Cook healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic – Revamp your cooking style
As the world is in the middle of the biggest health crisis ever, people are becoming more conscious about their well being. The focus has entirely shifted to healthy living, whether it is about eating right, exercising, or looking after your mental health. And perhaps, your kitchen is the best place to start if you are looking to clean up your lifestyle for good. The first thing you need to do right now is to reassess your cooking style and revamp it to do away with everything that isn’t good for your health. Here are some positive measures you can take in this direction.
Focus on fresh and natural
Enough of processed foods, meats, and seafood, now it’s time to focus on everything fresh and natural! Whether you shop groceries online or at the superstore, stock up fresh produce. Pick lots of greens and colorful fruits and vegetables because they are high in antioxidants. Also, switch to whole grains rather than white variants. Shop nuts and seeds and avoid processed and sugar-laden snacks and goodies. A complete revamp of your pantry paves the way to healthy cooking.
Watch your oils
Ditch high-fat cooking oils and move to healthy variants like rice bran, sunflower, canola, and olive oils. Minimize the use of butter in everyday cooking because it loads on fat and makes food harder to digest. This is something you need to be extra watchful about these days when outdoor exercise is not being encouraged. Apart from choosing the right oils, limit their use as well.
Change your cooking techniques
Another smart way to cook better is by changing the techniques you use. It is as easy as switching to methods like grilling, roasting, baking, and air frying instead of deep frying and shallow frying. Anything that cuts the use of oil is a good choice. You may even pick a weekly flyer online and secure one of Costco weekly deals to buy a new grill oven or air fryer for your kitchen. Certainly, this is the smartest investment you can make for your family’s well being.
Limit the use of salt and sugar
Cooking smart is also about limiting the use of salt and sugar because they can contribute to the risks of conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. Herbs and spices make a good substitute for salt as they add to the flavor and aroma without having any side effects. In fact, some herbs boost your immunity. Sugar can be replaced by cinnamon while you can ditch desserts for fresh fruits.
Follow a plan
Healthy cooking does not mean that you have to deprive yourself; rather it is all about balance. Create a meal plan with allowance for cheat meals once a week and ensure that you stick to it. Try new recipes with global flavors and you will soon realize that cooking smart is easier than you believe. Limit portion-sized because they can make a difference as well.
Embrace healthy meals as a way of life for the whole family and you will be able to enjoy and appreciate them soon!
Author Bio: A health expert, and a personal trainer, Eric Daniel has been blogging for dietary tips for over 5 years now. He recently joined Outreach Monks as senior editor and has been a great asset for the team.
