The Cooking Healthy Series For
A Healthier Lifestyle
Healthy Cooking Lesson #3 : Cooking Low Fat Meals For The Whole Family
In the last lesson we talked about the importance of having the right tools in your kitchen for cooking healthy meals. In this lesson we are going to go over a few low fat cooking tips for the whole family.
When you are learning to eat and cook healthier you should also try to reduce the amount of fat in your diet. While you may be picturing yourself eating nothing but cardboard-like food think again. With a few simple tips you can cook tasty low-fat food the whole family will enjoy.
The first thing to remember is, don’t cut out all fats. This is a common mistake that is not only unhealthy, it often leaves you feeling deprived. The human body needs fat because some vitamins, such as Vitamin D, are fat soluble, which means you won’t absorb them without the presence of fat. So make sure you include some healthy fats, such as olive oil, in your recipes.
Look in your fridge and see what high-fat foods you can replace. That way, you’ll have low-fat versions on hand for cooking. Dairy products are especially easy to find in low to no-fat versions. Health experts recommend low-fat rather than fat-free for dairy products, because your body will have a hard time absorbing the Vitamin D in dairy products without some fat.
Chicken, beef, and vegetable stock also come in fat-free versions, which are convenient to have on hand for all sorts of dishes. You can also use the broth to sauté instead of oil.
Keep your kitchen stocked with lean beef, poultry, and fish. In addition, fatty fish is a good source of healthy fats, so you can always keep some salmon or Arctic char on hand, too.
Learn how to bake, broil, steam, and poach foods instead of frying them. For sautéing, you can use broth instead of oil, or use the sauté as a chance to get some healthy oil like coconut or olive oil into your diet.
Use non-stick cookware. While old-fashioned cast iron cookware may be durable, it requires more “grease” than non-stick cookware. In fact, you need to keep cast iron oiled for it to perform well. Using non-stick cookware like the Calphalon brand allows you to cook foods without a lot of added fat to prevent sticking. Use cooking spray instead of oil or butter. If cooking spray is not an option, use liquid oils instead of solid fats.
Choose low-fat substitutes. Did you know that fruit purees, particularly prune and apple can replace some of the fat in many dishes? Especially baked goods. The same can be said for plain yogurt. Try replacing a half to three-fourths of the fat in a recipe with low-fat, plain yogurt.
You should always keep plain low-fat yogurt on hand. Did you know you can strain it to make a cream cheese-like texture, or use it as a sour cream substitute in many dishes. It can also be used in place of heavy cream to thicken sauces.
When shopping for groceries choose lean cuts of meat, skinless chicken breasts, and try to trim all the visible fat from meat. Instead of frying, use other cooking methods such as grilling, broiling, baking, braising, poaching and microwaving foods. When you must sauté, use small amounts of oil or broth instead.
In the next lesson, we will be talking about making a healthy eating plan to smooth thee transition to eating and cooking healthier food.
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