Eating healthy isn't simply a matter of choosing the right foods; how you prepare and cook those foods matters, too. Finding healthy cooking solutions doesn't have to be difficult, however. A wide range of methods and techniques can be used to bring out the best in the meals you serve to your family.
Importance
According to the CDC, in 33 of the 50 U.S. states, at least 25 percent of the population qualifies as obese. Using healthy cooking techniques to prepare nutritious foods can help ensure that you aren't part of that group. In addition to keeping weight in check, preparing foods in a healthy way also reduces the risk of disease, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, neurodegenerative disease and cancer.
Goal
One goal of healthy cooking is to avoid excess saturated fat, total fat and sodium. Methods such as deep frying not only add extra fat to your food, but also introduce oxidized fats, produced by high heat, which can be harmful to health. Another consideration when cooking healthy is to try and avoid empty calories--foods with little nutritional value in comparison to their calories. Refined products such as refined sugar and white flour add little nutrition to your food and should be avoided whenever possible.
Methods
The healthiest cooking methods include baking, broiling, roasting, poaching, grilling, steaming, microwaving and stir-frying with a small amount of healthy oil. Healthy oils include those with monounsaturated fats, such as canola oil, or polyunsaturated fats, such as safflower and sunflower oil. Instead of adding salt while cooking, use herbs, spices or other seasonings instead. Hot pepper, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, ginger, Parmesan cheese, cinnamon, basil, thyme and curry powder are all tasty alternatives to salt that can be used in a variety of dishes.
Food Choices
Choose cuts of meat that contain less fat to begin with to minimize the amount of fat in your meals. Red meat and pork labeled "loin" or "round" tend to be leaner than other cuts. Remove as much fat as you can from meat and remove the skin from chicken before cooking it. Opt for fish or vegetarian meals as often as possible to further improve your diet. When a recipe calls for dairy products, such as milk, cheese or yogurt, opt for low-fat or fat-free versions.
Considerations
Different foods are at their best when different methods are used to cook them. The beta-carotene in carrots is activated when they are boiled, but boiling foods high in vitamin C can cause a rapid loss of this nutrient. The type of pot or pan used to cook the food may also matter because materials from the vessel may leach into the food during cooking, such as iron transferring to the food cooked in a cast-iron pot.
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