The term “cooking light” often strikes fear into those who hear it. Many assume that delicious recipes cannot be obtained through cooking light recipes, however this belief is more than false. The fact of the matter is, recipes that you already enjoy can most likely be turned into a lighter,healthierversion, with just a few changes – without sacrificing taste.
Cooking Light | Tips for Frying
If you are trying to maintain a healthy weight orlose weight, you most likely have omitted all fried foods from your diet. The good news is you can still have delicious recipes that include frying and still be cooking healthy. Frying is often considered “unhealthy” simply because of the soggy, oil content that remains on the food when you eat this. By combating this issue, however, you can enjoy fried foods and still eat right.
- Keep Your Oil Clean – Debris from fried foods can buildup in your frying oil and begin to burn. Remove this debris with a slotted spoon to keep it out of the oil during frying.
- Use the Right Breading – Believe it or not cooking light does not omit breaded foods. When foods are breaded improperly, however, it inflates calories by making the food absorb more oil than needed. Use only enough flour (all-purpose is best) to coat the food. Use carbonated beverages when making a batter, which will eliminate oil absorption.
- Pair it Right – Instead of pairing fried foods with French fries or other fatty, high-calorie foods, pair it with a light salad, steamed vegetables or some sort of healthy option instead.
Color Counts when Cooking Light | Cooking Light Recipes
Most cooking light recipes will focus on the main course, but forget the side dishes. Therefore it is your job to find healthy side dishes to pair with your entrée. Vegetables are often the best option because they are low in calories, contain vitamins, nutrients and minerals as well as essential antioxidants. Any vegetable is not enough, however. The color of the vegetables is just as important. The more vibrant and rich the color is of a vegetable, the more likely it contains higher levels of nutrients, immune boosters and minerals. Bright green spinach, for example, is packed with essential nutrients and often is recommended in cooking light recipes.
Go Whole Grain when Cooking Light
A lot of delicious recipes call for pasta, rice or another form of grain as a side dish or component of the main dish. The good news, however, is you can turn those recipes into cooking light recipes simply by opting for whole grain options rather than processed grains. Omit white rice for brown rice, processed pasta for whole grain pasta and even use bulgar wheat or whole grain couscous instead of other traditional grains. By adding in these whole grain options you are boosting your fiber intake and adding essential minerals and vitamins into your daily diet.
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