Top 3 Foods to Make from Scratch (for Health Benefits)

The top three foods to make from scratch that will increase the health benefits certainly includes at least one fermented food. If store-bought, the fermented food won't give you as many health benefits. Most fermented foods sold in stores need to be pasteurized to some extent. Unfortunately, this process will kill some of the healthy bacteria. Making fermented food at home is easy fun and provides an enormous amount of health benefits.

Lower Sugar & Additives

Other foods on this top three list are any premade foods that may be high in sugar or have a number of additives and preservatives. If a food label has a long list of ingredients that you can’t pronounce it’s usually not a good sign. It means the health promoting qualities of the food is low.

Foods You Eat Often

Another factor to think about is the amount of certain foods that your family consumes. If there is something you and your family eat every day that is a prepackaged food , that would be a great place to start learning how to make it from scratch. Foods we consume regularly should be as close to a whole food as possible. The top three foods I make from scratch for the best health benefits at home are very easy to make, and don’t take that much time, only a little preplanning. Here is my list.

Top 3 Foods to Make from Scratch

#1 Any type of Fermented Food

Homemade fermented foods have a much higher quantity of probiotics then store bought fermented foods. This is why at least one fermented food is on my top three list of foods to make from scratch. I actually make several fermented foods regularly. Choose 1 of these 3 recipes to try to start making yourself and it will increase your health benefits immensely. I recommend trying kombucha, dairy-free kefir, or sauerkraut for your first ferment. Visit the links for detailed instructions on how to make each of those recipes.

#2 Cashew Milk (or any nut milk)

Homemade cashew milk or any nut milk, is a quick recipe to make yourself. This post shows you exactly how to make it. The reason why it made my list of top three foods to make from scratch is because many nut milks in the store have undesirable ingredients. Some ingredients may be harmful to the gut such as carrageenan or other emulsifiers or thickeners. Homemade nut milk only takes 2 to 3 ingredients to make. I like making cashew milk because it doesn't require you to strain out any pulp like you do with almond milk. It's also higher in fat and very creamy. It works well in baking, pouring over granola or cereal, or for making dairy free kefir.

#3 Salad Dressing

Making homemade salad dressing might seem like an extra chore, but once you get into it, it becomes quite fun. You may find that the pre-made dressings in the grocery store can be limited flavors. Grocery store salad dressing unfortunately is mostly made with unhealthy oils. These oils include linoleic acid such as canola or sunflower oil. They are incredibly inflammatory and cause an otherwise healthy food to become not so healthy.

Preferred oils to put in your own homemade salad dressing are olive oil and avocado oil. Both olive and avocado oils are mild flavor and taste great on any salad. You do need to be cautious when shopping for these oils because they have become highly adulterated. Try to purchase olive oil directly from the source and look for the label that has the California Olive Oil certification. Avocado oil can also be cut with other oils so be careful when reading labels. Choose avocado oil from trusted brands. Most salad dressings also aren't made with Organic ingredients. You can upgrade the health factor of your dressings when you make them yourself with all organic ingredients at home. One of my favorites recipes is this one Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing Recipe. For something a little bit different try our orange vanilla salad dressing recipe.

The hardest part about me recipes is planning ahead. If you're interested making a salad and you don't have time to make salad dressing of course you will go with the easy store bought often.

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