Low fat healthy cooking methods

Healthy cooking methods are those that will retain nutritional value, flavour, texture, and color, and will add little or no fat to the foods you cook, or even take some of the fat away.

Steaming
Steaming is cooking food in a perforated basket over a small amount of simmering water. It is one of the healthiest and simplest options for cooking, great for vegetables and fish. Losses of nutrients are much less with steaming than with boiling. You can flavour the food by adding some seasoning to the water to as it boils.

Broiling
Broiling is cooking food under a direct heat source in the broiler section of an oven. Broiling works great for meat, poultry and fish, as the cooking time is short. It lets some fat from food to drain away into the bottom of the pan.

Baking
Baking is cooking food covered or uncovered in an oven or oven-type appliances. Baking is great for cooking meats, poultry, seafood, vegetables, and desserts. You can make baking even healthier if you use parchment paper to line baking trays instead of greasing them with oil or butter.

Roasting

Roasting is like baking, but usually done at higher temperature. It is healthier to roast vegetables in a separate pan, so that the fat from meat or poultry does not end up soaked in the vegetables.

Poaching
Poaching is cooking food in liquids such as water, broth or juice at low heat. Make sure that the liquid does not boil and the food retains its shape while cooking. Poaching is a healthy method of cooking chicken, fish, eggs, and fruits.

Sauteing
Sauteing is cooking food quickly in a small amount of oil in a hot pan. The oil should be hot before the food is added, otherwise the food will absorb oil and become soggy. It is healthier to use oils with high heat thresholds, such as grape seed or coconut oils. You can also use broth, water or non-stick spray in place of oil.

Stir-frying
Stir-frying is cooking by stirring small pieces of food in a pan (better yet, a wok) with a small amount of oil. It’s better to cook over medium-high heat to prevent exposure to oxidized fats. Stir-frying is a healthy way to cook meat, poultry, fish, and vegetables: very little fat is added and, as the foods are cooked for a very short period, they retain their nutrients as well as flavour and colour.

Grilling
Grilling – cooking food by direct heat over coals – can be a very healthy way of cooking meat, poultry and fish. It lets some of the fat drip away during the cooking process and adds a delicious smoky flavour to food. However, ensure that what you eat is not charred – charring creates free radical damage that is hazardous to you health (e.g., cancer-promoting).

Eat well, be well!