PopSugar

Eye on Iron: Cast Iron Skillet

FitSugar — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:00:45 -0700

Due to our complex biology and Aunt Ruby's monthly visit, women need more iron than men. Adult women should aim for 18 milligrams of iron a day, and an easy way to boost your iron intake is to cook with a cast iron skillet.

Acidic and watery foods cooked in a cast iron skillet will absorb iron molecules from the pan, and this a safe way to meet your recommended daily allowance of the important mineral. There are a couple of caveats, though. The more you use your skillet the less iron your food will absorb, because a well-seasoned pan will have a thin layer of fat coating the pan. This seasoning will interfere with some of the iron absorption. The other is taste. The longer food cooks in a iron skillet, the more likely it is to take on a metallic taste from the pan. That being said, see how much you can increase your iron when you read more.

Researchers found that the iron in one serving of tomato sauce increased from under one milligram to almost 6 mg when cooked in an iron pan. The iron in scrambled eggs increased from 1.5 mg to 5 mg. Most surprising is applesauce. A 100-gram serving (about a quarter of a pound) went from .35 mg of iron to over 7 mg when cooked in cast iron. Do you use a cast iron skillet?

Healthy Cooking Tip: Cook Your Carrots Whole

FitSugar — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:16:55 -0700

Orange and sweet, carrots rank as one of my favorite foods. Recent research has revealed that the carrot, similar to the potato, retains more of its cancer-fighting nutrients when cooked whole.

The anticancer properties of carrots are enhanced by 25 percent when not chopped preboil. When you chop a carrot, you increase the surface area of the veggie, so more nutrients leach into the water when boiled. The researcher wholeheartedly believe that carrots taste sweeter when cooked whole, for the root veggies retain their natural sugars.

While steaming carrots is my cooking method of choice, I am not sure I will try to steam mine whole. Roasting whole carrots, on the other hand, is something I already do. How do you cook your carrots? Will you be cooking them whole from now on?

5 Ways to Lighten Up Your Cooking

FitSugar — Tue, 05 May 2009 06:00:00 -0700

I firmly believe that cooking healthy is an easily learned habit. Once you know how to make low-calorie substitutions and trim the fat (and I mean that literally) from your meals, cooking light becomes easier with every meal. Not sure where to start when you're in the kitchen? Check out these simple suggestions.

Source

View Slideshow ›

Tips to Make Any Dish Healthier

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Jan 2007 17:30:00 -0800

If you like to cook, you may have a hard time doing it in a healthy way.

Luckily, Cooking Light has shared some great tips for making dishes more nutritious and still tasty.

For all recipes:

Study the recipe. Closely examine the original to see where changes can be made. "You can't just wing it, no matter how familiar you are with the recipe," says Test Kitchens Professional Kathryn Conrad. "Look at each ingredient to see where you can take away, add, or substitute."
Reference lightened versions of similar recipes before starting.
Limit sodium. Try the recipe with half the recommended sodium.
Reduce portion sizes. When plating, start with a smaller amount and see if that satisfies you.
Give yourself some slack. "We try different versions of the same recipe three or four times," says Test Kitchens Professional Jan Moon. "Recipes are a science; you may need a few attempts to get it just right."

For toppings:

Choose a flavorful cheese. "Use a variety with more flavor, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano," says Assistant Food Editor Kathy Kitchens Downie, R.D. "The stronger the flavor, the less you have to use."
Sprinkle cheese, chocolate, or nuts on top rather than mixing into batters. As toppings, they deliver concentrated flavor.
Reduce sugar-crumb toppings. Half the amount is often enough.
Substitute panko, extra crisp Japanese breadcrumbs, for ordinary bread or cracker crumbs. Doing so can reduce the crust's fat, calories, and sodium by half.

There's more healthy cooking tips, so read more

For baked goods:

Think beyond fat-free. Sometimes no-fat foods don't satisfy. "To account for this, we often use a blend of reduced-fat and fat-free varieties," says Vanessa Johnson, Test Kitchens director.
Use egg substitute in recipes that call for more than one egg. A quarter cup equals one egg, cutting 5 grams of fat and 213 milligrams of cholesterol from your recipe.
Increase low-calorie ingredients. For example, add extra vegetables to casseroles and fruits to breads, muffins, or snack cakes. This will increase the yield of your recipe without adding fat.
Finely chop nuts, bacon, olives, and other high-fat or high-sodium ingredients. They will distribute more evenly, allowing you to use less without sacrificing taste.

For meats and vegetables:

Opt for leaner meats, such as center-cut or loin meats and skinless, white-meat poultry. "For example, a slice of center-cut bacon has slightly less sodium and fat than regular cured bacon," Downie says. In some cases, pork can be a leaner option than chicken.
Add zing with citrus. A squeeze of fresh lemon juice can help brighten the flavors of veggies and meats without added sodium.

For sautéing:

Use nonstick pans and cooking spray in place of oil or butter.
When you need oil, use canola, which has nearly half the saturated fat and more healthful, unsaturated fat than other oils.

For soups and stews:

Opt for low-sodium broths and no-salt-added tomatoes; always rinse canned beans in a strainer under cold water, which cuts sodium by up to 40 percent.
Puree vegetables to add body. For example, mash some of the beans in a chili or the potatoes in a chowder.
Trade 1 percent milk for whole, or half-and-half for heavy cream, in creamy soups.

Check out CNN.com for the full article.

Gifts Every Healthy Cook Wants

FitSugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:00:59 -0800

If you give the cook in your life more reason to get into the kitchen, chances are you'll be rewarded with a delicious meal. Here are our picks for what we think will make healthy cooks even happier come gift time.

