Cooking Methods for Healthier Meals

Healthful cooking can be easy and enjoyable. It simply takes a little planning to provide the best for your loved ones.

Begin by adding a few of these items to your grocery list & working them into your cooking. You'll discover healthy staples that will add a lot of flavor and variety to your meals.

• Avoid frying or sautéing in oil or other fats. Instead, use a no-stick spray coating or broth.
• Buy and use non-stick sauté pans.
• For meat, fish, and poultry, limit cooking methods to baking, roasting, oven broiling, steaming, poaching, and stewing.
• To replace some moisture and flavor loss, make up the difference with broth, skim milk, fruit juice and/or extra herbs, spices, and vegetables.
• Reduce oil called for in marinades to no more than one teaspoon per 1/2 cup marinade, or eliminate oil altogether.
• Substitute low-fat, low-calorie versions of ingredients. For example, substitute nonfat plain yogurt for sour cream. Or if you prefer, use less of the full fat ingredient.
• Cook with fresh ingredients that do not contribute extra fat such as fresh lemon juice, hot peppers, onion, garlic, tomatoes and ginger.
• Chill soups and stews after cooking to remove fat from the surface after it solidifies.
• A little bit of freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese goes a long way in a seasoning dish.
• Instead of adding margarine or butter to vegetables, add butter flavored sprinkles or salt free seasonings.

You can reduce fat in ground beef by up to 50% by the drain and rinse method.

• Brown ground beef in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Stir to break beef into crumbles about 1/2-inch. Cook until no longer pink.
• Use a large slotted spoon to drain meat. Remove beef crumbles to large plate or other dish lined with three layers of white paper towels. Blot top of beef with a paper towel. Let sit one minute, blotting beef with additional paper towel.
• Place beef in strainer or colander. Pour about 1 quart hot tap water over the beef. Stir beef while pouring water. Drain five minutes.
• Finish preparation according to your favorite chili, taco, or spaghetti sauce recipe.

(If your recipe calls for browning ground beef with onion or garlic, use the same method. Other seasonings and herbs should be added after rinsing for best flavor.)

• Fat-free stock or tomato or other vegetable sauces without fat can be made by thickening with browned flour or cornstarch. "Cream" soups can be made richer by using 1/4 cup powdered skim milk for each cup of milk used, or evaporated skim milk as a base.
• Poach items such as fish or chicken breasts. The results are moist, low fat and delicious.