Healthy Cooking Techniques
Over the years, and possibly because of the popularity of celebrity chefs, styles of cooking seem
to have taken on their own personalities. Many folks think of Southern Cooking as down-home
comfort food with a lot of butter and gravy. Health Food has a reputation for being expensive
and not tasting very good. But neither statement is true. Healthy cooking can be flavorful and
delicious, even in the South.
“You do not need to use expensive ingredients or be a gourmet chef with expensive cookware
to prepare healthy meals. There are many healthy cooking techniques you can use to cut fat and
calories and retain the nutrients in your foods,” says Kara Meeks, RD, who works in Medical
Nutrition Therapy at Augusta Health.
Much of the ‘unhealthiness’ in cooking comes from high fat content. Meeks asks cooks to
consider these concepts when preparing meals:
 Each tablespoon of oil (14 grams) used when frying adds more than 100 calories!
 A healthy adult eating about 1800 calories per day should have no more than 70 grams
of fat per day.
 By trimming any visible fat from your meat, you can reduce the total fat per serving by
almost 50%.
 If you drain, blot, and rinse ground beef, you can dramatically reduce the total fat and
calories. A 3 ounce portion can be cut from 195 calories and 12 grams of fat to 135
calories and 6 grams of fat.
Instead of frying, Meeks and other dietitians suggest these methods of cooking:

Baking/Roasting
Baking is generally used with breads and desserts. By using applesauce or various baby
food fruits in your recipes, you can dramatically cut the fat and calories. Typically, if a
recipe calls for ½ cup of butter, shortening, etc., you can use 1 cup of pureed fruit
instead.
Roasting is one of the easiest techniques for cooking beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and
vegetables and is generally does not require added fat. Most meats and poultry are
roasted at 325-350°. To add flavor, you can marinate or rub the meat with herbs and
spices before roasting. Place the meat on a roasting rack in the pan will allow the fat
drippings to run off. Most vegetables, especially root vegetables (e.g. carrots, potatoes,
garlic), can be roasted as well. They usually require a 400-600° oven. The vegetables will
have a crisp skin with a moist interior and a rich flavor, so they will not need butter or
creamy sauces.
“A marinade can help to add flavor and tenderness to foods without adding a lot of
calories and unhealthy fats,” notes Meeks. “Marinades commonly consist of an acidic
ingredient such as citrus juice, vinegar, wine, or yogurt as well as oil and various
seasonings such as onion, garlic, spices, herbs, and soy sauce. The acidic ingredient
tenderizes while the oil adds moisture and helps to distribute the various flavorings. You
should use a glass dish or heavy-duty plastic bags for marinating. Do not use aluminum
pans as the acid in the marinade can react with the pan and alter the flavor.”
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
Grilling and Broiling
Both of these methods expose food to direct heat and allow the fat to drip away from
your foods. “You should use an instant-read thermometer to check that meat is cooked
thoroughly and to avoid overcooking or charring food,” says Meeks. Many grilling
recipes call for rubs or marinades to add low-fat flavor to grilled foods. Rubs are blends
of dried herbs and spices that are worked into the surface of the meat or seafood. A rub
must sit for at least 30 minutes on more delicate meats like seafood and from 3 hours to
overnight on roasts or other large cuts of meat. Marinades, as discussed above, also
vary in the amount of time they should sit. A more acidic marinade may call for only 30
minutes to 4 hours where a less acidic marinade can sit overnight.

Poaching
To poach foods, gently simmer ingredients in water or a flavorful liquid such as broth,
vinegar, or juice until they are cooked through and tender. The food retains its shape
during cooking. For stove top poaching, choose a covered pan that best fits the size and
shape of the food so you can use a minimum amount of liquid. You can also poach foods
in a foil packet in the oven or on the grill.

Sautéing
In its traditional form, sautéing relies on oil or butter for its rich flavor. Fat-free sautéing,
however, relies on liquids such as broth, juices, nonfat salad dressings, flavored
vinegars, or wines plus seasonings to produce results that are just as tasty and healthier
for you.
“With this cooking method, thicker meats like pork, beef, and poultry first should be
seared in a shallow nonstick pan over medium-high heat for a short time on both sides
until no longer pink. Then, the liquid is added to enhance the flavor of the meat as it
finishes cooking. The liquid can then be cooked down and used as a flavorful sauce.
With seafood and vegetables, no searing is required,” explains Meeks.

