Healthy cooking methods

How can we cook the foods that we love in such a manner that it not only benefits our tastebuds, but our body as well? In this section, we are going to introduce a few cooking methods that you may (or may not!) be familiar with - not only are these methods easy and quick, they are much better for you as well.

Steaming
This is a healthy cooking method suited to cooking vegetables like broccoli, carrots and leafy greens. Simply place the food into a perforated basket right above simmering water; cover the saucepan with a lid and wait for the food to cook.












Poaching
Poaching is a simple method of cooking that is commonly used to cook foods that are tender, like eggs (such as in Eggs Benedict), chicken and salmon (mostly by poaching in wine). A simple mixture of water, vinegar and salt boiled and then brought down to a simmer is all that you need; this is a healthy way of adding protein to your meal.











Stir-frying
Stir-frying is healthy because all you need is a small amount of oil and the foods are cooked for a short period of time, and because of this retain their natural, rich flavour, textures and colour. Most stir-frying is done with added water, as oil oxidises and releases free radicals when heated; seasonings like ginger and garlic are also commonly used.