Techniques for Cooking Light

Cooking Smart

• When sauteing or stir-frying, you need a lot less fat than you think. Use a nonstick skillet or wok, then a small amount of margarine or, better yet, nonstick spray coating. If you prefer to use oil, olive oil is a good choice because it appears to have a cholesterol-lowering effect.
• Opt for grilling or broiling tender cuts of meat, rather than sautéing or pan-frying.
• Use cooking techniques that require no added fat, such as broiling, grilling, poaching, steaming, or baking.
• Use fat sparingly. Fat serves to prevent foods from drying out, particularly during baking or broiling/grilling. Start by brushing a small amount of oil or margarine over the food; then, during the baking or grilling process, use a fat-free salad dressing or marinade, mustard, chutney, fruit preserves, or salsa to keep the food moist.
• Often a recipe begins with sautéing or browning vegetables or meat, then adding liquid or vegetables to braise the food. Start by using just a teaspoon or two of fat or nonstick spray coating for browning in a nonstick skillet, then add a couple of teaspoons of liquid and cover, cooking the food over low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened.
• Drain off any excess fat from sautéing or browning before adding the remaining ingredients.
• Trim meat of all visible fat before cooking; remove skin and fat from poultry. Use tuna packed in water, not oil.
• Cook vegetables quickly to preserve their texture and vitamins—opt for steaming, stir-frying, or microwaving.
• Roast vegetables, when you have the time. It helps bring out their natural sweetness. Prepare more than you need as a side dish; you can toss the extras into a salad or pasta dish the next day.
• Cook fruits and vegetables in their skins whenever possible to preserve fiber and nutrients.
• Cut down on salt—never add salt during the cooking process. Wait until you serve the dish, and salt it at the table with a low-sodium product, if needed.
• Rinse and drain canned shrimp and vegetables before adding them to a recipe; you'll remove much of their salt.
• Take advantage of reduced-sodium chicken broth for stir-frying, sauteing, braising, or poaching meat or fish.