Tips for Cooking Healthy and Light

Many restaurants these days are serving up super sized portions, so it's no wonder that people have become used to ingesting large amounts of food every day. This is no problem if they are eating meals that are low in calories and generally nutritious. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work this way. Therefore it's highly important that you choose healthful and low calorie foods when you eat at home, so you can minimize the damage from your restaurant splurges. This begins with cooking light.

Light, healthy cooking relies on more than the ingredients you use; the oil you cook them with is also important. In fact, the oil can have a big impact on the nutritional value of the meal. Even though all your ingredients may be healthful, for example, veggies, lean meats and whole grains, if you add oil containing unhealthy fats, you'll wind up having a meal that's not so good for you.

Try these easy ways to make your meals healthy and light.

1. Pick Vegetable Oils

This is the most critical of the guidelines. Pick a vegetable based oil to ensure that the food you're cooking won't impact your health negatively. These oils are beneficial for elevating your good cholesterol. They help to improve the performance of your cardiovascular system and compensate for the unhealthy cholesterol found in meat and animal fats.

2. Stay Away from Additives

As much as you can, stay away from seasonings and ingredients that aren't natural. It can turn a healthy meal into a questionable one. Artificial flavoring might heighten the flavor of the dish that you're cooking but it can also result in kidney and liver ailments due to its elevated sodium content. As well, stay away from batter mixes for deep fried foods; they just increase the calories without any nutritional benefits.

3. Cut the Meat

Make it a habit to use seafood and veggies in your home cooking. Restrict meat consumption to a serving or less per day. So you'll be getting the protein your body needs but avoiding the saturated fats contained in meat. On the occasions when you do indulge in a piece of meat, look for ones that are lower in saturated fats. White meats such as chicken and turkey are regarded as better for you than red meats such as beef and pork. And of these two, pork is the better choice as the fat can be trimmed more readily.

4. Cook Less

Another approach to healthy cooking is to make light meals, not just in terms of calories and fat, but also in quantity. This is particularly relevant when you're cooking the main meal of the day. But take your time making this change. If you vary your diet too much it can cause health problems.

It's also not recommended if you have young children. It's important that you give children all the nutrition they need to become strong and healthy. This doesn't imply overeating, but neither should you limit their calories unless advised by your doctor.

Get more on healthy cooking here Healthy Living Diet