The kitchen is the place where you prepare meals for the family. Whatever goes on there therefore determines how healthy the whole family becomes to a large extent.
One is truly what they eat because food builds up the body. The elements (chemicals) found in food are the same chemicals that make up the human body.
A continued life supported by the intake of bad or unhealthy food will result in ill health.
Any family fed food that does not support a healthy life over a long period of time will have its members falling prey to some lifestyle diseases.
If all you cook in your kitchen are fried and oily foods, your house folks will soon become overweight and obese.
This predisposes to the development of diabetes, stroke, hypertension and other non-communicable diseases. Fried foods cause cholesterol levels to rise above normal. This can cause heart attack and stroke.
Fry less in your kitchens. Boiling or grilling must be the main cooking methods you employ in your kitchens. These methods are healthier than frying. They simply make food less energy dense compared to frying.
In frying, the oil used is even an additional source of energy which may not be necessary after all. By this, I am advising that you do not have to fry that piece of meat before adding it to your stew. Steaming/ boiling is enough.
It also means that you should choose grilled fish over fried fish. The grilling in this case should however be done with very little salt, and natural spices like ginger, garlic and pepper. Limit the use of artificial spices.
When you stock your fridge with soft drinks and alcoholic beverages, people are more likely to abuse them. With time, they can become overweight and obese.
Children will also learn how to depend on these drinks. This supports childhood obesity, a major precursor to obesity in adulthood.
The best thing to do is to try and keep healthy foods in the kitchen and the fridge. Instead of soft drinks, keep lots of bottles of water around. Do not shop for a variety of cooking oils and fats.
In fact, buy the type of cooking oil you like best and keep only one small bottle in the kitchen. If you make healthy meals with just a little oil, your small bottle of oil can last a lifetime.
Fruits should be visibly displayed in your kitchen or dinning area. When you feel hungry especially between meals, pick a small piece and eat. This is far better than going in for drinks, rich biscuits or even heavy meals. Snacking must be the best choice anytime between major meals. And what you choose as a snack really matter.
Kitchens that operate only at night do not help members of the household. Not only will people feel hungry for too long before supper is cooked. They are also forced to eat heavy meals late at night.
When this goes on for a long time, there is an opportunity for their body to store excess food as fat. This becomes responsible for them falling prey to the non-communicable diseases mentioned above and even more. Do your very best to cook supper early.
Where work schedules make it impossible for you to return home early to cook, especially mothers, all other members of the household should be interested in cooking as well.
Men should not be at home just waiting for their wives to return and cook for them. Everybody can cook.
Perhaps the ladies can make things easier for some of the men by cooking stews and soups ahead of time, say weekends. Anyone who gets back home early should cook the yam or rice. This way the kitchen will not have to be in use late in the night.
Keep hygiene at its best within your kitchen. Wash your ingredients well. Wash your dishes well after eating. Even before eating, plates, cups and bowls must be washed very well.
The banku pot must be washed soon after its contents soften after a few hours. So those who are in the habit of keeping this pot filled with water for days in the kitchen must desist from doing so.
Food must remain covered after cooking. If you will store left over soups or stews at room temperature, make sure they are heated well. If storage will be done in the fridge, place them there as soon as they cool. Do not leave them for too long in the open after reheating before storing in the fridge. I believe we will all take steps to ensure that our kitchens support a healthy life for the whole family. God bless you.
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