Healthy cooking doesn't mean that you have to become a gourmet chef or invest in expensive cookware. You can use basic cooking techniques to prepare food in healthy ways.

By using healthy cooking techniques you can cut fat and calories. Consider, for instance, that each tablespoon (about 14 g) of oil you use when frying adds 14 grams of fat and more than 100 calories. To put it in perspective — a healthy adult eating an 1,800-calorie diet should have no more than about 70 grams of fat a day. By switching to roasting, you not only eliminate added oil but also allow any fat in the food to drip away.The methods described here best capture the flavor and retain the nutrients in your food without adding excessive amounts of fat or salt. Use them often to prepare your favorite dishes.

Baking
Besides breads and desserts, you can bake seafood, poultry, lean meat, vegetables and fruits. For baking, place food in a pan or dish surrounded by the hot, dry air of your oven. You may cook the food covered or uncovered. Baking generally doesn't require that you add fat to the food. Read the rest of this entry »