Healthy cooking

Healthy cooking is not hard to do and many times it involves looking at new ways to cook our favorites. Here are a few tips that can help you use less fat and more meats and vegetables.

#1 Use whole wheat instead of white breads including pizza crust and pastas. You can also cut the all purpose flour in half in your bread an muffin recipes.

#2 Add vegetables to every meal. Say you are making chili add bell peppers, tomatoes, and zucchini. If you are making chicken casserole add carrots, peas, broccoli and celery.

#3replace the meat in your recipes with lean meats. I use shredded chicken breast in chili and sloppy joe. I also use Italian chicken sausage in marinara sauce. Or go meatless.

#4 Bake instead of pan fry. This way you control how much oil you food gets. You can bread you food as usual but bake using high heat and a drizzle of oil. Flip half way through cooking. Do this with eggplant and chicken permission, chicken strips and fish for fish and chips.

#5 Use herbs and seasonings to add flavor not fat, sugar and salt. Cinnamon is sweat and can be used in muffin recipes to cut the sugar. Make your own hot cocoa and use chocolate powder, fat free milk, cinnamon, vanilla and less sugar. This will taste great and and be better for you than store bought. Whenever possible buy items with less or no salt so you have control over how much salt you eat.

#6 Add flax seed to you food. You can use it to cut down on fat in muffin recipes.

#7 Use brown rice or quinoa instead of white rice. You will need to change the fluids and times accordingly.

#8 Use buttermilk instead of sour cream or heavy cream.

#9 Cut back on the cheese on your pizza and add vegetables

All of these methods may take some experimenting when you are changing your original recipe but be creative and you will find a healthier way to enjoy the things that you love.