Many restaurants these days are serving up super sized portions, so it's no wonder that people have become used to ingesting large amounts of food every day. This is okay if the meals they eat are healthy and low in calories. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work this way. Therefore it's highly important that you choose healthful and low calorie foods when you eat at home, so you can minimize the damage from your restaurant splurges. This begins with cooking light.
Heart healthy cooking doesn't only rely on the ingredients you choose but also on the kind of oil that you prepare them with. Indeed, the oil can alter the nutritional value of the dish considerably. Even though all your ingredients may be healthful, for example, veggies, lean meats and whole grains, if you add oil containing unhealthy fats, you'll wind up having a meal that's not so good for you.
Try these easy ways to make your meals healthy and light.
1. Choose Vegetable Oils
This is the most essential guideline to follow. Choose oil that's vegetable based to guarantee that what you're cooking your food with doesn't have a negative effect on your health. These oils contribute to raising the levels of good cholesterol in your system. They aid in the proper performance of the cardiovascular system and balance out the bad cholesterol that we get from meats and animal fats.
2. Stay Away from Additives
As much as you can, stay away from seasonings and ingredients that aren't natural. It can turn a healthy meal into a questionable one. Your food might taste better with artificial flavoring but you might also end up with liver or kidney troubles because of the high sodium content. Also steer clear of deep fried batter mixes as they boost the calorie content of the food but not its nutritional value.
3. Cut out the Meat
Make a practice of choosing vegetables and seafood for your home cooking. Restrict meat consumption to a serving or less per day. In this way, you and your family will be consuming the protein that your bodies require but with less of the saturated fat found in meat. On the occasions when you do indulge in a piece of meat, look for ones that are lower in saturated fats. Generally, turkey and chicken (white meats) are considered more healthy than pork and beef (red meats). Among these two choices, your best bet is pork since it's easier to trim the fat.
4. Smaller Portion Size
Another way to cook more healthfully is to prepare meals that are light, not only in calorie and fat content but also in the portion size. This is particularly relevant when you're cooking the main meal of the day. However, make this change slowly. Extreme shifts in your eating habits can contribute to health issues.
It's also not recommended if you have young children. With little ones, it's essential that you give them all the food they need to grow healthy and strong. This doesn't mean overeating, but you shouldn't control their calories unless your doctor gives the ok.
Heart healthy cooking doesn't only rely on the ingredients you choose but also on the kind of oil that you prepare them with. Indeed, the oil can alter the nutritional value of the dish considerably. Even though all your ingredients may be healthful, for example, veggies, lean meats and whole grains, if you add oil containing unhealthy fats, you'll wind up having a meal that's not so good for you.
Try these easy ways to make your meals healthy and light.
1. Choose Vegetable Oils
This is the most essential guideline to follow. Choose oil that's vegetable based to guarantee that what you're cooking your food with doesn't have a negative effect on your health. These oils contribute to raising the levels of good cholesterol in your system. They aid in the proper performance of the cardiovascular system and balance out the bad cholesterol that we get from meats and animal fats.
2. Stay Away from Additives
As much as you can, stay away from seasonings and ingredients that aren't natural. It can turn a healthy meal into a questionable one. Your food might taste better with artificial flavoring but you might also end up with liver or kidney troubles because of the high sodium content. Also steer clear of deep fried batter mixes as they boost the calorie content of the food but not its nutritional value.
3. Cut out the Meat
Make a practice of choosing vegetables and seafood for your home cooking. Restrict meat consumption to a serving or less per day. In this way, you and your family will be consuming the protein that your bodies require but with less of the saturated fat found in meat. On the occasions when you do indulge in a piece of meat, look for ones that are lower in saturated fats. Generally, turkey and chicken (white meats) are considered more healthy than pork and beef (red meats). Among these two choices, your best bet is pork since it's easier to trim the fat.
4. Smaller Portion Size
Another way to cook more healthfully is to prepare meals that are light, not only in calorie and fat content but also in the portion size. This is particularly relevant when you're cooking the main meal of the day. However, make this change slowly. Extreme shifts in your eating habits can contribute to health issues.
It's also not recommended if you have young children. With little ones, it's essential that you give them all the food they need to grow healthy and strong. This doesn't mean overeating, but you shouldn't control their calories unless your doctor gives the ok.
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