National Women’s Health Week is upon us once more. Take the time from your fast food-gorging lives to eat and live healthy even for just a week. You know what? Maybe you should use the coming Women’s Health Week as a springboard to finally start looking after yourself, not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. You can start caring for your general well-being by focusing on what you put in your body. Start eating healthy by learning and serving these hearty and healthy meals below.
Falafel
Falafel has gone a long way since it originated somewhere in the Middle East. There is quite a debate on where it really came from. Israel claims it’s theirs though many believe it originated from Egypt. Leave the debate to them. What matters to you right now is that falafel is one of the healthy meals you should know how to make, especially if you’re whipping out a feast on Women’s Health Week.
To make falafels, you will need chickpeas (canned chickpeas will do), fresh cilantro and parsley, onion, garlic, flour, baking powder, oil, salt and pepper.
Mix everything in a blender or food processor then puree. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap then chill in the fridge for a few hours.
Scoop out a portion of the mixture then shape into half-inch thick patties. Deep fry for a few minutes and once done, place on a plate with paper towel to drain out the excess oil.
Hummus
Another food staple from the Middle East, hummus is a great addition to any Women’s Health Week feast featuring healthy meals. There are lots of ways to enjoy hummus. Spread it over a piece of bread, add it to your favorite sandwich, or use it as a dip for chips or fresh vegetable such as carrots, spinach and cucumber.
You can also add hummus to your deviled eggs, mashed potatoes or even spread it over pizza. Hummus also goes well with falafels and salads. For those with adventurous taste buds, try dipping apples slices and other fruits on hummus.
A traditional hummus recipe requires a can of chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, ground cumin, paprika and salt. You can also add tahini if you wish.
Puree all the ingredients in a blender or food processor except for the paprika. You can add a tablespoon of water at a time until you get the consistency you want. Before serving, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and paprika. Real Simple provides us with a more detailed look at making hummus.
Salad Niçoise
When we talk of healthy meals, we often think about salads, particularly leafy ones. Niçoise (pronounced nee-suahz) salad is one such salad that should be at the top of your list of dishes to serve on Women’s Health Week.
This traditional French salad is served with Niçoise olives (hence the name), tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, olive oil, and anchovies. Those who prefer not to munch on anchovies can add tuna, salmon or other kinds of low-fat fish instead. The American version of this healthy salad is commonly served on a bed of lettuce. You can also add green beans, onions, capers and tomatoes to make it even healthier. Simply Recipes provides a more detailed list of ingredients and instructions on how to make a salad Niçoise.
Greek Salad
A traditional Greek salad or horiatiki is made of tomatoes, cucumber, green bell pepper, red onion, kalamata olives, feta cheese, dried oregano, sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil. As Gimme Some Oven discovered on a trip to Greece, an authentic Greek salad does not use leafy green vegetables or any of those fancy dressings.
To prepare a Greek salad, simply wash the ingredients thoroughly and toss everything in a bowl. Again, you don’t need a dressing. The Greeks just use olive oil, dried oregano, and sea salt to give such healthy meals more flavor. But if you want some spunk on your salad, you can add red wine vinegar and maybe even some capers.
The key to a classic Greek salad is to use fresh ingredients. The fresher the vegetables, the healthier the dish will be making it the perfect meal to prepare for National Women’s Health Week.
Tom Yung Goong
If you wish for something a little more filling with a little bit of meat in it, the Tom Yung Goong soup may just be perfect dish for your National Women’s Health Week dinner. Thai cuisine is filled with lots of healthy meals and the Tom Yung Goong takes top billing when it comes to cancer-fighting dishes.
To make Tom Yung Goong, you will need shrimps, shiitake mushrooms, chicken stock, a stalk of lemongrass, garlic, onion, carrot, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, galangal or ginger, kaffir lime or bay leaves, coriander, lime or lemon juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, coconut milk, and chilli oil. Some optional ingredients include brown sugar and crushed chilli peppers. The Spruce Eats makes a mean version of this classic Thai soup.
As you can see, such healthy meals require lots of ingredients but while it may look too complicated, you can do it at home and serve it to celebrate Women’s Health Week.
Avocado Chocolate Mousse with Summer Fruit
A feast will not be complete without dessert. Even If you’re celebrating National Women’s Health Week, you can get away with rewarding yourself with a dessert as long as you choose the right ingredients. One such healthy kind of dessert is the Avocado Chocolate Mousse with Summer Fruit from How Sweet Eats.
You can find lots of amazingly delicious yet healthy meals if you know where to look. Browse through cook books, look for the on the internet, or ask your family, especially the ones from the older generations. I’m pretty sure your family, especially the grandparents, have their own recipes for healthy meals they like to make when someone is sick. The chicken soup, for example, is a timeless classic in many families and is known for its healing effects. That’s why there’s a book series names after it.
This list of healthy meals you can serve for National Women’s Week is pretty limited. If you or your family has a staple dish that is brimming with nutrients and other good stuff, please feel free to share the recipe with everyone else. You can also check out The Gentleman Pirate for more mouth-watering recipes. If you’re interested in trying out something new like the famed Keto diet, check out the 28-Day Keto Challenge by Keto Resource. It lets you in on the secrets of the Keto diet which includes the right kinds of healthy meals you can have to lose that extra baggage.
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