Whelehans pharmacys aisling murray healthy eating

When we choose to eat healthier it is necessary to ditch the deep fat fryer. The deep fat fryer not only adds fats to foods, it reduces their nutritious value by killing essential nutrients like vitamins and minerals contained in food.

What some of us do not consider is the nutritional value of our food and how some methods of cooking can reduce the levels of nutrients present in our food. Heat is one of the main elements which breaks down and destroys vital vitamins and minerals in food. So while we may be opting for more nutritious foods, by over heating or overcooking the food we are reducing the goodness.

Healthy Cooking Methods

Boiling at high temperatures and a large quantity of water can cause water-soluble vitamins to leach out of certain vegetables. When cooking vegetables the most ideal way to cook them is “al dente”. Vegetables are considered “Al dente” when they are not too mushy or too hard to the bite. Vegetables cooked in this way preserve many of the vitamins and minerals otherwise destroyed by over cooking.

Poaching, water, milk or a flavoured broth are the most ideal liquids to poach with. Poaching is a gentle, gradual cooking method similar to boiling. The best temperatures to poach are between 70°C and 80°C which is just below a simmer. Poaching takes slightly longer to cook food but for this reason makes it an ideal method for cooking delicate foods, such as eggs, fish, chicken and fruit. As liquid carries heat to the food and there is no added fat, poaching is considered a very healthy cooking method.

Steaming is an easy, nutritious method of cooking food and allows food to cook in their natural juices without the addition of fat. By steaming food you maintain the shape and texture of the food while preserving its colour and tenderness. Steaming retains water-soluble vitamins which are commonly lost in boiling.

Methods of steaming: Steaming Basket  this steaming basket is placed in or over a saucepan of boiling water and covered with a lid that allows enough space for the steam to circulate around the food. 
  
Grilling almost all foods can be grilled and it maintains nutritional value without the addition of fat to cook. Grilling has a number of health benefits but bear in mind that regularly eating over done meat and burnt food can increase the risk of certain cancers. It is vital to take care not to overcook the food under the grill as it will reduce nutritional value.

Stir-frying is done in a wok and requires a moderate amount of oil; I recommend to use a low fat option such as fry light 1cal spray.  Stir- frying is effective for bite-sized pieces of meat, grains like rice or noodles and thin-cut veggies like bell peppers, carrots, and mushrooms etc. 
                  

Whelehans Nutrition Service
Whelehans nutritional service is a private one to one advice service with our nutritionist Aisling Murray. Aisling’s areas of interest include weight loss management, nutrition education and food intolerance. Our nutrition service offers you the chance to change your life in a positive way by focusing on your overall wellbeing as well as the chance to follow up on your progress.

Aisling Murray has a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and offers a one to one specialist nutrition service at Whelehans Pharmacy. Call Whelehans at 04493 34591 for an appointment