Preparing meals at home is one of the healthiest habits you can adopt. Choosing a meal cooked in your own kitchen over takeaway from restaurants or fast food establishments usually leads to lower intake of calories, sodium, saturated fat, trans fat, and added sugars. Having this level of control over all elements within your culinary creation affords a sense of freedom and comfort. However, some individuals may perceive healthy cooking at home as quite challenging. Therefore we have compiled several straightforward and nutritious cooking shortcuts that will significantly simplify your life.
These ingenious tricks encompass steps as basic as substituting certain ingredients - taking cauliflower rice instead of standard rice or employing Greek yogurt rather than sour cream for instance; through to ideas which necessitate slight extra forward thinking like concocting homemade marinades or producing french fries right in your kitchen! Some of these clever cooking strategies even receive endorsements from professional dieticians who utilize them personally in their home-based gastronomic adventures.
Opt for Zoodles or cauliflower rice
One simple approach to consuming more food but with lesser calories is by replacing your typical pasta or rice portions with alternatives derived from vegetables.
Renowned Dietitian, Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD, recommends "replace your usual rice servings with cauliflower grains or substitute pastas with zoodles (zucchini noodles). Adding these vegetable options helps reduce calorie intake while enabling you to consume more in quantity! This means having the advantage of fewer calories and increased volume along with nutritional value - a total win-win!"
Rely on frozen vegetables
According to Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, utilizing frozen vegetables could be useful in your healthy cooking attempts.
Manaker states that, "Frozen vegetables can be equal or sometimes even more nutritious than fresh ones. Incorporating frozen veggies into your meals not only saves prep and cooking time but also serving them is super easy- just heat and eat." Another perk of selecting frozen over fresh? There's no need to stress about your produce spoiling before you get a chance to use all of it!
Prepare your oatmeal using milk
A considerable number of individuals tend to avoid incorporating dairy milk into their meals due to concerns over fat and caloric content. However, unless one is vegan or suffers from lactose intolerance, the health benefits that accrue from consuming dairy milk are significant. Consequently, Goodson recommends opting for milk instead of water in your oatmeal preparation process.
Incorporating milk rather than water into your oats provides high-quality protein along with a dozen other key nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D among others, states Goodson. Additionally, it enhances the creaminess of the oatmeal which makes it much more satisfying.
Incorporate cottage cheese.
Incredibly versatile, cottage cheese could be utilized in a variety of ways that many individuals tend to overlook - including as a component for velvety, homemade ice cream recipes. Given its high protein and low-fat content, Manaker recommends integrating it into your meals as often as possible.
"By introducing cottage cheese into pasta dishes, smoothies or even scrambled eggs you can markedly increase the protein intake of the recipe while also delivering an added layer of rich creaminess," explains Manaker. It's worth noting though — "If you opt for a kind of cottage cheese without stabilizers bear in mind that it won't hold up well under direct heat; thus should always be incorporated lastly with very minimal heat."
Infuse your energy bite with chocolate collagen powder
A straightforward method to simultaneously enhance protein and flavor in your diet is by incorporating chocolate collagen powder into your energy bites, as per Goodson's advice.
Goodson states, "Numerous individuals are seeking to include collagen in their dietary regime for improved skin and joint wellbeing. Even though it can conveniently be mixed into smoothies and coffee, another approach you could try is blending it into homemade energy bites. A unique combo of oats, mashed Medjool dates, nut butter along with the chocolate collagen powder offers a remarkable twist on traditional peanut butter fudge dessert, yet packed with protein".
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Prepare more grains in advance
Often, the key to staying on track with a healthy eating regime lies in early preparation and proper planning. Pre-cooking meals can help discourage you from ordering fast food or takeout when hunger strikes (unless that's specifically what you're craving).
According to Manaker, one strategy for maintaining preparedness involves cooking extra portions of wholesome grains. "While putting in effort into preparing quinoa, sorghum, or other grains, simply multiply your recipe," she advises. "Let the excess cool completely before transferral into a freezer-appropriate container. Your pre-prepared grain servings then become handy for hectic weeknights when you need an instant whole-grain intake."
Opt for Greek yogurt over sour cream and cream cheese
In your endeavor to incorporate healthier ingredients into your culinary experiments, one recommendation from Goodson is using Greek yogurt as a substitute in recipes that involve sour cream or cream cheese.
Such substitutions are particularly useful when you're preparing snacks and appetizers for celebrations or game days. These often calorie-heavy dishes have sour cream or cream cheese as their core constituents," she notes. "By switching these out with Greek yogurt, you not only reduce the overall fat content and calories of your dish but also enhance its protein value. Bonus point- it enriches your food spread with an added dose of probiotics."
Let 100% fruit juice be an ingredient in your marinade
"Ready-made marinades might taste wonderful, still, they could contain unhealthily high levels of fat, sodium and other undesirable contents," mentions Manaker. She recommends creating a self-made marinade which incorporates 100% pure fruit juice at home to evade these-excessive levels. "The creation of such a marinade will not only enhance the tastes of your meats but also adds valuable nutrients to your meals," she says.
