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Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
www.westonaprice.org
Characteristics of Traditional Diets
The diets of healthy primitive and nonindustrialized peoples contain no refined or denatured foods such as refined sugar or corn syrup; white flour; canned foods; pasteurized, homogenized, skim or low-fat milk; refined or hydrogenated vegetable oils; protein powders; artificial vitamins or toxic additives and colorings.
All traditional cultures consume some sort of animal protein and fat from fish and other seafood; water and land fowl; land animals; eggs; milk and milk products.
Primitive diets contain at least four times the calcium and other minerals and TEN times the fat soluble vitamins from animal fats (vitamin A, vitamin D and the Price Factor–now believed to be vitamin K2) as the average American diet.
In all traditional cultures, some animal products are eaten raw.
Primitive and traditional diets have a high food-enzyme content from raw dairy products, raw meat and fish; raw honey; tropical fruits; cold-pressed oils; wine and unpasteurized beer; and naturally preserved, lacto-fermented vegetables, fruits, beverages, meats and condiments.
Seeds, grains and nuts are soaked, sprouted, fermented or naturally leavened in order to neutralize naturally occuring antinutrients in these foods, such as phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, tannins and complex carbohydrates.
Total fat content of traditional diets varies from 30% to 80% but only about 4% of calories come from polyunsaturated oils naturally occurring in grains, pulses, nuts, fish, animal fats and vegetables. The balance of fat calories is in the form of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids.
Traditional diets contain nearly equal amounts of omega-6 and omega-3 essential fatty acids.
All primitive diets contain some salt.
Tradtional cultures consume animal bones, usually in the form of gelatin-rich bone broths.
Traditional cultures make provisions for the health of future generations by providing special nutrient-rich foods for parents-to-be, pregnant women and growing children; by proper spacing of children; and by teaching the principles of right diet to the young.

