Healthy cooking: a closer look at frequently used preparation methods
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Food can be prepared in many ways. You can bake or grill meat on the barbecue. Fish is often steamed, potatoes can be boiled or fried, you name it. We also often cook food in the microwave. Countless methods to ensure a tasty meal. But are our everyday preparation methods healthy or are they not safe for health? What should you pay attention to to avoid the intake of hazardous substances?
Cooking
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Cooking food offers the advantage that you do not have to use any fats. The disadvantage is that vitamins are lost during cooking. The longer the cooking time, the greater the loss. Especially with vitamins that are soluble in water, such as vitamins C and B, there is a loss of 20 to 50%.
Steaming
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Steaming food is a preparation method that came over from China and Japan. Steamed vegetables, white meat and fish are very tasty and even ravioli or other stuffed pasta can be steamed. When steaming, the temperature is lower than when cooking, which means that the nutrients are better preserved.
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11 minMain dishpeanut oil, tofu stir-fry cubes finely seasoned, stir fry sauce sweet and sour, thick noodles, carrot julienne, beetroot julienne, yellow bell pepper, watercress,rainbow salad with tofu -
45 minMain dishRed cabbage, mild olive oil, quinoa plus, forest outing, lemon, sesame oil, soy sauce less salt, Bio Today tahini white in pot, tap water,grilled red cabbage with quinoa salad -
30 minDessertBrie, Roquefort, port salut, gruyere, Camembert, walnut, garlic, thyme, honey, grape, baguette, Red onion, red grape, raisins, Red wine, Red wine vinegar, Brown sugar,generous cheese plate with onion marmalade -
30 minDessertFull Milk, whipped cream, macaroon, custard powder, vanilla sugar, sugar, protein, amaretto, almond liqueur, basic recipe cooking pears,macaroon pastry with casserole
Grilling on the barbecue
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In this preparation method, fish, meat and poultry are brought to a very high temperature. This causes the formation of heterocyclic amines (HCA) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The HCA are formed by transformation of substances such as amino acids, sugars and creatinine. This happens especially if the very higher heating lasts longer than 20 minutes and fluctuations in the temperature. The PAH is contained in the smoke that is produced by heating the fat.
Deep frying
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Fried foods are quite tasty, just think of delicious croquettes or fries. Unfortunately, frying is not exactly the healthiest method of preparation. When oil or fat is brought to a very high temperature - which is what happens during deep-frying - acrolein, a toxic substance, is released. In addition, fried foods contain more calories because they absorb a lot of the oil. An advantage is that the nutrients in vegetables are very well preserved.
Microwave preparations
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The microwave produces electromagnetic waves that move the water and fat molecules in the food vigorously. For example, heat is generated from within by friction. The radiation produced by the microwave is of low energy and has nothing to do with high energy radiation such as gamma rays, X-rays and ultraviolet rays. Cooking food in the microwave is therefore safe, even more so, often the nutrients in the food are better preserved because the exposure to the heat is only short-lived.
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5 minDrink without alcoholbananas, cool fresh apple-pear raspberry juice, Soy drink vanilla,soy fruit shake -
20 minMain dishsauerkraut, sticking potato, liquid baking product, half-to-half minced, Spice meatballs, pineapple, olive oil, liquid baking product,gratin sauerkraut dish with minced meat -
40 minMain dishlemongrass, fresh ginger, Red peppers, onions, tomato cubes, fresh cod fillet, coriander, oil, ground turmeric (koenjit), coconut milk, salt,fish in creamy coconut sauce -
15 minSide dishsweet potato, soft goat cheese, egg, spring / forest onion,stuffed sweet potato with egg
Frying in a non-stick pan
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In a non-stick pan, the inside of the pan is treated with certain polymers that contain fluorine to keep food from sticking to the surface, even without the use of fats. When you use good quality non-stick pans, there is no health risk. But beware: continuing to use worn-out pans is not a good idea. When the non-stick coating is damaged, the food will still burn and burn, forming heterocyclic amines that are harmful to health.