Many common herbs that you might use in cooking are well known for there healing properties. Using them in cooking is a great way to incorporate the healing attributes of natural herbs with your meals for the help www.july4-recipes.com. Chances are you probably already use some herbs in your cooking like basil and thyme but experimenting with even more herbs can add taste to your dishes while improving health.

Cooking with fresh herbs is just as easy as using dried herbs. Just chop up a bit of the herb and season to taste. You will need to use about twice as much of the fresh herb than the dried. You may want to wait until the last 20 minutes of cooking to add the herb so the taste stays crisp. Herbs can be used to flavor any foods. Commonly used in pasta sauces, herbs can also be added to soups, oils, eggs and even desserts and drinks.

You can grow your own herbs in the garden on window sill and have fresh herbs all the time. Some grocery stores have fresh herbs right in the produce section and, of course, you can always find dried herbs in the baking section for the help www.book-of-cookies.com. If you grow your own herbs, you can freeze them or dry them yourself in a dehydrator to have for future use.

Here's some food and herb combinations that I like to use when cooking with fresh herbs:

? Eggs with dill

? Pesto with basil

? Mint in any tea or punch

? Parsley with salad

? Rosemary and Thyme on oven roasted potatoes

? Basil and sage added to flavor butter

If you have a special condition or illness that might be treated with herbs, then feel free to incorporate the herbs into your usual cooking. Start by adding a small amount of the herb(s) and taste - add more to suit. This is a great way to realize the healthy benefit of herbs without having to remember to take pills.

Tips for Cooking Healthy Food

Just eating healthy is not sufficient. You should also pay special attention to the way you cook. Here are some tips for cooking healthy food so that you eat healthy.

? It is important to use less fat in your cooking. The best way to do this is by using the 3-R method, which stands for remove, replace and reduce. Where ever possible, you should remove the food item that is instrumental in introducing fat into your food. A good example of this is sausage. You can either do away with the sausage in the food you are preparing or you can replace it with turkey kielbasa. If this not good enough for you, think of reducing the quantity of sausage you use so that the fat content in the food reduces.

? Use mono-saturated fat for cooking. A good example is olive oil. Avoid saturated fats as much as possible.

? Use less sugar in your recipes. Americans are eating more sugar than ever. A good for cooking healthy is to reduce the amount of sugar. This means less calories. Also avoid candy, soft drinks and frozen milk desserts. You should get around 6 percent to 10 percent of your daily caloric intake from sugar according to the USFDA. This amount to 9 teaspoons a day.

? Switch to whole grains, which would include brown rice and whole wheat flour among others. Whole grains have more nutrients, fiber and beta carotene.

? Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. They are good source of essential nutrients, vitamins fiber and beta carotene. You can introduce fruits and vegetables like cantaloupes, bananas, winter squash, oranges, berries, mustard greens, cabbage, kale, spinach, tomatoes and Brussels sprouts in your recipes.

? Eat lean meat like chicken and turkey breasts, pork tenderloin, ground sirloin, center cut pork loin and extra lean ham. Just limit the serving to 3 to 4 ounces per person.