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introduction

A Way of Life taurant down the block. For some families, this style of
eating has become a way of life.
But processed and fast foods are loaded with satu-
ost people are familiar with the basics of healthy eat- WHAT’S MISSING? rated fats, sugars, and preservatives. These foods wreak
Ming and can rattle off the dos and don’ts of good nu- For years, “delicious, healthy food” seemed to be an oxy- havoc on our health, and it’s one reason obesity has
trition: minimize saturated fat, reduce sugar consumption, moron. The Hungarian-style foods typical of the Jewish diet become prevalent.
emphasize whole grains, and eat a variety of fresh fruits and have been, by tradition, loaded with saturated fat and sugar The reality is that whoever shops and cooks for the
vegetables. Combine eating the right foods with an active and full of other nutritional “no-goodniks.” If you decided family has a great responsibility. It’s time to replace
lifestyle, and you have the recipe for good health and bet- to “go on a diet” or “eat healthy,” you were resigned to giv- SAD—the Standard American Diet (which is a sad
ter living. But while today’s Jewish homemaker possesses a ing up all the delicious, satisfying foods you enjoyed eat- state of affairs)—with FUN: Fruits and vegetables for
great store of theoretical knowledge, it’s not so easy to put ing. “Healthy” was equated with unsavory foods that never Ultimate Nutrition. Remember: your health is easy to
theory into practice. made you feel full. maintain, but hard to regain.
But healthy doesn’t have to mean bland and boring, Once you’ve made up your mind to go for it and
or feeling like you’re constantly hungry. If you think eating revamp yours and your family’s diet, how can you start
healthy means renouncing great taste, you’ll be surprised to implement some changes for the better?
to find how many satisfying, delicious dishes you can make First, brush up on the basics of healthy eating.
with fresh, healthy ingredients.
Eating healthy has also been equated with time-con- THE BASICS OF A HEALTHY DIET
suming meal preparation. For most people, the demands of Much has been researched on health and nutrition.
family and other responsibilities keep them busy morning, It is beyond the scope of this book to provide a com-
noon, and night while time and energy are in short supply. prehensive review of all the current nutritional advice,
The idea of making a lifestyle change such as eating more but we will provide an overview of the basics.
healthy seems daunting. Even if they make an effort to trans- When learning to cook naturally, stay as close to
form their diet, when life gets stressful or hectic, they tend to nature as possible. Eat primarily whole, unprocessed
fall back on old, comfortable habits. foods, with an emphasis on whole grains, seeds, le-
Because we’re looking to save time, or because life can gumes, vegetables, and fruit. Here are some tips:
be stressful, we’re constantly tempted by industrial food • AVOID PRODUCTS containing chemicals, artificial col-
companies and their marketing allies into thoughtless ors, flavors, preservatives, or additives.
preparation and mindless consumption. Walk into any su- • AVOID THE USE OF REFINED SUGARS (including white
permarket and you’ll find aisles full of prepackaged, pro- sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, turbinado sugar,
cessed foods that make life so much easier. Just pop it in and brown sugar) and keep all artificial sweeten-
the microwave and dinner is done. You don’t have time to ers to a minimum since they deplete the body of
make lunch? Just order in a pizza or Chinese from the res- valuable nutrients.

6 HEALTHY EVER AFTER The Healthy Ever After Cookbook Team To your health! the most optimal way. feeling of knowing that your family is benefiting in the flavors of good health, and enjoy the fantastic we enjoyed preparing it! Savor each recipe, rich with We hope you will enjoy using this book as much as productive lives. and your family can lead vibrant, energetic, and to enable you to prepare nutritious meals so you Enjoy a variety of dishes, literally from soup to nuts, nutrition guide, and mu