You love food and you love to cook! You’re passionate about creating new and delicious dishes. Or maybe you’re fond of some classics and keep making them over and over again and you never tire of them.
You’re starting to think about your health more and more and are considering making healthier food choices, but you’re worried about how that might impact the taste of your delicious creations?
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We’ve all been there, so worry not, fellow foodie, here we have some tips to help you keep things equally delicious, just much healthier!
Here are 5 cooking tips and some examples that will change the way you look at healthy foods.
1. Assess Your Cooking
Before you start changing things up, you need to assess your cooking. So, think about your favorite dishes and write down exactly what you’re using and how much. Then decide what goes and what stays!
2. Cut Down on Oil
Did you know that one tablespoon of oil has a whopping 110 calories?
A banana has 90! If you’re the type of cook who loves to use lots of oil and thinks it’s all negligible, you’re wrong! It’s not!
We would suggest using less than a tablespoon of oil per person. This will not just help reduce the calories, but it’s also very heart healthy! Also, you can swap gravy for jus for a further reduction of calories.
3. Whole Grains, Fruits and Vegetables
Replace your white bread with whole-grain bread. Your sugary yogurt with fresh fruit. Your sodium-filled ramen with fresh veggie soups. If it comes in a plastic package, try to avoid eating it.
Go to farmer’s markets and buy whatever is in season, go home and cook something delicious! Let the seasons tell you what to eat, not the supermarkets!
4. Reduce Your Meat
We’re not suggesting you go vegetarian, but a reduced consumption of meat is going to definitely help you stay healthy.
How about instead of eating meat daily, you reduce your consumption to twice or three times a week? Try it for a month and see how you feel!
5. Control Your Portions
Sometimes, it’s not what we eat, but how much we eat that’s harming us. A slice of pizza or a cookie now and then is fine, but if you gorge yourself on pizza every other day, then you have a problem. Educate yourself on what correct portion sizes are and try to eat everything in moderation!
Eat This Not That
Now that we’ve settled on some things that you need to do to make your dishes a tad healthier, let’s take a look at some of the most popular foods out there and see how we can make them healthier without losing much or any of the deliciousness factor.
Oven-Baked Fries Instead of French Fries
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Let’s start with French fries, a favorite of many! French fries are actually highly caloric, with lots of fats which make them very unhealthy.
So, what is there to do?
Well, replace them with oven-baked fries! Just look at them! There are plenty of oven-baked fries recipes online, so read up and see which one appeals to you the most and give it a try.
I have found that the secret to making these super crunchy and delicious is to not add any oil at all. The oil will get them a bit soggy and pull all the water out of them and you won’t get that crunch factor that so many people love.
They’re simply heavenly and so much healthier for you! Give them a try and you will be hooked!
Light Pizza Instead of Greasy Pizza
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When it comes to pizza, there are several things you can do to make it healthier. You can start with the crust!
Choose a whole-grain crust, add some light cheeses on top, make your own tomato sauce, and replace the pepperoni with some chicken or turkey breast.
Another important thing that will up the health factor and makes things extra delicious is to add yummy veggie toppers.
You’ll be surprised at how delightful roasted peppers and eggplant are on your pizza. Lastly, mind your portions!
You can make a healthier pizza, but if you’re going to eat the whole thing, then you’re not really helping your case, are you?
Nice Cream Instead of Ice Cream
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So, what is this ice cream that’s been going around?!
Well, it’s actually ice cream, without the milk. It’s a type of sorbet, but not really if you will. It’s quite delicious, light, and very low in calories if you choose to use little or no sweeteners.
Here are some nice cream recipes that you will definitely love. Or, if you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, then you could try some popsicles, which are equally light and delicious.
Most times, when people crave ice cream, they just crave the cold feeling and the soft texture, which can be wonderfully achieved with much healthier ingredients.
We hope our tips and advice will serve you well on your journey of healthy eating. Just remember, everything in moderation!
Don’t be discouraged if you fall off the healthy eating wagon. Just enjoy your time spent off the wagon, dust yourself off, and get back on it. It’s all about enjoying yourself and making good choices, one day at a time!
About the Author:
By Cristina Costea, a writer contributor at BookCulinaryVacations.com. She is a vegan who loves not only to eat delicious food but to cook it too! She is also a passionate traveler, a cat aficionado, and a novice writer.
