I know what you are thinking.   "Yick!   Nutrition!  You are supposed to be learning how to make food taste good and not about stuff that is good for you!"  Ok, I'll give you that.  Nutrition was not a driving force to get me into Culinary School, but whether you are aware of it or not, nutrition is a major component in what we eat - be it good or bad.  

Nutrition isn't just about losing weight - it is about maintaining health.  Some are more concerned about their diet because of health issues (diabetes, allergies, medical conditions, obesity, etc.).  For most of us, the key is to....are you sitting down?....to eat balanced meals and exercise. There.  I said it.  (I'm sure you've never heard this before.)   The body is an amazing machine that requires the right fuel to keep going.   You can run on the wrong fuel for a while, but it will eventually catch up with you (gaining weight, diabetes, vitamin deficiencies, etc.)  Think about it.  You can put top grade fuel in your car for a year.  But forget to change and/or refill the oil and the car is going to have problems.  Not immediately, but eventually.  So what does this mean?  What they have been saying for years is true - and yes - it DOES apply to YOU!  A balanced diet and exercise is the way to go.

So what is a balanced meal?  Good question.  I haven't figured out the perfect formula yet, and I believe that is because there is not one.  However, those smart dietetically minded people have put together a wonderful little chart in the form of a pyramid.  (Sounding familiar yet?)  It breaks down the five food groups and estimates the servings per day that the average person should take in.  (Ok, the key here is average.)   To the right is a completely unreadable version of the pyramid, however, it you click on it, you will be able to read it.  You can thank the folks at the USDA and DHHS for putting the pyramid together.  For a little more info on the pyramid, visit http://www.nal.usda.gov:8001/py/pmap.htm.   For a lot more information, visit http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/Fpyr/pyramid.html.  Trust me, it's probably more than you ever wanted to know, but it is excellent information and a great resource!

Below is a summary of the basic diet and an example of what a single serving might be:

Now that you see the basic foundation, let's see what we can do to help keep you in the neighborhood of healthy food preparation.

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7 Principles of Healthy Cooking	The Recipes You Won't Believe!
Flavor Rules!	Resource Links