Collaboration with Amanda G.

Many of us watch what we eat and try to follow a healthy diet. A lot of emphasis is put on the foods that we consume, but the beverages we drink are equally important. In some cases, it’s actually more important to your health than food.

Today, many drinks contain sugars, additives and alcohol that are just as unhealthy as junk food. Worse still is the fact that these beverages contain little to no nutritional value and can become addictive.

The good news is cleaning up what you drink is often easier than adjusting what you eat. Follow the tips below to clear out the toxins that build up from beverages.

Eliminate Alcohol

One of the most harmful drinks people consume today is alcoholic beverages. Alcohol, also known as ethanol, is extremely harmful to the body when it isn’t consumed in moderation. The problem is twofold. Alcohol impairs the body in many ways from stretching heart muscles to liver inflammation to increasing the risk of some cancers. Alcohol is also highly addictive for some people, which makes matters much worse.

Because the effects of alcohol can build over time, even drinking moderately can take a toll on your health. If you overindulge on a daily basis it’s time to consider outside assistance. Joining a support group like AA or getting treatment at an alcohol detox center may be needed to address addiction concerns.

Drink a Lot More Water

The next best thing you can do for your body is to drink a lot more water. Some research estimates that as many as 75% of adults in the U.S. are chronically dehydrated. The vast majority of people don’t get the recommended daily water intake (91 ounces for women and 125 ounces for men). CDC reports suggest that on average adults only consume 39 ounces of water a day.

Beyond provided vital hydration for bodily functions, water also has no calories and can help with weight management. If you’re on the go throughout the day make sure to bring along a refillable water bottle so you can stay hydrated.

Drink Your Coffee Black 

There are many health benefits of drinking coffee as long as you limit it to one or two cups a day. Coffee is high in powerful antioxidants such as polyphenols, hydrocinnamic acids and vitamin B which helps to fight disease. It’s also been shown to boost mood, help burn fat and ward off type 2 diabetes.

A cup of java becomes less healthy the more you add to it. Spoonfuls of sugar and rich cream add a ton of calories and fat. All the unhealthy additives negate the benefits of the coffee itself.

Start Drinking Tea

You can get the antioxidants of coffee without the caffeine by drinking teas. In many of the world’s healthiest countries and cultures, tea is a mainstay of peoples’ daily diet. Some research suggests drinking tea regularly can extend your life and even change your genes.

Hot or cold, tea is a healthy drink that keeps you hydrated and healthy. But like coffee, it’s best to drink tea straight without added sugar. If you want to burn more fat opt for green tea. The catechins in green tea have been shown to increase fat burn and improve muscle endurance.

Stop Drinking Soda

There’s a reason schools are beginning to do away with soda machines. Soda drinks contain high levels of caffeine and sugar, which is why people can become addicted to their daily pop. Many parents are surprised to discover that sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) like soda are the main source of added sugars in our daily diets.

The biggest problem associated with sugary sodas is obesity. Excess weight gain leads to a number of other health issues, including type 2 diabetes and a higher risk of some cancers.

And diet soda isn’t a good alternative. Diet soda may not have calories, but it also provides no nutrients. Research has linked regular artificial sweetener consumption to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, stroke, dementia and high blood pressure. Ironically, people who consume a lot of diet drinks have also been shown to have a higher risk of obesity.

We’re all familiar with the old adage “you are what you eat,” it seems we should add drink to that as well.

It’s actually much easier than you might imagine to add more healthy foods into your diet. There are lots of things that you probably eat and drink on a regular basis than can be easily substituted for brilliant alternatives with far less fat, sugar and calories.

Here are eight foods that you can easily replace, provided by fitness expert Lloyd Wells – working together with kitchen specialists Halcyon Interiors.

1. Substitute peanut butter with almond butter

Peanut butter is one of life’s great pleasures and trying to give it up in the name of healthy eating is a step too far for money people. The sad truth is that the peanuts aren’t actually the problem. Sure, peanut butter contains quite a lot of fat (16g for two tablespoons) but it’s actually a very good source of omega-6 fatty acids which are important in maintaining strong bones as well as improving metabolism. But peanut butter is mass produced product and you will struggle to find a brand that doesn’t add large quantities of sugar and salt as well as unhealthy oils.

This is why almond butter can be a great way to get the delicious flavour of peanut butter without the added rubbish. Almond butter also has plenty of omega-6 fatty acids but it also has higher level of additional nutrients as well better levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Because of almond butter’s reputation for being a healthier nut, you can easily find brands without anything added which will be much better for you. Always check the ingredients to be sure, of course, and ideally opt for a jar with just the single ingredient: almonds.

