The healthy cooking tips thread
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Shadowsan
Posts: 365 Member
Thought it might be a good idea to provide healthy ways of cooking foods for people who are curious. These tips should help:
* Preserve the nutrients and colours in veggies. Cook them quickly by steaming or stir-frying, or microwaving.
* Use herbs, vinegar, tomatoes, onions and/or fat-free or low-fat sauces or salad dressings for better health, especially if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
* When you cook once, make it last longer by preparing enough for a few other meals. Freeze it and have a ready-made meal for the next time you're too tired. Also this can save money on the basis of buying in bulk.
* Prepared seasonings can have high salt content and increase your risk for high blood pressure. Replace salt with herbs and spices or some of the salt-free seasoning mixes. Use lemon juice, citrus zest or hot chilies to add flavour.
* If you have to use flour or have grain-based products (bread, etc), use whole-grain variants.
* Another way to decrease the amount of fat and calories in your recipes is to use fat-free milk or 1% milk instead of whole or reduced-fat (2%) milk. For extra richness, try fat-free half-and-half or evaporated skim milk.
* Kitchen towel is your friend. Make use of it whenever you are cooking anything that has a higher fat content. If you have to have a burger or a sausage for example, cook it via a grill, then once done slice in half and put on kitchen towel, get another piece of kitchen towel and press down, squeezing out and absorbing a fair bit of the fat from it. This tip also applies to barbecues - if you're at a barbecue, ask for some kitchen towel/napkins to help reduce the amount of fat intake. Obviously this doesn't mean you can eat loads, be just as controlled as normal - but it makes when you do eat them slightly less bad for you.
* Also, a george forman grill is also your friend here.
* Choose the reduced or low-fat version of a food if possible – for example milk, cheese, yoghurt, salad dressings and gravies.
* If you need to use oil, try cooking sprays or apply a small amount of oil with a pastry brush.
* Cook in liquids (such as stock, wine, lemon juice, fruit juice, vinegar or water) instead of oil.
* Use low-fat yoghurt, low-fat milk, evaporated skim milk or cornflour instead of cream in sauces or soups.
* When browning vegetables, put them in a hot pan then spray with oil, rather than adding the oil first to the pan. This reduces the amount of oil that vegetables absorb during cooking.
* An alternative to browning vegetables by pan-frying is to cook them first in the microwave, then crisp them under the grill for a minute or two.
* Don’t automatically add salt to your food – taste it first.
* Add a splash of olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice close to the end of cooking time or to cooked vegetables – it can enhance flavours in the same way as salt.
* Reduce your use of soy sauce, tomato sauce and processed sauces and condiments (for example mayonnaise and salad dressings) because they contain high levels of salt. Some manufacturers now make low-salt/sugar variants - if you can live with them, try these.
* Avoid added oils and butter; use non-stick cookware instead where possible.
Feel free to add your own tips here
* Preserve the nutrients and colours in veggies. Cook them quickly by steaming or stir-frying, or microwaving.
* Use herbs, vinegar, tomatoes, onions and/or fat-free or low-fat sauces or salad dressings for better health, especially if you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
* When you cook once, make it last longer by preparing enough for a few other meals. Freeze it and have a ready-made meal for the next time you're too tired. Also this can save money on the basis of buying in bulk.
* Prepared seasonings can have high salt content and increase your risk for high blood pressure. Replace salt with herbs and spices or some of the salt-free seasoning mixes. Use lemon juice, citrus zest or hot chilies to add flavour.
* If you have to use flour or have grain-based products (bread, etc), use whole-grain variants.
* Another way to decrease the amount of fat and calories in your recipes is to use fat-free milk or 1% milk instead of whole or reduced-fat (2%) milk. For extra richness, try fat-free half-and-half or evaporated skim milk.
* Kitchen towel is your friend. Make use of it whenever you are cooking anything that has a higher fat content. If you have to have a burger or a sausage for example, cook it via a grill, then once done slice in half and put on kitchen towel, get another piece of kitchen towel and press down, squeezing out and absorbing a fair bit of the fat from it. This tip also applies to barbecues - if you're at a barbecue, ask for some kitchen towel/napkins to help reduce the amount of fat intake. Obviously this doesn't mean you can eat loads, be just as controlled as normal - but it makes when you do eat them slightly less bad for you.
* Also, a george forman grill is also your friend here.
* Choose the reduced or low-fat version of a food if possible – for example milk, cheese, yoghurt, salad dressings and gravies.
* If you need to use oil, try cooking sprays or apply a small amount of oil with a pastry brush.
* Cook in liquids (such as stock, wine, lemon juice, fruit juice, vinegar or water) instead of oil.
* Use low-fat yoghurt, low-fat milk, evaporated skim milk or cornflour instead of cream in sauces or soups.
* When browning vegetables, put them in a hot pan then spray with oil, rather than adding the oil first to the pan. This reduces the amount of oil that vegetables absorb during cooking.
* An alternative to browning vegetables by pan-frying is to cook them first in the microwave, then crisp them under the grill for a minute or two.
