Eating healthy food doesn’t mean giving up your favourite foods. Your favourite recipes can be adapted easily to provide a healthier alternative. For example, non-stick cookware can be used to reduce the need for cooking oil. Vegetables can also be microwaved or steamed instead of boiling to keep valuable nutrition.
There are many ways to make meals healthier. Ever wondered why even after putting extra efforts you can’t make your food crispy enough? Well, there are certain deep-frying tricks which can make or break the recipe. Here are some life-saving tips which will help you make the food crisper and tastier. So, the next time you plan to make a deep-fried dish make sure you follow these hacks.
Low fat cooking
Suggestions include:
- If you need to use oil, try cooking sprays or apply a small amount of oil with a pastry brush.
- Cook in liquids (such as stock, wine, lemon juice, fruit juice, vinegar or water) instead of oil.
- Use low-fat yoghurt, low-fat milk, evaporated skim milk or cornstarch instead of cream in sauces or soups.
- When browning vegetables, put them in a hot pan then spray with oil, rather than adding the oil first to the pan. This reduces the amount of oil that vegetables absorb during cooking.
- An alternative to browning vegetables by pan-frying is to cook them first in the microwave, then crisp them under the grill for a minute or two.
- Use pesto, salsas, chutneys and vinegars in place of sour creams, butter and creamy sauces.
Cooling racks
If you often make deep-fried food at home, a cooling rack is an ideal investment for you. Often after frying food at home, you transfer it to a plate laid with tissues or paper towel to drain excess oil. The tissues might absorb the oil but also makes the food soggy. These cooling racks not only drains off the oil but also gives enough air to the food to cool down. This in turn makes the food crispier.
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Cutting down salt
- Salt is a common flavor enhancer, but research suggests that a high salt diet could contribute to a range of health problems including high blood pressure. Suggestions to reduce salt include:
- Don’t automatically add salt to your food – taste it first.
- Add a splash of olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice close to the end of cooking time or to cooked vegetables – it can enhance flavours in the same way as salt.
- Choose fresh or frozen vegetables, since canned and pickled vegetables tend to be packaged with salt.
- Limit your consumption of salty processed meats such as salami, ham, corned beef, bacon, smoked salmon, frankfurters and chicken loaf.
- Choose reduced salt bread and breakfast cereals. Breads and cereals are a major source of salt in the diet.
- Iodized salt is best. A major dietary source of iodine is plant foods.
Avoid overcrowding the oil
While frying food at home, the most common mistake that most of us make is overcrowding the oil. Adding too many pieces in the pan at same time can not only make the temperature dip but might also make the food stick at the bottom or the sides. This will unevenly fry the food which won’t ever give you a crispy exterior. It is best to fry in small batches to get evenly cooked and crispy food.
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Keep fats to a minimum
Choose lean meats and reduced-fat dairy products and limit processed foods to minimize hidden fats. Nuts, seeds, fish, soy, olives and avocado are all healthier options because they include the essential long-chain fatty acids and these fats are accompanied by other good nutrients.
Things to remember
- In many cases, favorite recipes can be modified so they offer a lower fat content.
- Choose to steam, bake, grill, braise, boil or microwave your foods, rather than deep fry them.
- Use non-stick cookware.
- Microwave or steam your vegetables instead of boiling them to retain the nutrients.
