Healthy Cooking Methods

What are healthy cooking methods?

Different types of healthy cooking methods can help make meals more interesting and can help reduce the saturated fats that can contribute to elevated cholesterol when used in excess.  Try out some of the recipes below to practice some new cooking methods!

Grill

• Heat source flows from the bottom to cook food
• Uses limited saturated fat you can increase heart healthy fats by marinating meats in canola oil and spices and drizzling veggies with olive oil after cooking
• Try out some of these grilled recipes!

Farmers Market Grilled Pizza

Grilled Balsamic Vegetable Salad

Steam

• Process in which food is contained in a covered colander with boiling water beneath it, steam released from the water is used to cook whatever is above
• Try out this steamed recipe that cooks in a foil packet!

Foil Packet Salmon

Blanch/ Poach

• Poaching is the process in which food is cooked in submerged in boiling water until cooked through, blanching is the process of stopping the cooking process through submerging the food in ice water
• Uses no oil
• Check out this savory oatmeal recipe with poached egg!

Broil

• Heat source flows from the top, used to brown the tops of dishes, gives a crisp without the need to fry
• Uses little to no oil
• Check out this broiled recipe:

Chickpea Flatbread (Socca)

Bake

• Cooking the entire dish from start to finish with steady heat in a convection oven
• Can use oil to coat pan to prevent sticking
• Try out these delicious baked recipes:

Twice Baked Sweet Potato

Maple Baked Salmon

Baked BBQ Chicken Wings

Sear

• Process in which food, typically meat, is placed in a hot pan with minimal oil to brown and caramelize the outside. It is then placed in an oven to finish cooking through the center
• Uses some oil
• Check out this seared scallop recipe!

Scallops with Wild Rice and Roasted Asparagus

Sauté

• Used when cooking vegetables in a pan with minimal oil until tender
• Try out some of these sautéed recipes:

Blog contributions by Rachael May, dietetic intern.