As a Cook, responsibility to health issues

[Rene]

I absolutely love to cook!,, and do to my own cholesterol level this passed year, I have had to learn to cook a little more responsibly...and in doing so I realised just how bad my Canadian diet really is... I watch the Food network and I think ... OMG! we are all gonna die of heart disease if we cook the way they do...

what are your thoughts on this matter? do you find you are conflicted with what you like to cook verses what you should cook... have you made changes do to health issues?

[allie]

I grew up in southeastern Georgia. All I knew was what I learned from watching my mother and grandmother cook. While everything they make isn't unhealthy, we still had lots of fried foods, vegetables cooked to mush (think green beans) with fatback or some type of grease in with them, fried cornbread, and other things of that nature. Now I try to watch what I eat more. It's really hard for me to eat healthy foods because my family is accustomed to things that aren't really good for them. I don't fry that often anymore and I use small amounts of olive oil for sauteing. Due to my limited grocery budget, I can't always buy the leanest cuts of meat but I do try to stock up on things like chicken breasts, lean pork chops, etc. when they are on sale. I know there are a lot of changes I need to make but feel it will go over better with my family if I am more subtle and do it slowly over time. Thanks to Shel, I have a few sites to study and learn more healthy ways to cook the things we love. In fact, in looking at those sites, I was a little shocked that my cooking isn't quite as unhealthy as I thought! That's good news and means there's less to change.

[Rene]

Understood!! My father loved to cook, in fact he did the majority of it when we kids were growing up... he made alot of fried food, alot of red meat, I am not suppose to eat red meat any more than twice a week, and no more than 2 eggs a week..

What I am having the hardest time with changing in my own diet is cheeses... i love cheese!! the stinkier the better :-) also refuse to give up creme in my coffee

also my artisan breads.. the chewy crusty breads.... yummy!

[Breton Beats]

I think the problem is not so much in what we eat but how we eat it.

Bread, Cheese, Eggs, Fried Stuff and Pure Fat none of it will kill us, unless we eat huge portions of it all the time, all the time. (On that note so will water and spinach kill us).

I have always seen calories like money, everyone has a budget, or needs to live on one or they will go bankrupt, (get sick). On that simile spend wisely and if you are going to indulge make it a luxury in all sense of the word.

If you are going to eat red meat, or fat, or cholesteral find the best possible examples of it, learn to cook it so all of its goodness comes out. I run a french bakery and hear all the time about butter and sugar. But we made a conscious decision to make smaller portions and the highest quality. Thay way people didn't have to feel guilty about eating it.

[Jet]

Originally Posted by Breton Beats

I run a french bakery and hear all the time about butter and sugar. But we made a conscious decision to make smaller portions and the highest quality. Thay way people didn't have to feel guilty about eating it.

I wish more places would do that. I’ve stopped eating out because the quality is bad and there is too much of it anyway. I’m glad to see that someone out there sees it too.

[ChefTorrie]

Originally Posted by Breton Beats

I think the problem is not so much in what we eat but how we eat it.

Bread, Cheese, Eggs, Fried Stuff and Pure Fat none of it will kill us, unless we eat huge portions of it all the time, all the time. (On that note so will water and spinach kill us).

I have always seen calories like money, everyone has a budget, or needs to live on one or they will go bankrupt, (get sick). On that simile spend wisely and if you are going to indulge make it a luxury in all sense of the word.

If you are going to eat red meat, or fat, or cholesteral find the best possible examples of it, learn to cook it so all of its goodness comes out. I run a french bakery and hear all the time about butter and sugar. But we made a conscious decision to make smaller portions and the highest quality. Thay way people didn't have to feel guilty about eating it.

I agree. And that is tough for me to do as Chef of a high volume restaurant. I see people who come into the restaurant, literally, 5 days a week, and they will order something with a heavy cream sauce or a fatty meat, or a butter sauce, EVERY DAY. While I have to appreciate them coming to the restaurant and supporting and enjoying our food, why not come out once a week. Make that meal sooo much better. Or even if you want to come, how bout you get that big Chicken Oscar with that heavy Hollandaise once a week, and for the rest of the week, order a grilled chicken salad. You guys know where Im coming from?

[Rene]

Agree! that is what I do .... it is all about balance!!! something I have had to learn to do or have....