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COOKING CEREALS BY BOILING.–Very often the cereal, after it is set, is allowed to cook slowly until it is ready to serve; that is, the method of boiling is practiced. This method, however, is not to be recommended, because it is not economical. Cereals cooked in this way require constant watching and stirring, and even then it is difficult to keep them from sticking to the cooking utensil and scorching or becoming pasty on account of the constant motion. Sometimes, to overcome this condition, a large quantity of water is added, as in the boiling of rice; still, as some of this water must be poured off after the cooking is completed, a certain amount of starch and soluble material is lost. COOKING CEREALS IN THE DOUBLE BOILER.–Probably the most satisfactory way in which to cook cereals, so far as thoroughness is concerned, is in a double boiler, one style of which is shown at a, Fig. 1. This method of COOKING is known as steaming, or dry steaming, and by it the food itself, after it is set, never comes within 6 or 8 degrees of the boiling point. In this method, the cereal is first set in the small, or upper, pan of the double boiler. This pan, which is covered, is placed into the large, or lower, pan, which should contain boiling water, and the cereal is allowed to cook until it is ready to serve. The water in the large pan should be replenished from time to time, for if it is completely evaporated by boiling, the pan will be spoiled and the cereal in the upper pan will burn. This method of cooking has several advantages that should not be disregarded. Cereals to which it is applied may be partly cooked on one day and the cooking completed the next morning before breakfast, or they may be completely cooked on one day and merely heated before they are served. Then, when cooked at a temperature slightly below the boiling point, the grains remain whole, but become thoroughly softened, because they gradually absorb the water that surrounds them. In addition, the long cooking that is necessary to prepare them at a low temperature develops a delicious flavor, which cannot be obtained by rapid cooking at the boiling point. COOKING CEREALS IN THE FIRELESS COOKER.–In a kitchen that is equipped with a fireless cooker, it is advisable to use this utensil for cereals, for cooking them by this method secures the greatest economy of fuel and effort. As in the preceding methods, the cereal is first set in the pan that fits into the cooker compartment. While the cereal is at the boiling point, this pan is covered tightly and placed in the fireless cooker, where it is allowed to remain until the cereal is ready to be served. The heat that the cereal holds when it is placed in the cooker is retained, and this is what cooks it. Therefore, while this method of cooking requires considerable time, it needs neither additional heat nor labor after the cereal is placed in the cooker. In reality, it is an advantageous way in which to cook cereals, since, if they can be set and placed in the cooker in the evening, they will be ready to serve at breakfast time on the following day. COOKING CEREALS BY DRY HEAT.–An old method of cooking cereals or starchy foods is called browning, or toasting, and it involves cooking them by dry heat. A thin layer of grain is spread in a shallow pan and this is placed in a slow oven. After the grains have browned slightly, they are stirred, and then they are permitted to brown until an even color is obtained. By this method the flavor of the cereals is developed and their digestibility increased. Since grains keep much better after they have been subjected to the process of toasting, this means is used extensively for preserving grains and cereal foods. POINTS TO OBSERVE IN COOKING CEREALS.–In cooking cereals by any method, except browning, or toasting, it is always necessary to use liquid of some kind. The quantity to use, however, varies with the kind of cereal that is to be cooked, whole cereals and those coarsely ground requiring more liquid than those which are crushed or finely ground. If the liquid is to be absorbed completely when the grain is cooked, it should be in the correct proportion to the grain. To be right, cooked cereals should be of the consistency of mush, but not thin enough to pour. Much attention should be given to this matter, for mistakes are difficult to remedy. Cereals that are too thick after they are cooked cannot be readily thinned without becoming lumpy, and those which are too thin cannot be brought to the proper consistency unless the excess of liquid is evaporated by boiling. Gruels are, of course, much thinner than the usual form of cereal. They are made by cooking cereals rapidly in a large quantity of water, and this causes the starch grains to disintegrate, or break into pieces, and mix with the water. The whole mixture is then poured through a sieve, which removes the coarse particles and produces a smooth mass that is thin enough to pour. The length of time to cook cereals also varies with their kind and form, the coarse ones requiring more time than the fine ones. Because of this fact, it is difficult to say just how much time is required to cook the numerous varieties thoroughly. However, little difficulty will be experienced if it is remembered that cereals should always be allowed to cook until they can be readily crushed between the fingers, but not until they are mushy in consistency.

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It has been many years that human beings have established a strong relationship with machines. Why do men need the help of machines? There is an acute shortage of individuals who can work as servants. Just take an example of a young professional who earns less and cannot afford the cost of keeping servants. In such a case he would definitely go for machines which function automatically. Such automated machines save time as well as money. Microwave ovens are the automated machines which are greatly used in modern kitchens. Ask any modern professional whether he keeps a microwave oven or not then he will surely reply that he cannot even imagine to start his day without it. Warming a cake or any kind of dish cooked last night then a microwave oven can change the whole day and will never leave a person with a hungry stomach. Fish and meat are always in great demand for non-vegetarians. There are many who buy in bulk in the weekends and enjoy them in rest of the weekdays. However, for a non-vegetarian it is necessary to have a microwave oven as it will help them in cooking the non-vegetarian dishes. On the other hand, even the vegetarian people can also make use of microwave ovens for cooking different kinds of tasty and delicious dishes. Both non-vegetarian and vegetarian people should remember that they should try to buy branded microwave ovens belonging to prominent companies. These days many price comparison sites have also come up and these help in the comparison of various kinds of microwave ovens currently ruling in the market. Yes, before putting it in the shopping cart it is better to have a look at the overall design and technology. The money spent even on the cheapest Microwave Ovens matters a lot so spend the money from the pocket properly.

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In our time-crunched world, it seems like we are always rushing to get dinner on the table before the family runs off to soccer practice, swimming lessons, PTA meetings and evening classes. A great way to get dinner on the table quickly is to “cook once and eat twice”. Cooking once and eating twice is an economical and easy way to feed your family good food fast. This doesn’t mean eating leftovers everyday. Instead you will be preparing fresh food that only takes a fraction of the time, using main dishes that are put together with a few basic ingredients that are used in many different meals. Cooking once and eating twice is less work than starting from scratch every time, because the most difficult and time consuming part of putting your meal together is already done.