* Don’t automatically add salt to your food – taste it first.
* Add a splash of olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice close to the end of cooking time or to cooked vegetables – it can enhance flavours in the same way as salt.
* Reduce your use of soy sauce, tomato sauce and processed sauces and condiments (for example mayonnaise and salad dressings) because they contain high levels of salt. Some manufacturers now make low-salt/sugar variants - if you can live with them, try these.
* Avoid added oils and butter; use non-stick cookware instead where possible.
Feel free to add your own tips here
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Replies
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If you're baking stuff like cookies, muffins, cupcakes, or brownies, using apple sauce as an oil substitute reduces the calories and fat content by a very considerable amount.0
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Flax Seed as an egg replacement-
Use 1 Tablespoon of finely ground flax seeds and 3 tablespoons of water (or other liquid) in place of an egg.
"Flax seeds are mucilaginous. That means that when they get wet, they form a thick jelly-like coating around the seed to protect it and keep it wet for germination. Ground flaxseed turns into a thick jelly like mass with the same consistency as an egg. When used in many recipes (baking mostly) ground flaxseed performs the same role as an egg in providing cohesion to the recipe, and its amazingly good for you."
Brown flax seeds are a little healthier choice0 -
Sugar In most baked goods you can reduce the amount of sugar by one-half; intensify sweetness by adding vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon0
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In the vein of preparing your own seasonings rather than purchasing seasoning packets so you can control sodium, here's a recipe for homemade taco seasoning. I found it on the forums here, but can't recall who posted it.
Seasons 1lb ground meat
1 tablespoon chili powder (you can buy hot chili powder if you want it spicy)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper0 -
Sugar In most baked goods you can reduce the amount of sugar by one-half; intensify sweetness by adding vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon
Cinnamon and Vanilla are awesome!
Only like nutmeg sparingly though hehe.
Good tips all - keep 'em coming 0 -
If you typically replace whole eggs with egg whites, you have probably found that this results in baked goods that do not "crown" properly.
EggBeaters will still create the "crown" you want on baked goods, and so will two egg whites and one whole egg.0 -
I use banana baby food instead of butter in banana nut bread. It comes out moist and more banana-y.
For a pizza craving get the big portabella mushroom caps..scoop them out to make a little bowl fill with sauce veggies cheese and meat if desired. Soo yummy. For a veggie one its usually 120 cals or less.
Substitute ground turkey for ground beef in recipes0 -
I use banana baby food instead of butter in banana nut bread. It comes out moist and more banana-y.
For a pizza craving get the big portabella mushroom caps..scoop them out to make a little bowl fill with sauce veggies cheese and meat if desired. Soo yummy. For a veggie one its usually 120 cals or less.
Substitute ground turkey for ground beef in recipes
I love the stuffed mushroom option. Nom
Also, when it comes to pizza-like stuff - pitta bread is a good base too. 0 -
:flowerforyou:0
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bump :flowerforyou:
Also, instead of eating dried candied fruit buy the freeze dried kind. There is no added sugar in them.
They also make great additions to homemade granola or trail mix.0 -
Instead of tortilla chips use wide slices of bell pepper to scoop salsa.
The peppers go really well since the flavor is already in the salsa usually and you still get a crunch when you bite down.0 -
Bump0
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Awesome thread!!!!=))0
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I'm just going to say that you need fat in your diet. Firstly, it's important in regards to the fat soluble vitamins that you get from vegetables.
If you are not consuming fat with vegetables, you are not getting the full amount of vitamins that these provide from them. Therefore, suggesting low-fat or fat free dressing is counterintuitive. Instead of using sodium laden store bought dressings, instead try making your own. Olive oil and vinegar with seasonings is excellent.0 -
Bump (holy thread revival batman!)
Brown rice is your friend.0 -
Bump (holy thread revival batman!)
Brown rice is your friend.
Unless you prefer white.
http://www.details.com/blogs/daily-details/2013/06/health-is-brown-rice-really-better-than-white-rice-myth.html0 -
As someone who cooks a lot these are mostly awful, none more than
"If you have to have a burger or a sausage for example, cook it via a grill, then once done slice in half and put on kitchen towel, get another piece of kitchen towel and press down, squeezing out and absorbing a fair bit of the fat from it"
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As someone who cooks a lot these are mostly awful, none more than
"If you have to have a burger or a sausage for example, cook it via a grill, then once done slice in half and put on kitchen towel, get another piece of kitchen towel and press down, squeezing out and absorbing a fair bit of the fat from it"
I cried a little
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Use lettuce instead of taco shells. You still get the crunch.
Worst tip I tried was to rinse mince under hot water when cooked to reduce fat. It washed away the flavour and was terrible.
I cant see anything wrong with trying to reduce fat from sausages and hamburgers, some are disgustingly high in fat.0 -
Use lettuce instead of taco shells. You still get the crunch.
Worst tip I tried was to rinse mince under hot water when cooked to reduce fat. It washed away the flavour and was terrible.
I cant see anything wrong with trying to reduce fat from sausages and hamburgers, some are disgustingly high in fat.
Lol0
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