We all know that cooking healthy meals at home is a good idea. You have better control over what’s going into each recipe, as well as proportions of food, reducing chances of illness such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and hypertension.
Here are some interesting cooking tips — from maple sugar to Greek yogurt — to help you create healthy breakfasts and healthy dinners at home.
They may even refresh your culinary skills and encourage you to experiment with ingredients in a new way.
Substitute Vegetables for Pasta or Rice
Substituting vegetables for rice and pasta sounds strange at first. However, it’s very simple and will lessen carb intake and add more vitamins to your meal. A vegetable spiralizer is a handy tool to make spiral slices and noodles from vegetables such as zucchini, butternut squash and carrots. In place of rice, finely chop cauliflower and cook it as you would fried rice, adding chicken or tofu, egg whites, frozen corn and peas, onions and low-sodium soy sauce.
Try New Sugar Options
An array of new healthy, flavorful and all-natural sugar options are now available. Maple sugar is a great sugar option: it’s made from 100% maple syrup, which contains antioxidants. The flavor is wonderful and it works well in baked goods, and on stewed or baked apples, cereals, oatmeal and granola. Coconut sugar has not been processed, bleached or filtered in any form and is lower on the glycemic index chart than other sugars.
Add Beans to Baked Goods
Beans are filled with fiber and protein and are a great substitute for flour in desserts. Chickpeas or black beans diced in a food processor are a good replacement for the flour in cookies, doughnuts and brownies.
Use Greek Yogurt
Adding plain nonfat Greek yogurt to your diet is a great way to get calcium, protein and probiotics. Greek yogurt has double the protein — and fewer carbohydrates, sodium and calories — than regular yogurt.
Since Greek yogurt is strained three times to remove the whey, it is thicker than regular yogurt. That makes it a great substitute for sour cream and mayonnaise in dips, salad dressings, chicken or tuna salads. You can use it in frostings or to top off nachos or tacos, and as a substitute for cream in pasta sauces.
Experiment with Whole Grains
The United States Department of Agriculture suggests that people eat grains daily, and that consuming whole grains as part of a healthy diet may reduce the risk of heart disease and aid in boosting your immune system. Importantly, grains contain fiber, protein, B vitamins, selenium and magnesium. Try ancient grain varieties, such as quinoa, bulgur, farro or millet. They’re easy to prepare and more nutritious than refined grain products (like white flour or refined crackers).
Stock Up On Seeds
If you’re looking for a high-quality snack or a way to boost nutrition in your everyday diet, add seeds — try hemp seeds, chia seeds and flaxseeds — to trail mixes, granola, cereal or yogurt, or in baked goods. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Bake or Sauté Instead of Frying
Instead of frying, try oven-frying your chicken or fish. This will reduce saturated fat and calories in your dishes. For example, dip chicken tenderloins in egg whites, then dredge in a quick coating of panko crumbs mixed with a sprinkle of lemon pepper seasoning, and bake in oven. As a gluten-free option, you can also use cooked quinoa as a coating.
Taste and Season As You Go
Taste your seasoning as you prepare your meals to ensure you don’t over-salt your food. Salt raises blood pressure, which contributes to multiple health problems, illness and diseases. Remember, you can always adjust seasonings right before the dish is served. Alternately, add fresh ingredients right before serving, such as fresh lemon or lime juice, lemon or lime zest, or chopped fresh herbs.
