Today, the hardest part of cooking healthily is trying to find the truth among the myriad of conflicting information about nutrition that we are given. Cooking healthily is a very important decision that will allow you to prevent some chronic diseases and dysfunctions, as well as make you feel and look your best. One of the secrets to cooking healthily is to return to natural foods, using fresh products and preferring the right proportions of healthy foods such as fruit and vegetables.
Steps
Method 1 of 6: Include Fruit in your Diet
Natural fruit is already delicious, but finding surprising ways to incorporate it into your recipes will give you the ability to both add nutritional value to what you eat and express your creativity.
Step 1. Use fresh, locally produced and seasonal fruit
Cook with citrus fruits in spring, berries in summer, apples and squash in autumn. A food prepared in full freshness has unparalleled taste and nutritional value.
Step 2. Avoid adding sugar
Instead, choose natural substitutes to give more flavor to the fruit in your recipes. For example, you can serve baked apples with soft yogurt, cinnamon, walnuts and dried cranberries; or you can add balsamic vinegar to strawberries to release their natural sweetness.
Step 3. Don't forget the juices and nuts
Juices and dried fruit, when used in moderation, are a healthy addition to many dishes. Prepare dishes such as Moroccan chicken with prunes to increase the fiber intake, or use freshly squeezed orange juice to add an extra touch to salad dressing.
Step 4. When cooking, use fruit puree instead of fat
Apple puree is an excellent substitute for vegetable oil for the preparation of muffins and bread. You will just have to do some research to calculate how much fat you can substitute for fruit in your recipes, consider that fruit can make your dishes moist and soft in the same way as fat, but without getting your hands greasy, so it's worth it.
Method 2 of 6: Add the Vegetables
One of the fundamental skills in the arsenal of healthy cooking is to prepare vegetables in such a way as to make them delicious, without eliminating the nutritional properties during cooking. Tasteless, overcooked vegetables will never entice you to add more vegetables to your diet.
Step 1. Buy fresh, seasonal vegetables
Asparagus, spinach, and scallions are best in spring. Many vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini and Swiss chard are delicious in the summer. Tubers like squash bring warmth to your fall table. And if you live in a warm climate, one of the options is to grow vegetables in your garden to choose to plant the ones you prefer and always have them fresh.
Step 2. Choose healthy cooking methods when preparing vegetables
Burning vegetables in butter, cooking them with animal fats or drowning them in oil adds a lot of calories without adding any nutritional value. Try steaming or roasting with a drop of olive oil to obtain nutritious preparations and delicious.
Although too much fat is not beneficial, adding little vegetable fat such as olive or peanut oil to your vegetables (such as leafy greens, broccoli and Brussels broccoli) help your body absorb more nutrients
Step 3. Don't forget that another option is freezing
Freezing seasonal vegetables and storing them for future use is an easy way to get the taste of freshly picked vegetables all year round. For quick dishes, choose organic, frozen and ready-to-use vegetables from your grocery.
Method 3 of 6: Choose the Whole Wheat
Before, to choose from a wide range of whole grain products, many customers stopped off at organic and natural food stores. Now, healthy and delicious whole foods are available in almost every supermarket.
Step 1. Avoid refined carbohydrates
For example, try to replace white bread with wholemeal or rye bread. Moreover, since it was introduced on the market, wholemeal pasta is qualitatively better.
Step 2. Use creativity to cook with whole grain products
For example, add barley to beef stew or prepare wholemeal pilaf rice with filleted almonds and dried fruit.
Step 3. Try new foods
Learn to cook with quinoa, spelled or couscous to alternate them with rice and pasta.
Method 4 of 6: Select the Right Proportions of Healthy Protein
In many families, a thick feta of meat dominates the dinner. By choosing healthier proteins and the correct portions you can enjoy protein dishes without taking risks.
Step 1. Go for proteins with a high value of omega-3 fatty acids
Foods like salmon and omega-3-enriched eggs are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients help with proper brain function and cardiovascular health.
Step 2. Don't forget that there are high protein foods other than meat
You can eat protein portions that are low in calories and high in fiber, such as beans or tofu. Cut some tofu into pieces and add it to a soup or prepare enchiladas with beans and cheese by serving them with rice instead of meat.
Step 3. Pay attention to the portions
A good rule of thumb is to remember that one serving of protein is roughly equivalent to a deck of cards. Generally, a piece of meat or other types of protein should not exceed the width and thickness of the palm of your hand.
Method 5 of 6: Include Healthy Dairy Products in Your Diet
Calcium and Vitamin D are essential nutrients, but many dairy products provide a large dose of fat at the same time. By learning to choose low-fat dairy products, but without losing taste, you will be able to enjoy the benefits of dairy products without adding fat.
Step 1. Learn to cook with low fat dairy products
In many recipes, cream or whole milk can be replaced with low-fat or skim milk. Be careful when baking, you should choose dairy products with a reduced fat content rather than completely fat-free ones.
Step 2. Be more versatile with yogurt
Yogurt is delicious plain, but plain yoghurt can also be served in soups or used for marinating meat. For example, salmon served with a yogurt, lemon and dill sauce allows you to create an elegant and very nutritious dish. Look for Middle Eastern and Indian culture foods and be inspired to find other ways to cook with yogurt.
Step 3. Focus on flavor instead of quantity when cooking with cheese
If you buy a tasty and high quality cheese, you can use less of it and, at the same time, give more flavor to your dishes. Grate some pecorino cheese on the pizza and add less mozzarella, or put small pieces of Gorgonzola in the salad in place of a large amount of less flavorful cheddar.
Method 6 of 6: Use Healthy Fats Strategically
Healthy fats are important, both for health and for a sense of satiety. Use healthy fats in moderation; but don't completely eliminate them from your diet because they are important.
Step 1. Choose oils and fatty foods that are low in saturated fat
Olive oil and rapeseed oil are the healthiest oils you can use in the kitchen. Other oils, such as peanut and seed oils, are also healthy choices. Cook fatty fish like salmon or mackerel instead of beef. Avocado is also an excellent source of healthy fats.
Step 2. Avoid unsaturated fats
You find them in foods that have been hydrogenated for better storage at room temperature. These fats are universally considered bad for your health, and they hide in places you don't know. Before breading the chicken in breadcrumbs, check the package for unsaturated fats. Also, avoid using margarine and fat as much as possible.
Step 3. Remember that quality can reduce quantity
Investing in an excellent olive oil for cooking allows you to give more flavor to your dishes even using small quantities. Another option is to choose a creamy European butter: the intense flavor will allow you to use up to a third less.
Advice
- Organic ingredients are more expensive, but go for them whenever you can afford it. Cooking healthily means, in part, avoiding using fruits and vegetables that have been treated with pesticides or meat from animals that are unnaturally fed or kept in poor condition.
- Every now and then everyone needs to cook a treat. Serve sugary treats on special occasions, make a red velvet cake for the holidays or a plate of cookies for a pre-birth party. Make sure you don't eat too many throughout the day and cook sweets rich in sugar no more than twice a month.
- If you want your kids to choose healthy foods, teach them how to cook them. Research carried out by the School Food Trust has revealed that children between 4 and 8 who attend basic cooking classes are better at recognizing and consuming healthy foods than other peers.
