Healthiest Ways to Cook Meat and Fish for Better Nutrition

March 7, 2022
Healthiest Ways to Cook Meat and Fish

While considering sticking to a balanced diet, we often prefer having non-vegetarian foods. The thoughtfulness to cut off fat while buying meat is also a great move. However, there are many methods to cook meat that will help seal in the meat’s flavour while keeping the extra calories and fat out. Healthy cooking techniques will help you savour the natural taste of meat - you need to know how to enhance the flavour of each meat with the right choice of herbs and spices. Let us discuss the healthiest ways to cook meat and fish for better nutrition at home. 

Meat and Fish Cooking: Healthiest Ways for Better Health

Roasting

All types of meat with a high amount of protein can be roasted or baked in an oven. Roasting is one of the easiest and also the healthiest ways to cook meat and fish. Chicken, pork, beef ribs etc. can be prepared using this method. You should always roast cuts of meat using a little bit of fat as roasting might dry the meat out. Make sure that you cover the pan while roasting the meat to keep the juices and sauces locked in it and to keep it moist while cooking. Always cook fish fillets and poultry without skin in a moist medium as they have a very low-fat content.

However, chicken parts with more skin and fatty fish can be cooked without covering the pan at least for some time of the overall cooking process. Adding herbs and spices to the meat while cooking can enhance their tasting without the addition of any extra calories. You can prefer to coat the meat with herbs and spice mixtures instead of sauces to make them delicious - this will save you from having to add thick sauces into the dish.

Stir-Frying and Sautéing

The preparation of food in a cooking pan by keeping it open is called sautéing, and using a wok for it makes it stir-frying. Both these methods are for cooking food with a very small amount of oil. Pick some healthy unsaturated oil such as olive oil or sunflower oil to cook meat for both these cooking methods. Adding veggies while sautéing or stir-frying meat packs the dish with even more health benefits - make sure to slice all the veggies for the nutrients to stay in them. Adding several varieties of vegetables with the meat can give the dish a good flavour. Therefore, you can avoid adding a lot of sauce while cooking your meat. 

Grilling

Grilling is not always a method of cooking you have to do outdoors. It involves any method that uses radiant heat from the underneath of meat, thereby giving it crispy edges. Grilling makes the meat tastier, just make sure that you cook the meat slowly for it to not dry out during cooking. You can precook meat like chicken in the microwave and then grill it to get the barbecue taste.

While grilling fish, you can keep the pieces in a grill rack to prevent them from falling apart; it also helps to keep the pieces tender. Lean cuts of meat are best when grilled as the excess fat will drip off during cooking. Marinate the meats and baste them regularly to maintain the taste and keep them for grilling. You will have to monitor the flame on the grill to take the cooking slowly to cook the meat evenly on all the sides without burning them on the outside.

Poaching

Poaching is a healthy method for cooking meat as it involves barely covering your choice of meat in liquid. The liquid is brought to simmer, and you can use a covered cooking pan or a pot for poaching. You can improve the flavour of the dish by using broth, a variety of spices, veggies, soup stocks and onions. Poaching is not a popular method for cooking meat as it keeps the protein we cook very moist. Thick pieces of fish such as Salmon are good choices for poaching. You can also poach chicken cutlets to keep them moist. You have to remove the meat from the liquid you use for poaching and discard it. 

Stewing

Stewing includes putting all the ingredients in liquid to cook together. However, this method is different from poaching since the liquid becomes part of the cooked dish. You can even use the liquid as a light sauce after the dish is ready. Prepare meat stews by adding a variety of vegetables into the liquid to enhance the stew's overall flavour. You can also prefer to use lean cuts of meats or even seafood as stewing is a method of moist cooking that will tenderise the meat. Precook the fattier meats to drain the excess fat from the meat before you add other ingredients like veggies and spices into it.

Tips to Cut Unwanted Fats from Meat

Trim Unwanted Fat Before Preparation

Make sure to cut and trim any unwanted fat you see on the meat before preparing the dish. Even lean cuts of meat will come with fat on their edges, so using a sharp knife will help you get rid of those. Also, pull off the skin before you cook chicken and turkey. 

Opt for Healthy Recipes and Avoid Extra Calories

Chopped herbs and sesame seeds make a good substitute for bread crumbs if you prefer to have a breading-like crust on the dish. Nuts and seeds are excellent choices for this. You can also use spices to flavour the meat instead of fatty sauces, and always opt for healthy cooking methods while cooking meat. 

Sendhelper Cooking: Healthy Meal Preparation Service in Singapore

Book the cooking service of the Sendhelper in Singapore if your days are packed with work and if you lack time to cook yourself some healthy and yummy meat. You can enjoy a great home-cooked meal by hiring a personal chef and taste some restaurant-style food without even having to step out of your home. Our chefs are trained to follow healthiest ways to cook meat and fish. All you have to do is download the Sendhelper app and book our cooking service - it starts from $25 per hour.

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