You don’t have to eliminate all the foods you enjoy in order to cook more healthfully. Essentially, many foods are very healthy. It’s the cooking techniques that turn them into a recipe for disaster.
Cooking methods aren’t all created equal. In its natural form, most food is loaded with vitamins and essential nutrients. But most of the nutrients will be cooked away if you don’t prepare it properly. So how can you cook delicious food while retaining all of the essential vitamins and nutrients?
Heart healthy cooking is really quite simple. There’s no need to spend time looking for special recipes. There are many ways that you can cook your favorite foods in a heart healthy manner. These techniques let you retain the flavor and nutrition of food without the need for excessive amounts of fat or salt.
Here are some tips that can help you turn your meals into healthy, wholesome food that your whole family will enjoy.
One way to cook food in a healthy way is by using Asian stir fry techniques. With stir fry, small pieces of food are cooked in a large wok or a non-stick frying pan. Try using a variety of vegetables and slivers of lean meat. Add your favorite sauce or seasonings.
You only need a small amount of oil to make a stir fry. Since the food is constantly being tossed around, it doesn’t have a chance to stick to the pan. When it’s finished, add some rice or pasta and you’ll have a complete, healthy meal.
Another simple change you can make for healthier cooking is by cooking meat on a rack in a roasting pan. As the fat and juices drip away from the meat, the rack keeps them at the bottom of the pan. This way, your meat isn’t soaking in all of its fats and juices while you cook it. To keep your meat moist and full of flavor, baste it with wine or lemon juice instead of using the drippings.
You could also try changing the way you cook vegetables. Many people tend to overcook them, thereby destroying most of the nutrients. And often they make the situation worse by slathering on excessive amounts of butter and salt. If you learn to cook vegetables properly, you’ll find there’s no need to cover up the taste with salt and fat.
When you cook healthfully, your goal should be to eat the foods you love and not feel like you’re being deprived. It doesn’t require any special equipment or a whole new set of cookbooks. All you need to do is make some simple changes to the way you prepare your food.
Ashley writes for the Cooking Site. Check out her latest post about books on preserving food.