Cooking at home is the new eating out! And it can be a much healthier way to eat. When you cook for yourself you get to use fresh ingredients and can control the amount of fat and salt you use. Out of habit, some of us cook using more fat than we really need, or using the less healthy types of fat. Read on to refresh your memory as to how best to cook for health!
Preparing foods
Prepare your foods so that they are as low as possible in fat before cooking. This means taking the skin from poultry and cutting off any fat you can see from rashers, chops and steaks. Avoid using batter or breadcrumbs in home-cooked dishes. Use coatings that are lower in fat such as home made marinades and breadcrumbs.
Using fats during cooking
If you need to add fat during cooking, go for vegetable oils like olive, rapeseed or sunflower oil instead of animal fats like butter or lard. Use margarine instead of butter when you bake.
Cooking methods
Baking
All sorts of foods can be baked – for example breads, cakes, poultry, fish, lean meat, potatoes and some vegetables, like parsnips, carrots and peppers. Baking means that you cook the food in the dry hot air of the oven, so there’s normally no need to add any fat. If you are concerned about meats drying out in the oven, brush them with a small bit of vegetable oil beforehand.
Grilling
Grilling works best with fairly thin pieces of meat, fish or vegetables. Set them on a grill rack and place them directly under the heat. Grilling is a really healthy way to cook because there’s no need to add any fat to your food. Better still, grilling allows fat to drip out of some foods and into a collecting tray underneath.
Poaching
Foods are poached by gently simmering them in a liquid until they are cooked through and tender. We are probably most familiar with poaching eggs in simmering water. This is a great way to cook eggs – you don’t need to add any fat but the finished product has the same texture as a soft-fried egg.
Roasting
Roasting is like baking but it’s normally done at higher temperatures and you’ll need to add some oil to the meat or vegetables. Use a basting brush to add just a little oil, choosing a vegetable oil like olive, rapeseed or sunflower oil instead of lard or butter. Why not place the meat on a rack above the roasting tin so that the fat has a chance to drip out as it cooks.
Sautéing
Sautéing means cooking thin pieces of food in a little fat until they are tender - like sautéed onions. If you have a good-quality non-stick pan, you should be able to sauté without using any fat. If you do use fat, go for the healthier vegetable oils like olive, rapeseed or sunflower oil, instead of lard or butter. You could also use a cooking spray to sauté. And if you feel you need to add more oil, try adding a drop of water first instead.
Steaming
This is a really healthy (and tasty) way to cook. Foods like vegetables or fish are cooked in a perforated basket that’s suspended above simmering water. It’s healthier to steam veggies than to boil them as they won’t lose any of their nutrients to the water during steaming. It’s also quicker, and steamed foods taste amazing because they’ve kept all of their flavour!
Stir-frying
Stir-frying is a traditional Asian way of cooking. It involves cooking small pieces of food in a wok or a non-stick frying pan while you stir them. Remember that you only need a small amount of oil or cooking spray to stir-fry. Go for the healthier vegetable oils like olive, rapeseed or sunflower oil. Or get adventurous with nut or seed oils - peanut and sesame oils are great in Asian cooking. If you feel you need to add more oil to the pan, try adding a drop of water first instead.
Reheating leftover food
If you have cooked food that you aren't going to eat straight away, place on a clean plate, cover and refrigerate within 2 hours. Once refrigerated, the food should be eaten within 3 days.
When reheating food, always make sure it is heated until piping hot all the way through and NEVER reheat food more than once. Reheat soups, sauces and gravies until they start to boil. Keep stirring to make sure they reheat evenly. When reheating food in the microwave, stir it at intervals to make sure it heats up evenly. Always make sure food is piping hot all the way through before eating it. When microwaving ready prepared meals, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Adding flavour
Herbs and spices allow you to add taste and aroma without adding any extra salt or fat! Try cracking some black pepper over potatoes or vegetables. Throw some washed basil leaves into a pasta and tomato sauce dish. Or add a pinch of curry powder to stir-fried veggies for flavour – the possibilities are endless! Fresh herbs should be added towards the end of cooking. Dried herbs can be added in the earlier stages of cooking, and you’ll only need about a third of the amount.