the more you can enjoy yourself, the more your guests can enjoy themselves in turn.

Now that you have some tips for the perfect dinner party, you can create the perfect atmosphere for socializing that is conducive to a long, happy, healthy life.

Do you have any dinner party tips that have worked in the past for you? Please share them in a comment below.

Dining Etiquette in 2013

Is placing one’s elbows on the table really that offensive?

It may be a matter of your cultural background, but many people still abide by a variety of etiquette rules. Even if one chooses not to obey these rules in their own home, it is still wise to know what is considered rude and not rude for when one does find him or herself in a dining setting where etiquette is considered an important factor.

Let’s take a look at some of these dining etiquette rules. It’s a good idea to review this list because a lot has changed since our grandparents were out dining.

Whether you follow you decide to follow them is up to you (and we aren’t judging one way or the other), but we think these are important for all people to know. Here they are:

• For almost all meals, if you are wondering what utensil to use, start from the outside and work your way in. So, if you are served a salad first, use the fork set to the far left of your plate.
• Your water glass is the one above your knife in your place setting.
• Don’t chew with your mouth open.
• When ordering food, forget gender – people should order when ready. Gone are the days when women were expected to go first. Since menus can be long and complex, regardless of one’s sex it’s a courtesy to order first and buy tablemates a bit more time to decide.
• Never tweet, text, check email, or surf the web while dining with others.
• Men go through doors first, and then hold them open for women. This is arguably the one rule of chivalry that will never die. Bottom line: two people can’t go through a door at the same time. So to the women out there who find this notion antiquated, please, humor these poor men. Let them get the door – they’ll let you get the bill or walk on the outside once out on the street.
• When you need to go to the restroom, simply say “Excuse me, please; I’ll be right back.”

When you are finished with your course, the custom is as follows:

1. Place the knife and fork parallel with the handles in the four o’clock position on the right rim of the plate.
2. The tips of the utensils rest in the well of the plate in the ten o’clock position.
3. The blade of your knife should face inward.
4. The fork tines may be either up or down.
5. This position signals to the server that you are finished. It also decreases the chance that the utensils could fall to the floor when the plates are cleared.

Oh, and before we forget, placing one’s elbows on the table is rude in certain settings, but in most informal settings, you should be fine to relax.

If you are interested in more etiquette tips, we have found a valuable resource here.

Do you have an etiquette tip we should have included? Please let us know in a comment below.