(KUTV) Think about what you buy from the grocery store. Do you opt to buy products that are cheap and easy to make or do you want fresh and healthy?

Chef Bryan, host of “Cooking with Chef Bryan” recently did an experiment here at 2News to answer some of those questions. “Most of the diets included highly processed foods; prepared packaged foods; very little, if no fresh fruits or vegetables whole grains.”

So we need a little improvement in our diets here at the station but what about your diet? Chef Bryan says when we prepare meals at home we need to think about the food pyramid. The food pyramid (or plate) is something you learned a lot about in school but probably do not remember. So here is a refresher: experts say you need to eat grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and protein (chicken) on a regular basis. Vegetables, for example, take just minutes to prepare. The other foods (fruits, grains) can be found at the grocery store and also take very little time to prepare.

The health benefits of a well-balanced meal are endless, but still most of us prefer the cheap and easy options for dinner. Let’s face it we don’t necessarily have time to cook a well-balanced meal. However, Chef Bryan says the fresh and healthy options may actually be faster to prepare. “I love this argument, ‘I don’t have time to cook things from scratch’. Prime example is Kraft Mac and Cheese. You all know what it is and we have all had it in our lives. It takes 10-15 minutes to make Kraft Mac and Cheese. Guess how much it takes to actually boil pasta and fold fresh cheese into the macaroni? 10-15 minutes.”

KUTV has partnered with the Utah Department of Health and Intermountain Health Care on the Check Your Health campaign. If you visit www.checkyourhealth.org you can find healthy recipes to try at home.
   
For more on the Choose My Plate program, visit: http://www.choosemyplate.gov
 
(Copyright 2013 Sinclair Broadcasting Group)
Healthy Dinners