If you are a mom who is tired of cooking mac and cheese for your family three nights a week, we understand. Cooking meals that are heart healthy is easier said than done.

Time is another obstacle.

Most of the time moms do not have three hours to prepare a four-course meal that is nutritious and tastes good.

Here are some tips to help you cook healthier meals more efficiently:

• Plan for the meal ahead of time. Planning your meals in advance can help reduce the last-minute junk food items people are prone to toss into their cart while grocery shopping.

• When grocery shopping, try to avoid foods with a high sugar content. Empty calorie foods such as cake, cookies, energy drinks and sodas are key foods to avoid.

• Stay away from anything that has a lot of sugar or is high in fructose.

Take one step at a time. Replacing everyday items with healthy alternatives is what will make the difference in the long run.

• Replacing white grains with 100 percent whole wheat is a helpful tip.

• Definitely switch to 100 percent whole wheat when you can. It is smooth in texture and you won’t be able to tell a difference. Also, with whole grain you lower your risk of diabetes, obesity, cancer and heart disease.

When choosing ingredients to cook with, try sticking to foods that have long lasting health benefits such as:

• Beans. They are high in fiber and are great for your heart.

• Salmon. Salmon is also great for you because it has Omega-3 fatty acid and it helps with heart-health. It’s recommended to eat fatty fish like salmon at least twice a week.

• Eggs. Eggs are beneficial because they have 12 vitamins and minerals. Eggs are also good for brain development and memory.

• Berries. All kinds have antioxidants and are low in calories and high in water. They help keep you full longer.

It is changing the small things that will have the biggest impact over the years. Take an average salad that your children eat and replace half of it with spinach leaves. They are green and blend right in so your kids won’t taste the difference, but their hearts will benefit.

Eating healthy does not have to involve only eating fish and greens. There are many practical ways to splurge on desserts while maintaining your figure. Fruit salad would be one of the healthier desserts, however, if you’re having people over try a peach-crisp. It doesn’t have that much sugar. If you’re a chocolate lover, stick to the dark chocolates.

Source: Chante Myles, HNDH

Here’s a super simple Peach Crisp recipe from Stephanie.

 

Mom’s Peach Crisp

4 cups sliced fresh peaches (or canned)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup cold butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup rolled oats

Add all ingredients to list

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Arrange peaches evenly in an 8×8-inch baking dish. Mix flour, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl using a pastry cutter until evenly crumbled. Fold oats into flour mixture; sprinkle and press topping into peaches.

Bake in the preheated oven until topping is lightly browned, about 30 minutes.