There is so much in the news about the economy, jobs and how hard it is for families to make ends meet. Recent conversations on the Facebook pages of several foodies have been about the high cost of eating well. Some folks have been grumbling and complaining that you have to be rich in order to be healthy. But the wealthy are really no healthier, they may have money for better health insurance but their health is still as poor as the average American. Being rich doesn't make you healthy. Understanding the truth about what foods are nourishing and the best ways to prepare them CAN make you healthy no matter how much money you have or don't have.

 

    The Weston A. Price Foundation has published a wonderful resource for healthy living. It is a rebuttal of sorts to the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The publication is called "Healthy 4 Life". Print copies of the publication are $10 or you can read the .pdf version here.

 

    The 84 page booklet gives a comprehensive overview of what real foods are. It includes much needed explanations on the importance of healthy fats, how to prepare grains and beans to make them more digestible and the dangers of soy and processed foods. Also addressed are the topics of breast feeding, healthy snacks and eating out. An additional section gives hints on finding sources for healthy foods. Spread liberally throughout the publication are recipes that can be used as the foundation for the family's daily meals. Using the Healthy 4 Life recipes as guidelines you can plan many weeks worth of breakfasts, lunches and dinners using real, whole foods, and without needing to take out a second mortgage.

 

    I feel strongly about the importance of the recipes and information presented in the Healthy 4 Life publication. These should be considered as basic recipes that we take time to learn and to teach our children how to cook. Having a go-to recipe for each kind of food, whether protein, fat or carbohydrate, is crucial for the home cook who wants to nourish the family while living within a budget. With that in mind I am reviewing some of the recipes from the booklet here on this page. Hopefully this will encourage you to purchase the booklet for your own family or download the .pdf for use in your kitchen. I think these booklets would also make great gifts, especially for newlyweds or new college graduates.

Oxtail Broth from Healthy 4 Life

 

    Knowing how to make a basic bone broth is an important skill for every cook. Bone broths are economical, delicious and so very, very nourishing. Don't let the name "Oxtail" put you off. If you don't have a real ox tail you can use an assortment of marrow bones and other cut pieces of beef bone to make a successful broth.

 

    Here are my oxtails, about 3 lbs., in the roasting pan ready to go into the oven. Roasting beef bones first before making broth gives them a richer flavor. It took my pan about 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven to get nice and toasty. Then they went into the slow cooker with a couple of carrots, some celery and a chopped onion or two. The booklet also says to add some dried herbs. I think marjoram would be nice but parsley is also traditional for beef broth.

 

    The key to really nourishing bone broth is to add a few spoonfulls of vinegar or lemon juice to the pot. Oxtails are already full of connective tissue and marrow so adding the vinegar will be sure to pull of that goodness into the finished broth. Using the slow cooker lets you turn it on and forget it until it is done. I usually let my bone broths cook on slow simmer for as long as 24-48 hours.

 

    Once you let the broth cool the fat will rise to the top. When the fat has thickened you can skim it off and save it in a jar. Keep it in your frig and use it for frying potatoes or browning meat. As you can see from the photo, my oxtail broth was very gelatinous. I was so excited to see just how gelatinous it was! This is an indication of a very nourishing and healing bone broth. I use bone broth for making delicious soups or just pour it in a mug with a little salt and drink it warm for a nourishing snack.

Easy Baked Chicken from Healthy 4 Life

 

    I had my 13 year old son help me make the baked chicken. While I cut up the whole chicken he mixed up the sauce. Buying whole chickens is more economical than buying boneless pieces. Plus with a whole chicken you can use the bones to make more bone broth which is like getting an extra meal for free! The sauce that is poured onto the chicken pieces is a half a stick of butter plus a couple of squirts of Dijon mustard melted together with a palm full of chopped fresh herbs. We used tarragon but you could use thyme or even dill. It took our chicken about an hour at 350 to get golden brown and delicious.

 

    The booklet includes a sauce to pour over the chicken made from the pan drippings. If you'd like to make it then add several cups of homemade chicken broth to the drippings in the pan, boil it all and let it reduce about half then stir in some sour cream and pour the rich reduction sauce over the chicken pieces.

 

    I did not make the sauce this time. I wanted to take the chicken to the ball park so that we could eat during our children's baseball games. We have gotten into the habit of preparing simple foods like this roast chicken and taking it with us along with some cut up fruit and vegetables and homemade cookies instead of getting drive through or eating from the ball park concession stand. It is cheaper and much healthier to do!

Curried Lentil Soup from Healthy 4 Life

 

    This recipe is a wonderful example of how you can eat nourishing, healthy foods for a very small amount of money. Dried beans of all kinds are so cheap, yet they are also nutrient dense when prepared correctly. I love that the booklet spells out how to prepare beans (and grains) in the ways that help to neutralize the digestion-inhibiting factors while maximizing the beneficial factors. The half a pound of lentils in this recipe are soaked about 7 hours in water with a little bit of vinegar before they are cooked in several cups of nourishing bone broth. They cook so quickly once they are soaked that the recipe comes together without much fuss.

 

    Before putting the lentils in the pan I sauteed chopped onion and chopped carrots in plenty of butter, standard procedure for making any great soup. The most aromatic experience came when I sprinkled a couple tablespoons of curry powder over the sauteeing vegetables. There was a burst of intense, fragrant spices that filled the kitchen as the curry powder met the sizzling butter.

 

    Once all of the vegetables and lentils were cooked tender in the bone broth it was time to finish the soup. Using a hand held blender I pureed everything to a thick creamy consistency. The recipe calls for the juice of two lemons and a cup of cream or sour cream to be added at the end, but I thought that was too much lemon juice. The next time I make this I will use about half a lemon's worth of juice. The sour cream made for a velvety soup but regular heavy cream would also do the same. Don't forget to season the pot with some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. You might enjoy a sprinkled of chopped fresh cilantro and another dollop of sour cream or yogurt on top.

 

    Check out Well Fed Family's blog for more recipes. Click on the link to view the Healthy 4 Life booklet today. Download a copy and try the recipes, purchase print copies to give to friends and family. The information is important, the recipes are easy and delicious and deserve to be incorporated into our every day cooking.