March is Nutrition Month and dietitians are helping Canadians to get cooking.  It’s a great way to connect together, eat better and enjoy. The slogan for this year’s campaign is Simply Cook and Enjoy! This week’s theme is, “Cooking 101.”

Want to give healthy cooking a whirl? Think outside the salad spinner!

Looking for ways to make some of your favourite recipes a little healthier? Try these ideas to add more veggies and fruit to your meals and snacks without a lot of fuss:

• Blend a handful of spinach or kale into a fruit smoothie
• Mash cooked cauliflower together with potatoes
• Add puréed butternut squash to homemade macaroni and cheese
• Shred carrots, zucchini or onions into spaghetti sauce
• Stir canned puréed pumpkin into whole grain pancake or muffin batter
• Sprinkle berries onto breakfast cereal or yogurt

Baking bonanza! Balance your baking with simple swaps.

There are lots of tasty ways to make your baking a little bit healthier. Experiment by using these simple substitutions in your favourite baked goods:

• Replace at least half of the enriched white flour with whole grain flour
• Replace a quarter of the sugar with skim milk powder
• Replace half of the fat in muffins, quick breads and cookies with mashed fruit or vegetables, such as unsweetened applesauce or puréed sweet potato
• Use milk instead of water

Cook healthy! Get delicious results with good-for-you ingredients.

Cooking at home lets you control the taste, nutrition and cost of your meals. Try these simple swaps to fill homemade food with flavour:

• Use evaporated milk instead of cream for a luscious pasta Alfredo
• Substitute lower-fat yogurt for mayonnaise to make a creamy salad dressing
• Sweeten whole grain hot cereal with fruit, such as bananas, apples or peaches, instead of sugar
• Use lemon juice, garlic, herbs and spices instead of salt to flavour savoury dishes

Taste is king! Add some zing!

Think healthy cooking is bland? No way! Healthy cooking is all about good taste. Add some zing with these mouth-watering flavour boosters:

• Garlic is perfect for pasta, potatoes and peas, and it makes a tofu-and-veggie stir-fry sizzle
• Fresh lime juice is a tangy addition to fish, avocado or fresh tomato salsa
• Red pepper flakes deliver delicious heat to lightly sautéed greens
• Ginger spices up butternut squash soup and adds depth to beef and pork dishes
• Cinnamon pairs sweetly with apples, squash and sweet potatoes  

Yummy Quinoa Lunch

½ cup (125 ml)    quinoa

1 tbsp (15 ml)    olive oil

2    cloves garlic, minced

1 cup (250 ml)    vegetable broth

1 cup (250 ml)    frozen shelled edamame (soybeans)

1    carrot, shredded

2 tbsp (25 ml)    freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Place quinoa in fine meshed sieve and rinse under water for about 30 seconds; set aside.
2. In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
3. Add quinoa and cook, stirring for 2 minutes to toast the grains.
4. Remove from heat and slowly pour in broth. Slowly and carefully, stir to combine and return to heat.
5. Add the edamame and carrot and bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Reduce heat to medium low. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender.

Variation: Substitute canned chickpeas, kidney beans or lentils for the edamame. Drain and rinse well before using to remove excess sodium.

Makes 2 cups or 500 mL

Source: www.cookspiration.com

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Dietitians have a unique knowledge of food and nutrition to provide Canadians with practical advice on choosing good-for-you ingredients to cook healthy meals. Seek out Dietitians as the smart choice for nutrition and food information.