(BPT) – If you are like many Americans, you can’t get enough of those mouth-watering cooking shows where professional chefs whip up delicious meals in the span of a 30-minute show. How do they do that – and how can you replicate their cooking finesse in your own kitchen?

For starters, they have most of their ingredients measured and ready ahead of time, “magically” shaving time off their meal-prep demonstrations. What trips up many home cooks is timing. They get started on a recipe and one of the ingredients gets overly browned or over-cooked while waiting for the next ingredient to be ready to go into the dish.

Relying more on canned foods, which come pre-cleaned, chopped and cooked, and easily portioned, can help you quickly assemble delicious and nutritious meals like the pros. Think of them as your personal prep kitchen. But, as evidenced by a recent consumer survey, Americans are unsure of the benefits canned foods bring to the table.

The fact is many professional chefs, accomplished home cooks and registered dietitians regularly incorporate canned ingredients into their recipes, so you can feel confident doing so as well. Consider these five key facts about canned foods.

1. Canned food is filled with important nutrients, including fiber, protein, and vitamins and minerals essential for a healthy diet. Yet, less than half (42 percent) of Americans surveyed realize the nutrients in canned food count toward meeting the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s dietary recommendations.

2. Research shows canned foods offer comparable nutrients often at a lower cost than their fresh or frozen counterparts, particularly when waste and prep-time are considered. Additional research demonstrates that recipes prepared with canned ingredients rated the same or better in terms of taste and nutrition compared to those using fresh or frozen ingredients.

3. Canned food contributes less than 1 percent of the sodium in consumers’ diets and there are more no-salt added, low- and reduced-sodium options on grocery shelves than ever before. A quick drain and rinse can further reduce sodium content by 41 percent.

4. Canned foods are considered minimally processed foods. After being cleaned, peeled, chopped and trimmed, as necessary, foods are cooked in the can to lock in nutrients and flavor.

5. Steel cans are strong, tamper resistant and feature an airtight seal to help guard against foodborne illness and contamination. In addition, steel cans are the most recycled food package.

So, the next time you are inspired to experiment like a pro, using recipes such as these tuna and black bean lettuce wraps, plan to work in a few canned ingredients to ensure you have plenty of time to enjoy the company of the family and friends gathered around your table.

To learn more about the facts about canned foods and discover more great recipes featuring canned ingredients, visit http://www.Mealtime.org/Myths.

Tuna and Black Bean Salad Wraps

Ingredients:

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (11 ounces) tuna in olive oil, drained

3/4 cup fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped, or canned diced tomatoes

1/3 cup finely chopped red onion

1 tablespoon minced Serrano peppers

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper, to taste

6 large butter lettuce leaves

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine beans, tuna, tomatoes, onion, peppers, oil and lime juice. Toss gently, being careful to keep tuna in bite-size pieces. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. Add parsley and cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Spoon tuna salad into lettuce leaves. Fold up leaves and eat taco style. Serves 6.

Nutritional Information Per Serving:

Calories 270; Total fat 17g; Saturated fat 2.5g; Cholesterol 15mg; Sodium 200mg; Carbohydrate 14g; Fiber 5g; Protein 18g; ; Vitamin A 25%DV*; Vitamin C 20%DV; Calcium 4%DV; Iron 10%DV * Daily Value

Courtesy of BPT

(BPT) – Outdoor living spaces cry out for an eco-friendly touch. Whether you’re adding a patio, updating a deck or livening up your landscaping, the last thing you want to do is harm the environment. Greener decorating and building practices can help you protect and pay homage to Mother Nature while creating a space where you’ll enjoy the beauty of the outdoors.

If you’re planning some outdoor decorating or renovating this summer, here are some tips to make your exterior living spaces green and inviting:

Eco-friendly construction materials

For many homeowners, decks and patios are key elements of outdoor living spaces. If you plan to add either this summer, be sure to look for environmentally friendly materials like natural stone or responsibly harvested wood. When choosing wood, look for products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FCS) as having been harvested following sustainable principles that minimize the impact on the environment. If you’re building a patio, choose reclaimed brick or stone pavers that have been recycled from other installations. If you can’t find reclaimed pavers, look for natural stone that’s been quarried locally or bricks that have been locally produced to minimize the energy spent on transporting the products.

The Sierra Club recommends you seek a deck builder that is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified by the U.S. Green Building Council. These builders will have advanced knowledge of eco-friendly practices.

Icing the cake

The accessories – furniture and decor items – that you add to your outdoor environment should be as green as possible, too. Choose patio and deck furniture made from eco-friendly materials, such as recycled plastic (but avoid anything that contains PVC), reclaimed wood or FCS-certified wood. Rehabilitating older iron or wood furniture is also a great way to achieve a singular look while keeping those items out of landfills.

Opt for decor items that minimize their impact on the environment while providing maximum impact on how great your space looks. For example, a wallpaper mural can create an eye-catching focal point and set the tone for your outdoor room. Yet traditional mural painting can be expensive and traditional wallpaper can involve less-than-eco-friendly paste. A removable wallpaper mural creates a striking visual in outdoor spaces without the need for paste or glue. Murals Your Way offers a high-end product that can be moved and reused hundreds of times without losing adhering qualities. Plus, it clings to virtually any flat surface, including glass. You can choose from a myriad of graphic patterns, nature scenes and other images, or have the company produce a custom mural from your original photograph or artwork. Learn more at http://www.muralsyourway.com.

Continue the eco-friendly theme with lighting for your deck and patio. It’s easy to find a variety of solar-powered accent lights online and in home improvement stores across the country. You can even find decorative post caps for your deck railing that are solar-powered. Solar lights create a soft glow at night and provide accent illumination without the expense – and carbon impact – of electric power.

Finally, as you’re landscaping, keep sustainability in mind. By choosing plants native to your region, you not only minimize the transportation impact involved in getting the plant from the production point to point-of-sale, you can also ensure they’ll require less watering and work to thrive.

Plants native to your environment are pre-disposed to do well in your backyard. Be sure to choose plants that will do well in your particular setting, too. For example, if your backyard is very shady, plant greenery that requires less sun. If your yard gets a lot of sun throughout the day, choose plants that can stand up to hours of sunlight without the need for extensive irrigation. Check with your local agricultural extension to find out what plants will do well in your environment. The U.S. Department of Agriculture provides a free online listing of extensions throughout the country.

Courtesy of BPT