Seven tips to help you cook healthier meals

The daily increase in different cases of ailments in the country today calls for a deep reflection. You wonder what could be the cause of all the diverse illnesses we now hear of as this wasn’t the case some years back.  

According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, good nutrition is essential to keeping current and future generations healthy across the lifespan. A healthy diet helps children grow and develop properly and reduces their risk of chronic diseases.   

It was also stated that adults who eat a healthy diet live longer and have a lower risk of obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Healthy eating can also help people with chronic diseases manage these conditions and avoid complications.  

To ensure your well-being, it is important you cook and eat healthy meals. In order to help you make healthier meals henceforth, here are 7 cooking tips to follow.   

1. Don’t put too much oil in your meals   

Oils are important to the body as they supply calories and essential fats and help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K. The type of fat is just as important for health as the total amount of fat consumed.  

It is important to know that you only need a small amount of fat in your diet for healthy functioning.  

 The amount of oil you have in your food defines how much fat is going into your body. The more fat, the more pressure it will put on your digestive system. An excessive amount of oil can cause digestive problems like stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea, and nausea.  

 Oily food has a high amount of calories that can cause weight gain. The more greasy food you consume, the more your calorie count will be.   

2. Use healthy oil  

As much as oils are important in our meals, there is a greater need to pay attention to the type of oils we use.  

A diet high in unhealthy fats can lead to obesity and all of the health complications that come with it.   

Consuming food items rich in healthy oils is beneficial to your health because it can improve your cardiac health and help control your blood glucose.  

Check out healthy oils to use in your meals   

3. Know your dietary requirements and cook accordingly   

Another guaranteed way to help you make healthier meals is knowing your dietary requirements and cooking accordingly.   

There are dietary requirements that are specific to a different gender, age group, individuals with certain health conditions, and so on.   

To ensure you are eating healthy meals, you need to speak to your medical practitioner or nutritionist in order to know your dietary requirements and cook accordingly henceforth.   

4. Incorporate fruits and vegetables into your meals   

In order to make healthier meals, it is important to try our best to incorporate fruits and vegetables into our meals on a daily basis.   

A diet rich in vegetables and fruits can lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, prevent some types of cancer, lower risk of eye and digestive problems, and have a positive effect upon blood sugar, which can help keep appetite in check.  

So, when next you prepare your meals, don’t forget to add fruits and vegetables.   

5. Go for fresh foods   

The importance of using fresh food crops when making our meals cannot be overemphasized.   

Going for fresh foodstuffs rather than canned or processed foodstuffs will not only help you eat healthier meals, but it will also save you from consuming chemicals that might have been used to preserve these foods.  

This will save you from some chronic diseases that are caused as a result of the consumption of certain chemicals in food that are dangerous to the body.  

6. Be cautious with the use of salt and seasoning   

To achieve healthier meals, it is important we cut down on the use of salt and seasonings.  

According to the World Health Organisation, salt intake of less than 5 grams per day for adults helps to reduce blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and coronary heart attack.   

The principal benefit of lowering salt intake is a corresponding reduction in high blood pressure.  

7. Use natural spices (ginger, garlic, nutmeg)  

It is important you begin to make use of natural spices such as ginger, garlic, nutmeg, locust beans, and so on in your meals rather than salt and seasonings.  

According to webmd.com, herbs and spices make food tastier while boosting your health. They help fight inflammation and reduce damage to your body’s cells because they are rich in phytochemicals, which are healthy plant chemicals.  

Adding herbs and spices to your diet makes it easier to cut back on less healthy ingredients like salt, sugar, and added fat because they’re so flavourful.   

Overall, having too much sugar, salt, or fat in your diet can raise your risk for certain diseases. Healthy eating can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other health conditions.   

A healthy eating plan emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy products.   

As a bonus for staying through to the end of this article, check out how to eat healthy even on a low budget   

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