Steaming
Steaming is one of the simplest cooking techniques. With its high temperature (212°,
the boiling point of water) and short cooking time, steaming tenderizes food and keeps
moisture locked in- all without adding fat. It also allows vegetables to retain their shape,
bright color, and appealing flavor.
“To steam, use a covered pan to trap steam to cook food which is placed in a perforated
container (like a steamer basket) above boiling water. An inch of boiling water in the
bottom of the pan is all that you need. It is important that water does not come in
contact with the food cooking above it. It is also important to leave the lid on and
restrain yourself from peeking repeatedly. The temperature and pressure in the pan
need to rise sufficiently to steam the food,” says Meeks.

Stir Frying
Stir-frying cooks small pieces of vegetables and meat quickly at medium-high heat in a
small amount of oil. Constant stirring is a must because the foods cook so rapidly. The
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mixture is often tossed with a savory sauce right in the skillet or wok. The result is a low
fat, full-flavored main or side dish.
“Great oils for this method are canola oil and peanut oil. Because this is a fast cooking
method, combine your sauce ingredients, chop and measure your meat and vegetables
before you start cooking. Make sure to cut the vegetables and meat into uniform sizes
and add the firmest vegetables to the pan first,” explains Meeks.

Braising
Braising involves browning the ingredient first in a pan on top of the stove, and then
slowly cooking it covered with a small quantity of liquid, such as broth or water. In some
recipes, the cooking liquid is used afterward to form a flavorful, nutrient rich sauce.
For more information on healthy cooking, please contact Kara Meeks on any of the
Augusta Health Medical Nutrition Therapy dietitians at 540.932.4574 or 540.332.4574.
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Cider Pork Roast Recipe
Apple cider, dried cherries and fresh rosemary put the pizzazz in this pleasing pork roast. It's
even more flavorful when drizzled with the sweet pan juices.
 6 Servings
 Prep: 20 min. Cook: 5 hours 10 min.
Ingredients
 1 boneless pork loin roast (2 pounds)
 3/4 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon pepper
 2 cups apple cider or unsweetened apple juice, divided
 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
 1/2 cup dried cherries
 5 teaspoons cornstarch
Directions
 Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. In a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray,
brown pork for about 4 minutes on each side. Pour 1 cup apple cider in a 3-qt. slow
cooker. Place two sprigs rosemary in slow cooker; top with meat and remaining
rosemary. Place cherries around roast. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until a
meat thermometer reads 160°
 Remove meat; keep warm. Strain cooking liquid; reserve liquid and transfer to a small
saucepan. Stir in 3/4 cup cider; bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and remaining cider
until smooth. Gradually whisk into cider mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2
minutes or until thickened. Serve with meat. Yield: 6 servings.
Nutritional Analysis: One serving (4 ounces cooked pork with 1/4 cup gravy) equals 298 calories,
9 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 89 mg cholesterol, 368 mg sodium, 20 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 32 g
protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 lean meat, 1-1/2 fruit.
Cider Pork Roast published in Light & Tasty October/November 2004, p27
Shrimp Stir-Fry Recipe
 4 Servings
 Prep/Total Time: 30 min.
Ingredients
 2 tablespoons cornstarch
 3/4 cup cold water
 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
 1 teaspoon garlic powder
 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
 2 tablespoons olive oil
 1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned
 3 green onions, chopped
 1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
 1 cup frozen stir-fry vegetable blend, thawed
 3 garlic cloves, minced
 1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Directions
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

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Stir in the soy sauce, garlic
powder and ginger; set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry broccoli in oil for 2 minutes. Add red pepper
and onions; stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add the shrimp,
Oriental vegetables and garlic; cook 3 minutes longer.
Stir cornstarch mixture and stir into shrimp mixture. Add the peanuts. Bring to a boil;
cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Yield: 4 servings.
Nutritional Analysis: 1 cup equals 273 calories, 13 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 129 mg cholesterol,
593 mg sodium, 18 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 23 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2
vegetable, 1 fat, 1/2 starch.
Shrimp Stir-Fry published in Light & Tasty August/September 2005, p58
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