5 Best Cooking Methods To Eat Healthier

Boiling food in water is one of the cooking methods that will help you eat healthier and easier, but it is obviously not the only one. Discover all our tips for cooking while taking care of your health without getting bored and vary the menus!

Being healthy is not always as easy as we would like it to be. You must take into account the nutritional value of all foods but also your personal tastes and health requirements. In addition, not all of the cooking options that exist are equally favorable. Do you know all the cooking methods to eat healthier?

While you are likely to know most of the traditional cooking methods, you may also not know all of them. For this reason, we will summarize in this article the consequences of the different cooking methods on the nutrients of food.

Cooking food is a very important factor. Eating well-cooked products is beneficial for the whole family. In addition, it is thus possible to prepare a single meal that everyone likes: vegetables, meat, fish, pasta, etc.

Thanks to the simplicity of these cooking methods, preparing meals can now be an enjoyable daily task to share with children. And the best part about it is that you will use very few utensils and also take care of the health of the whole family.

Discover new options for healthy cooking while taking care of your health. Take note of the  5 best cooking methods to eat healthier the easy way.

1. Cooking in water

Boiling food is one of the healthiest and easiest cooking methods available. All you need is a little water, a pinch of salt, and lots of herbs or spices, depending on how flavor you want the dishes to be.

However, you should also take into account that if you exceed the cooking time and temperature, the food can dissolve. Hence, it will also lead to the loss of many nutrients in food.

To get the most out of this cooking method and make sure the food always stays nutritious, try following these tips:

• Add food after the water has boiled to prevent it from spending a lot of time in the water.
• Remove the food from the heat as soon as it is cooked and has acquired the desired texture.
• If you’re cooking vegetables without making broth, strain them when they’re ready. Then run them under cold water to prevent them from continuing to cook.

However, cooking with water can destroy desirable substances, including certain antioxidants in fruits and vegetables. These valuable protective substances can be heat inactivated or escape into the water to be discarded with the cooking water. Therefore, in general, it is best to cook vegetables for just a few minutes and in as little water as possible. By using as little water as possible and reducing cooking time, you will also respect the environment and save energy.

2. Steam cooking

The second method of cooking for healthier eating is very similar to boiling food in water. The difference with steaming is that the food does not come into direct contact with the water.

This method of steaming involves placing a little boiling water in a container. The amount of water used should be sufficient to cover the bottom of the container by about two inches. The food to be cooked must be placed above the water. Usually separated by a base or a small grill that serves as a support.

For this you need to keep a low or medium heat so that the water continues to heat up and generate water vapor. This steam will be the one that really cooks the food. With this method, you can cook all kinds of foods, although the most common are usually vegetables and protein.

Steaming eliminates the use of oils and fatty products. For this reason, it is often recommended in many diets because it is the healthiest. Thus, steamed foods provide less calories to the body. For people who have a few extra pounds, steaming is a great option. All nutritionists recommend this type of cooking to their patients.

In addition, this cooking method helps to retain all the nutrients and flavor of the food. On the other hand, steaming significantly strengthens the immune system, since all the vitamins and nutrients from the food consumed are assimilated by the body. Plus, steaming removes toxins, allowing the blood to purify itself. Thus, all day long, you will feel a feeling of lightness and greater energy.

3. Grill cooking

Another of the best cooking methods to eat healthier is to use the grill. For this you will only need a grill or a non-stick pan and a direct flame. This grilling method is perfect especially for vegetables and protein.

Although contact with the flame gives a very interesting taste, you may not like the natural flavors of meats and vegetables at all. To improve them, you can take advantage of certain seasonings such as:

• Aromatic herbs
• Citrus juice
• Spices
• All types of sauces, English sauce.
• Vegetal oils

One of the main sources of fat are oils that are used frequently in cooking. Most of them are of plant origin, but some are of animal origin, although they have been proven to be more harmful to health.

This type of grilling is great for reducing the amount of fat you eat. If you cook foods that contain protein with fat, we recommend removing as much as possible before using this cooking technique.

Grilling also helps caramelize the sugars that vegetables naturally contain. This is what gives this characteristic flavor and also eliminates many calories.

4. Baking

Baking is one of the most popular cooking methods when looking to eat in a healthier way. In addition, it is generally also used to prepare desserts, cakes or pizzas, but there may also be other very interesting uses.

The big disadvantage of this method is that you have to learn how to use your oven perfectly because they are all different. However, on the positive side, it is a cooking method that will allow you to create sophisticated dishes with a variety of ingredients and using minimal fat.

5. Cooking in a pan

The last method of cooking for healthier eating is the one we usually use the most and which does not use a lot of oil. Cooking in a pan allows to use a minimum of fat. Moreover, you can choose the best quality of vegetable oil like that of extra virgin olive oil.

Choosing to pan-fry or sauté your food is perfect for cooking vegetables and creating hot salad versions. When you cook your meals in the pan and want to eat healthy, it is best to try to mix together:

• Lean meats
• Whole grains such as quinoa or rice
• Vegetables cut into strips

Thanks to this cooking method, you will get well balanced, tasty and healthy dishes. Additionally, cooking vegetables with a small amount of extra virgin olive oil has been shown to increase their antioxidant capacity.

In addition to paying attention to the cooking method, herbs and spices also play an important role in the preparation of many dishes. Aromatic herbs are an essential ingredient in many typical dishes of Mediterranean cuisine. These condiments bring unique flavors and smells to dishes.

Although the importance of aromatic herbs varies greatly depending on the cuisine of the country that uses them, in general, they are absolutely essential for preparing many dishes. Many of them are among the most emblematic of southern European cuisine and all offer a wealth of valuable therapeutic properties of great value. Find out more in this article.