Cooking healthily does not need becoming a gourmet chef or purchasing pricey gear. Basic culinary skills may be used to make healthful meals.
Saturated fats may be reduced by utilising healthy cooking practises. Take, for example, the fact that many frying fats, such as butter and lard, are rich in saturated fats.
Adults should consume no more than 10% of their total daily calories from saturated fat. For a 2,000-calorie diet, this implies no more than 200 calories from saturated fat per day (approximately 22 grammes). By moving to roasting, you not only avoid adding fat to the dish, but you also enable any fat in the food to seep away.
Without adding excessive quantities of oil or salt, the healthy-cooking techniques discussed here best capture the taste and keep the nutrients in foods. Make frequent use of them while preparing your favourite foods.
Baking
You can bake fish, poultry, lean meat, vegetables, and fruits in addition to breads and pastries. Place food in a skillet or dish, covered or uncovered, to bake. In most cases, baking does not need the addition of fat to the dish.
Braising
Browning the food first in a pan on top of the stove, then gently heating it partly covered with a tiny amount of liquid, such as water or broth, is the process of braising. In certain recipes, the cooking liquid is employed to make a tasty, nutrient-dense sauce afterward.
Broiling and grilling
Food is exposed to direct heat while broiling or grilling. Fat drips away from the meal in both techniques.
Place the meal on a barbecue rack over a bed of charcoal embers or gas-heated rocks to cook outside. Follow the manufacturer's instructions if you have an indoor grill. Use foil or a long-handled grill basket to keep smaller objects from sliding through the rack, such as chopped vegetables.
Place food on a broiler rack under a heat source to broil.
Poaching
To poach meals, gently simmer them until they're cooked through and tender in water or a flavorful liquid like broth or wine. During cooking, the food maintains its form. Choose a covered pan that best suits the size and form of the food for stove-top poaching so that you may use the least quantity of liquid.
Roasting
Roasting employs the dry heat of an oven to cook the food, similar to baking but at a higher temperature. Foods may be roasted in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet.
Place a rack within the roasting pan for chicken, fish, and meat to allow the fat to drain away while cooking. Cook meals until they reach a safe internal temperature, but don't overcook them, to keep the moisture.
Sauteing
Sauteing cooks tiny or thin bits of food in a short amount of time. You can cook without using fat if you use a high-quality nonstick pan. Use low-sodium broth, cooking spray, or water instead of oil, depending on the recipe.
Searing
Searing browns the surface of food fast at a high temperature, locking in the taste and giving meats and other proteins a crusty texture. For a golden crust, heat a skillet on high heat with a tiny bit of oil. Another cooking technique, like braising or roasting, might be used to finish the dish.
Steaming
Steaming food in a perforated basket hanging over a boiling liquid is one of the most basic cooking methods. You may flavour the meal while it cooks by using a delicious liquid or adding spices to the water.
Stir-frying
Stir-frying, a classic Asian technique, cooks tiny, uniform-sized bits of food while rapidly stirring them in a wok or big nonstick frying pan. This cooking technique simply requires a modest bit of oil or frying spray.
Flavoring
One of the finest methods to add colour, taste, and scent to dishes without adding salt or fat is to cook using herbs, spices, and other natural flavourings. Flavor boosters that are good for you include:
- Herbs are in their natural state. Choose herbs that are vibrant and not wilted, and add them at the end of the cooking process.
- Herbs that are dried. At the beginning of the cooking process, add a pinch of dried herbs. Prepackaged spice blends, on the other hand, should be avoided since they frequently include a lot of salt.
- Mustard that has been dried. Dried mustard gives a tangy taste to cooking when used judiciously.
- Citrus juices or vinegar. They'll be added at the final minute. Citrus goes well with veggies, while vinegar goes well with fruit like melons.
- Marinades. For items that you broil, grill, or roast, use a low-fat marinade. To prepare your own marinade, use 1 part oil with 2 parts vinegar or citrus juice, then season to taste with herbs and spices.
- Peppers that are fresh and spicy. After removing the membranes and seeds, finely cut the peppers. A little bit goes a long way.
- Fruits and vegetables that have been dried. When dried, some vegetables and fruits, such as mushrooms, tomatoes, chiles, cherries, cranberries, and currants, have a stronger taste than when fresh. When you want a blast of flavour, toss them in.
