**HEALTHY COOKING METHODS**

Healthy cooking! What does this mean? For some, it may mean cooking food and ensuring that the food contains all the right ingredients. That is correct. However, with this post, we are talking about how we cook our meals, our cooking methods which helps to ensure that our meals retain their nutrients.

There are methods of cooking that help you eat healthier meals. For example, rather than frying sometimes, a non stick pan can be used. It does a lot of wonders to fish, meat, plantains etc, cooking or frying them even without water or oil. Try and get one.
However, some other methods of cooking if not checked can cause foods to lose nutrients. Let's see

**GRILLING**

[Source](https://pixabay.com/ko/photos/굽고-핫도그-햄버거-바베-큐-1081675/)

With grilling method, little amount of oil is used to cook food such as meat or fish. This method gives a smoky flavour to food, making it interesting. However, it should not be a regular method of cooking because the same smoky effect may cause health problems such as pancreatic cancer.

**POACHING**
This involves cooking your food in little amount of hot water. Eggs and fish can be cooked by poaching. Fruits or vegetables can be cooked this way too, however they can loss their nutrients if allowed to cook for long using this method.

**MICROWAVING**
This method helps in preserving the nutrients in the food. Especially for vegetables, there is minimal loss in nutrients due to cooking. Just remember to use a microwave- safe dish.

**BOILING**
This is another good method of healthy cooking. However boiling food at a very high temperature or with a large quantity of water makes the food lose nutrients. So take note.

[Source](https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-cooking-corn-in-a-commercial-griddle-2220859/ )

**STEAMING**
This method helps food to retain its moisture or juice. First season the food with salt or lemon and then steam it.

**STIR FRYING**
Here little amount of oil is used to fry foods such as grains or foods that are thinly sliced, such as vegetables. The nutrients are preserved or is with minimal loss if any.

[ Source]( https://www.pexels.com/photo/cooked-food-in-black-metal-cooking-pot-878014/ )

**Don't forget:**
* cut down salt
* Use dry culinary herbs instead of fresh
* Eat low fat versions of foods, such as milk yoghurt, salad dressing etc.

I hope this helps you to watch how you cook so as to eat healthily all the time.

Thanks for reading.

Written by @brigeet for @wls-africa