Using Mastercook or Cook'n (Recipe Software).
How to make Healthy Recipes, Menus and Meal Plans;
for Special Diets, Health Care Needs and Purposes.
How to make Healthy Recipes, Menus and Meal Plans;
for Special Diets, Health Care Needs and Purposes.
1- ABSTRACT.
One's own computer can turn out to be a very powerful tool in managing health improvement plans. It can be that important tool that will help you achieve your goal. How? There are software programs that already contain the nutritional information for well over 10,000 ingredients used in kitchen. The better programs can also provide good and reliable analysis of the nutritional content of any recipe. Furthermore, they allow you to make your own menu, a set of recipes tailored to your special needs. From this set of dedicated favorite recipes, you can make a daily, weekly or monthly plan. The better software programs will allow you to analyse these plans and menus for their nutritional value; you can even analyse a whole monthly menu. This enables you to correct or perfect your diet. Superior dietary management can be that critical element that will enable you to halt or reverse coronary heart disease, control your glycemia if you are diabetic, lower and control your cholesterol or achieve weight loss and maintain a healthy weight. For people with hypertension, diet is also critical in lowering high blood pressure. The present article will suggest means by which you can achieve these goals using computer software. We will do so with both the Cook'n (by DVO) and the Mastercook (by ValueSoft) software platforms.
One's own computer can turn out to be a very powerful tool in managing health improvement plans. It can be that important tool that will help you achieve your goal. How? There are software programs that already contain the nutritional information for well over 10,000 ingredients used in kitchen. The better programs can also provide good and reliable analysis of the nutritional content of any recipe. Furthermore, they allow you to make your own menu, a set of recipes tailored to your special needs. From this set of dedicated favorite recipes, you can make a daily, weekly or monthly plan. The better software programs will allow you to analyse these plans and menus for their nutritional value; you can even analyse a whole monthly menu. This enables you to correct or perfect your diet. Superior dietary management can be that critical element that will enable you to halt or reverse coronary heart disease, control your glycemia if you are diabetic, lower and control your cholesterol or achieve weight loss and maintain a healthy weight. For people with hypertension, diet is also critical in lowering high blood pressure. The present article will suggest means by which you can achieve these goals using computer software. We will do so with both the Cook'n (by DVO) and the Mastercook (by ValueSoft) software platforms.
Contents of Article
>> 1 - Abstract / Introduction
>> 2 - Nutritional Guidelines
>> 3 - Setting Nutritional Goals
>> 4 - Consulting your MD or RD
>> 5 - Choosing the Ingredients
>> 6 - Analysis of your recipe
>> 7 - Comparing for safety
>> 8 - Making a meal plan, a daily or weekly menu
>> 9 - Your menu, your recipe book
Category : Nutrition Information on Foods and Health Guidelines
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Category : Nutrition Information and Health Guidelines for Weight Loss and Weight Control
Nutrition And Weight Control 2007: Johns Hopkins White Papers (Johns Hopkins White Papers)
By Lora Brown Wilder; Sc.D.; M.S.; R.D.; Lawrence J. Cheskin; M.D.
By Lora Brown Wilder; Sc.D.; M.S.; R.D.; Lawrence J. Cheskin; M.D.
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Click on picture to learn more
Disclosure:This ad space is sponsored by hM, the purchase of the above, contributes to keep hM going and keep membership free for everyone
Disclosure:This ad space is sponsored by hM, the purchase of the above, contributes to keep hM going and keep membership free for everyone
Disclosure:This ad space is sponsored by hM, the purchase of the above, contributes to keep hM going and keep membership free for everyone
Category : Cookbooks - Nutrition guidelines and recipes for Heart Health -
"The Cleveland Clinic Healthy Heart Lifestyle Guide and Cookbook"
The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center
The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center
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Disclosure:This ad space is sponsored by hM, the purchase of the above, contributes to keep hM going and keep membership free for everyone
Encyclopedia of Foods
By UCLA Center for Human Nutrition
By UCLA Center for Human Nutrition
Category : Nutrition Information on Foods and Health Guidelines
Category : Cookbooks - Nutrition information and healthy recipes for diabetics
"The American Diabetes Association Diabetes Cookbook"
by The ADA
by The ADA
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2 - NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES, necessary for your successful long-term planning
When it comes to one's health condition, nothing ought to be done carelessly. A prudent approach would consist in first making sure that you are using the best information possible regarding health and balanced nutrition. In as much as possible, try to use information coming from the most reliable and trustworthy of sources. Fad or trendy diets advertisements or "miracle cure" ads do not generally qualify as accurate information on nutrition. "FlyByNite Snake-Oil-Peddlers Inc" won't be there to honour their money-back warranty on their miracle program. Why not go with the best and time-proven information sources.