Cooking once and eating twice requires a little bit of planning. For example, when you are putting together a shopping list, think about several ways you could use chicken breasts. The first day, cook all of the chicken at once, seasoning it several different ways for variety. Maybe the first day you have Teriyaki Chicken with rice pilaf and green beans. Later in the week you could have Chicken Alfredo with broccoli and chicken salad sandwiches for lunch. 

Casseroles

Lasagna, enchilada casserole, meatloaf and macaroni and cheese all do well in the freezer. Simply make an extra casserole dish, wrap it tightly with foil and freeze for up to a month. To heat, pull the casserole out of the freezer in the morning and let it thaw in the refrigerator during the day. When you get home, heat the oven and put your casserole in to bake. By the time you make a salad, set the table and slice up some French bread, your hot, hearty dinner will be ready to serve.

Meat

Try boneless pork chops or roast beef, cooking twice as much as you need. Pork chops smothered with barbeque sauce makes a great sandwich to serve with coleslaw and baked beans. Roast beef can be sliced and stir-fried with a package of frozen vegetables or made into fajitas.  

Beans

Beans are easy and inexpensive. In the morning before you go to work, put a pound of dried beans on to cook in the crock pot. Just rinse them and cover them with water by about 3 inches. By the time you get home, you will have beans to use in burritos, serve with rice and salsa, mash for refried beans or use in chili. Beans also freeze well for later use.            

Cooking once and eating twice is an easy way to bring your family together for nutritious, delicious dinners that save you time and money. Find more fast and healthy ideas to save time and get dinner on the table fast.

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RICE, next to wheat, is used more extensively as a food than any other cereal. It is a plant much like wheat in appearance, but it grows only in warm climates and requires very moist soil. In fact, the best land for rice is that which may be flooded with about 6 inches of water. This cereal is of two kinds, namely, Carolina rice and Japanese rice. Carolina rice, which is raised chiefly in the southeastern part of the United States, has a long, narrow grain, whereas Japanese rice, which originated in Japan and is raised extensively in that country and China and India, has a short, flat, oval grain. Efforts made to raise the Japanese variety in the United States show a peculiarity of this cereal, for when it is planted in the same locality as Carolina rice, it soon loses its identity and takes on the shape of the other. Although vast crops of rice are raised in the United States, a large quantity of it must be imported, because these crops are not sufficient to supply the demands of this country. Before rice grains are prepared for use as food, they have two coverings. One is a coarse husk that is thrashed off and leaves the grain in the form of unpolished rice and the other, a thin, brown coating resembling bran. This thin coating, which is very difficult to remove, is called, after its removal, rice polishings. At one time, so much was said about the harmful effect of polished rice that a demand for unpolished rice was begun. This feeling of harm, however, was unnecessary, for while polished rice lacks mineral matter to a great extent, it is hot harmful to a person and need cause no uneasiness, unless the other articles of the diet do not supply a sufficient amount of this food substance. After the inner coating has been removed, some of the rice is treated with paraffin or glucose and talc to give it a glazed appearance. This is called polish, and is sometimes confounded with the term rice polishings. However, no confusion regarding these terms will result if it is remembered that rice polishings are the thin inner coating that is removed and polish is what is added to the rice. In composition, rice differs from the other cereals in that it is practically all starch and contains almost no fat nor protein. To be perfect, rice should be unbroken and uniform in size, and in order that it may be put on the market in this form the broken grains are sifted out. These broken grains are sold at a lower price than the whole grains, but the only difference between them is their appearance, the broken grains being quite as nutritious as the whole grains. In either form, rice is a comparatively cheap food, because it is plentiful, easily transported, and keeps perfectly for an indefinite period of time with very little care in storage. Before rice is used, it should be carefully examined and freed from the husks that are apt to remain in it; then it should be washed in hot water. The water in which rice is washed will have a milky appearance, which is due to the coating that is put on in polishing rice.

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