Tips For Healthy And Low Calorie Cooking
Achieving a healthy and balanced diet, which allows us to take care of our health and figure, at first glance seems like a difficult mission. However, many nutritionists have found that it is possible to achieve it, as long as we are constant with the efforts. Do you want to learn how to cook healthy and low in calories?
Today, there are many people who are looking for methods to make meals healthier than in their traditional form. Fortunately, a wide variety of tips have been shared to help you achieve this goal. In the following space we share the best ones.
Why is healthy cooking important?
It is necessary to know how to cook to be able to get the most out of food, because you have to eat yes or yes, and it is also convenient to do it in the healthiest way possible. Healthy cooking has to do not only with the ingredients we use, but also with the way we cook them.
It is important to know what is the healthiest way to prepare each food, starting from the idea that there are
certain nutrients that, such as vitamins, are very delicate and require our care not to be destroyed, both at the time of preparation and in the cooking.
Tricks to cook healthy and low in calories
Cut down on sugar, but don’t give up on sweet
By now, we all know that white sugar has no benefits, but it has also been shown that the brain needs sugar to function properly, since that is where it gets its energy from. To reduce calories in sweets you can do the following:
- Sweeten desserts with healthier alternatives, such as: birch sugar, maple syrup, stevia, coconut or whole cane sugar.
- Avoid juices with added sugars and opt for natural soft drinks or natural juices and smoothies reduced with ice or with sugar-free vegetable milks.
Cut down on fat, but don’t give up on flavor
Reducing calories does not imply eliminating fats either, as the body needs them to a certain extent. Of course, they must be of the so-called “good” fats, in moderate amounts.
- Avoid fried foods and gradually opt for lighter alternatives, such as preparing French fries in the oven or in the microwave.
- Swap traditional mayonnaise for yogurt sauces, homemade low-fat mayonnaise, or any hummus recipe.
- Try to add the oil last when you cook vegetables on the grill, as some such as zucchini or aubergine absorb a lot and are heavy. On the other hand, if they are cooked in a good non-stick pan with a little extra virgin olive oil, once they are roasted, they will be even richer.
- Choose the leanest pieces of meat, remove the visible pieces of fat and when cooking, choose to prepare the food on the grill or cook it in fat-free broths.
Remember that trans fats are associated with worse health, as stated by research published in the journal Cardiology . It is necessary to minimize its consumption.
Swap red meat for chicken breast
Reducing the amount of red meat in your diet and in recipes is a good option to stay healthier. You can reduce the consumption of red meat by increasing the chicken breast or lean boneless turkey. This will remove some calories and a lot of fat from your daily meals.
Avoid prepackaged foods
Foods that are prepackaged or prepackaged are loaded with sugar, sodium and unhealthy fats, and the portions can be over the top for your body. Try to limit the use of these products and replace them with fresh, homemade foods whenever possible. Experts recommend limiting the consumption of ultra-processed foods due to their health implications.
Learn healthy cooking methods
In general, the culinary techniques that contribute less fat to food are more suitable : water (cooked or boiled, steam, poached), sautéed, iron, oven and foil. Consume moderately fried, battered, breaded, stews and stews (defatting in cold improves their conservation and nutritional quality).
Healthy cooking to reduce the risk of getting sick
There is a Healthy Eating Guide that, in addition to helping to better select foods, allows you to choose the right portions or access sample menus. It also offers a chapter on how to cook food, respecting times and explaining safer and healthier culinary techniques.
On the other hand, to make the food more appetizing , condiments such as aromatic herbs and spices can be used instead of salt. Remember that excessive salt intake is associated with cardiovascular disease, fluid retention, and kidney problems.
