How Meat Extenders Can Be Life Extenders

Americans do like to eat meat. But we consume far more of it than we actually need for good health.

And many "gourmet" recipes are designed to make a little meat go a long way. Just read through your favorite cook books and you'll start to see it.

Meat Casseroles

Every cuisine has these recipes. Think of soups and stews, casseroles, pastas, rice and bean dishes, and many others. You can pick and choose and add all your favorite herbs and flavorings. Instead of having tacos, have grilled chicken with taco seasoning and sliced onions, peppers and zucchini. It's yummy and 2 chicken breasts will go 2 meals for us. We still get those great Mexican flavors. There are a lot of other ways to make dishes that are healthier than the ones you buy in restaurants and grocery stores.

We always eat whole grains. Anything that has been refined to white also has very few nutrients left. They are hardly worth either buying or eating. We regularly simmer up clear chicken or turkey broth which we use a base for many recipes.

For one we simmer 1/2 pound of boneless, skinless chicken in a ½ gallon of broth. When the chicken is partially cooked we add chopped carrots (3) and one potato with chopped garlic.

When the vegetables are nearly done we add onion and celery so it does not become overcooked. Some herbs, like parsley and sage are nice. I usually use some Worcestershire sauce and maybe even a little hot sauce.

Pick your favorites.

Then serve over a generous handful of raw spinach. The soup cooks the spinach as it ladles into the bowl.

I use big, rimmed soup bowls for this low calorie treat and have the homemade, whole grain bread I make once a week with it. But the soup makes enough for us to have dinner and then lunch the next day, 2 good meals. And many recipes can work this way.

You can control the amount fat, salt, sugar and other things that aren't doing you any good. Food manufacturers put a lot of things in food that make you fat and sick.

When you start to think about a recipe think of how you can increase the amount of fiber while you reduce the amount of salt, protein and fat per serving. Things like mushrooms and carrots will take the flavors of whatever meat you are using. Brown rice and pasta will make your meal dollars go further and benefit people who have blood sugar problems.

But remember portion control. You can only have small meals if you want to be healthy.

The big payoff of eating this way is that the gourmet meat extender will make you healthier if you prepare it properly. It will extend your life as well as you meat purchases. Best of all you will save money on medical care, medications and health and life insurance. It's the really big payoff of eating better.

How Meat Extenders Can Be Life Extenders

Paula Stone is a lifestyle specialist. She works with her husband Ron in his various businesses including an insurance agency specializing in final expense life insurance. Learn more at their website, Burial Life Policies and Best Burial Insurance

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