While cooking at home may seem like a daunting task, it can be quite easy to whip up healthy, satisfying meals that the whole family will enjoy. The key to making nutritious recipes is to follow diet and nutrition guidelines. What you eat and how often you eat it can play a huge role in your health, so it’s important to focus on fresh, whole foods that are high in nutrients and low in calorie content.
Here’s How I Can Ensure My Recipes Are Nutritious:
Alter Or Remove Recipes That Instruct You to Deep Fry or Sauté in Animal Fat and Butter
When cooking, most cooks like to use as much healthy fat as possible. Fats add flavor to food and are necessary for our bodies to function. But some fats contain saturated fat, which has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. So, it’s important to choose healthier fat sources when making meals. Many diet fads have you cut out or alter your favorite recipes to make the diet easier. In the case of some recipes, this is a good idea. Fat, particularly saturated fats, can raise cholesterol levels, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, and predispose you to weight gain.
Avoid Compromising on Quality
Due to the increase in the demand for food and to make profits, producers tend to cut corners and compromise on the food quality. Farmers and rearers sometimes resort to using steroids to increase the volume and weight of poultry and cattle. Fisheries and fishmongers also tend to add color to the fish to make them look fresh. So, such measures could make you sick if you’re not careful with what you put into your stomach. Try and source your meats and fish from suppliers like ER Fisheries & Foods or organic markets to ensure that you buy quality food to eat and feed your family. In addition, you should buy your greens, fruits, and other vegetables from local farmers’ markets as they tend to be fresh and organic compared to the ones sold in supermarkets.
Refrain From Adding Salt to Food as It Is Cooking
A well-balanced diet is essential for good health and involves the right balance of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fat. But how can you ensure you get the nutrients you need from what you eat? Many recipes tend to include a lot of sodium and other seasonings and flavorings that you may have to add yourself. However, if you stick to the recommended levels of salt, it can help boost your diet to a healthier and tastier standard. Before cooking, always measure out the amount of salt you will need. Different foods take different amounts of salt to cook. For example, meat takes on a salty taste pretty quickly, so salting meat before cooking is not a good idea. On the other hand, Seafood can take much longer to cook, so salting it before cooking may be a good idea.
Steam, Braise, Bake, Grill, Microwave, Or Boil Foods
For most Americans, cooking a meal from scratch is a luxury. But cooking at home can be just as easy as ordering takeout and better for your health. Get into the habit of cooking at home, and say goodbye to unhealthy processed meals. Plus, cooking at home is cheaper than eating out and lets you control the ingredients.
Use Non-Stick Cookware; avoid Added Butter and Oils
Cooking healthy recipes for your family doesn’t have to be a frustrating mission. The secret to making nutritious meals is to cook with non-stick cookware, avoid added butter and oils, and use fresh ingredients. A non-stick skillet is one of the best investments you can make in your kitchen since it will help you achieve professional results every time. Nutritious recipes are relatively easy to make when you keep a few basic guidelines in mind. It’s always helpful to have non-stick cookware and non-stick cooking spray on hand for healthy sautéing, frying, and baking. Of course, these foods don’t have to be limited to sautéing and frying: you can also use non-stick pans for baking.
Nutrition is a science that thrives on facts and research. Nutritionists usually refer to a balanced diet composed of a wide variety of foods. However, since foods contain an assortment of minerals and vitamins, a balanced diet may have critical nutrients missing, especially if your diet is a high-calorie one. You are making sure to include all the necessary nutrients in your diet requires making nutritious recipes.