Preparing meals at home can save you calories and improve the nutritional quality of your diet. You can still enjoy flavorful, satisfying meals without consuming excessive amounts of unhealthy saturated fats, sodium and added sugars. Adopting specific strategies and using the right kinds of ingredients makes healthy cooking easy.
Ingredients
Cooking healthy food begins with the right ingredients. Keep pantry essentials, such as olive oil, balsamic vinegar, canned beans, spices, brown rice, whole wheat flour and whole grain pasta, on hand. Your shopping list should also include fresh fruits and vegetables and lean meats, such as fish, white-meat poultry, pork tenderloin and extra lean beef. Non-fat or low-fat dairy products, such as cottage cheese, plain yogurt and skim milk, add calcium to your diet and are essential ingredients in healthy baking.
Strategies
Stick to cooking techniques that add minimal fats. Roast, broil or grill meats. Add flavor to meats with healthy marinades made with citrus, vinegars, mustards and fresh herbs. Steam or roast vegetables and instead of dousing them in butter or cheese sauces, add a sprinkle of toasted nuts or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Cook grains in water or broth and season with chili powder, diced tomatoes, thyme or onions and garlic. When baking, use pureed fruit, such as mashed bananas or applesauce, in lieu of half of the butter or oil. Other healthy baking techniques include replacing lard or shortening with canola oil, sour cream with plain yogurt and whole eggs with egg whites.
Considerations
Even if you are short on time, skip processed convenience foods, such as high-sodium seasoning packets, meal kits, frozen dinners and canned soups. Use shortcuts, such as pre-cut vegetables or fruit from the produce section, plain frozen vegetables, low-sodium broth, canned diced tomatoes and boil-in-the-bag brown rice. Bags of washed lettuce, whole wheat rolls, couscous, low-sodium pasta sauce and shredded low-fat cheese are other quick ingredients that may be part of a healthy meal.
Misconceptions
Healthy eating may lead to better nutrition, but it will not necessarily induce weight loss. Portion sizes are one of the main reasons people gain weight, says the Cleveland Clinic. Even if you are cooking healthy, nutritious meals, be aware of how much food you are eating.
Meal Ideas
For a healthy, hearty dinner, marinate flank steak in soy sauce and garlic and then grill to the desired degree of doneness. Serve thinly sliced with mashed potatoes made with boiled Russet potatoes, 1 percent milk and a bit of olive oil and a salad made with romaine lettuce, shredded carrots and sliced cucumber dressed with a dressing made from lemon juice, olive oil and Dijon mustard. Roasted chicken breast served with a homemade salsa made with diced fresh peaches, jalapeno, red onion and sliced grape tomatoes and brown rice is another healthy, tasty option.
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