6 Healthy Cooking Tips for the New Year
Happy New Year! Let’s start this year off right. Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to make better eating decisions and to cook with healthier foods? If so, you’re in luck. Here are a few healthy cooking tips – from what you cook to how you cook – that will make your resolution easy to keep.
1. Superfoods
You’ve probably heard of the term “superfood” before. Foods in this category have many attributes that make them extremely nutritious. It’s time to start incorporating them into your daily diet. Need some suggestions on where to start? Try freekeh — a Middle Eastern cereal made from roasted green wheat. It’s high in fiber and protein, contains all nine essential amino acids, and has a ton of other nutritional benefits. Quinoa, farro, and chia seeds are other superfoods you should give a try.
2. Veggies
Pile on the veggies! A lot of people don’t eat nearly enough vegetables on a daily basis, so you should make an effort to up your intake. There are a lot of easy ways to get your veggies in for the day. For example, eat a salad that’s piled high with fresh vegetables like broccoli, spinach, carrots, tomatoes (even though it’s technically a fruit!), mushrooms, and more. You can also try to double the amount of veggies in your usual recipes or trying to make one or two meals a day vegetarian. Organic freeze-dried veggies also make a great snack.
3. Citrus
Instead of flavoring a dish with an excess or salt or butter, try squeezing a lemon or lime. Citrus juice will give any dish the punch it needs. You can use this tip for chicken, pastas, or even use citrus instead of sugar in a fruit salad. The possibilities are endless!
4. Dressings and Marinades
This one is simple: make your own dressing and marinades instead of buying them in bottles. When you make them yourself, they’re suited specifically to your tastes and they’re healthier (often with less sugar, fat and salt). You can combine ingredients like vinegar, citrus, wine, and herbs and spices to get the flavor you want.
5. Batching
When you decide to cook, make a double batch. This way, you’ll have leftovers the next time you’re too tired to cook. Instead of turning to an unhealthy alternative like fast food, you can simply eat your healthy leftovers (we recommend something simple and hearty that reheats well, like our organic harmony soup). Put dishes in the fridge or freezer to make them last longer!
6. Mix It Up
Don’t get in a food rut! When you eat the same dishes over and over, you may be missing out on key nutrients. Get inspired and try your hand at some new healthy dishes. Pick up a new cookbook or scour the recipe blogs. You can even check out our own Nuts.com recipe collection.
Do you have any healthy cooking tips to share?
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