Cook your whole meal on a single baking sheet
There are numerous methods to assemble a quick weeknight dinner. Stir-frying and sautéing often top the list, but these techniques can lead you to pour in more oil than the meal truly requires if you aren't vigilant. A simple manner to keep an eye on oil usage is by roasting your supper on an oven's baking sheet. Moreover, this approach allows just one-time cooking with minimal cleaning effort after eating. It's beneficial both ways.
Pour water into your pasta jar
Often, we enjoy the fun of making our own marinara sauce at home. However, for convenience during weekdays meals, it's usually simpler to buy jars of sauce. Most types are not only very low in calories but also packed with excellent whole ingredients. Still often when you decant that purchased sauce into the pot, some remains within the jar and it can be challenging to pour out every drop. A clever trick for collecting these leftovers is to inject a small amount of water back into the jar, secure its lid and give it a good shake before pouring what remains back into your cooking pot - adding just a bit more volume without altering the flavour.
Quickly sauté your spinach
Spinach is known to possess nutrients that are sensitive to heat, implying that its nutritional benefits diminish when cooked. Boiling usually has the most detrimental effect on these essential nutrients found in spinach. Consequently, if you aim to maximize the benefit from the nutrients present in your spinach, it's recommended that you sauté them briefly and consume promptly while still hot.
Create open-faced sandwiches
Most of us agree that the bread in a sandwich is essential as it's what holds all the ingredients together. However, have you considered that only one slice might be sufficient? In fact, there's really no need for an extra half – not to mention this could help lessen your calorie intake. Simply start with a single toasted bread piece and layer it with whatever condiments and fillings tickle your fancy.
Bake fries
Would you believe that potatoes are among the top cravings killers? Absolutely! Apart from causing a feeling of fullness, these amazing starchy vegetables pack an impressive range of nutrients. Yet, if your fries end up drenched in oil (probably rich in saturated fat), they turn into an unhealthy meal choice. Nevertheless, this doesn't mean abandoning your love for fries. Rather switch to baking them than frying. Simply cut the potatoes into fry shape and bake them with just a sprinkle of oil, salt and pepper. The result will be a crunchy retreat or side serving that fill satisfy your hunger without burdening you with surplus oils and calories.
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Amplify the vegetable content in your meals
Maintaining a healthy diet isn't restrained to consuming unexciting salads alone. You have the freedom to relish some of your beloved meals including pasta, pizza, and even burgers. The strategy lies in coupling your main course with abundant portions of fulfilling vegetables for making a balanced meal. Heap up on delicious vegetable add-ons on both pizzas and burgers. Whip up an enticing dish by blending roasted vegetables along with pasta serving sizes. This practice will not only fortify your dishes nutritionally through essential nutrients and fiber but also would ensure you experience satiety at the end of each meal.
Prepare a roux for cream-based meals
Pasta dishes with cream bases may seem unhealthy, however this is only the case if you smother it in rich butter and heavy cream. A healthier, but still delicious alternative can be achieved by creating a roux for your creamy sauce. A roux is made by first melting butter then gradually adding flour while continuously whisking until they are fully combined. Afterwards, continue pouring milk (opt for regular rather than full-fat) slowly and stir until your sauce achieves a desirable thickness. Then add some cheese to taste and there you have it: the perfect creamy sauce! We incorporate this amazing roux technique into several of our beloved recipes like our loaded Alfredo dish, Chicken Dumplings pairing or the unforgettable Instant Pot Chicken Rice Soup.
Accompany your meals with a hefty portion of vegetables
Healthy cooking often revolves around mindful eating and a major aspect of this is keeping an eye on portions. This can, however, be difficult when you're partial to indulging in numerous plates of your favored foods. A simple mechanism for maintaining control over meal sizes entails filling 50% of your plate with basic vegetable sides like leafy greens. The kind of veggie is open-ended but we love chucking some spinach or Kale into the mix together with olive oil, salt, and spices – just enough to add a bit flavor. Endeavor to fill one half of your plate with green veggies while occupying the other half with whatever main dish you prepared; before long it will seem more instinctive than complex -an effortless way to maintain healthy portions without giving it much thought.
Incorporate chia seeds
Are you aware of the high dietary fiber content found in chia seeds? Dietary fiber is an essential nutrient that aids weight loss and combats autoimmune diseases. A straightforward method to include it your diet is by sprinkling chia seeds on different meals, particularly breakfast dishes. You can sprinkle them over a piece of peanut butter toast or add them to your yogurt or overnight oats. Consider preparing a chia seed pudding for breakfast to enhance your fiber intake significantly.
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Craft your own granola
Store-bought granola can be outrageously pricey and packed with unnecessary added sugars. Dodge these issues by preparing your homemade granola. Besides being a fantastic add-on for yogurt, it could serve as a delightful dessert topping over ice cream or even eaten separately as a quick snack. Below is an uncomplicated recipe you might want to try.
