Healthy Cooking

Healthy Cooking

Healthy Cooking leads to weight loss (increase fiber)
Blood Sugar Control (decrease sugary foods)
Reduce Risk of Diabetes (increasing complex carbohydrates)
Decreased Risk of Heart Disease (decrease fat)
Decreased in Cancer Risk (increase fruits and vegetables)
Support Brain Health (increase vitamins and minerals)
Cooking Healthy
Improves mood
Boost energy
Improves longevity

Healthy Cooking Methods

Baking-Besides breads and desserts, you can bake seafood, poultry, lean meat, vegetables and fruits.
For baking, place food in a pan or dish, covered or uncovered. Baking generally doesn’t require that you add fat to the food.

Braising involves browning the ingredient first in a pan on top of the stove, and then slowly cooking it partially covered with a small quantity of liquid, such as water or broth. In some recipes, the cooking liquid is used afterward to form a flavorful, nutrient-rich sauce.

Poaching-Gently simmer ingredients in water or a flavorful liquid, such as broth or wine, until they’re cooked through and tender. The food retains its shape during cooking. For stove-top poaching, choose a covered pan that best fits the size and shape of the food so that you can use a minimal amount of liquid.

Roasting-Like baking, but typically at higher temperatures, roasting uses an oven’s dry heat to cook the food. Roast foods on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan. For poultry, seafood and meat, place a rack inside the roasting pan so that the fat in the food can drip away during cooking. To maintain moisture, cook foods until they reach a safe internal temperature but don’t overcook them.

Sautéing quickly cooks relatively small or thin pieces of food. If you choose a good-quality nonstick pan, you can cook food without using fat. Depending on the recipe, use low-sodium broth, cooking spray or water in place of oil.

Searing quickly browns the surface of food at a high temperature, locking in flavor and adding a crusty texture to meats and other proteins. Heat a pan on high heat and use a small amount of oil for a golden crust. Finish cooking with another cooking method such as braising or roasting.

Steaming-One of the simplest cooking techniques is steaming food in a perforated basket suspended above simmering liquid. If you use a flavorful liquid or add seasonings to the water, you’ll flavor the food as it cooks.

Stir-Frying-A traditional Asian method, stir-frying quickly cooks small, uniform-sized pieces of food while they’re rapidly stirred in a wok or large nonstick frying pan. You need only a small amount of oil or cooking spray for this cooking method.

Healthy Cooking With New Flavors

Fresh herbs. Choose herbs that look bright and aren’t wilted, and add them toward the end of cooking.
Dried herbs. Add pinches of dried herbs in the earlier stages of cooking. But avoid prepackaged seasoning mixes because they often contain a lot of salt.
Dried mustard. Used sparingly, dried mustard adds a zesty flavor while cooking.
Vinegar or citrus juices. Add them at the last moment. Vinegar is great on vegetables, and citrus works well on fruit such as melons.

Marinades. Try a low-fat marinade for foods that you broil, grill or roast. To make your own marinade, use 1 part oil to 2 parts vinegar or citrus juice, and add herbs and spices as desired.
Fresh hot peppers. Remove the membranes and seeds first, and then finely chop the peppers. A small amount goes a long way.
Dried vegetables and fruits. Some vegetables and fruits — such as mushrooms, tomatoes, chilies, cherries, cranberries and currants — have a more intense flavor when dried than when fresh. Add them when you want a burst of flavor.

Healthy Cooking With Reduce Sugars

Reduce it bit by bit. Start by cutting back to three-quarters the amount the recipe suggests. Then halve it. With a gradual reduction, you’ll find yourself getting used to the new way that the baked items taste.
Substitute the sugar. Another great way to reduce sugar intake is to substitute it with something as tasty. Some choices include: Stevia
Spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice, etc.)
Fruit puree
Syrups, such as maple, rice or agave
Honey
Artificial sweeteners (you’ll need to know if they can be baked though)
Fresh fruit, berries, or sweet vegetables.

Keep Reducing Sugar
Increase the flour. Use this to make up the missed volume of sugar. For most recipes this will work but you do need to experiment.

Be careful of reducing sugar in recipes using yeast. Yeast requires the sugar to activate. If you can discern how much sugar the yeast needs and set that aside and only fiddle with the rest of the sugar, that’s ideal. If not, experiment with daring, and you’ll discover by trial and error what does and does not work.

Reconsider any sugar based toppings for baked goods. Icing sugar, granular sugar, fine sugar, etc., are all still sugar and adding them to your freshly baked goods can increase the sugar overload. Find topping substitutes that are healthy, such as fresh fruit, spices like cinnamon, or sugar-free grated chocolate. Or why not just leave it bare?

For more information on healthy cooking please contact us.