| 7 Easy Things You Can Do Today to Make Your Cooking Healthier |
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| Sunday, 27 November 2011 | |
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The minute we hear "healthy food" most of us brace ourselves for something weird like a tiny dollop of yogurt and fat-free cottage cheese served over raw okra with a nice cool glass of filtered water. Yuk! My husband despises the term "healthy recipe" because to him it means it will taste terrible, it won't fill him up, and it'll probably leave him with buffalo breath. So. . . I don't call them "healthy recipes" anymore, I call them "one of my old favorites" (if it's "old" it's probably delicious, right?) I've also adapted some cooking strategies that work beautifully, yet keep my sweetheart from ever guessing that I'm out to extend his life. So here they are - 7 easy things you can do today to make your cooking healthier. I use these methods every day because they're virtually transparent - my family doesn't even know I've changed anything. As a result we're eating healthier and we're doing it without the complaining! 1. Use Non-Stick Pans Non-stick pans help reduce the amount of cooking oil you need for any recipe. If you're using a non-stick pan you can cut the amount of oil by at least one-half; maybe more. That's a significant reduction, especially when you think how much that adds up to in a year or more of meals. 50% is a lot! 2. Use Healthier Oils. Just say "no" to old-fashioned oils such as shortening, vegetable oil, peanut oil, lard, margarine, or "seed" oils. Make olive oil your #1 choice and canola oil your backup when olive would be too flavorful (cake mixes, for example). Also, use "real" butter (in moderation!) rather than margarine or butter substitutes - it's much better for you and gives way more flavor without having to use very much. I use "unsalted" butter because it tastes more like old-fashioned creamery butter, and when I made the switch my family had no clue. But remember - although you may be using healthy oils like olive and canola, those are still oils and too much is not good for the heart. Use oils - even healthy oils in moderation. 3. Avoid Frying Even with non-stick pans, it's best to avoid frying as much as possible. Learn to use your microwave for more than just thawing or reheating things. Steaming has become a wonderful method for avoiding frying and it preserves nutrients as well. When frying seems to be the only option, try grilling instead. Most things that can be fried can also be grilled, and again - the flavor is great. 4. Processed Foods: Avoid Like The Plague "Processed" foods are foods that have been altered in some way for a variety of reasons, usually to enhance the flavor, to preserve, to make them appear more colorful or appealing, or to enhance the size. Topping the list of "avoid at all costs" are processed meats (hot dogs, lunch meats, ham, bacon, jerky); processed cheeses (often called "cheese food"), artificially-colored foods (bright orange crackers, "cheese" chips, etc) and anything that contains high amounts of preservatives. Unfortunately most canned items fall into this category, as do products listed as "instant". I know it's unrealistic to never eat ANYTHING canned or instant, but just be aware and start making an effort to avoid them. It's getting way easier to make healthy choices, and there are many alternatives to processed foods. As a rule of thumb, choose fresh items whenever possible and when not, choose frozen rather than canned. 5. Whole Wheat and Grains This is a no-brainer for most people by now; just about everybody knows that whole wheats and grains provide fiber, vitamins, and minerals whereas white "balloon bread" as they call it (because it's full of air, mostly) is about like eating white glue. In addition to whole wheat breads and rice (brown rice), try using whole wheat pastas. If your family doesn't like them (they can seem a little heavy if you're used to white pasta) mix them half and half for awhile until you get used to the heavier texture of whole grain pastas. 6. Choose Low Fat When choosing milk, cheese, sour cream, etc. choose "fat free" as often as possible. I have to be honest though, and admit that I do NOT like most fat-free foods because I find them flavorless. If you are in my camp with this one, pick "reduced fat" rather than "fat free" because the flavor is still there but the fat's lower. My husband and I did make the switch to skim milk; it was difficult for about a week and now anything else tastes like whipping cream. 7. Reduce Salt and "Flavoring" A doctor told me recently that salt is every bit as bad for us as fat, and "salt substitutes" are often worse. Our taste for salt is just a habit and by cutting down gradually, it won't be such a stark change. Also - experiment a little. You'll be surprised at how many other flavors can be used to make foods taste just as good, if not better. Fresh lemon juice is amazing in it's salt-like flavor. Sprinkle it on cooked vegetables, fish, meats - - just about anything you usually salt (except popcorn. Ha!) As with fats - picking "reduced salt" rather than "salt free" will ensure there's still flavor but the reduction in salt can be substantial. When you make these 7 easy changes you will be well on your way to healthy cooking. And I'll just bet nobody will notice a difference in flavor. Give it a try. I think you'll be surprised. About the Author: Keyword Tags: Patti Mays, great cooking ideas, healthy cooking, cooking advice, healthy eating tips |
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