Now more than ever, people have become increasingly mindful of the things they do in order to keep themselves healthy and to avoid getting sick.
Miko Aspiras, the sought-after chef behind well-known concept restaurants like Le Petit Soufflé and Scout’s Honor, is no exception. To help build his immune system, Chef Miko exercises regularly, takes his vitamins and supplements, and keeps a regular sleep schedule.
1. Use fresh ingredients
Chef Miko also extends these immunity-boosting efforts to the kitchen by choosing ingredients to make all his meals — yes, including dessert – flavorful and nutritious.
“I make sure I know what I eat is real food. I try to be mindful of what goes into my meals and snacks. I try to know the source of each ingredient and the health benefits it can add to my dish,” he told Yummy.ph.
Home bakers can learn a thing or two about creating their own health-friendly desserts from Chef Miko himself:
Chef Miko prioritizes the use of fresh ingredients like fruits, saying that these help increase the overall nutritional value of his dishes.
“Adding fresh fruits on top of pastries, tarts, [and] ice cream can instantly make your dish more nutritious and tasty,” he said.
2. Opt for guilt-free alternatives.
Simple ingredient substitutions can help you make your favorite dishes guilt-free and better for your health. For example, honey instead of sugar; or reduced-fat, skim, or fat-free milk instead of whole milk.
“Open your mind to the possibilities. There are plenty of healthier alternative ingredients in the market nowadays,” Chef Miko said, adding, “Healthy does not mean boring. Experiment and pile on the flavor!”
3. Consider adding grains to your recipes.
One of Chef Miko’s go-to ingredients these days? Grains, or more specifically, oats. Known as a superfood, oats is a natural source of many different nutrients including iron, which helps build immunity, among many other benefits.
“Whether the recipe requires it or not, I just put a dash or a sprinkle [of oats] on my dishes to add more flavor and texture,” he said.
Curious how to use oats? Chef Miko shared his recipe for Quaker Oats Cream Pie, made with Quaker Rolled Oats.
He explained: “Cookie sandwiches are one of my favorite snacks growing up. So I thought of putting a healthy twist to it by adding oats to the mixture to give the plain ol’ cookie sandwich more crispness, nuttiness, and essential nutrients like iron.”
