Tips For Healthy Cooking

Healthy cooking recipes are those that follow the guidelines of a healthy diet and involve healthy foods and healthy cooking methods. The healthy recipes may be for specific purpose also.

The healthy recipe should incorporate a variety of nutrient-rich healthy foods.

Do you know that your eating habits can change your life. By eating proper food, you can avoid the risk of many forms of cancer and heart disease. Know the ingredients used in cooking that can prolong your life.

The healthy foods include almond, apricot, asparagus, banana, beans, beet root, black grams, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chickpeas, chili peppers (green, hot, red, bell, black etc.), corn, coriander), dates, eggplant, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, green beans, lemon, lime, lentils, kidney beans, oats, olive oil, canola oil, noodles, onions, orange, pasta, pears, potato, radish, scallions, sesame, spinach, soya beans, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, wheat, zucchini, etc.

The above foods are good sources of dietary fiber which is essential for a healthy body.
These food items have been proved to be beneficial in preventing many diseases such as cardiovasculap disease, cancer, obesity, etc. Even they can help reduce blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and for weight loss.

A healthy recipe should not make you fat. You should be able to maintain a healthy weight. If you eat foods cooked following a healthy recipe, you need not worry about gaining weight.

Healthy recipes do not use food ingradients that give you too much calories. These recipes do not use too much fat for cooking, specially oils rich in saturated fat.
You must know how you can cut calories. Learn about calories in foods you eat.

Healthy Recipe Types

Healthy recipes may be for making a regular healthy diet or for any specific conditions. Following healthy recipe terms are in use.

Recipes for specific conditions: heart healthy recipes, healthy diabetic recipe, healthy recipes for kids, children and toddlers, healthy recipes for seniors, healthy pregnancy recipe.

Recipes for specific time: healthy breakfast recipe, healthy lunch recipes, healthy dinner recipes

Recipes for specific nutrition: healthy low carb recipe, healthy low fat recipe, healthy low calories recipes, etc.

Recipes for specific dishes: healthy recipes for snacks, smoothies, dessert, soup, pasta, bread, salad, pizza, cake, healthy smoothie recipe, healthy drink recipe

Cooking for specific needs: low calorie recipes, healthy Mexican recipes, healthy stir fry recipes etc.

Over 200 low fat recipes are given under different categories. Many of the recipes can be used for preganacy diet. These recipes can form a part of a healthy diet.

Follow the recipes given on this web site and you will discover that you need not to be a culinary expert to cook low fat nutritious and tasty dishes.

Tips For Healthy Cooking

1. Use skim or low fat varieties of all dairy products (milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, cream, ice cream)
2. If a recipe needs some oil/butter/ghee, use olive or canola oil in small quantity. Make a habit of brushing or spraying the oil in the pan instead of pouring.
3. Use non sticking utensils for cooking.
4. First heat the utensil, then add (preferably spray) oil. A heated pan spreads the oil better.
5. Substitute baking, barbecue or grill for frying, if possible.
6. Avoid reheating of the food as it destroys the nutritive value of foods.
7. Wash the vegetables with water containing potassium permanganate to remove fertilisers and pesticides. Then rinse them with clean water.
8. Do not overcook the vegetgables as the more they are cooked, the less nutrition you will get from them.
9. Onion should be cut and kept for at least 15 minutes before serving as oxidation helps quercetin, an important phytochemical and antioxidant to get activated.
10. Look the labels on the food products carefully. Look for labels of low fat or reduced fat.
    Don't be carried away by the words 'No Cholesterol' on labels. Majority of vegetable products are cholesterol free. It is the fat content of the item which matters.
11. Avoid conventional fast foods. Salads, sandwiches, fresh fruits are best fast foods.
12. When you go to a hotel, give instructions to add only very small quantities of oils for cooking.
13. Eat only when you feel hungry.
14. Avoid eating while watching TV. You eat a lot and you don't know while watching TV.
15. Never use pots and pans made of lead or aluminium. Lead can lead to severe digestive disorders. Aluminium vessels can cause high levels of aluminium in the brain tissue that may lead to Alzheimer's disease.