When it comes to one's health condition, nothing ought to be done carelessly. A prudent approach would consist in first making sure that you are using the best information possible regarding health and balanced nutrition. In as much as possible, try to use information coming from the most reliable and trustworthy of sources. Fad or trendy diets advertisements or "miracle cure" ads do not generally qualify as accurate information on nutrition. "FlyByNite Snake-Oil-Peddlers Inc" won't be there to honour their money-back warranty on their miracle program. Why not go with the best and time-proven information sources.
You can get excellent information regarding nutrition guidelines, FREE, from sources such as:
I- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the USDA. You can download, for free, their "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" by clicking on the image on the left.
II- The American Dietetic Association Nutrition Guidelines (See link at end of this paragraph)
III- The American Diabetes Association Nutrition Guidelines (See link at the end of this paragraph)
IV- The American Heart Association Guidelines (See link)
V- The Mayo Clinic (See link)
VI- The Cleveland Clinic (See link)
VII- The Harvard School of Medicine or The Harvard School of Public Health (See Link).
On a long-term basis, you will need such guidelines to establish your nutritional goals and monitor your performance.
I- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the USDA. You can download, for free, their "Dietary Guidelines for Americans" by clicking on the image on the left.
II- The American Dietetic Association Nutrition Guidelines (See link at end of this paragraph)
III- The American Diabetes Association Nutrition Guidelines (See link at the end of this paragraph)
IV- The American Heart Association Guidelines (See link)
V- The Mayo Clinic (See link)
VI- The Cleveland Clinic (See link)
VII- The Harvard School of Medicine or The Harvard School of Public Health (See Link).
On a long-term basis, you will need such guidelines to establish your nutritional goals and monitor your performance.
3 - SETTING YOUR OWN NUTRITIONAL GOALS
Nutritional goals will vary from one individual to another. While one great chef may want "ze creme brulee" to be laden with plenty of fat, the cardiac or diabetic patient may wish for a very low-fat content. The hM Editor would urge its readers to become as knowledgeable as possible in the matters pertaining to their own particular condition. This knowledge will enable you to set up goals regarding:
I- Your carbohydrate intake goals: the type of carbohydrates, the quantity and the frequency of intake,
II- Your protein intake goals,
III- Your fat intake or rather your dietary fat reduction goals, cardiacs, diabetics and patients with high cholesterol have special dietary needs when it comes to total fat and trans or saturated fats. Talk with your MD or RD.
IV- Your phytonutrients (fruits and vegetables) intake goals.
V- Your vitamins and minerals (sodium, potassium, iron, zinc and calcium) intake goals.
VI- Your goals for dietary fiber intake.
Nutritional goals will vary from one individual to another. While one great chef may want "ze creme brulee" to be laden with plenty of fat, the cardiac or diabetic patient may wish for a very low-fat content. The hM Editor would urge its readers to become as knowledgeable as possible in the matters pertaining to their own particular condition. This knowledge will enable you to set up goals regarding:
I- Your carbohydrate intake goals: the type of carbohydrates, the quantity and the frequency of intake,
II- Your protein intake goals,
III- Your fat intake or rather your dietary fat reduction goals, cardiacs, diabetics and patients with high cholesterol have special dietary needs when it comes to total fat and trans or saturated fats. Talk with your MD or RD.
IV- Your phytonutrients (fruits and vegetables) intake goals.
V- Your vitamins and minerals (sodium, potassium, iron, zinc and calcium) intake goals.
VI- Your goals for dietary fiber intake.
4 - CONSULTING your MD or RD
Coronary heart disease patients or diabetic patients would be well advised to enquire with their physician or registered dietitian regarding their nutritional goals. Do not take chances; caring for heart disease or diabetes is not exactly a game. Professional supervision is very highly recommended. People wishing to lose weight should also make sure their diet is balanced and provides all the nutrients necessary for the maintenance of good health.
Coronary heart disease patients or diabetic patients would be well advised to enquire with their physician or registered dietitian regarding their nutritional goals. Do not take chances; caring for heart disease or diabetes is not exactly a game. Professional supervision is very highly recommended. People wishing to lose weight should also make sure their diet is balanced and provides all the nutrients necessary for the maintenance of good health.
