Low-calorie cooking

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Extract from the article: To get the most out of food, you need to know how to cook. food. Healthy cooking is not just about the ingredients you use, but also the way you cook them. Cooking. It's important to know which is the healthiest way to prepare each food. preparing

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To get the most out of food, you need to know how to cook. food. Healthy cooking is not just about the ingredients you use, but also the way you cook them. Cooking. It's important to know which is the healthiest way to prepare each food. preparing each food, bearing in mind that some nutrients, such as vitamins, are very delicate and require special care to ensure that they are not destroyed during both preparation and cooking.

Low-calorie yet delicious cooking ? No problem. Here are some simple tips to apply in the kitchen.

 

Reduce fat

There are dozens of recipes that provide healthy fats that don't affect health or weight. These include soybean oil, sesame oil, kuklui oil, avocado oil and fish oil. Reducing calories does not mean eliminating fatty acids from the diet. In fact, the body needs them to a certain extent. They must be unsaturated fatty acids, known as “good fats”. Avoid fried foods and industrial mayonnaise. Choose the leanest cuts of meat, and remove visible pieces of fat during cooking. Processed fats are associated with poorer health, according to a study published in the journal Cardiology. Their consumption should be minimized.

 

Beware of red meat

Reducing the amount of red meat in your diet is a good way to stay healthier. Red meat consumption can be reduced by increasing consumption of chicken breast, lean boneless turkey or rabbit. This will eliminate some calories and a lot of fat from daily meals.

 

Avoid pre-packaged foods

Pre-packaged foods are loaded with sugar, sodium and unhealthy fats. Plus, portion sizes can be excessive for the body. Try to limit the use of these products. They can be replaced wherever possible by fresh, homemade foods. Experts recommend limiting consumption of ultra-processed foods because of their health implications.

 

Avoid stock cubes

They contain food additives, flavor enhancers, colorants, emulsifiers, flavorings, maltodextrin and hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP). These elements have health consequences including cardiovascular and neurological diseases and gout attacks. 

 

Local alternatives to stock cubes

Too rich in salt and additives, bouillon cubes can easily be replaced by local preparations. These are all-natural products with no additives or flavoring. These preparations are made from aromatic herbs, spices, meat, fish, shrimp and often a small amount of salt.

 

Learn healthy cooking methods

Culinary techniques that add less fat to food are more suitable: boiling (cooked or boiled, steamed). Deep-fried, breaded and stewed foods should be eaten in moderation; cold degreasing improves preservation and nutritional quality.

 

Healthy cooking to reduce the risk of illness

To make food more appetizing, aromatic herbs and spices can be used. Their purpose is to replace salt. Don't forget that excessive salt consumption (5g per day) is associated with cardiovascular disease, water retention and kidney problems. We therefore recommend iodized salt.

William O.

Article validated by Dissirama Tabago, nutrition and food safety engineer at the Unité de récupération nutritionnelle at CHU Sylvanus Olympio (Togo).