The quest of what to whip up in the kitchen is a never-ending one, and one that gets complicated by time constraints, convenience and plain lack of know-how.
Enjoying tasty (and healthy) foods at home or on a night out is something the American Heart Association and the Arkansas Heart Hospital are passionate about teaching others.
Here, Arkansas Heart Hospital Chef Mark Elliotte shares his tips for eating healthy at home.
What led you to become a chef?
ME: I’ve been working in a kitchen since I could reach the stove on a stool. Having that love for cooking naturally led me to get any job I could in a restaurant, any job at all, and working from the carpet up. I’ve washed dishes, bussed tables, waited, prepped, catered and managed.
What kind of lessons do you teach cardiac rehab patients at the Heart Hospital?
ME: More than teach them to “eat healthy,” I teach them the why and the reason to choose wisely. It’s more than just instruction of how to eat good, healthy food, its teaching them the reason it’s healthy. The science, once told to a patient, resonates with them because of their health issues. For example, blood pressure can be controlled better by lowering sodium intake to 1500 milligrams a day. Triglycerides can be lowered by switching to unrefined complex carbohydrates.
How do you eat heart healthy at home?
ME: I’m a vegetarian by choice, but when telling patients, I make sure they know they are allowed to eat lean meats, fresh vegetables and fruit. But I do think it makes a good impression on the patients knowing that I actually follow a healthy eating plan. They feel more free to ask for advice and tips.
What tips would you give someone wanting to make healthier meals that are easy habits to keep?
ME: The most important thing is to read the product labels, but beyond that, knowing how to read them is just as important — for instance, how much salt is acceptable, according to serving size and caloric intake. Also, drinking water is essential to a healthy diet. So many of us neglect it during our busy days. In addition, simple exercise like walking or using a stationary bike helps your body work more efficiently.
Helpful tips for the kitchen include making and keeping on hand homemade salt-free spice blends. Batch cooking helps to cook once and get two to three meals prepared, like a couple of grains, chopped vegetables, stock, something in a crockpot, etc.
What advice do you have for those who want to eat healthy but don’t like to cook?
ME: Our program recipes are designed with simple instructions in order to help the patient become accustomed to taking responsibility for their good food choices. A lot of choices include servings of fresh fruit, unrefined complex carbohydrates, nonfat dairy and of course raw vegetables in salads. But we try to stress the fact that meals cooked at home with good guidelines is preferable to any meals eaten outside the home.
But don’t worry, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the fun. The American Heart Association’s annual Festival of Wines: Cocktails & Cuisine will feature selections from 16 local restaurants, signature cocktails and hundreds of wines, with all proceeds benefiting the AHA.
Festival of Wines is set for Thursday, Oct. 4, at 6 p.m. at Dickey-Stephens Park. For tickets and more information, visit FestivalOfWines.Heart.org.