5 - CHOOSING YOUR INGREDIENTS for a healthier recipe.
If you are a new user of either the MasterCook or the Cook'n software programs, you may first want to HAVE SOME FUN by literally PLAYING with the software features, as if it were a video. This is the fastest and most pleasant way of learning about what your new program can do for you. The first step would be to either load or create a recipe you a certain NOT to use, ever. Then click on every possible option and voluntarily meke a mess of the recipe. The reason for choosing a meal you dislike is that if you happen to mess it up and accidentally replace the original one in the database, it won't matter. Note that both the Cook'n and MasterCook software programs already know about the nutritional content of over 10,000 ingredients. You can even enter the data for your favorite brand in the database, using the info from the nutrition facts panel on the package.
If you are a new user of either the MasterCook or the Cook'n software programs, you may first want to HAVE SOME FUN by literally PLAYING with the software features, as if it were a video. This is the fastest and most pleasant way of learning about what your new program can do for you. The first step would be to either load or create a recipe you a certain NOT to use, ever. Then click on every possible option and voluntarily meke a mess of the recipe. The reason for choosing a meal you dislike is that if you happen to mess it up and accidentally replace the original one in the database, it won't matter. Note that both the Cook'n and MasterCook software programs already know about the nutritional content of over 10,000 ingredients. You can even enter the data for your favorite brand in the database, using the info from the nutrition facts panel on the package.
6 - NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS of your recipes or daily, weekly and even monthly menus.
7 - COMPARING YOUR RECIPES with equivalent recipes by health and nutrition professionals, for safety
8 - MAKING, Entering a MEAL PLAN, a DAILY MENU, WEEKLY, MONTHLY or even a YEARLY MENU
9 - CREATING MENUS from Your Special Recipe Book
From The
hM DIRECTORY
to Nutrition and Dietary Guidelines
BOOKMARK
this page or add to FAVORITES
for easy retrieval when needed
hM DIRECTORY
to Nutrition and Dietary Guidelines
BOOKMARK
this page or add to FAVORITES
for easy retrieval when needed
The next step will be to discover and become familiar with those features that concern the ingredients. Again hM suggests starting by creating a new recipe that you will mess up and play with. Look for the "Ingredient List" feature in MasterCook, There is a similar function in Cook'n. Note that in the Cook'n platform, entering ingredients in recipes or recipes in menu and meal plans is either automatic or "drag and drop". Cook'n is also a newer platform and is a bit like a greyhound, it is fast. You may want to explore the behavior of the beast a little longer.
In MasterCook, the nutritional value of the ingredient is displayed in the middle of the screen, with Cook'n the appropriate interface screen will display the values on the right. Try entering different ingredients in your recipe. Say you first try it with too large an amount of butter and then try it with a small amount of canola oil instead. By clicking on the analysis icon or menu bar selection, you will see how the recipe turns to be either health-friendly or health-hostile.
Try the same with carbohydrate rich and then protein rich ingredients. Look again at your doctor's or registered dietitian's recommendations, you have just given yourself a way to adjust your recipe very precisely to those values required for the benefit of your own health condition. The more you will PLAY with your new software, the more fun it will be and the healthier will your future recipes be.
In MasterCook, the nutritional value of the ingredient is displayed in the middle of the screen, with Cook'n the appropriate interface screen will display the values on the right. Try entering different ingredients in your recipe. Say you first try it with too large an amount of butter and then try it with a small amount of canola oil instead. By clicking on the analysis icon or menu bar selection, you will see how the recipe turns to be either health-friendly or health-hostile.
Try the same with carbohydrate rich and then protein rich ingredients. Look again at your doctor's or registered dietitian's recommendations, you have just given yourself a way to adjust your recipe very precisely to those values required for the benefit of your own health condition. The more you will PLAY with your new software, the more fun it will be and the healthier will your future recipes be.
Both recipe software programs let you add chosen recipes to either daily, weekly to monthly meal plans. You can also view how precisely you are doing in terms of nutritional intake for that period. Doing this is no harder then clicking or dragging and dropping. Again, hM recommends you first PLAY with a BOGUS menu or meal plan to become familiar with the features provided by your software program. Then do the same with recipes and meal plans that you are likely to be yours.
Once you have done this, just click on the analysis icon or appropriate line in the menu or SubMenu bar. The nutrition facts panel will appear and display the content of your recipe or menu.
