People nowadays choose fast-food chains more than home-cooked meals. Why? Because fast food tastes so good, convenient, and you don’t have to wait for that long. But don’t you know that you are compromising your family’s health with the habit of eating in these food chains?
Has it ever crossed your mind that home-cooked meals are way much cheaper and healthier option? And you know it’s safe because you prepared it yourself. Preparing your own food together with family members even help creates a greater bond, and it’s so much fun to do.
So better minimize your fast food consumption and start cooking healthy and delicious food right in your own kitchen. And if you’re one of those who have the passion for cooking for your family, these simple healthy cooking tips will help you, and your family, avoid the habit of eating outside, and start saving your money plus living a healthy lifestyle.
Choose your cooking oil wisely
Cooking oil plays a very important part in cooking and to your health too. By choosing oils that contain unsaturated fats such as olive, sesame, safflower and canola can help lower cholesterol level, which is good for your heart. But using these oils in a large quantity can also pack plenty of calories, so better cut your consumption by half or quarter if you can.
Steam instead of boiling
Steaming has plenty of benefits. First in line is cooking without using oil, which can reduce your fat consumption. Steaming locks in nutrients needed by our active bodies. It also retains the food’s color and flavor, a factor that usually activates anybody to eat. Also, try steaming with bamboo steamer. The organic steamer doesn’t affect the food’s flavor, and it cuts cooking time, thus saving you money.
Avoid skin and fat
Whenever you prepare poultry meats such as chicken and pork, you may want to take away the skin and fat that contain unwanted cholesterol, which is not good for our bodies, not to mention that by doing so it will leave you with the tastier and healthier part of the meat.
Reduce your salt by half
Instead of making your food tasty by adding salt, why don’t you try some fresh spices as an alternative? It will give you a better tasting food with a lesser amount of sodium. You must also avoid using packed seasoning mixes, which are loaded with MSG and unhealthy amount of salt.
Prepare your vegetables with salt
What would you choose; a cabbage without blemishes or the one that has it? Of course, you’ll choose the one without blemishes. But your choice is cured with insecticides, and it’s harmful to your health. So, better soak your veggies in a basin with water and at least 2 tbsp of salt before you cook them. This will help reduce the chemical compounds of insecticides, leaving you with only organic and safer veggies.
Last minute veggies
Green leafy vegetables need only shorter cooking time. So instead of cooking it together with meat and other ingredients, wait until all the ingredients are almost done. Then add your veggies on the last minute. This is enough to cook the vegetables, but it will retain the color, flavor and the nutrients.
These simple yet healthy cooking tips will pave your way into a much healthier diet, but the most important thing you should know is to enjoy while cooking, as negative emotions can also affect the way you cook thus affecting the taste of food. And don’t forget that dining in a restaurant serving freehand-cooked foods is not a bad idea, especially when your mood doesn’t agree with cooking for yourself or for your family.