When it comes to healthy eating, quite often the way in which we cook our food is just as important as the types of food we choose. Methods such as frying can be high in fat whilst grilling or boiling are much healthier. One healthy way of cooking food that has become popular in recent years is steaming.
Steaming is a great way to cook many different types of food as it doesn’t require added fat or oils within the cooking process. And when compared to boiling, more nutrients remain in steamed foods. For example, research has found that boiling vegetables can reduce the vitamin C content by 25% whilst steaming reduces it by just 15%.
A steamer works by using boiling water to create steam which is then trapped within a vessel along with the food to be cooked. The food doesn’t come into contact with the water but instead is gently cooked within the steam. The result is moist food that is generally low in fat and high in nutrients. Steaming is ideal for lots of different food types from vegetables to meat and fish. Many people find that steamed foods have a better texture and flavour than foods cooked using other methods – possibly because of the gentle way in which the food is cooked.
Today’s steamers come in all shapes and sizes. You can choose from large electric steamers capable of cooking several different ingredients at once to traditional inexpensive bamboo steamers which you can use over a pan of boiling water.
For more advice on healthy eating, visit: www.secretsofhealthyeating.com
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