If your next meal is going to come from a prepackaged frozen box, step away slowly.
Many of us believe the notion that if a meal cooks in under 3 minutes that it’s healthy. WRONG. If cooking you next meal means spending a little more time preparing then so be it. You don’t have to be an accomplished cook to create low-fat, healthful cuisine that tastes great.
We’ve come up with a few cooking techniques for you to try that will have you breaking off your Lean Cuisine relationship immediately. The following are ways to cook your food that are naturally low in fat (because they require little or no oil) and bring out the best flavors:
1. Steaming
This technique is, simply, cooking food in an enclosed environment infused with steam. Steaming cooks and seals in flavor, eliminating the need for added fats during preparation. It also preserves nutrients better than any other cooking method.
Best options: Vegetables such as asparagus, zucchini and green beans, pears, chicken breasts, fish fillets, and shellfish.
2. Stir-Fry
I am a huge fan of stir-fry! It is cooking at a very high heat for a very short time in a nutshell. Because the food cooks so fast, it should be cut into small pieces to ensure every ingredient is cooked through. If you haven’t invested in a wok, I suggest you do so.
Best options: Broccoli, cabbage, eggplant, bell peppers, mushrooms, pork, chicken, shrimp, scallops and tofu.
3. Broiling
This option is probably one of the easiest ways to cook a meal. Broiling cooks by exposing food to direct heat in an electric or gas stove, usually in the bottom drawer of the oven. With the heat being constant while cooking, all you have to do is move the food closer or farther from the heat depending on how you like it.
Best options: Salmon, chicken, Cornish game hen, bell pepper, summer squash, zucchini and onion.
What are your go-to ways of cooking healthy? Share your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter: @LucilleRoberts
