by Gordon Hamilton

Created on: April 14, 2010

The concept of how to cook healthy foods is one which can very much be considered from two different vantage points or perspectives. One can either consider by which means one is best advised to cook foodstuffs which are considered healthy, or alternatively, one can consider how to cook foodstuffs in general by what are considered healthy methods. There will naturally be considerable overlap in the two but it is definitely worth looking at the question from both different angles.

How to cook healthy foods in a literal sense may be interpreted as meaning considering how to cook foods which are deemed to be healthy in a fashion which does not ultimately result in them ceasing to be so. The most common way in which foods which are perceived to be healthy are cooked in an inappropriate fashion is by overcooking them. This is particularly common when it comes to vegetables. Brussels sprouts, broccoli, certain types of cabbage and more all have bright green colouration, which is indicative of their nutritional value. When we boil them in water to the extent that they both start to lose this colour and their texture, what we are in essence doing is allowing these valuable vitamins and minerals to escape in to the poaching liqueur. One will actually be able to see the water start to discolour and this is representative of the nutrients which will ultimately be poured down the sink. Overcooking vegetables to this extent is also the most common factor as to why people are put off eating them, as the texture and the flavour have been lost with the goodness.

Conversely, it is possible to undercook some healthy foods to the extent where they become hazardous to one’s health. The most common examples of this would be meats such as chicken or pork, which have to be fully cooked to ensure that any harmful bacteria which they can incorporate are destroyed. Certain pulses - for example, red kidney beans - can also cause less potentially deadly problems for the digestive system if they are not properly cooked. It is vital therefore that where any uncertainty exists regarding the required cooking time for a particular food item, appropriate reference be made to Google, a cookbook, or even a friend who may be able to provide tips.

How to cook healthy foods in terms of cooking methods is an issue which has been widely publicised in recent years and is largely known to any and all who do in fact cook. One should be careful to use a minimum of saturated fats in cooking and substitute them with vegetable based oils wherever possible. One should also either grill or poach whenever one can, rather than deep or even shallow fry. These procedures relate to the substances which we are incorporating in to our bodies along with the foodstuffs and the dangers which they can pose to particularly the cardiovascular system.

Healthy cooking is still occasionally considered to be bland or boring cooking. The reality is of course entirely the opposite and by replacing saturated fats with oils, cooking delicious vegetables for less time and using fresh herbs in stead of thick, cloying sauces, healthy food can very much be made to be more enjoyable than its less healthy counterpart. All that is required in order to make this extremely beneficial change in one’s eating habits is a little investigation, a little thought and a little effort in getting used to the alteration.

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