Editor’s Note: Injury prevention and wellness handouts are an effective (and inexpensive) way to educate and motivate employees to use good work practices and take care of their bodies.
Scroll to the bottom of this post for the free Wellness Handout PDF file.
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Healthy Cooking 101
Americans are eating more and more food they don’t prepare themselves. The convenience of take-out dinners and microwaveable meals has made it almost too easy to stay out of the kitchen. And it’s made it too easy to eat unhealthy junk food.
If you want to stay healthy, consider cooking your own meals with fresh ingredients.
By using the right cooking methods, you can make your every day meals healthier and with fewer calories. Healthy cooking methods also help capture the natural flavor and retain the nutrients of all the ingredients without adding lots of unhealthy oils, fats and salt into the recipe.
If this sounds great, but you’re not a master chef – don’t worry.
You don’t have to become an expert in the kitchen to use these healthy cooking techniques. With just a little practice, you can master these techniques to make every meal healthier.
Healthy Cooking Techniques
1.Steaming
Steaming is cooking food in an enclosed environment infused with steam and is one of the best ways to preserve the nutrients in your food. Steaming also cooks and seals in flavor, eliminating the need for added fats and salts during preparation.
2. Stir-frying
Stir-frying cooks your food at a very high temperature for a very short time period. You only need a small amount of oil or cooking spray for this method. Stir-frying is great for cooking vegetables along with your choice of lean meat.
3. Broiling
Broiling is one of the simplest of all cooking methods and involves exposing food to direct heat in an electric or gas stove. The benefits of broiling is that it allows the fat to drip away from the food, saving you those unnecessary calories.
Keep in mind:
- Try to use fats and oils in moderation when you cook.
- Eat real, whole foods.
- Eat more fruits and vegetables!
Think Prevention! Prevention is always better than treatment! Cooking healthier is a proactive strategy to live longer and stay well.
(Sources: WebMD, Wikipedia, SHAPE Magazine)
Free Wellness Handout – Healthy Cooking Basics