2. Substitute potato with sweet potato

Did you know that potatoes don’t even count as one of your five-a-day? With barely any nutrients, vitamins or minerals, potato is simply a starchy source of carbohydrates, so it’s not adding anything healthy to your body. On the other hand, sweet potatoes are nutrient dense, and while they contain slightly more sugar than potatoes they are also lower in calories and carbohydrates and higher in fibre.

Equally, potatoes are relatively flavourless which often means you’ll be tempted to add other unhealthy ingredients to improve them (think about the butter in your mash potato and the oil and salt on your chips). Sweet potato tastes great on its own and can be improved with spices which are much better for you than salt.

Sweet potato can be swapped for potato in almost any meal you can think of. Perfect as mash, wedges, fries or to put in dishes like curries, it’s really easy to add sweet potato to your diet.

3. Substitute sugary drinks with coconut water

Drink a standard 330ml can of Coca Cola and you’ll be treating your body to 35g of sugar. That’s the equivalent to eating a bit more than two tablespoons of sugar. You could switch to diet or low sugar alternatives but the problem with these is that they are full of chemical sweeteners which might well be worse for you in the long term.

So if you’re looking for a delicious alternative – how about coconut water? A can of coconut water still has around 9g of sugar, but those are naturally occurring. Even better, coconut water is full of nutrients like potassium and magnesium which is great for your body. Of course, almost any drink is better for you than a sugary fizzy drink but coconut water adds minerals to your diet.

4. Substitute sour cream with Greek yoghurt

You’d be surprised how often you can switch sour cream with Greek yoghurt without any noticeable difference to the flavour. This is great news because yoghurt has much less fat and far fewer calories than sour cream. Yoghurt also features more protein than sour cream, so you’ll actually get more out of eating it.

You can make the substitute whether you’re adding using it within recipes, adding it to your fajitas or creating sauces. Try it out and you’ll be very pleased with the results.

5. Substitute croutons with nuts

When many people want to change their diet, one of the things that they will inevitably try is to incorporate more salads. Salads are a great way to increase your vegetable intake, which is always going to be great for you, however, where people tend to fall down is they will add loads of croutons and salad dressing, both of which are high in fat and don’t offer much in the way of nutrients – they are just empty calories.

So how do you ensure that your salad stays healthy? You can swap out the dressing for a vinaigrette and it will still taste fantastic. For the groups you can simply add a few nuts instead. They’ll give you the same crunch that you’re looking for, with the added bonus of having more protein and plenty more vitamins and minerals than croutons.

6. Substitute spaghetti for courgetti

Vegetable substitutions for pasta and noodles are becoming increasingly popular. Instead of high-carb white pasta like spaghetti you can use ‘courgetti’. All you need is a spiralizer and it’s easy to turn veggies like courgettes into a brilliant substitute for traditional pasta. Not only are you getting rid of the nutrient-free calories of white pasta, you’re gaining all the benefits of courgette.

If you’re not a big fan of courgettes you could also use aubergine, carrots or squash as a brilliant pasta alternative. Try them out with different meals and sauces to see which combination works best for you.

7. Substitute rice with cauliflower rice

Much like the vegetable alternatives to pasta, you can also find healthier veggie substitutes for rice. Cauliflower rice is one of the most popular. Rice, while filling and starchy, doesn’t really contain any valuable nutrients and is also high in calories. Cauliflower rice, which is actually quicker to cook, is far lower in calories and contains the goodness of the cauliflower.

A word of warning: for best results with cauliflower rice you’ll need to fry it rather than boil it. For this it’s best to use a healthier oil like coconut oil and to use it sparingly, otherwise the benefits will be outweighed by the negative aspects.

8. Substitute cereals with oats

Most mass produced cereals have an extremely high sugar content – even apparently healthy options like cornflakes and bran flakes surprisingly still have sugar added. Try having oats instead either as a homemade muesli or heat them up for a delicious porridge. Again, you’ll have to resist the temptation to add a big spoonful of sugar though – try naturally occurring sweetness like dried fruit or jam instead.

Pie and mash – it sounds as though nothing could be easier to knock up for your next meal. A look in the fridge might find you all the ingredients you need and making the pastry casing surely isn’t that too difficult a job. Making the all-important liquor to go with it might be more of a challenge, but so long as it’s green it will probably pass muster – you hope.

