Healthy Food Ideas

Host: Eating healthy doesn’t have to be difficult, expensive or tasteless. All you need is a little time to get creative in the kitchen. Dave Lieberman is here, he’s the host of Food Network’s Good Deal with Dave Lieberman and he’s also the author of 10 Things You Need To Eat and more than 100 easy and delicious ways to prepare them. Good the have you here Dave. You need to cook a lot just for the title right, just a lot. Dave: That’s right, there were a lot of recipes. Host: First of all we’re going to talk about this recipe over here, these meatballs looks so good, they’ve got a nice title and you like canned tomatoes and I know you like --. Dave: Absolutely, these are actually – meatballs and what I’ve done is take in half of the red meat out of the meatballs and incorporated --. This is a grain that’s packed with protein. It’s a complete protein just like meat protein so it gives you all the health benefits but you’re able to reduce a little bit of red meat in your diet that people should do and I’m using canned tomatoes. In a lot of recipes, I have there’s a whole chapter of tomatoes, we can run down the 10 things but in this recipe, I had incorporated it because canned tomatoes have more licopene available the nutrient that’s so good for you that helps reduce heart disease. Fresh, it’s actually better to cook them and chop them and cook with them than to eat them fresh actually. Host: He is a big fan of the tomatoes, I remembered reading that about you. Now these cupcakes looks absolutely delicious and you just told me--. Dave: Another one of the 10 things is in those cupcakes and it’s a great thing to give kids, yes, they’re actually beet chocolate cupcakes. There they are and so basically what I’ve done is the cocoa powder covers the flavor of the beets but beets are actually very nice and sweet naturally so you kind of can take out some of the refined sugar and put in the natural sweetness of the beets and kids don’t know the difference. Host: This is wonderful. How did you figure this one out, trial and error or did you just--. Dave: Just beet and chocolate are not like a new combination but I kind of made them fun and approachable and that’s sort of what this book is about is taking these 10 things that are known as being the top 10 in terms of being backed by science and they’re also very approachable, they’re affordable so you don’t have to sacrifice, you get all the benefits but you probably have these in your pantry already or they’re very easy to get at your local supermarket. Host: Speaking of which, let’s go over here. Lentils, you’ve got the fish as well too. What’s the deal? Dave: Lentil is really high in fiber and we all need a little bit more fiber in our diet. Fish is high omega 3 so it’s great brain food. Nuts are packed with really heart healthy fats. They’re actually helpful for losing weight, berries, the highest antioxidant food on the planet, cabbage is great actually for women because it helps reduce the risk of breast cancer. Beets as we call it nature’s multivitamin and avocado has really heart healthy fats as well and it has a lot of fiber it in as well. Host: So one of the things I know in your book that you point out is avocadoes can pretty much be used in anything? Dave: Yes, you can use them in everything from soups to salads to even some avocado brownies which are delicious. Host: Then the strawberries, did you mention the strawberries just how good those things are for you? Dave: Yes, the strawberries, the strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, they are among the highest antioxidant fruits on the planet and they help sort of ward of long term disease including Alzheimer’s disease and all those things. Host: I just think that you’re amazing because of the fact that you’re able to take these ingredients and make things like this and this. Dave: What I think people don’t realize is they may already have canned Del Monte tomatoes in their pantry and they should be using it because it’s actually even healthier than buying fresh so I think noticing, working with what you have and eating healthfully based on these very normal limitations are actually working really well. Host: That’s why you’re here to help us out too. Thank you so much Dave. I love your show too. Dave: Thank you very much. Host: Again Dave’s book is called 10 Things You Need To Eat and more than 100 easy and delicious ways to prepare them, the book is available now and if you want to find the delicious beet cupcakes and linguini with meatballs recipe, you can go to our website, bettertv.com. Click on the recipe button and we’ll have it for you there.