When it is made with love! 🥰
Why cook food?
Cooking food has always been essential for humans, especially to :
- Destroy bacteria.
- Preserve.
- Improve digestibility.
- Change the taste.
Each person has different food needs, especially in terms of cooking.
On the advice of an enthusiastic friend, I tried raw foodism. It was a failure: digestion difficulties, flatulence and loss of energy.
Cooking temperature
A cooking temperature that is too high is dangerous for health: burning produces toxic compounds.
Moreover, it impacts the nutritional value:
- Vitamins degrade from 65°C / 150°F.
- Phytonutrients from 80°C / 175°F.
- Amino acids from 100°C / 210°F.
On the other hand, most minerals keep their properties.
Cooking methods
They modify the contribution of the ingredients.
Steaming
Steaming preserves a large part of the nutrients, and facilitates the assimilation by the body.
The residual water collects some:
- Nutrients.
- Contaminants.
- Toxins when cooking animals.
It is best to use it only after cooking organic vegetables.
When steaming under pressure (pressure cooker), it generates high temperatures.
Pan-frying
It is widely used to cook directly in a pan with a base of oil.
Teflon, aluminum or copper pans can contaminate food. Stainless steel and cast iron are preferred.
For pan-frying, the healthiest oils are unrefined olive and coconut oils.
The smoke point is decisive: the temperature at which the oil denatures and produces toxic compounds.
Baking
Baking is easy and versatile.
However, high cooking temperatures (180°C / 350°F or more) are detrimental to the preservation of nutrients.
Boiling
Boiling food in salted water works well for vegetables, legumes and grains.
Many nutrients are dissolved in the water, and I can recover the broth.
The great advantage of cooking in water without a lid is that it maintains a temperature of 100°C, regardless of the temperature of the hotplate.
To ensure a satisfactory nutritional intake, it is best to avoid boiling for too long.
Braising or stewing
Braising involves cooking for a long time, over low heat and covered.
This is the principle of the tagine: simmering food in its own steam.
This technique is used to tenderize certain meats.
It is an interesting way of cooking vegetables, provided that the temperature is limited.
Despite the length of time it takes, it retains nutrients and flavors.
Wok cooking
The wok is an Asian cooking technique that heats up quickly.
It is double edged:
- The high temperature degrades nutritious foods.
- The rapid cooking limits the loss.
Unfortunately, unhealthy fat is usually used.
Grilling
It involves cooking on a grill over a heat source.
With the barbecue, the food is exposed to the flames, which causes the formation of toxic compounds.
The plancha is a healthier alternative.
However, due to the high heat and prolonged exposure, both methods alter vitamins and phytonutrients.
Frying
Plunging food into boiling oil has several disadvantages:
- Increased fat content.
- Loss of nutrition.
- Production of harmful substances.
Since frying consumes a large amount of oil, cheap oils are usually used.
From a nutritional point of view, sesame oil is preferred for frying.
Microwaving
Prized for its ease of use, the microwave has 2 major drawbacks:
- Loss of vitality.
- Decrease of the vibrations.
It is a means of cooking that is not healthy.
Intuitive eating
Using my intuition, I can know how best to cook my food.
I can be guided in :
- The selection of foods and spices.
- The choice of the type of cooking.
- The temperature.
- Cooking time.
Personally, since I started using intuitive eating, I mainly cook :
- In the tagine for vegetables.
- In the oven for cakes.
- In the pan for everything else.
Conclusion
What are the healthiest cooking methods ?
At 65°C / 150°F and above, nutritional loss is inevitable, which is why it is important to add raw vegetables to my diet.
The healthiest way to cook food is at a temperature not much higher than 100°C (the boiling point of water), and retain the nutrients:
- Food cooked in liquid, without a lid.
- Steamed, braised or stewed at moderate temperatures.
Beyond that, more and more nutrients are denatured.