The easiest and probably far more successful way of making sure that you have that glorious pie, mash and liquor combination, though, is to order the whole meal online or by mail order for delivery to your home, where it is ready to eat straight away, can be kept fresh in the fridge for a few days or put in the freezer for longer-term storage.

Pie, mash and liquor delivery – of quality, hand crafted pies – leaves nothing to chance and nothing to tax your potentially zero culinary skills.

Despite the obvious attraction of ordering such a delivery, though, there are still those kitchen wizards who may insist that pie, mash and liquor is not beyond them and a number of recipes are not so difficult to find online:

BBC

• there is a BBC recipe, for instance, for what is claimed to be for “traditional” pie ‘n’ mash;

• the pie casing is made from a suet pastry, with a shortcrust pastry for the lid;

• the filling is based on minced beef, with the addition of onion and garlic, tomato puree, ground black pepper, English mustard, and brown ale;

• the mashed potatoes are, well, just mashed potatoes – but the option of a little chilli oil to taste; but

• the disappointment probably comes in the shape of the otherwise mysterious liquor, which in this recipe is a fairly simple and straight forward parsley sauce (yes, we know liquor is parsley sauce, but that isn’t the point!);

The Hub-UK

• similarly disappointing, is the recipe for the liquor or “green gravy” reproduced by the kitchen and cookery website The Hub-UK;

• this also describes a straight forward parsley sauce, made by melting butter in a pan and adding a little flour, to which water or chicken stock is added whilst stirring continuously;

Keef the Chef

• Keef the Chef borrows the BBC’s standard recipe for creating the casing from suet pastry and a shortcrust pastry top, filled with minced beef (spiced with Worcester sauce) and onions;

• where Keef branches out, however, is the suggestion for making the liquor from boiled eels or fish stock, into which generous handfuls of parsley are added;

• for serving, the eels are removed, the liquor is thickened with a little flour, and chilli vinegar is added to taste;

Food.com

• the aptly named com also describes a method for making the pie casing from suet pastry and a shortcrust pastry top;

• the filling in this example is also made from minced beef and onion, seasoned with salt, pepper and Worcester sauce, thickened with a little cornflour;

• the liquor too is based on a fish and vegetable stock, thickened with cornflour, and mixed with a handful of parsley

If you have noticed one area where the recipes seem to fall short of the mystique of east London, it is the liquor and, of course, that indefinable touch of the master baker. The answer is at your fingertips if you order the whole dish for pie, mash and liquor to be delivered to you at home.

If you love to host dinner parties for your friends/family, and feel a little like Monica Geller when they come over, you might make an amazing food caterer. Why not make a career out of a hobby that you love? You’ll need an entrepreneurial attitude, but your overheads will be low compared with other businesses, and you have the opportunity to turn this into a lucrative business.

Photo taken from Flickr

Find Your Niche

To find your niche, think about food that you love to make. You need to have a passion for the food you’re cooking, otherwise you won’t stick it out. You could specialise in lunch food, wedding receptions, desserts, or even starters. Decide whether you’d prefer to make quiches or cakes and you could find the perfect catering niche for you.

Make a Menu

If you make a menu first, you can figure out how much kitchen space you need, what appliances you need, and how much money you’ll expect to bring in finance wise. Try to have food to suit everyone, e.g. vegetarian options and spicy options. Make sure you’re menu is a manageable size for you so you don’t take on more than you can handle. You can even test your dishes on friends and family and tweak them until they’re perfect.

Set Up Your Kitchen

If you want to set up from home, you need to get your kitchen ready for your new catering business. You could consider renting out some premises, but this will be way more expensive and it’s not convenient. You’ll need the right equipment to start, so take a look at your menu and work out what you need.

Apply for Permits and Licenses

Apply for any permits, licenses and certificates you need. You may need different certificates and permits depending on where you set up, so make sure you do your research. You may even need kosher certification by Earth Kosher.

Buy Equipment to Transport Food

Once you’ve done everything listed above, as well as set your prices, you’ll need to buy a vehicle and other equipment suitable for transporting your food to the event you’re catering. It’ll need plenty of space, so a van is best.

Do You Need Staff?

If you need extra staff, you can always use a temp agency to start with until you’ve built your reputation. You’ll need to consider what type of uniforms you want your staff to wear, and train your employees up so they provide the right kind of service. However, when it’s time to hire more staff it may also be time to rent out bigger premises – are you and your staff going to fit in your kitchen?

Now all that’s left to do is market your business! Make sure you use both online and offline marketing techniques to target people in your area, and be consistent as you won’t experience overnight success. Let us know how your home catering business is doing in the comments!