We can no longer stick our heads in the sand when it comes to the food we put into our bodies. Dieticians have warned us for years about the damages a diet with a high total fat percentage can have on our hearts and arteries. It is not so much as being on a “diet” as it is making healthy lifestyle changes that’ll remain with us for the rest of our lives.
The total fat enigma came about when scientists discovered that there are “good” fats and there are “bad” fats. The average person is inundated with terms such as unsaturated or monounsaturated. Bad fats will usually be fats that are solid when unheated. Examples of these are animal fats, shortenings and butter. Good fats are the monounsaturated fats that are liquid. Examples of these are peanut oil and vegetable oil.
Furthering this dilemma along is the mystery of how to decrease the total fat in the daily diet. How can you find ways to cut the fat? By trying a few simple changes in the way you cook. Switching the type of fat you intake can significantly decrease the amount of bad fat in your daily diet. Some fats can also lower your bad cholesterol and raise your good cholesterol levels.
Healthy cooking isn’t something to be dreaded. It does not mean a life filled with bland or tasteless food. Cooking light reduces calories and helps lower your total fat intake by making a few substitutions that you might not notice, but in the end your scales will. You can prepare many of the same foods you love to eat by making a few changes that will hardly be noticed.
Many of us don’t pay attention to how much fat or oil we use to cook our food. Frying adds unnecessary calories and fat that we can do without. You can try lowering your total fat intake by skipping the oil and trying a cooking spray. Or better still, instead of frying, try baking. You will be surprised how delicious it can be. Instead of using a flour batter to coat meat, think about a bread crumb or a crushed cereal coating. The outside gets a nice crispy finish and you get a healthier meal.
Eating right is important but eating foods we enjoy and that taste good are equally important. Healthy cooking is a way to enjoy our dishes but limit the total fat found in our diet. We have to set good examples for our children or we’re condemning them to a lifetime of unhealthy eating and a opportunity to become obese.