I don’t know about you, but I find nutrition to be a tricky thing.  Just when I start to feel like I’m doing the right thing new research comes out that suggests otherwise.  I could go in depth here about numerous minute details to keep in mind when making choices about food, but that kind of takes away the joy of eating don’t you think?  Eating should be an enjoyable experience and I’m hoping I can give you some tips and recipes to help you both enjoy and maintain your health with your food.

In our present day industrialized food world we are inundated with an abundance of options.  With every meal we have a boat load of choices to make.  One simple guideline that will keep you on the path to health with your eating is to choose foods that your great, great, great, great grandmother would recognize.  If it comes in colorful, flashy packaging grandma would probably be a bit confused.  Sadly, this day in age, that gaudy packaging is also a likely indicator of chemical additives, preservatives, and many other components that our bodies aren’t meant to handle.  Furthermore, such foods rarely contain the proper combination of nutrients for maximum absorption.  If we eat whole foods that our great, great, great, great grandmother would recognize, chances are they are closer to the fuel that our bodies were designed to run on.  So for now, let’s look at recipes that get us away from the boxed foods, the processed condiments, and the mile long ingredients lists.

Our first recipe:

Chimichurri Chicken

You can create great marinades yourself that will flavor your food and keep you away from bottled marinades and condiments.

Chimichurri Marinade:

¼ cup chopped cilantro

1 tsp dried parsley flakes

1 tsp dried oregano

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbsp onion, minced

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup red wine vinegar

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Zest and juice of one lime

Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix the marinade ingredients and combine with chicken breasts.  Allow it to sit in the fridge for at least 3 hours, but the longer you let the meat marinate the more flavorful the meal will be.  You can bake the chicken or grill it in foil.  I grilled in the foil for 20-25 minutes, keeping the grill around 350-400º, and then placed it directly on the grill for the last 5-10 minutes for those nice grill marks.  This made for a great chicken meal with some Argentine flavor!