Video 2: Tips To Stay Healthy by Cooking (Pashto) 

Welcome to Afghan Dastarkhwan: Eating Healthy on a Budget in the United States
Today we will learn tips to stay healthy in America by cooking more at home.
People new to the United States may be tempted to buy prepackaged and microwaveable food because it is so easy and quick to cook.
However, this food is often more expensive and has lower nutritional value.
Additionally, many pre-made foods sold at grocery stores have additives or artificial ingredients that have been shown to be bad for your health like coloring and preservatives.
Additives
Additives are any additional ingredients added to processed food that make food more attractive like artificial coloring, or chemicals added to make the food stay fresh longer.
Cooking at Home
One way to eat healthy on a budget in the US is to Eat Traditional Afghan Foods.
Afghans often eat and cook at home which saves money.
Afghan food also gets much of its rich flavor from spices which can be inexpensive when purchased in bulk.
Many recipes allow for substitutions of different meats or vegetables which means families can find ingredients that are on sale or less expensive.
Many Afghan recipes also use rice which can be purchased in bulk or bread which can be made at home so it is less expensive.
Traditional Afghan food has lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy spices, and a balance of meats, vegetables and starches.
Afghan food is healthy and also tastes great!
Cooking recipes from home also helps families carry on rich cultural traditions like those of Rabia’s aunt and grandmother.
In fact, foods like Shorba are not only rich in flavor and tradition, they are also healthy and feed a lot of people for a little amount of money.
Cooking Soup
Cook soup as a healthy and cheap one-pot meal
Soups are healthy because they have a lot of liquid, nutrients and can have many options of meat (protein) and or vegetables.
Soups also can be inexpensive to make and can feed a lot of people or have leftovers that can be eaten the next day - making them an inexpensive meal!
You may have your own family soup recipe that has been passed from generation to generation.
Be sure to keep these traditional recipes alive by cooking them in the United States and teaching them to the next generation.
Remember, Afghan food traditions are healthy, inexpensive, and save money!
Be sure and watch all the videos in our video series on eating healthy on a budget in the US.