Easy Healthy Cooking Tips
Top 40 healthy cooking tips from members of the Dietitians Association of Australia
2. Shop for fresh foods, prepare lovingly (such as by trimming meat and taking the skin
off chicken), and use low saturated fat cooking methods. Voila, a healthy home meal
that beats any bought product!.
3. In summer, use fresh fruit for dessert (especially brightly-coloured ones, which are
rich in antioxidants) instead of puddings, cakes or desserts.
4. Aim for a rainbow of coloured vegetables on your plate. Congratulate yourself if you
can manage five or more different colours in one meal.
5. Keep a packet of mixed frozen vegetables on hand for when you've run out of fresh
vegetables. Then, your plate will always be half vegetables.
6. Keep it simple. Use lots of herbs and spices, rather than oils and dressings.
7. Use evaporated milk instead of cream in pasta dishes.
8. Plan your week’s meals in advance. This will help you save money, avoid waste and
take in a wide variety of delicious meals.
9. Top up your vegetable intake by adding a cup of frozen vegetables to your dinner.
They’re great in spaghetti bolognaise, curries, stir fries and soups.
10. Creamy foods can still be enjoyed! Try light evaporated milk and coconut essence
(instead of coconut milk) to reduce the saturated fat content of your meal.
11. Improvise by making ingredient 'swaps' if you don't have everything called for in a
recipe.
12. Cook with non-stick pans – you won’t need to use as much fat.
13. Adding sneaky legumes to just about any dish (just don’t tell anyone they're in
there!).
14. A great rule of thumb for using fats and oils in your cooking is one teaspoon of fat/oil
per person that the meal will feed.
15. Explore different cuisines. Every culture has a few delicious lower-fat, highly
utritious dishes.
16. Use marinades for flavour. And add lots of herbs at the end of cooking for taste and
to liven up the dish.
17. Keep the freezer, fridge and pantry full of healthy staples so when you're strapped
for time there's an option at home rather than getting takeaway!.
18. Bulk-up your meals with fresh or frozen vegetables. This will increase satiety and
improve taste (as well as reduce the kilojoule content of your meal).
19. When you go to eat ‘treat’ food (such as biscuits or slice), make it yourself from
scratch - this gives you knowledge, as well as satisfaction!
20. Munch on a carrot with some salsa or hummus to avoid snacking while preparing
meals.
21. Steam, boil, microwave, dry bake or use cooking spray to reduce the fat content of
your meals.
22. As a young woman who is always out and about, I set aside one day a week to make
a big healthy dinner, which I can freeze and eat throughout the week.
23. Bulk-up all mince meat meals with legumes and vegetables, such as brown or orange
lentils, carrots, and zucchini.
24. Add lemon juice to soups, salads . . . just about anything, to give it a zing, rather than
adding salt.
25. Use yoghurt as a dressing for warm salads. Mix in flavours to suit (such as lemon,
garlic, coriander and mint), and drizzle over the top of your meal.
26. Invest in a good quality non stick fry pan - no more cooking in oil!
27. For a quick meal, sauté some onions, spices and capsicum, then add other
ingredients (such as vegetables and seafood), and stir in garlic and lemon juice.
Enjoy!
28. Use small amounts of healthy fats and use herbs and spices to flavour lean meats,
vegetables and carbohydrates. Variety is the spice of life!
29. Substitute low-fat natural yoghurt for anything creamy (goes great with sweet chilli
to make sweet chilli mayonnaise for chicken wraps!).
30. Take any dish and ask yourself: ‘Can I add more vegetables to this?’ Vegetables add
fibre, nutrients and antioxidants – plus they’re cheap and will make your dish go
twice as far.
31. Planning and shopping are the key to cooking healthy meals.
32. Try recipes with tomato-based sauces (as they are lower in fat) and use fresh herbs
for lots of flavour.
33. Plan your meal around heaps of vegetables. Then add buckets of flavour with herbs
and spices, and throw in some lean protein and low-GI carbs and you can't go wrong!
34. Place your choice of meat or fish on a sheet of baking paper (which has been cut to
size to make sure none overhangs) directly onto a heated pan for fat-free frying!
35. Have some miso, noodles, protein (such as lean meat) and vegetables on hand for a
quick and healthy miso soup dinner.
36. Try making homemade chips or wedges – it's surprisingly easy, much healthier. This
is a great way to get rid of old potatoes or sweet potatoes!
37. Substitution is the key. Swap sour cream for reduced-fat Greek yoghurt, use mashed
apples in cake as a binder, and add sweetness to recipes by using fruit instead of
sugar.
38. Where possible, cook from scratch. It will help you understand the food you’re
eating.
39. Use different types of nut and seed oils to get more flavour in your foods.
40. Try new ingredients (especially vegetables) – often they’re more interesting than
your think!
For information on Australia’s Healthy Weight Week, an initiative of the Dietitians
Association of Australia, visit www.healthyweightweek.com.au
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