Healthiest Cooking Methods

Grilling: Grilling involves cooking food over direct heat, usually on a grill or barbecue. It's best for lean meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables. Grilling allows excess fat to drip away from the food, resulting in lower calorie content. Plus, it imparts a delicious smoky flavor without the need for extra oil or butter.

Baking/Roasting: Baking or roasting involves cooking food in an oven using dry heat. It's suitable for a wide range of foods, including vegetables, meats, poultry, fish, and even fruits. Baking requires little to no added fat, making it a healthy cooking method. It also helps retain the nutrients in the food while adding a crispy texture to the exterior.

Steaming: Steaming involves cooking food over boiling water in a covered pot or steamer basket. It's perfect for vegetables, seafood, dumplings, and even desserts like puddings or cakes. Steaming preserves the natural flavor, color, and nutrients in the food without the need for added fat. It's a gentle cooking method that keeps foods moist and tender.

Poaching: Poaching involves cooking food gently in liquid, such as water, broth, or wine, at a low temperature. It's ideal for delicate foods like fish, chicken breasts, eggs, and fruits. Poaching helps retain moisture and tenderness without adding extra fat, making it a healthy cooking option. Plus, you can infuse the poaching liquid with herbs and spices for added flavor.

Stir-frying: Stir-frying involves quickly cooking small, uniform pieces of food in a hot pan or wok with a small amount of oil. It's great for vegetables, lean proteins, and tofu. Stir-frying retains the nutrients and natural flavors of the ingredients while requiring minimal oil. It's a quick and healthy way to prepare meals with vibrant colors and textures.

Broiling: Broiling involves cooking food by exposing it directly to high heat, usually from an overhead source in an oven. It's similar to grilling but uses indirect heat. Broiling is perfect for meats, fish, vegetables, and fruits. It allows excess fat to drip away from the food while imparting a caramelized finish. Broiling is quick and convenient, making it a healthy option for busy weeknights.

Raw Preparations: Raw preparations involve serving foods in their natural state without cooking. This includes salads, sushi, raw vegetable platters, and fruit salads. Raw foods retain their natural vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, providing a nutrient-dense option. They're refreshing, hydrating, and packed with fiber, making them a healthy choice for light meals or snacks.

Cooking Methods

Cooking Method

Description

Braised

Food is sautéed first and then cooked at a lower temperature in liquid.

Broiled

Food is cooked by exposing it to a source of radiant heat at a high temperature (higher than for roasting). The heat source may be a grill, oven with a broiler feature, or live coals. The heat source is typically above the food, though not always, and the food is turned during cooking.

Baked

Food is cooked using convection heat in an oven. It may be precooked and finished in the oven or prepared entirely in the oven. Food may be baked dry or in a liquid/casserole and may or may not include a sauce.

Battered

Food is coated in batter and then deep-fried at a high temperature.

Creamed

The food has been prepared by simmering or poaching it in milk or a cream-based liquid.

Crispy

Typically refers to food that has been fried – It may or may not be coated in a batter. Some crispy foods may be baked rather than fried but this may not always be stated.

Fried

Food is deep-fried in oil.

Grilled

Food has been cooked using dry, radiant heat directly applied to the surface of the food (e.g., on a grill pan or on a grill over coals). Fat may be added to the food during the process.

Oven- Roasted

Food is baked dry or roasted in the oven.

Pan-Fried

Food has been fried in a small amount of oil or other fat in a pan.

Poached

Food has been cooked in liquid (either water or wine) at a lower temperature than used for simmering and with no added fat.

Sautéed

Food is cooked at high heat in a small amount of fat in a shallow pan.

Simmered

Food has been cooked in hot liquid at a temperature below the boiling point of water.

Smoked

Food (usually meat) has been cooked by exposing it to smoke from a burning or smoldering substance (usually wood).

Smothered

Food (usually meat) is browned on the stove and then cooked at low heat covered in gravy in a covered pan.

Steamed

Food has been cooked in steam, possibly in a small amount of water, with no added fat.

Stir-Fried

Food is cut into small pieces and then cooked in a small amount of hot oil in a wok while being stirred continuously.

Tempura

Food that is battered and deep-fried.