7 Healthy Ways to Cook Food
There are numerous ways to cook food such as frying, boiling, steaming, grilling, and many others. However, not all of these ways of cooking are healthy cooking methods. Healthy cooking methods are those that can preserve most of the nutrients present in vegetables, meat, spices, and other ingredients. They are the best methods to use when cooking food because they allow you to maximize the nutritional value of food.
7 Healthy Cooking Methods
1. Boiling – This is one of the healthy cooking methods to cook vegetables and meat. It is one of the simplest cooking methods as well and does not require much attention. Boiling involves cooking of food in boiling liquid such as water or milk. With a well-controlled boiling time, you can still retain the nutritional value as well as the natural color of vegetables. It is also ideal for cooking tougher meats to make them digestible.
2. Slow Cooking – Slow cooking is another healthy cooking method. Like boiling, it does not use any fats in cooking. However, since it requires an extended amount of time to cook, water-soluble nutrients may be lost in the process. Other nutritional contents could still be salvaged by consuming the cooking liquid together with the meat.
3. Steaming – According to a study by USDA researchers, lightly steaming green vegetables like broccoli increases the ability of these vegetables to bind with bile acids than when they are eaten raw. This in turn lowers the bile acids in the blood. As a result, the body consumes more cholesterol to be more bile, lowering the cholesterol level. Additionally, like other healthy cooking methods, steaming also preserves the vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants, flavor, and aroma in the food.
4. Baking – Baking is a cooking method that is normally used to cook breads, pastries, and cakes. But it can also be used to cook fish, chicken, beef, and other meat products. Foods that are prepared by baking are more flavorful and juicy. Preparing foods that are lower in fat is possible through baking since you can cook food without adding additional oil, butter, or fat. Also, baking reduces the cholesterol level in foods, making it ideal for those trying to lose weight or on a diet.
5. Stir frying – This healthy cooking method is popular in China but is also gaining popularity in other parts of the world. Stir frying involves the quick cooking of vegetables in intense heat while preserving the color, texture, and nutritional value of the food.
6. Sautéing – This cooking method is just like stir frying which uses a moderate amount of fat in cooking food under high heat. However, sautéing takes a longer time to cook and also results in a slight loss in nutritional value. But it is a healthier method compared to frying.
7. Pressure cooking – Although cooking at high heat can lessen the nutritional content of meat, it can be offset by the quick cooking time employed in this healthy cooking method. More amounts of nutrients can therefore be preserved in meat compare to other cooking methods.
The healthy cooking methods listed above are the best options when it comes to preparing vegetables, fish, and meat products. Conversely, the cooking methods that you should avoid as much as possible are grilling, frying, deep frying, and toasting. More nutritional contents in food are lost when these cooking methods are used.