Healthy Cooking Tips

Learn the secrets to low fat cooking with our healthy cooking tips.

Choosing the right food is only one part of the equation. How you cook the food is also important. Changing your cooking techniques and replacing ingredients are two easy tips for reducing fat content.

There’s no point using lean meat or chicken if you cook it in a creamy sauce or fry it. Potatoes become very fattening when fried and turned into chips.

Also think about what else is going into the dish. Does the recipe have a lot of butter or sour cream added?

The secret to healthy cooking is to use techniques and ingredients that preserve the flavor of the food without adding extra fat.

Sometimes that can mean a simple substitution. However, not all substitutions work. Recipes developed using full fat cream cheese can end up a lumpy mess if you try to substitute the low fat variety. I can recall a baked cheese cake made with low fat cheese looking like scrambled eggs.

Many recipes have to be completely reworked to make them not only healthy, but also looking something like the original version.

But there are some simple measures you can take to reduce the calories and ramp up the healthy meter using our healthy cooking tips.

Secrets to Healthy Cooking

• Stir-frying requires very little fat and the food cooks quickly, retaining its flavor. Use non stick pans that require little or no oil. Brush the pan with oil, rather than pouring on the oil, to reduce the amount used. Or spray the pans with non-stick cooking spray.

• Grilling meat involves cooking meat over a high heat. Marinating the meat in fruit or wine and herbs before grilling not only tenderizes the meat, but adds another layer of flavor.

• Use a roasting rack when roasting meat. Pour a little water or stock in the bottom of the pan.

• Bake fish in foil with added seasoning and lemon juice.

• When making stews and casseroles, allow to cool, then remove the fat once it has solidified on top.

• Substitute low fat ingredients for the full e.g. cheese, milk, sour cream.

• Use tomato-based sauces instead of creamy ones.

• Use low fat ricotta cheese in cheese dishes.

• Use evaporated skim milk in creamy soups.

• Thicken sauces with pureed vegetables.

• Stews and casseroles can be thickened with lentils or potatoes.

• Stir fry vegetables in a little water and salt-reduced soy sauce.