Proper cooking methods - 2

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We may not be aware that cooking can often remove the nutrients from food. We want to eat right, so we prepare healthy meals at home. To keep the nutrients in the food, we must handle it properly at every stage of the cooking process. Here's how we can get the maximum vitamins and nutrition out of the food we eat.

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Start with the Best Ingredients

To ensure that nutritional quality of our meals, start with the best, freshest ingredients. Buy only enough vegetables and fruits to last a day or two. We should not buy more than that. We should try to use fresh or frozen ingredients whenever possible and avoid canned. More dark green and orange vegetables should be chosen. These are higher in vitamins than many others and It's important to get vitamins from a balanced diet, rather than relying on supplements. Mangos, oranges and peaches are always safe bets. When cooking meats, again, we should use fresh cuts. Lean meat may cost a little more, but it's more nutritious. Fish is also high in protein, vitamins and minerals, but low in fat.

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Use Appropriate Cooking Methods

For vegetables, steaming and microwaving are the best cooking methods. These methods cook the food without leeching out valuable nutrients. When we drain the liquid from them, we should not throw it away. We can use it to make soups, stocks and broths. When cooking spinach or other leaf vegetables, they should be cooked briefly , just until they're wilted. This helps retain their nutrients.

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Meat, poultry and fish should be baked rather than frying it. This seals in nutrients, and allows you to flavor the dish with herbs and vegetables rather than salt and butter. Lean meat can be coated in whole wheat flour and sauteed rather than baked; seal in the flavor of fish by wrapping it in tinfoil and baking it. Battered and fried fish is high in saturated fats.

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Add More Fiber

We can increase the nutritional content of your meals by adding high fiber foods. We can use whole wheat flour instead of white flour; it's higher in fiber and also contains more protein and higher levels of vitamin E. Lentils or beans can be added to salads, soups and stews. They're low in fat, but high in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals; high-fiber foods also make us feel full longer, so we won't be tempted to overeat.

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Pay Attention to the Food Pyramid

When cooking, we should pay attention to the food pyramid and the calorie information it provides. We'll notice that our diet should consist mostly of whole grains, balanced with vegetables, fruits, dairy products and meat. We should avoid fats and sugars. These foods have a high calorie contents and very few nutrients.
When frying, we should avoid butter, vegetable shortening and margarine, as they are high in saturated fats; a small amount of olive or canola oil can be usd instead. We should use non-stick skillets and heat them well prior to use. Searing our meats before frying helps lock in the nutrients. When stir-frying vegetables, we have to
make sure not to overcook; the vegetables should still be crisp.

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Source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=george&dbid=34

[shimo]

Tips for effective & right way to cook.

[Shabnam Sakia]

Informative...will be helpful to cook in a proper way.