Healthy Southern Food
Most people think of southern food as being greasy and fried. This is not always the case. Southern food can be healthy, as well.
Many of the meats that are used with southern cooking can be prepared in a way that is healthy. Take chicken for instance. Not all southern food recipes call for fried chicken that’s battered and deep fried. One instance of this is the BBQ pulled chicken. This is a recipe that calls mainly for boneless skinless chicken thighs, reduced-sodium tomato sauce, and fresh ingredients such as onions and garlic. This is a southern recipe that can be served in a healthy way. You can serve it on a whole wheat roll with lettuce and tomato. You could even serve it wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla if you’d prefer.
Another southern food recipe that is a healthy recipe is grilled shrimp. Grilled shrimp are virtually fat free and full of flavor. You can season them with lime juice or lemon juice and just a little paprika. They’re easy to make and don’t take long to grill. Serve them with a salad or fresh coleslaw.
With a bit of imagination and ingenuity, many southern food recipes can be made into healthy and updated recipes. If a recipe calls for deep frying in heavy oil, try oven frying instead. If it calls for a soup, try the reduced-sodium. When your recipe calls for vegetables, skip the cans and get fresh vegetables from your local farmers’ market.