by Eliza Sterling

Creating wholesome and delicious meals are an integral part of your journey towards better health and weight management. The secrets to achieving this are hidden in clever choice of ingredients and smart cooking methods. Strive to regulate your fat intake within 30-35% of your daily 2,000 calorie quotient, which translates to 600-700 calories.

Substitute oil frying with smarter techniques like roasting or grilling. This not only lowers your added fat intake, but also allows the fat content of the food to trickle away during the cooking process. Adjust your cooking methods to maintain the delectable flavors while enhancing the healthfulness of the home-cooked meals. Read ahead to uncover more about these smart culinary techniques.

7 Nutritious Cooking Techniques

1. Steaming: Place food items in a perforated container situated over simmering fluid, or use an electric food steamer or a microwave. You can infuse your steamed food with flavors by seasoning the steam liquid. Best suited for vegetables, fish fillets, and poultry.

2. Stir-frying: This Asian technique involves swift stirring of small, uniformly cut food pieces in a wok or a non-stick frying pan with a tiny amount of oil or cooking spray. The trick here involves persistent stirring at a high temperature.

3. Grilling: Direct heat exposure ensures rapid cooking under the grill. For healthier options, place your meat or oily fish on the wire rack for the fat to drip down to the bottom. Smaller pieces such as chopped vegetables can be grilled in foil or long-handled grill baskets to prevent slipping.

4. Poaching: This gentle process involves simmering ingredients in enough water, broth, or juice until they are fully cooked and tender. Best used for eggs, fish, and chicken. For the best results, use a pan proportional to the size of the food and make sure that it has a secure lid.

5. Braising: For this method, first bask your meat in the sizzling flavor by frying it in a small portion of oil on high heat. Then, immerse the meat in a small measure of water or broth, cover it, and let it slow-cook in the oven. The leftover cooking fluid can make a flavorful, nutrient-rich sauce.

6. Baking: Besides desserts and bread, you can bake seafood, lean meat, vegetables, and fruits. The dry air in your oven accumulates around your food, cooking it evenly. Keep the temperature between 150°C and 180°C.

7. Roasting: Similar to baking, but performed at higher temperatures with quicker cooking time. Suitable for cooking meat and vegetables. If you prefer lean meat, make sure you use a rack inside the roasting pan so the fat can drip down. Regular basting will stop your meat from drying out.

Take your healthful cooking to the next level with these ingredient swaps for lesser calories without compromising on taste:

1. Replace olive oil with sunflower oil – While cooking, use just a small amount of a polyunsaturated oil like sunflower or grapeseed instead of the unstable monounsaturated oils like olive oil and avocado oil.

2. Swap sugar for stevia – Stevia, a natural sweetener derived from plants, inducing minimal calories.

3. Choose Gruyère cheese over cheddar cheese – While cheese enriches your dishes with flavor, it’s also high in sodium and saturated fat. Opt for more robust tasting cheese like Gruyère or Parmesan than cheddar. Use lower fat ricotta for a creamy effect without the fat.

4. Trade salt for lemon juice – To avoid raising your blood pressure, simulate the saltiness using a squeeze of lemon juice instead.

5. Substitute butter with avocado – Make your sandwiches healthier by using mashed avocado or natural yogurt as a spread instead of butter.

6. Exchange breadcrumbs with oats – Oats are a great alternative to breadcrumbs to coat your fish or chicken with fiber. Coat these in a whisked egg, then roll in finely grounded oats. Place these on parchment paper and bake until cooked and crispy.

7. Replace pasta with vegetables – Make vegetable alternatives to spaghetti using a julienne knife or peeler. The choice to do so will ease up on your caloric intake and will ensure your five-a-day.

8. Swap couscous for quinoa – Instead of couscous made of the same cracked durum wheat as pasta, go for healthier grains like bulgar wheat, barley, and protein-rich quinoa.

Include these health-promoting spices to give a flavorful punch to your dishes: Paprika, Ginger, Turmeric, Saffron, and Cinnamon.

So, ladies, switch up your cooking style and ingredients, and navigate your journey toward a healthier lifestyle with more confidence and delight!

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