Cooking your own food has become a great alternative these days if you want to stay healthy and fit. Especially in these times that fast foods and restaurants are booming everywhere, it can be tempting to just grab those instant meals, but of course, it is always important to stay healthy and maintain a healthy weight as well.
To help you in cooking your own healthy meals, here are a few healthy cooking tips that can help you in sticking to a really healthy cooking.
1. Choose healthy ingredients.
Go for fresh vegetables and fruits. Organic ones are better choices but if you do not have access to organic vegetables, make sure that you thoroughly wash them with running water especially leafy vegetables.
2. Choose a healthier way of cooking your own food.
Grill, bake, roast, steam, or microwave foods. Instead of deep frying, you can also stir-fry. Also choose methods of cooking that can retain the color, the flavor as well as the nutrients of the vegetables and other ingredients.
3. Try some healthier alternatives to fat and foods high in cholesterol.
You can also find organic spices and other healthier choices. Avoid processed foods as much as possible. Always check the label of processed foods if you can't get away with buying one. You can also find alternatives to meat. Soya protein,
4. Use Olive oil or Canola oil for your frying needs.
You have to be aware of the different types of cooking oil and make sure that you know which among them is the healthier choice. Consider how much unsaturated fats they contain. The more unsaturated fat, the more unhealthy is your cooking oil.
5. Cut down on sodium or salt.
Although you may need to add salt to season your recipe, find other substitutes such as herbs and other natural spices and cut down on your salt. Salt can be unhealthy especially those who are overweight and those who have problems with their blood pressure. Check the labels of processed foods, as you can always determine if the salt content is high, but of course, one good thing you can do is to eliminate the high-sodium ingredient and substitute it.
6. Opt for the low-fat ingredients.
If you can't totally get rid of fat in the ingredients such as butter or milk, choose those with less fats. You can also improvise on a recipe to help you avoid spending more and avoid you in using fats for your recipes. Of course, one good suggestion for you is to eliminate those ingredients with high fat content. You can also modify your recipe to get rid of those unhealthy ingredients.
7. Opt for whole grains rather than those highly refined products.
Among the variety of grains that you can use are brown rice, barley, wheat, oatmeal and rye. If you are buying pastries, also check out if they are made from these whole grains.
8. Follow low-fat cooking practices as much as possible.
Stir fry instead of using the deep frying techniques. Trim the fatty part of the meat before trying to cook it as well.
