Cooking to manage a chronic condition? Don't sacrifice flavor!

When you live with a chronic condition, like diabetes or heart disease, you have to watch what you eat. But that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice flavor and can’t enjoy your food. Sometimes a bit of creativity in the kitchen is all it takes.

Try these recipes from our executive chef

We know not everyone is a chef. The good news? It’s easy to find simple recipes and good advice for cooking tasty, healthy meals online. Mom’s Meals^® Executive Chef, Jon Benedict, developed some delicious, nutritious recipes of his own. Both are amazing, easy to make and worth trying!

7 flavorful tips

Whether you’re watching what you eat, or are a caregiver who prepares meals for someone with a chronic condition, here are some helpful kitchen tips:

1. Buy healthy staple foods in bulk like whole-grain pastas, dried beans, dried fruits and nuts, that have a long shelf-life and can serve as the basis for many delicious recipes. Fill your freezer with frozen fish and vegetables for quick meals.
2. Add zest from lemons, limes and oranges to punch up the flavor in basic foods such as fish, chicken, and vegetables.
3. Add citrus juices to salad dressings and marinades to brighten the flavor. Citrus fruits are bursting with vitamin C and other antioxidants. And don’t be afraid to add another sweeter acid, like vinegar, for even more flavor.
4. Add aromatic spices to intensify the flavor of vegetables and meats by like cumin, coriander and ginger. Using spices also helps reduce the amount of salt you need to bring the dish together.
5. Satisfy your sweet tooth with whole fruits. Packaged perfectly by nature, fruit has naturally occurring sugars, fiber and antioxidants.
6. Cook once, eat twice. Save time by cooking a double batch of a meal… one dinner for tonight and another for later in the week. You could also freeze single servings to enjoy over the next couple of months.
7. Don’t be afraid to experiment. With so many ways to flavor food, the options are endless.

Mom's Meals^® can help

Need help with meals for a chronic condition or want a break from cooking? Rely on Mom’s Meals for delicious, medically tailored meals delivered right to your home. They’re created by our trained chefs and dietitians with a variety of health condition menus, including diabetes friendly, heart friendly and cancer support, as well as lower sodium.