Better Eating Basics Getting Started

Small Steps to Better Health

9/15/2008

Ten Healthy Cooking Tips

Brought to you by Meatless Monday

Good nutrition is not just a matter of selecting the "right" foods to eat. Careful decisions about cooking techniques can have a profound effect on the nutrient content of the foods we prepare.

The American Institute for Cancer Research suggests some easy cooking strategies and ingredient substitutions that can help retain and, in some cases, improve, the nutritional value of your most popular dishes.

1. Cut the salt. Most of the time, even cutting the salt in a recipe by half will not produce a noticeable taste change. Consider replacing part of the salt with an herb or spice, flavored vinegar, citrus juice or peel. Garlic or onion powder (not garlic or onion salt) work well in meats, soups, and sauces. Make your own mix of garlic, onion, paprika, and parsley flakes.
2. Don't stick to it. Use vegetable oil spray or non-stick pans for grilling or stir-frying.
3. Stay colorful. Choose cooking methods that retain flavor, color, and nutrients. Steam instead of boiling vegetables. Avoid cooking at high temperatures (except for quick stir-frying) and long cooking times. Both extended heat and liquid could potentially destroy or leach out valuable nutrients.
4. Add veggies. Sneak in extra vegetables whenever you can. Experiment with more veggie variety in salads, try new vegetable mixes, include some shredded vegetables in casseroles, and add different vegetables to soups and stews. Use chopped red or yellow peppers to "pep" up the flavor. Try vegetable salsas and fruit chutneys as accompaniments to meat or poultry in place of heavy gravies or sauces.
5. Try alternatives. Explore lower-in-fat substitutes. There are some great reduced-fat cheeses and low-fat salad dressings. And try low-cholesterol egg products: you can often use two egg whites instead of one whole egg to significantly reduce the fat and cholesterol content of baked goods.
6. De-fat. When you use oil, select olive or canola oil. Drain off visible fat while cooking, blot pan-fried foods on paper towels to absorb extra grease, and allow soups to chill before reheating and serving so that the fat can be skimmed off the top.
7. Roast it. Choose roasting, poaching or stir frying as frequent cooking methods.
8. Shorten the shortening. Reduce the fat in home baked goodies by substituting applesauce, pureed prunes, mashed bananas, or yogurt for up to half of the shortening. It works! Obviously prune puree would discolor a yellow cake but does well for chocolate cake and brownies. The end result is moist and fat content is reduced.
9. Go whole. Substitute some whole grain products for all-purpose flour in your cooking. Try whole wheat flour, oatmeal or flax in bread and muffins, or add some bran or wheat germ to your meatloaf. Try using some soy flour in biscuits and breads.
10. Be fruitful. Try more fruit desserts (fresh, stewed, and cobblers) instead of cakes and cookies. Choose frozen yogurt, sherbet and sorbet instead of ice cream. Serve cake with fruit sauce instead of frosting or whipped cream.

Using sensible cooking methods, less fat, and adding more vegetables, fruits and whole grains to recipes are guaranteed winning techniques to set a better nutritional table. These steps can also help lower risk for chronic diseases such as cancer.

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