Added sugar in your diet contributes calories without additional nutrients, while too much sugar may increase your risk for obesity, high triglyceride levels and tooth decay. Sugar substitutes may be healthier alternatives to added sugars if you want sweet foods; xylitol and stevia are two popular options.

It’s not rare to find bugs or rice weevil inside your rice packet. The bugs can get there in either of two ways. Sometimes they are already inside the packet when you buy it. This is common, as the bugs lay eggs in the crops, and when these are harvested, the eggs end up in the package.

Making homemade raspberry extract uses the same technique as making raspberry-infused vodka except you repeat the process several times to concentrate the flavor.

Brining salmon before cooking intensifies its natural flavor and allows you to infuse additional flavors into the fish. For a traditional wet brine, submerge the salmon in a water, salt and sugar solution, along with any additional seasonings you prefer. Or dry-brine, or cure, the salmon in a salt and sugar mixture.

Eggplant as a stand-alone dish doesn't respond well to freezing. With porous, spongy flesh combined with natural tannins, you inevitably end up with a thawed piece of mushy vegetable matter with a bitterness that overtakes its nuanced flavor. But prepared eggplant dishes like baba ghanoush can handle it.

Ham and bean recipes are versatile and inexpensive. If you find yours is too runny, you have several options for making it thicker. Try adding breadcrumbs, cream or pureed vegetables to make a heartier ham and beans. If you don't have any extra ingredients, you can add a vegetable-based starch.

Alaskan cod is a white fish that is high in vitamin A and vitamin D. It has a mild flavor and a firm texture. It is also very low in fat, calories and cholesterol as well as high in protein. A 4-ounce serving of Alaskan cod yields 90 calories, 0.5 grams of fat and 20 grams of protein.

Shake ‘N Bake is a packaged coating for chicken and other meats. The mixture adds crispiness and flavor to the meat before baking for a quick meal. The basic directions instruct users to dip the chicken or other meat into water before placing them in a bag of crumbs and shaking.

Toasting gives oats a nuttier flavor and decreases the cook time for oat varieties that cook more slowly, such as steel-cut and pinhead. You can use toasted oats in place of regular oats in breakfast cereals as well as recipes such as granolas, cookies and as the topping for crisps.

When warming previously cooked fish, remember to reheat it low and slow to avoid overcooking and strike a good balance between temperature and moisture.

Olive oil and lemon are used individually as health and beauty remedies and, in combination, for a variety of conditions and health complaints. Olive oil is a natural oil derived from the olive fruit.

You can cook two things in the oven at the same time as long as they cook at the same temperature or you pay close attention. Oven temperatures are set to achieve dual objectives: heating food all the way through so it is appealing and safe, and achieving effects such as drying and crisping.