View Slideshow ›

Fit Gift Guide: Healthy Cook

FitSugar — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 03:00:00 -0800

The gift-giving holidays are just around the corner and to spare you some of the last-minute shopping stress the Sugar sites are creating ever-helpful gift guides.

Hopefully, we all have a healthy cook in our lives. Someone who can whip up an egg white omelette that not only tastes divine, but that is low cal and heart healthy. Here are a few ways to show some love to the healthy cook in your life this holiday season.

Misto Olive Oil Sprayer: The most affordable way, calorie wise, to make sure your sauté doesn't stick is the Misto. You can fill the canister up with your favorite cooking oil to lightly mist your cooking surface. To avoid over dressing your greens, you can mist salads too. Plus the Misto is reusable so you also create less landfill.
"Bite Me" Apron: Keep your healthy foodie dressed for the role with a healthy message apron, part of the FoodTee line by Diet Detective. Chomping on a carrot is definitely a healthy kitchen activity.
Cast Iron Skillet: Cooking with cast iron means crazy chemicals will not leak into your food, but iron will! Plus lifting this roomy skillet is also a great arm workout.

Misto Olive Oil Sprayer ($9.95)

Bite Me Apron ($20)

15" Cast Iron Skillet ($49)

Fit Gift Guide: Healthy Cook

FitSugar — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:00:00 -0800

Maybe your mom taught you everything she knows about healthy cooking, or perhaps you're trying to be a healthful influence now that you're on track with eating right - either way, it's time to show her how much you appreciate her with a holiday gift she'll love. Any of these options will encourage the healthy cook to keep up her knack for great tasting food.

Professional Multichopper: Cutting vegetables can be a time-consuming task, especially if the recipe of the day is a big pot of soup. This device is easy on the hands and leaves little room for the excuse that making a healthful meal is too time consuming. It chops fruit and veggies in just one swift step.
EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook: This collection of 150 recipes is just what any mom, from empty nester to brand new mama, needs for healthy cooking inspiration. The cookbook claims that all recipes can be made in 30 to 40 minutes or less.
Vegetable/Seafood Steamer: This simple item steams ingredients in the microwave for great tasting food that's oil free. Done and done.

Healthy Cooking Tips From Cat Cora

FitSugar — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 03:00:00 -0700

Food Network personality Cat Cora, and author of the book Cooking From the Hip, has given eDiets these healthy cooking tips:

Buy Seasonal, Fresh Ingredients. Cat says using fresh ingredients is one of the best ways to ensure your meals will be healthy and taste great. She frequently visits her local farmers' markets to find foods to include in her recipes, especially fruits and vegetables at the peak of their season.
Use Organic Products. Do organic products really make a difference? According to Cat, the answer is YES! She advises using sustainable organic products as often as possible.
Add Flavor Without Adding Fat. According to Cat, another key to healthy cooking is to make sure you find ways to add flavor to your meals without increasing the fat content. She says there are plenty of flavorful seasonings that contain little or no fat, including citrus products, herbs, spices and vinegar.
Grill, Braise or Roast Meats. You can grill, braise or roast meats instead of frying them to save calories. Cat says using recipes for braised meats can be particularly healthy, because these dishes usually require a very lean cut of meat.
Substitute Healthier Ingredients. Cat reminds people not to be afraid to substitute healthier ingredients in their recipes. For instance, she says you can use yogurt instead of sour cream in sauces or olive oil instead of butter.

Padma Cooks at Home to Stay Fit

FitSugar — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 10:00:00 -0800

Thanks to a full season of Top Chef's indulgent cuisine, the reality hostess admits she's likely to go up a couple dress sizes during filming. Still, Padma Lakshmi doesn't let the extra pounds take a toll on her healthy fitness perspective, and shares with Glamour how a positive attitude and a realistic take on eating help her shed the weight.

For one, Padma reveals that when Top Chef contestants aren't whipping up something decadent for her to taste, she's likely to be cooking something healthy at home. Padma knows that cooking in her own kitchen can be a healthy way to control her caloric intake, and while takeout can seem a more convenient alternative, Padma reminds us that, "it can actually take longer to order delivery or go pick up takeout than it does to cook." In addition, the foodie loves the physicality of cooking, noting that "[instead] of watching TV, waiting for your food to come, you’re actually moving [when you cook]. My aunt had the best arms in the world, and she never stepped inside a gym.”

Check out Glamour to get the rest of Padma's realistic weight loss and healthy eating tips.

Healthy Cooking Made Easy: Pacific Broth

FitSugar — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 02:00:00 -0800

Since Thanksgiving is almost here, I'm sure you're all thinking about the delicious food you'll be making. If you're like me, I know you have a lot to prepare, so whatever makes things easier is always a plus. That's why I love the broths made by Pacific. You can find them at most health food stores, and I've seen them in the health food section of regular grocery stores too. They come in 32 oz. aseptic containers like these that hold four cups of broth, but they also sell smaller containers in packs of four if you only need a cup or two.

The organic vegetable broth is my favorite, but they also make beef broth, low sodium chicken broth, free range chicken broth and mushroom broth. They are gluten-free, casein free, yeast free, and all are fat free (except for the beef broth, which is lowfat).

In the veggie broth, when you look at the ingredients, all you'll see are carrots tomatoes, celery, onions, garlic, leeks, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and sea salt. It's all natural and as close to homemade as you can get, without going through the trouble of making it yourself.

You can use broth in tons of recipes, so instead of using water in your soups, casseroles, rice or stuffing, use broth for a richer, more delicious taste. I've tried many different brands of broth, and Pacific broths definitely have the best flavor in my opinion.

Fit's Tips: If you check out the Pacific website, they have a whole list of wonderful recipes you can try out that use their broths.