Opt for whole-grain options
An effortless approach to incorporating fiber into your meals is by substituting your standard carbohydrate sources with whole-grain or whole-wheat alternatives. Conveniently make this switch with staples like bread, buns, tortillas, crackers, pasta, pizza dough – the options are limitless.
Warm up frozen fruits for a simple spread.
Who can resist the all-time favourite PB&J? It's an iconic fare, however, if you aren't careful, the sugar level can rise significantly. Alternatively, put half a cup of berries into a pot and warm it until the berries are mashed down. Add these warmed fruits to your peanut butter-slathered bread slice and voila! You've got yourself a healthier PB&J version. This handy tip is suitable for multiple dishes that pairs well with spreads like oatmeal, pancakes or muffins.
Cook with oat flour
The health benefits of oat flour, which is rich in nutrients like fiber and naturally lacks gluten, make it an excellent substitute for regular flour in all kinds of recipes. Making this kind of flour merely requires grinding down rolled oats. To create a cupful, take 1 1/4 cups worth of oats and blend them. Determine the amount you need by increasing the quantity proportionally based on your recipe requirements. So why not turn some tricks with this special ingredient while making your much-loved dishes? For beginners, we even have our Zucchini Bread recipe that can be tested out using oat flour.
Store fruits and kale in the freezer for convenient smoothies.
Got fruits heading towards overripe in your fridge? Don't let them go to waste - freeze them instead! Take a half banana, half cup of any fruit you prefer, and one cup of kale. Place these into mini freezer bags. When it's time to whip up a smoothie, take out this pre-packed goodness from the freezer. Blend it with a cup of almond milk and add either 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or one scoop of protein powder according to your preference.
Sprinkle sliced almonds on your salads and oats instead of whole ones.
Almonds make excellent garnishments for numerous meals - take salads and oats for instance. However, they can quickly pile up the calories if not properly managed. A more calorie-effective method is using a pack of sliced almonds. Using just one tablespoon of these delicate slices amounts to only 30 calories as compared to 15 whole pieces that clock in over 100! By opting for sliced versions, each bite gives you an increased crunch factor than their whole counterparts; another advantageous swap.
Don't peel off the skins
Why go through the hassle of peeling potatoes, carrots or apples when their skins are loaded with numerous nutrients? Unless your cooking instructions specifically ask you to do so, keep them intact. Savour the nutritional advantages that these naturally grown veggie covers provide.
Microwave garlic for 7 seconds
Garlic peeling could often be counted as an annoying part of the cooking process, especially when your recipe calls for it. One might resort to shaking up in a jar, but microwaving presents a quicker alternative to get rid of those stubborn skins. Just arrange the cloves (with their peel on) in a modest-sized bowl and subject them to 7 seconds of microwave treatment. Once done, you'll find that each clove willingly detaches its skin with the slightest pressure applied.
Make scrambled eggs softer by adding some milk
Constructing the perfect, cloud-like scrambled eggs is simpler than you may believe! There's no necessity to overload your eggs with an excess of cream and cheese to achieve this. An alternate method involves integrating a speckle of milk along with two broken open eggs into a mixing bowl. Stir until every part is thoroughly mixed in, afterward transfer them onto a cooking pan that has been slightly coated with butter. With the help of silicone scraper continually stir until your eggs are nearly ready, then detach from the stove.
Use pasta water to thicken sauces
If your roux doesn't have the consistency you were aiming for and turned out thinner than expected, there's no need to worry or start adding a surplus of flour. You can utilize some of the water in which your pasta is being cooked instead. As the pasta boils, it releases starch into the water that can be quite helpful when cooking.
Simply add one or two tablespoons of this starchy water into your saucepan with the sauce and give it a good stir. The sauce will thicken up naturally as a result.
Prepare shrimp in their shells
Surely, no one relishes the idea of consuming overly dry shrimp – particularly when you've spent significant money acquiring them! A more preferable option is purchasing shrimp with their shells intact (a frequently less expensive choice) and cooking them directly in your chosen sauce while they still wear their shells. The reason being that these shields trap all the tasty juices creating even tenderer and juicier shrimps.
Allow a 15-minute rest time for your pancake batter
Most recipes for pancakes require the inclusion of baking powder, an agent responsible for causing dough or batter to rise. The secret to turning a pancake from flat and ordinary to fluffy and glorious lies with this ingredient - baking powder. However, without allowing ample time for your pancake batter to interact with the baking powder at its own pace, you are inhibiting it from reaching its full fluffiness potential. It's crucial consequently after preparing your mix (careful not over-mixing; clumpy parts act as air pockets further enhancing the texture of pancakes), let it sit undisturbed for around quarter hour while preparing other aspects such as heating up pan or assembling toppings could be done simultaneously . This technique leads towards making thicker pancakes thus satisfying one's satisfaction even by eating less number compared thinner yet considerably more calorie-filled traditional variant.
