Essential Ingredients For Healthy Cooking

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Healthy eating does not denote a diet strictly made up of salads; it just means that your favorite meals are prepared with more care to calorie and fat, as well as other harmful ingredients among them.

Reduce the Fat

Non-stick cookware is also a way of cooking healthy, as it negates the need for using cooking oil. Valuable nutrients are also maintained by boiling, steaming, braising, baking and microwaving foods.

Taking the Fat Out of the Cow

The choice of reduced dairy fats products and lean meats minimizes hidden fats within these food groups, which can also be found in varying amounts in processed foods. Dietary fats are best found in natural, unrefined form in foods such as avocado, olives, soy, fish, seeds and fish. If fats are used in the cooking process, use, to a bare minimum, mono-saturated oils, like canola and olive oils.

Shopping for Healthy Eats

Healthy cooking begins when shopping at the store and as such, the choices made reflect upon the results. Skinless chicken breasts are a wise choice, as is lean meat cuts. Make sure to look for foods with low fat versions, such as gravies, salad dressings, yoghurt, cheese and milk.

Start With Healthy Ingredients

Other tips on healthy cooking include consuming more fish, rich in protein and omega three acids, while being short on fats. As a matter of course, consume fresh legumes and vegetables and desist from adding too much salt while cooking. Recipes that require animal fat sautéing and deep frying should be eliminated, as well as those that need butter in their preparation.

Lighten the Lunch Meal

Suggestions for healthy sandwiches include using reduced salt wholegrain or whole meal bread, use very little or no cream cheese or butter on the bread, use instead avocado, low fat peanut or cheese spreads. Herbs have been known to replace oil and salt flavors, as well as containing phyto-oestrogens, which are health protective. They can be used to augment meat dishes, as well as drinks, desserts, vinegars, salad dressings, mustards, breads, and soups. Great herbs are such as lemongrass, chili, garlic, ginger, and coriander.

Cooking Healthy for a Healthy Body

To reduce the loss of vitamins in vegetables during cooking and preparation, scrub them clean rather than peeling, as nutrients are close to their the skin. Vegetables that are stir-fried retain their nutrients through their crunchiness, as they are not overcooked.

Finally, if it looks good, it probably is. Presentation will increase enjoyment, just as great taste will. Many higher end restaurants will use presentation to increase the visual size of the portion and to make the meal appear more intricate than it really is.

The key to the healthiest of cooking is at the beginning of the recipe. By choosing the best ingredients and the best cooking methods for your body, you are choosing a healthier lifestyle. Alternative medicine and treatments begin with treating the body with respect and honor and that begins with offering healthy foods as a source of daily energy.

Learn how to cook healthy at methodsofhealing.com

Article Source: Essential Ingredients For Healthy Cooking

Creating a Healthy Dinner - Mexican Style

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Barbacoa Tacos — “Three corn tortillas f...
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Mexican food is a style of food that is bursting with flavor but is unfortunately usually loaded with calories and fat. With a little planning and creativity, however, you can have a delicious Mexican meal that is actually good for you.

Many Mexican meat dishes use pork or beef. Make a habit of substituting either lean beef or chicken as your meat. Main dishes such as fajitas, enchiladas, or tacos are very versatile and can use almost any type of lean meat, including seafood.

The next most prominent ingredient in any Mexican dish is cheese. Use low fat cheese instead or experiment with different kinds of cheese such as Swiss or Mozzarella. These two cheeses tend to be lower in fat and still taste great.

If the recipe calls for cream cheese, simply use a low fat or non fat version. Another option is to slightly reduce the amount of cheese used in the dish. While cheese is a great source of protein, it also packs in quite a few calories and grams of fat.

Sour cream is a common ingredient found either in a dish or as a side topping. As a side dish, you could eliminate it altogether or use creative substitutions such as plain, non fat yogurt, avocado, or salsa. If it is needed in a recipe, try low fat or non fat.

Refried beans are a flavorful side but are typically made with lard and therefore extremely high in fat. You can buy non fat refried beans, which also have less calories and taste just as good. Another option is to serve black beans and add various spices and vegetables. Black beans are high in protein and low in fat.

Lettuce is an essential topper for your tacos. Rather than using traditional ice berg lettuce, which has virtually no nutrition, substitute a leafier green such as Romaine lettuce, Belgian endive, radicchio, arugula, or even spinach. You could always mix these other types of field greens in with iceberg lettuce for a great healthy combination.

Tortillas are perhaps the staple of Mexican dishes. Traditionally, they too have been made with lard. You can buy a plethora of different health-conscious tortillas at the super market including low fat and low carb. The best option is to get wholemeal tortillas. You can also find them with a variety of spices and seasonings added in. You could always make your own at home. All you need is wholemeal flour, oil, water, and salt. This could be a fun way to involve the whole family.

When sautéing vegetables or meats, use less oil and use a lighter version such as olive oil. Only sauté vegetables until they are crisp-tender so you preserve their nutrition.

The article is written by Chelsi Woolz on the topic of healthy Mexican meals for dinner. When you are creating a Mexican cuisine for dinner, think of using healthy ingredients such as extra light tortillas, so you can stay healthy and still satisfy your taste buds.

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