Here are some tips for healthier cooking:
- Always steam or stir-fry your vegetables to preserve all the nutrients. Make sure to avoid cooking at high temperatures or cooking for too long of a time.
- Try using vinegar, tomatoes, onions, herbs, and fat-free or low-fat salad dressings to add flavor to your salad.
- Use your time wisely. Make your healthy meals last longer by preparing enough for several other meals. Freeze it and have a healthy dinner the next time you are too tired to cook.
- Smoothies are simply delicious! Throw a banana, frozen berries, fat-free yogurt or milk, and protein powder into your blender for a quick meal.
- Replace salt and prepared seasonings with herbs, spices, salt-free seasoning mix, lemon juice, hot chiles, citrus zest, and garlic or onion powder.
- Make sure to always choose frozen vegetables over canned, processed, and preserved to help lower your salt intake.
- Lower the fat and calories when making baked goods by using 3 mashed bananas or 1 cup of applesauce in place of butter, shortening, or oil.
- Replace highly-refined all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour, oatmeal, whole cornmeal, or flaxseed meal.
- Use plain, fat-free yogurt, or fat-free or low-fat sour cream in baking recipes. Try to always use lower fat versions of cheeses, salad dressings, and milk.
- Decrease the amount of fat and calories in your recipes by using fat-free milk or 1% milk instead of whole or 2% milk. Try fat-free, half-and-half, or evaporated skim milk.
- Use non-stick cooking spray for grilling or sitr-frying. When using oil, select olive or canola oil.
- Use two egg whites instead of one whole egg or low cholesterol egg products to reduce the fat and cholesterol content of your baked goods.
- Drain off visible fat while cooking. Blot fried foods on paper towels to absorb extra grease, and allow soups to chill before serving so you can skim the fat off the top.