Healthy cooking is based on eating food with life. These are fresh, organically grown or natural products that are not handled. In this way they retain their flavor and all the nutrients.
We must also take into account the cooking methods. A very aggressive method that uses high temperatures will take food out of life.
The material of the utensils in which we are going to cook or preserve should be those that do not release toxic substances that pass into the food. Therefore, we should use the following considerations before buying kitchen tools.
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How to choose the best kitchen utensil
To practice healthy cooking it is not mandatory to renew all the utensils. Some of them will be suitable and we can continue using them. On the other hand, there are other less common appliances, which we incorporate in the healthy kitchen and that will make everything easier for us. We are talking about germinators, steamers, spirilizers or dehydrators.
The preliminary and decisive question is whether we commit ourselves to using them with certain frequency or they will end up being forgotten in the wardrobe. Rate it in each case: germinator, breadmaker, grinder, dehydrator, spiralizer, vegetable “milk” machine.
1. Is this appliance useful for cooking or eating healthy food?
Always choose non-toxic, bisphenol-free and PFOA-free materials, certified without heavy metals and without nanoparticles.
A basic equipment in healthy cooking will consist of:
- Juice extractor or high power mixer to make good smoothies and smoothies with fine texture
- One or two pans of different sizes
- Small saucepan
- Large casserole to prepare broths and vegetable stews
- Steamer
2. Does this cooking method keep the nutrients?
As a general rule, we should opt for less aggressive cooking methods and with a moderate use of heat. There are the cold preparations, which are not limited to the preparation of salads. We can also espirilizar, germinate, ferment, grind, macerate or prepare smoothies, smoothies and vegetable “milks” of nuts. To make vegetable drinks from cereals and legumes it is necessary to apply heat in a moderate way.
In dehydration, water is extracted from food with gentle heat. It is another form of healthy cooking because, with temperatures of 42-45 ºC, enzymes and nutrients maintain their properties.
Healthy cooking also includes steaming and traditional slow-cooked stews in casserole (not in an express pot), since they do not exceed 100ºC.
3. Is the material healthy for me and respectful to the planet?
The safe cooking materials are: glass, titanium, ceramic (without chipping) and certified iron without heavy metals, clay (lead free), wood, bamboo and quality stainless steel.
Disadvised are: aluminum (due to the toxicity of aluminum salts), copper and teflon with perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), a compound that behaves as an endocrine disruptor and has been linked to hormone-dependent tumors.
In the end we advise you to buy online. Thus you will have more choices. You can search for kitchen tools through your Android phone. So easy and practical.
