what makes a good meal

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What makes a good meal

A good meal is one that has the desirable qualities which distinguish it from ordinary meals (American Heritage Dictionary . Therefore , a good meal should be tasteful , healthy and nicely served . This includes proper selection of ingredients , food preparation , cooking , garnishing and presentation and considering the time and environment of the meal

Making a good meal starts by selection of ingredients . Always select canned and dried food first . Cans should be intact i .e . no bulging

leaking or dentations . Sell-by date should be looked for in every purchase . Dry food (e .g . spices ) should be well contained or enveloped (air-tight ) to keep the flavor and aroma . The second purchase is for fresh vegetables and green herbs (e .g . parsley , green beans . Green vegetables should be vividly green with no yellow patches on leaves . The package should be uniform with no other herbs included . Finally refrigerated food , poultry , fish or meat are the last to be selected Any purchase that is felt worm to touch or packed in a leaking package should be discarded . Once at home , preparation of the meal starts by proper handling . The main objective is to prevent a possible food poisoning that may result from growth of bacteria . Therefore , always keep the food in the refrigerator till its use , keep every thing clean (utensils , hands , towels , cutting boards ) and do not allow juices of fish , poultry or meat to reach readily prepared other ingredients Marinating serves the purpose of tenderizing the meat so it cooks faster and become juicier . The basic elements of a marinade are a mixture of vinegar and /or lemon juice , a finely chopped onion , herbs and spices Additional elements are added according to what is marinated are yogurt or wine for poultry , olive oil for fish and Soy sauce for meat . Spices (the dried parts of aromatic plants except the leaves ) can be hot as dried hot chilies , black or white pepper or ginger or they can be mild as dry coriander . Fresh herbs (basil , mint , parsley ) and spices serve to change basic foods into flavored ones . The best marinating methods is to put the marinade and the ingredient in a nylon bag , mix well then squeeze to get the air out , tightly seal and put in the fridge for 2-4 hours . A good delicious meal does not necessarily mean that it should be unhealthy . A report released by the American Heart Association , the American Cancer Society , the American Academy of pediatrics and the National Institutes of Health stated six rules for a healthy diet namely

A variety of food , mostly of plant origin should be included . A meal is to include starch in the form of bread , rice , pasta or cereals . A meal is to have low fat content 30 of the of sugars should be kept to a minimum and women are particularly encouraged to consume low fat dairy products to combat osteoporosis (Tanne , 1999

Cooking methods are many...