Healthy cooking doesn't have to be hard. So many people believe that to cook healthy one must be a well-educated nutritionist or a gourmet chef. In reality, switching up your everyday cooking techniques to a wholesome method is simple, and when done right, fun!
Testing out healthier cooking techniques can help cut the amount of fat, cholesterol and calories found in your food, all while boosting its nutritional value and flavor. Once you learn how to cook meals with these methods, you may find you don’t need the extra salt, saturated fat and calories.
To help you get started, we've outlined a few of our favorite healthy cooking techniques and the benefits they have to offer. Whether you choose to bake, grill, saute or roast your dishes, there's a tried and true method for each. Gain some inspiration and take a look at our favorite healthy recipes while you're at it!
Baking
At Bob's Red Mill, it's no secret that we're a fan of baking. While we love baking desserts, we also love a savory homemade baked meal. As more of us turn to a healthier, wholesome diet, it is becoming easier to find mouth-watering, nutritious recipes, including those that use healthy cooking styles to boost the meal's nutritional value and flavor.
Deep frying food requires a large amount of oil that is then absorbed by your meal. This means the calories, fat and additives found in your oil now become a part of your meal. No thanks! For a healthier alternative, we suggest baking dishes that you would usually fry. Unlike frying, baking requires little to no oil. When baked, foods are allowed to cook in their own oil. Doing so, they usually turn out much more juicy and flavorsome.
When discussing baked goods, cookies, cakes and muffins are usually the first foods that come to mind. However, aside from these yummy treats, savory foods like salmon, beans, poultry, vegetables and even fruit can all be baked.
For a wholesome and healthy baked breakfast recipe, try out this Baked Pear Oatmeal recipe. The flavors of warm spices and sweet pears blend in this baked treat to create a fresh and nutritious breakfast.
Grilling
If you're not used to it, the thought of grilling your food may seem intimidating. Backyard barbeques and family cookouts have caused some to think that grilled food is reserved for a specific occasion. While summer barbecues are fun, they're not the only time you should be using your grill. If you're searching for a healthier way to cook your food, then you may want to brush up on your grill knowledge.
Contrary to popular belief, grilling can be used as a daily method when cooking your meals. It's a lot healthier too! The high heat from the grill helps seal in the moisture of your favorite foods, which allows the food to stay tender on its own. And much like baking, grilled foods require less oil to cook. Grilling your foods also allows the fat to drip away from the food and melt into the grill, instead of on your plate.
If you're new to grilling and don't know where to start read this simple guide and learn five easy ways to grill chicken. From BBQ grilled chicken to skewers, there's bound to be a recipe you'll love.
Steaming
A simple cooking method, steaming helps to remove the fat from meat so that it can be separated, whereas cooking methods like frying tend to melt the fat into the meat. Much like grilling, steaming also requires little, if any, cooking oil, which results in a lighter meal.
For a delicious steamed recipe, try these tasty steamed pork buns. An incredibly popular food in China, these pork buns are fun to make and full of flavor. Made with Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Flour, they're also a great source of protein!
Flavor Your Food the Healthy Way
Properly seasoning your food is one of the best ways to add flavor to a meal without layering on the salt and fats. Learning how and what to season your foods with can cause you to rethink your relationship with food. Plus, you never know, with the right flavoring you might end up loving a meal you once despised!
Luckily there are so many healthy ways to flavor a meal; you don't have to search very far to find a good recipe. With the right instructions, you can create wholesome, mouthwatering dishes that even the kids will love.
When thinking of what to flavor your foods with, we recommend mixing up a flavoring of your own. Fresh herbs, dried vegetables, hot peppers, fruit juice and even homemade rubs are all healthy flavor boosts that can be added to your meal.
Roast Your Foods
Like baking, roasting is usually done in the oven. Foods are placed on a baking sheet or pan and then exposed to extremely high temperatures. Roasting foods can improve the texture of the food while also allowing the flavors of a dish to deepen, resulting in a rich and tasty meal.
For an even healthier method of roasting, try placing seafood and meat onto a rack when cooking. Much like grilling, this will allow the fat from the foods to drip away while still keeping the meat tender and juicy.
And there you have it! Five healthy cooking methods for you to test out at home. We hope that this article has inspired you to get creative with your dinner recipes. Whether you choose to make a plate full of grilled veggies or test out a homemade salmon rub, we know whatever you create will be delicious!
