Community Magazine November 2012

(shõ•trä) n . An outstanding homemaker [Arabic] RACHEL DAYAN Home Cooked with Love The average Shaatra woman probably cooks a lot healthier than her American counterpart, as traditional Sephardic/Middle Eastern cuisine relies heavily on fresh produce, proteins, legumes, and, most importantly, home cooking. The downside of Sephardic cooking? Many recipes call for a lot of oil, red meat features very prominently on the menu, and don’t forget the white rice – can’t have Shabbat without it. Not to mention foods like calsones, deep fried kibbe and buttery sambusak. With their Shaatra reputation on the line, many women would rather be known for their good food over their healthy kitchen. Compounding the problem is the fact that our hectic lives sometimes force us to rely on frozen chicken nuggets, pizza, noodles or takeout, all of which are certified kid friendly, but hardly healthful. Thankfully, we are in midst of a health revolution, which is reflected in many of the new cookbooks being published. Whole grains, and foods like quinoa, fish and salads are in, while butter, heavy cream and fried foods are slowly getting bumped out of style. It’s time to join the new move- ment, if you haven’t already. Commit to one new healthy recipe every few weeks, or however much you can handle. When a healthful dish is a hit, you can add it to your repertoire so you can gradually move your family over to healthier, more wholesome meals. Make the Trade With careful planning and preparation (and a bit of luck), the healthy switch can be made with hardly a complaint. For example, try a meal with whole grain pasta, which is usually only about 50 percent whole wheat, and disguise it under meat sauce, or as baked ziti. If that goes well, over the next few months or even years, you can try whole wheat. Today’s whole wheat breads are so light and delicious that if it were not for the color, your kids would probably not know the difference. You can exchange half or even all of the regular flour in homemade pizza dough, or even in your baked goods, with whole wheat. (Note that some lighter cakes cannot have more than half whole wheat because it is too heavy.) Add a bit more each time until your family gets used to it. Pyramids are History Even the iconic American food pyramid has given way to the more logical plate. So it’s not just what you cook, but also what is served as the main dish during the meal. According to the plate, 50 percent should be fruits or vegetables, 25 percent protein, and 25 percent starch. So if you serve rice, pasta or potatoes, that’s fine, but demote those foods to second Shaatra Does It Feeding your Family the Healthy Way Have you ever been motivated to make over your family’s diet, but didn’t know where to start? With all the information bombarding us daily about eating healthy, most of us are convinced of the importance of a good diet, both for ourselves and for our children. Putting our good intentions into action, however, is another story. For starters, it’s easier to cook what you are familiar with, the foods you were raised on and make all the time. Secondly, you might be trying to avoid confrontations with finicky children, or even with husbands who prefer that things stay the way they are. These are all understandable reasons to avoid changing our menus, but the alarming statistics on unhealthy eating should more than outweigh any of our excuses. Excess consumption of carbohydrates is a major cause of obesity and diabetes, and saturated and trans-fats have been conclusively attributed to increase the risk of heart disease. Teaching your kids to make good food choices when they are out of the house is a good start. But while you can’t really control what they eat in school or in the pizza store, you can control what you serve on the table or put in your pantry. Healthy food habits create a better future for your family and passes along lessons that can last for generations. 72 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE