Healthy Food Preparation Techniques For Nutritious Meals

When it comes to preparing a nutritious meal for you and your family, how you cook will determine how healthy your meal is. This is because there are several methods of preparing meals that will drastically reduce the nutritional content of foods, such as boiling foods for long periods of time. By opting for healthier cooking techniques, you and your family will be able to enjoy tasty meals that are packed with nutrients. The following food preparation techniques will help you transform your meals.

Nutritious Stir-Fry

Stir-fry is an Asian cooking technique and even though you should stir fry foods relatively fast to prevent nutrient loss, it is also crucial to use the right oil. Adding your favoured herbs and spices to veggies and chicken, pork, or beef strips will ensure your meal tastes great. However, the type of oil you decide to use can determine how healthy your stir-fry meal is. Using regular sunflower oil would not be the wisest choice as sunflower oil is often associated with high cholesterol levels. Switching your oil for an expeller-pressed juice oil alternative is a great choice as this type of oil as it is produced without the use of harmful chemicals and extreme heat. 

Roasted Meals

Roasting your foods can be a nutritious choice if you are using a drip tray that will collect fat as your food cooks. In addition to this, roasting veggies can result in an extremely tasty dish, although, it is crucial not to overcook your veggies while roasting as this will result in extreme nutrient loss. When roasting veggies, you should still be able to enjoy their natural crunch. There are countless great recipes that recommend roasting foods for shorter periods of time to maintain nutrient content. However, when roasting meats such as chicken and pork, it is absolutely crucial to avoid undercooking as this can result in health risks such as food poisoning. Regardless of the type of cooking technique you opt for, it is always recommended to follow recipe instructions to avoid overcooking and undercooking.

Steaming

Steaming is one of the most popular methods of preparing nutritious meals. Although, it is still crucial to avoid overcooking meals. This is also one of the more simple methods of preparing foods as it can be done in a perforated basket or pot that is suspended above stimming water. In the event that you find steamed foods slightly bland and tasteless, you could consider adding a mild flavour to the stimming water or add a hint of seasoning. Steaming foods is one of the most often opted for food preparation choices for weight loss dieters and those hoping to decrease cholesterol levels. Various steaming recipes suggest that vegetables only need to be steamed for a few minutes rather than lengthy periods. Oversteaming your foods will result in bland tasting foods that lack both taste and texture.

Searing And Sauteed Foods 

Sauteing involved the cooking of thin pieces of foods in a rather quick manner. It is best to use a good quality non-stick frying pan for this technique as this would allow you to avoid the use of fats or oils. However, you could also simply switch up your regular cooking oil for a nutritious alternative oil, as with stir-frying techniques. The food preparation technique of searing foods is often confused with sauteing as these two methods are relatively similar. However, searing involved cooking foods at high temperatures to lock in the nutrients and add a crusty outer layer to meats and other foods. When searing your meals, it would be wise to select healthy oils rather than regular oils.

Health Risks Associated With Regular Cooking Oil

Regular cooking, or sunflower oil, is extremely bad for your health as it accelerates inflammation in the body and it is packed with high levels of Omega-6 fatty acids. Because the Omega-6 fatty acid content can be as high as 70% and the oil contains both high sources of saturated and unsaturated fats, it is often not the best choice. However, contrary to popular belief, how the oil is produced can actually affect its nutritional content. This means that sunflower oil in low quantities can actually be a healthy choice, but only if it has been produced without the use of unhealthy chemicals. As sunflower oil can increase risks of developing bad cholesterol and heart disease, it is always best to limit your intake and carefully consider how the product has been produced by evaluating the production method.

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