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Healthy cooking secrets :)

Discussion in 'Indian Diet & Nutrition' started by krishnaamma, Nov 21, 2008.

  1. krishnaamma

    krishnaamma Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    A healthy eating plan doesn't mean dont aftaid, that you have to sacrifice your favorite foods. :hiya

    All needed is a little trick; that is all.:)

    Try some of these tips when preparing your favorite dishes to make them lower in fat and more healthful to you and your family.

    Avoid seasoning or use less oil.

    To sauté vegetables with less fat, use just "half of the quantity" of your regular use.

    Use lower than normal heat and cover the pan with a lid; the moisture from the vegetables will help to cook the curry and prevent them from burning.

    You can add salt in the veg. so that it will not stick in the pan. If you want, you can add some water to keep the veggies from drying out without slowing down the cooking process.

    Always remember that, as you take a low-calorie dish, you are literally helping yourself by choosing a healthier way of life.

    Cut down the oil, ghee which you use for cooking and try to do all your frying in non-stick cookware.

    Avoid using direct ghee when you eat rice. or reduce it into half.

    Try to use the minimum of butter on your toasts or skip the butter/ghee altogether.

    Use skim milk in your tea or coffee instead of whole milk. You will not even notice the difference in taste.

    Replace heavy cream with evaporated skim milk or lowfat yogurt.

    In place of sour cream, try to use non-fat sour cream, yogurt or pureed lowfat cottage cheese.

    Use whole grain for part of your ingredients instead of highly refined products such as whole wheat flour, whole cornmeal, and oatmeal.

    Experiment with a variety of spices and herbs in your dishes to make them interesting.

    Decrease sodium by using low sodium or unsalted ingredients.

    Refrigerate all stocks, stews, and soups and remove the congealed fat before reheating.

    Avoid snacks between meals. If you get hungry, eat fruits, such as papaya or water-melon or baby carrots or cucumber.

    you can even take 'air popped' popcorns.

    Once in a week, de-toxify your body by eating only fruits and skim milk on that day.

    Low fat paneer can be made at home from skimmed milk.

    Avoid finishing off the baby food left over after feeding your baby, as this is high in calorie.

    Avoid eating left overs. That is just eat the correct quantity; dont over eat to avoid left overs. ok? Eat slowly and stop eating when you feel full.

    Drink 8-10 glasses of water per day. That too try to drink hot or warm water, before and after food.

    Avoid chill water after your food.
    Try to take 2 type of fruits and 2 - 3 types of veg. each day. You can take raw or cooked veg.

    For gravies or soups, first boil and make puree out of onions and use a non-sticking pan. This way you can cut down the amount of oil required for cooking.

    Transfer all fried food on a tissue paper to get rid of excess oil.

    Use non-stick pans and cooking spray to reduce the need for oil and butter.

    Try to cook in a microwave as far as possible. Microwaving meals requires little or no fat to cook.

    Steam your vegetables in a basket over boiling water or in a food steamer.
    Whenever possible use Organic products.

    When you make dosa, use non stick to avoid over oil.

    Or you can spread oil with a cloth or tissue before making dosa and close the dosa with a lid. so that, no need to pour oil on the other side of the dosa and also can save gas energy by cooking one side of the dosa. you can serve immediately. It will be very tastey even without oil. Try once.:thumbsup

    Same for chappati. reduce oil and make 'pulkas' and serve immedietely with good gravey sidedish. so you wont feel hard to eat. :hiya

    Enjoy healthy cooking and serve your family.
     
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  2. likemychai

    likemychai New IL'ite

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    AWESOME post - right up my alley and timely too, as I am trying to reduce!

    I have another tip to add to the above - substitute extra firm tofu for paneer in your dishes (unless calls for sweet paneer as in desserts, then you can use silken tofu depending on the dish). I've been doing this for years with palak paneer, chili paneer, etc. and nobody notices in most cases and those that do are shocked to learn its tofu as the taste is great.

    Also I bake things like veg cutlet - just drizzle a little oil on each one and bake - tastes same, even better!
     
  3. Sriniketan

    Sriniketan IL Hall of Fame

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    nice tips Krishnamma
    I had to work out on the left-overs part..hehe
    de-toxifying is a great idea...had to work on that part too
    Nice tip to remove the concealed fat from stocks and stews..

    sriniketan
     
  4. sundarusha

    sundarusha Gold IL'ite

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    Thanks for the great tips Krishnamma..
     
  5. Mindian

    Mindian IL Hall of Fame

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    thank u for the great tips,krishnaamma
    Mindi
     
  6. csailaja

    csailaja Senior IL'ite

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    hai krishnaamma,

    thankyou for sharing healthy cooking tips.

    Radhika
     
  7. krishnaamma

    krishnaamma Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Hi Tanu,

    Thanks for your post and also for the good tip. Only once i used tofu and we dint liked that smell. will try again with some other dish.

    I am not a good writer like you. I enjoyed your blog. surely I will write a feed back there. keep writing.
     
  8. krishnaamma

    krishnaamma Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Dear Sri,

    how are you? thanks for your post. happy to note that you liked this tips. yes dear, as you mentioned it is a good idea to remove, concealed fat from stocks and stews. hihihihihi Kay Kay karna paduthat hai , to reduce our weight?
     
  9. krishnaamma

    krishnaamma Moderator Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    Usha, Mindi and Radhika,

    Thank you for stepping in.
     
  10. Anandchitra

    Anandchitra IL Hall of Fame

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    Krishnaamma Thanks for posting here these very valuable suggestions. I was very surprised to note I am follwoing each and every one of these tips. I did not realise how much my cooking has changed over the years. I am still learning more to teach my son and to help him with healthy habits which we all benefit too.
     

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