Once you have done this, just click on the analysis icon or appropriate line in the menu or SubMenu bar. The nutrition facts panel will appear and display the content of your recipe or menu.
hM assumes that your ultimate purpose is to create a set of recipes that are tailored to your very special needs. hM assumes you will start with dishes that you love eating. Once you have created or edited a recipe, you will certainly want to include it in your own cookbook. A wise approach would be to compare the nutritional value of a serving from your recipe to the nutritional value of a similar and equivalent recipe conceived by a health or nutrition professional. Cardiac patients, diabetic patients, Hypercholesterolemic patients and healthy weight seekers have different requirements. Compare caloric intake, fat and carbohydrates intake, protein and fiber intake with an equivalent recipe from a specialized cookbook or website. If need be, acquire some authoritative specialized cookbooks suited to your condition or bookmark reliable websites that feature suitable recipes. When browsing through such cookbooks and Websites, try to discover why they do things the way they do. You will be amazed at how much you can benefit from being curious.
DISCLOSURE: The links shown on the left lead to the hM Bookstore, for every book purchased, hM receives 4 pennies for every dollar.
DISCLOSURE: The links shown on the left lead to the hM Bookstore, for every book purchased, hM receives 4 pennies for every dollar.
from the hM DIRECTORY
It does not matter whether you are using the MasterCook software platform or the Cook'n software, you can analyse the total nutritional value of whatever goes into your mouth in a day, week, month or even a year. Go to the "planner" section of your software and experiment (play) with the feature. It is as easy as click (MasterCook) or "drag and drop" (Cook'n).
Start by entering dishes for a single meal and then try entering dishes for a daily menu and so forth.
This feature will enable you to tailor and monitor your food intake over a selected period of time and ensures it matches your own very special needs.
Start by entering dishes for a single meal and then try entering dishes for a daily menu and so forth.
This feature will enable you to tailor and monitor your food intake over a selected period of time and ensures it matches your own very special needs.
After you have created a new recipe or edited an old family favorite so that it satisfies your special health requirements, you may want to store them in a special cookbook. You will have noticed that both MasterCook and Cook'n store their recipes in different cookbooks according to categories. Create a new cookbook of your own that you may call something like "My Heart-Friendly Cookbook", "My Diabetic-Friendly CookBook" or whatever name you deem appropriate. This is quite easy to do: click on CookBooks and then on "New" in the menu bar. Give it a name and you now have a folder where you can store your special healthy recipes.
After you have gathered a sufficient number of those recipes adapted specifically to your health needs, it will be very easy and fast to create a weekly or daily menu that satisfies your needs and, most importantly, assists you in reaching your health improvement goals. All you will have to do is open a menu in the planner and click on or drag and drop dishes from your recipe book. Your daily or weekly menu will be composed and already analysed.
After you have gathered a sufficient number of those recipes adapted specifically to your health needs, it will be very easy and fast to create a weekly or daily menu that satisfies your needs and, most importantly, assists you in reaching your health improvement goals. All you will have to do is open a menu in the planner and click on or drag and drop dishes from your recipe book. Your daily or weekly menu will be composed and already analysed.
Category : Recipe / Cooking Software - with extensive Nutritional Analysis and Meal Planning features
Disclosure:This ad space is sponsored by hM, the purchase of the above, contributes to keep hM going and keep membership free for everyone
Cook'n for Diabetes,
complement to main recipe software,
.
complement to main recipe software,
.
Cook'n Healthy and Hearty,
complement to main recipe software,
.
complement to main recipe software,
.
(This selection of CookBooks is from the hM Bookstore, please read disclosure immediately on the right)
Mastercook Nutition Panel
Cook'n Nutition Panel - on the right hand side of recipe display
Cook'n Panel - Nutrition Facts
Cook'n, Dragging and Dropping Recipes in Menus
hM strongly recommends using the information and healthy recipes provided on this website under the professional supervision of your doctor or registered dietitian . Whether you are seeking to improve your general health, reverse heart disease, control diabetes or your weight, always assume that getting professional advice from your MD or RD is best. Ngbeditor
heartMonitron's healthy recipes
The hM Nutrition Journal contains articles and recipes relative to Cooking Methods and Food Selection for the Improvement of Health, Management of Heart Disease, Type 2 Diabetes, High Cholesterol, and the Maintenance of a Healthy Weight / including Computer Assisted Diet Planning and Nutrition Analysis
Using Mastercook or Cook'n for Health, How to make Healthy Recipes, Menus and Meal Plans
hM Health Care Video Selection: "MyPyramid Menu Planner" with Dr. Brian Wansink MD. Source of health Video: United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).