If you’re trying to cook lighter and healthier foods for your family, there is no better time than now to buy ingredients from Asian grocery markets. They’re joining the trend of expanding their organic products offerings in many categories, both in fresh foods like veggies and dairy products and in packaged foods like canned goods and snacks. It’s as easy as keeping an eye out for products marked organic or shopping the organic aisle at stores that group products by category. You’ll also find lighter versions of many of your favorites which means reduced sodium, less sugar, and lower fat. They all taste as good as the original versions.
Shoppers with special dietary needs such as gluten-free or lactose-free are also wise to shop for Asian groceries online or in-person. They’re well-stocked on plant-based proteins like tofu which are excellent and healthy replacements for many dairy items. You keep the protein, add other vitamins and minerals, and don’t have the lactose you need to avoid eating. It’s similar to gluten-free items, and they now include soy sauce. If you love the rich, savory flavor it adds, but need to eat wheat-free, you’ll find excellent new alternatives. Some are up to 75-percent lower in sodium and also organic.
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It’s Easy to Find Healthier Recipes for Dinner Main Courses
In most western culinary traditions, meat is the most common main course ingredient. While many people enjoy eating it, there is more in fat and cholesterol than many should consume. When you’re shopping your favorite oriental market, stock up on a variety of different Asian sauces and marinades, you need to make healthier and lighter main course dishes. It’s easy to find entrée recipes that are heavier on vegetables and grain and use meat more as a flavoring. There’s little sacrifice in taste, and you’ll be eating lighter automatically. You could do it by reducing portion size with meat-centric meals, but it’s a sacrifice.
While you’re having fun searching new recipes online, make a note of what you can pick up at Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai supermarkets for each new one you’ll try. Many use three times as much vegetables as mean in volume and weight. They’re delicious no-sacrifice meals that you’ll enjoy just as much as you did the heavier meat entrees. The best thing is a variety of recipes, some heavier and others lighter, that you can rotate for your family dinners. Eating new and tasty preparations adds to your quality of life and makes nightly cooking more enjoyable. Many can be cooked quickly, which means less heat in the kitchen.
Find Lighter Foods Online and Save Time
Use online Asian grocers as your new secret weapon when searching for lighter versions of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese food products. Nearly all have been expanded since the online shopping boom during the coronavirus pandemic and are the easiest way to make a list. You can find many of the same things walking the aisles of a store in person, but it’s quicker to do online. The sort feature allows you to look at all products that meet your needs – organic, low fat, sugar-free, gluten-free, lactose-free, reduced-sodium, and many more. You’ll meet your health and dietary goals with many new product alternatives.