Healthy food can be tasty, too!
Healthy dishes seem to always get unfavorable reactions because most think that the “healthy” tag also means bland and tasteless. Bad reputations tend to stick, even with food, giving people enough reason to get discouraged with trying to eat in a healthier way. The Baron Method’s Harvie and Eizza De Baron are out to prove that cooking your meals the right way lets you get a lifestyle upgrade, while eating delicious dishes that’ll keep you satisfied and far from being hungry.
Many diet programs revolve around controlling portion sizes and restricting food choices, leaving their participants feeling starved, deprived, and eventually going back to their old habits. The Baron Method takes this idea and tosses it straight out the kitchen window.
Centered on sustainability, the program focuses on making food yummy and healthy, and making sure that people on the program integrate what they learn about doing food the right way into their everyday lives. “Unlike other programs, we don’t do home deliveries,” says Harvie. “We opt to directly train whoever’s in charge of the cooking so they can keep doing it even after they’re off the program. We’ve got over a hundred recipes that we share with clients, and these include many dishes we ourselves crave.”
Eizza Baron, creator of the Baron Method recipes, shares, “We keep food yummy but still healthy by reverse engineering dishes using quality and good ingredients. These are what make a huge difference.”
Take BM’s pancit palabok, for instance, instead of processed oil, it calls for culinary coconut oil, and no artificial flavorings, please. Craving the comfort of sinigang? Use actual sampaloc instead of the store-bought mix. “Taking away what’s processed and unnatural in food may mean that preps take longer and require more effort, but realizing that you can do away with unhealthy ingredients to enjoy your food is worth it in the long run,” Eizza points out.
One of the biggest misconceptions people have when it comes to healthy eating is how we think “healthy” stops at how a dish is cooked. We can be quick to condemn anything fried, but baking or steaming something unhealthy to begin with won’t be making much of a difference. As long as your ingredients are good, you can get away with shallow-frying some of your favorite dishes. The Baron Method Fried Chicken, a favorite among program participants, tastes as sinfully good as regular fried chicken but without the guilt that comes with it. What goes into what you cook matters just as much as how you prepare it.
Harvie gives out a handy tip when doing your shopping: Check out the labels. “If you don’t recognize what’s written down, chances are neither will your body. Keep an eye out for refined sugars, hydrogenated oils, sodium nitrates, MSG additives, and artificial sweeteners.”
Choosing to make a change is tricky enough on its own, but choosing to stick with change can be straight-up daunting. “To make sure people on the program don’t feel too overwhelmed by their pantry makeover, we encourage them to swap out one item at a time,” shares Harvie. Start with something seemingly small, like trading white sugar for muscovado or honey. Toss out the flavoring and MSG packets, and pick up sea salt, pepper, and spices the next time you go to the supermarket. Baby steps allow participants to adapt more easily and make an impact on them being able to sustain the changes.
Healthiness isn’t summed up in a single figure — it’s an attitude towards taking care of your body. Making better decisions for your health can come without the bitterness of saying no to what you love. With the Baron Method, saying yes to yummy food can mean staying healthy, too!
For more information, visit www.baronmethod.com, www.facebook.com/baronmethod or call 09178522854.