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Healthy Cooking – Salt and Seasonings
Salt and seasonings can turn an ordinary meal into a work of culinary art, but many people are concerned about getting too much salt in their diets and timid about experimenting with herbs and spices. Salt can cause problems with high blood pressure and water retention or bloating. While you do need some salt in your diet for good health, those of us who enjoy fast food and prepackaged snacks typically get way too much. When shopping for ingredients, look for items labeled as “low sodium” or “sodium free.” By choosing lower sodium foods, you can control how much salt you add to your meals. When you must use salt,…
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Techniques for Healthy Cooking – Steaming
Steaming is very healthy and flavourful way to cook. It is especially good for cooking fresh vegetables. You can purchase a special steamer that plugs into the wall or you can convert an ordinary pan into a steamer by inserting a special steaming basket made of metal or bamboo. With steaming, you just add add some water to the pan, then add the steaming basket. Your veggies go on top of the basket so that the water doesn’t actually cover the vegetables or even touch them. You’ll then need to put a lid on your pot to keep the steam in. As you heat the water at the bottom of…
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Healthy Cooking – Grilling – Baking – Broiling
When it comes to healthy cooking, several methods that give great taste and good health are grilling, baking, and broiling. None of these methods add extra fat to your food and they all impart a wonderful flavour and texture to your meals. Grilling One of the healthiest ways to cook is to use your grill. Here in Canada, many people grill outdoors year round, even during the cold and snows of winter. Most outdoor grills use charcoal or propane gas. Gas grilling is quicker than using charcoal, but doesn’t have the same flavour as charcoal. Grilling can also be done indoors. There are many indoor grill models available for purchase.…
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Healthy Cooking – Healthy Fats and Substitutes
Many times when people decide to eat healthy foods, they try to eliminate fats from their diet. However, your body needs healthy fats and substitutes in order to function properly. The fat soluble vitamins A,D,E,K, and F are absorbed by the body with the fat that we eat, and are also necessary for the metabolism of certain minerals. To understand how dietary fat is important, you’ll need to know the difference between saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Saturated Fats Saturated fats are solid at room temperature and are animal based. You find these fats in meats and dairy products such as bacon, butter, and lard. These are the fats that…
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Healthy Cooking – Frying
When you think about healthy cooking frying is not usually the first method that comes to mind. Frying involves cooking your food in some kind of fat or oil. When you fry foods, it usually adds a large amount of fat or oil to your food as the fat is absorbed by the food as it cooks. While fat is something that your body needs, it doesn’t need it in such high amounts. If you are trying to lose weight, you need to be especially careful about your fat consumption. Fat is very high in calories and reducing your fat intake is an easy way to reduce your overall calorie…
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Techniques for Healthy Cooking
If you’re trying to improve your health, one of the best things you can do is to incorporate healthy cooking techniques into your meal preparation. Sometimes when people talk about healthy cooking, it can sound intimidating and even unappetizing. We get used to doing things a certain way, and having things a certain way, so we are leery of making changes. But healthy cooking doesn’t have to be difficult or bland. Quite the contrary! Benefits for You Fresh natural foods, simply prepared, can be the most flavourful and delicious of all. And with just a few small changes, you can make a big difference in your health and the health…