With a constant stream of con!icting information about nutrition and health in general, it can be a challenge to discern which foods really do form a healthy diet, let alone how to prepare them into delicious dishes that can be prepared without too much time, fuss, and expense. 5 Easy Steps to Healthy Cooking offers the solution. Vastly different from a diet book, this simplified, five-step approach to healthy eating is holistic and flexible. What you will find in this book is healthy cooking from a very different perspective: because this is first and foremost, a cookbook, not a diet book, it begins and ends with enticing, easy-to-prepare recipes that make the five principles simple and doable. The Five Principles are: Choose Fresh, Whole Foods; Eat Mostly Vegetable and Fruit-Based Foods; Opt for Healthy Fats & Proteins; Select Superfoods (Nutrient-Dense Foods); Eat More Whole Grains. These recipes incorporate the five principles and will help you build your own perfect diet: Quinoa-Cashew Power Balls, Spicy, Crispy Roasted Chickpeas, Tuna and Asparagus Frittata; Soba with Shrimp, Lime and Cilantro, Braised Baby Bok Choy, Ants on a Log Sandwiches, Spicy Salsa Joes; Thai Curry Pumpkin Soup, Sweet Potato Bisque with West Indian Spices, Mesclun Salad with Dates and Goat Cheese. The actions and choices we make at the market, in our kitchens, and around the dining table can affect our health (for better or for worse) and are the most powerful steps we can take toward well-being. And remember no one food can make you healthy on its own - aim instead for a varied and balanced diet. The diversity of these recipes in this collection offers ways to enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods throughout the day.