Ordering takeout is so 2017! 89% of Americans who work at home and 77% who don’t eat at home at least once a day.
Cooking at home tends to produce healthier and better meals than ordering takeout. But it’s not enough to just cook at home. You need to learn about healthy home cooking and take several steps to make great meals.
What foods should you cook with? How should you cook your meals? What can you do to avoid adding butter, salt, and sugar to your foods?
Answer these questions and you can start a healthy and delicious weekly meal plan in no time. Here is your quick guide.
Find Animal-Free Sources of Protein
It is okay to have some meat or seafood, even multiple times a day. But you should try to get your protein from non-animal sources, which have less saturated fat and cholesterol than meat.
You can start with nuts and beans. You can eat a trail mix as a snack, or you can make a three-bean chili for dinner. If you’re allergic to nuts, you can try soybeans, seitan, and lentils.
Avoid Frying Your Food
Fried foods are high in saturated fat, and the frying process can destroy nutrients in the foods. You should experiment with different cooking methods, especially ones that do not require fat. Steaming and microwaving are always good choices.
If you must cook with fat, you should use olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil. You can saute some vegetables or roast vegetables in the oven after tossing them with oil.
If you’re not familiar with cooking methods, you can consider hiring a chef. You can also take classes from a personal chef so you know how to cook for yourself.
Rely on Spices and Herbs
Cooking at home means you can experiment with different spices and herbs as seasoning. Try to avoid using salt or sugar to season your food unless you are using very small amounts.
For a salad dressing, you can combine lemon juice with mashed avocado. When you are making a soup or stew, you can add sliced basil, chopped cilantro, and parsley leaves. If you don’t have time to chop fresh herbs, you can buy dried ones.
Limit Your Portions
You should eat until you are full, but you should avoid filling up on meat or carbohydrates. The majority of your meals should be vegetables, fruits, and non-animal foods like beans.
After you finish a plate of food, you should wait a few minutes before getting seconds. It can take time for your stomach to send signals to your brain that you are full. If you are still hungry, take a small amount.
Start Healthy Home Cooking the Right Way
Anyone can try healthy home cooking out. The key is to shift away from meat and try to eat legumes, nuts, and whole grains.
Whenever you are preparing your meals, you should steam and microwave your food. Avoid using butter and opt for a plant-based oil instead.
You can add whatever seasonings you like, though you should try fresh herbs instead of salt. You should always limit your portions and give yourself time to digest your food.
Healthy cooking requires a lot of knowledge. Read more cooking and healthy good guides by following our coverage.
Leave a Reply