Posted in Health

Many of us homesteaders still make those old homecooked meals; me included.  I still cook hearty meals that people usually now go to Cracker Barrel for.  What's wrong with these down home meals?  Why have people stopped making them themselves? 

Mostly, it is due to a time and work factor.  Much time is needed to make bread (unless you are using a bread machine).  Making food from scratch takes time.  Yet there is another pressing reason people have strayed from down home cooking; the old recipes are usually unhealthy as they stand. 

This can be changed though, without taking away much from the dish.  For example, if you are making chicken and dumplings, you can curb the fat by starting with skinless, boneless chicken and using fat free chicken broth.  When making mashed potatoes as a side dish, use skim milk, no butter, and reduced calorie or fat free sour cream.  All you need do is look at the recipe and find where you can cut fat and calorie corners without sacrificing taste, texture, or quality. 

Another option for continuing to serve up that delicious fare and still be health conscious is to eat smaller portions of those meals.  Instead of preparing these type of meals every night, consider cutting back to only two or three nights per week, and filling the rest of the days with more healthful meals.  (NOTE:  If you are filling these other days with convenience or processed food items, you might as well stick with the homecooked meals, since they provide much more sustainable health benefits.)  Consider making a salad as the main plate of a meal and using the down home meal as the side dishes. 

Homecooking will always be superior to meals that are cooked with convenient, modified food and meals prepared with processed foods.  By altering a few old ingredients with new ones, you can change that homecooked meal into a healthful meal, without losing the comfort you love in those meals. 

These are my thoughts.