Healthy Recipe Entry Form

Thank you for wanting to be part of the growing need to share with people how easy it can be to prepare and serve dishes that are nutrient dense, quick, delicious and easy to put together.  Below is a checklist of the things to consider, along with information about you and your recipe(s).  Please feel free to text or email me with any questions or ideas you might have.  I want this to reflect a community that works together to promote healthier lifestyles.  I put together four categories that I believe are important to think about while we all work to creating healthier bodies as we experience a new era of change.

Since it is uncertain how long businesses will be closed, people are going to start to feel a real money crunch soon, which causes anxiety and more uncertainty.  This change, from ordering premade (restaurant & fast-food) meals to preparing their own, will be difficult for many.  But not only that, their digestive tracts are already compromised.  My goal is to help rebuild and nourish the digestive tract.  Soups, broths, cooked veggies, smoothies and other easy to digest foods allows the gut to not have to work so hard.

I am a huge advocate for a whole-food, plant based approach to eating.  With that said, quality (humanely raised) animal protein can certainly be a component of a dish. 

The four categories below will guide you in choosing your recipes.  Who knows, they may even bring about more of an awareness for making over your favorite high-calorie recipes. 

Time:

• People are busy, so recipes should be quick to prepare.  Examples of dishes might include:
  • casseroles using fresh ingredients
  • bowl meals – these are so quick and easy to prepare and a great way to use leftovers!
  • make-ahead dishes – dishes that can be frozen and made ahead of time.
  • freezer friendly dishes – meals that can be doubled or frozen, then cooked, or cooked and frozen.
• The fewer ingredients in the recipe, the better.  (no more than 10 is preferred)
• Extra preparation steps/tips that can be considered to help save time when preparing, reheating, repurposing or adding additions.
• Dishes that don’t require reheating always save time (grain salads, roasted/steamed veggies, etc.)

Money:

• Recipes should include cost-effective, quality ingredients so people can learn to make healthier choices with specific brands and products. 
• I always encourage buying organic over conventional to reduce the toxic burden on the body.  Even though most people think organic products are more expensive, it doesn’t add that much to the final bill.  Tips will be offered to help people get extra life from their fresh food purchases so there is less waste.
• How diverse is the recipe?  Can it be reheated as a breakfast dish, easily taken to work, made into a hand-held dish, turned into a healthy snack, stretched to save money, etc.? 
• Left-overs are ALWAYS a plus.  It saves money and time.  How can you work this into your recipe? 
• When meat or seafood take a back seat to vegetables in a dish, the cost of the dish goes down.  If an original recipe has meat taking center stage, consider modifying it so it “adds to” a dish.  I refer to this as a “condimeat.”
  Example:  a taco bowl that consists of half salad greens along with fresh veggies, perhaps some cheese and a large spoonful of whole grain and one of meat.
• Produce that is purchased in-season will be less expensive than purchased out of season.  Your recipe(s) might mention that it’s a seasonal dish.

Simplicity

• The easier the recipe, the better (but don’t let that overpower its nutritional value!).  No one likes complicated recipes with numerous steps!  The beginner cook desires simplicity and ease so they have more successes.  The more successes they have, the more they will enjoy preparing meals at home and save money.  Win-win!
• The fewer ingredients in a recipe, the quicker and easier it will be to make and get to the table.
• If certain ingredients can be prepared ahead of time (chopped, grated, marinated, etc.) this adds to the simplicity of the dishes prep time.  Consider how you can modify your recipes to make them easier to prepare.
• Recipes that can be mixed in one bowl or served from one dish saves time not only in preparation, but also in cleanup.  How can the ingredients in your recipe be ordered to simplify cleanup later?  For example, adding a tablespoon of a dry ingredient and using the same spoon to add the same amount of wet.
• People relate ease of something with speed—if it appears easy, they are optimistic that it will also be easy.

Diversity

• We are all creatures of habit….even with the foods we eat.  Another goal of mine is to offer recipes that help beginner and seasoned cooks to break away from their usual routine and food types.  Don’t hesitate to share a recipe that has a new or unique ingredient in it.  In the NOTES section, you can offer substitution ideas to inspire and encourage people to step out of their comfort zone and try new foods.
• The more diverse the vegetables in your recipe, the more beneficial nutrients, friendly bacteria and fungi you introduce to your microbiome.  This helps improve digestion and boosts your immune system. 
• Diversity of culture and cuisine is also important for this cookbook.  Many wonderful healing herbs and spices can become a norm for people who are trying to reduce inflammation, hypertension and more.
• Diversity with different ways to cook is also important.  In this age of appliances, slow cooking, pressure cooking, roasting, steaming and air frying are all the craze.  These appliances can help save even more time and money.  How can your recipe be adapted to the use of any of these?

I hope this inspires you to get your recipes out and be part of a community effort to get you and your family back into the heart of your home. I am SO excited to have something as simple as food be the motivator that encourages people to take their first steps toward their personal health goals. If you have any questions or ideas, or you want to be part of this project, please contact me. I look forward to receiving new recipes and learning more about you and your health journeys!

Cathy