Cooking Healthier: Techniques & Equipment

Kristine Napier, M.P.H., R.D., L.D.

Go Nonstick. Treat yourself to nonstick cookware and utensils so that you can use less fat with ease.

Stir sizzle instead of stir fry. This technique works well for meat, poultry, fish, and vegetable dishes. You'll use broth instead of oil. Purchase canned chicken or beef stock (fat-free), or make your own with bouillon granules and water. The latter is preferable because you can make the broth double or triple strength, which enhances the flavor even more.
Start with non-stick pan, spray it with vegetable oil spray or use a scant 1 teaspoon (measured) of oil, and heat to the desired temperature. Add ingredients and bouillon by the tablespoon as needed to maintain enough moisture to stir-sizzle. Note: Many stir fry recipes call for 1/4 to 1/2 cup of oil, which can add as many as 400 to 900 or more calories to the recipe.

Bake in parchment instead of frying. Wrap a lean chicken breast or fish fillet with some herbs and a splash of flavored vinegar into parchment paper and bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes for chicken breast and 450 degrees for 10 minutes for fish.

Toast or roast herbs and nuts to intensify flavor. Place herbs or nuts in a dry non-stick sauté pan, tossing over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until lightly toasted.

Save the moisture. Cover lean meat very tightly when cooking so that you don't lose the moisture that helps enhance the flavor.

Make a little fat go a long way. Use an occasional teaspoon of real butter very wisely. Melt a scant teaspoon of butter in a small nonstick sauté pan, and add your favorite herb, finely chopped. Sauté over low heat at least five minutes, allowing the herb to soak up the butter and "ripen." Then, sprinkle the sautéed herb far and wide on meats, fish, beans, rice and other grains. Also, extend butter, oil and mayonnaise with fruit juice or flavored vinegar.

Grease it up. Grease pans and muffin tins with vegetable oil spray instead of regular oil.

Chill time. When making soups and stocks, always leave enough time to let them chill and then skim the fat off the top.

Marvelous marinating. Marinate meats, poultry, fish and vegetables in lower fat and fat-free marinades to intensify flavor.

Learn to love yogurt. Learn how to make and use yogurt cheese from nonfat and reduced fat yogurts as a substitute for butter or sour cream. Either buy a yogurt strainer from a kitchen store, or make your own with a paper coffee filter and sieve. Line the sieve with the paper filter and place over a bowl that will collect about 2 cups of liquid. Dump a quart size container of fat free yogurt (plain or flavored) into the sieve. Cover tightly and place in the refrigerator overnight. By morning, you will have a thick "cheese." Use as is or stir in herbs, chopped veggies, jams.

Replace fat with sweet. For example, use fruit salsas with pork, lamb and fish; marmalades with poultry.

Chop, cut and grate. Use a food processor to help you chop, cut and grate vegetables for recipes: You're more likely to prepare those recipes with lots of chopped/grated veggies if you have some help.

Have someone else do the work. If you don't like to prepare fresh whole vegetables, buy frozen or already-chopped fresh from the produce section. This can be a big help in tossing more veggies into your diet.

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