Ingredients

If you are interested in preparing delicious, healthful meals, the first step is stocking your kitchen with a variety of healthful ingredients. Try not to get in the habit of buying the same time-tested favorites week after week. Experiment with different vegetables, grains, seasonings and other ingredients.

The food you prepare can only taste as good as the ingredients you choose. Here are the requisites I use when choosing ingredients:

Organic

In my personal experience, I have found organic foods to taste better than non-organic foods. In addition, the farmers that grow these foods focus on agricultural systems that enhance soil fertility.

The web site for the Organic Trade Association (www.ota.com) explains, "Organic food production is based on a system of farming that maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers. Organic foods are minimally processed without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or irradiation to maintain the integrity of the food." Here is a link to information regarding the nutritional benefits of organic foods:

www.ota.com/organic/benefits/nutrition.html.

In Season & Local

When possible, I choose in season produce grown locally. In good garden years, a lot of my produce is grown in my back yard. I am very lucky to live in an area that has many CSA's. Community supported farms offer memberships which can cost $300-$500 per season (which, depending on your area can be a 15 to 20 weeks in length). Members receive bags or boxes of freshly picked produce each week. Many community farms offer opportunities to go out to the farm and meet the farmers. I love CSA's because we can grow more connected to the food on our table: where it came from and who grew it are no mysteries. To find a CSA in your area, visit: www.sare.org/csa/

Minimal Processing

The less that has been done to a food, the more it will retain its nutrients. Although processed food can save time, you may sacrifice many nutrients. When you do need to use processed foods, try to pair them with a salad full of plenty of fresh produce, or "enrich" the prepared sauce with fresh vegetables and sea vegetables.

Made in a Traditional Manner

There is a big difference between the tamari that I use, which is made the same way it was when it first became a seasoning, and the conventional "soy sauces." I use "miso tamari" which is made from organic soybeans, organic brown rice, organic pearled barley, sun dried sea salt and well water. One teaspoon of this seasoning adds a depth and complexity which cannot be achieved by soy sauces. Traditionally made ingredients, whether they are bread from a bakery or tamari from a miso factory, tend to have greater flavor because the proprieters of such establishments have a greater commitment to quality than time.

Choose from the scroll down menus below to read about the elements of healthy cooking.

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