Health trends are everywhere right now. You can barely go to a restaurant that doesn’t have options such as vegan, gluten-free, or more currently, Keto. Cooking without oil is another cooking tactic many are trying to stay healthy.
Cooking your food in oil is not always a bad thing, and unless you’re using highly saturated fats such as vegetable oil, you can cook healthy food. However, some prefer to skip it altogether.
Here are a few ways you can cook without oil.
Using an Air Fryer
Air fryers are all the rage these days. You can cook up your French fries, pizza rolls, or even fried vegetables in them without using almost any oil.
They provide pretty much the same taste and consistency as cooking in a standard fryer, but without the extra fat you get from cooking your food in oil. Choosing an air fryer is not an easy task as you need to consider many features, but TheHealthyCuisine.com put together a very thorough guide to choosing the best air fryer.
Baking
There have been several occasions when I have wanted to enjoy some crispy turkey or potatoes without having the extra calories. When baking these items, you can still enjoy them the same way. The oven gives them a nice crispy finish and helps to retain the moisture needed in these foods to keep them from drying out.
Grilling
As summer approaches, grilling will be another popular option for many. You can use grilling as a great tool to cook up some chicken, pork chops, or even potatoes packed in aluminum foil. The foil provides somewhat of an incubator for the food, which is baking it the same way an oven would.
Using a Nonstick Skillet
It is one of my favorite ways to cook without oil. It’s also one of the easiest! If you don’t have one already, get yourself a large nonstick skillet. That way, you won’t have to worry about it not being big enough. You can cook for one or ten with the big one.
Throw in your veggies and meat and let it simmer. If you want to play it safe, spray the pan with some nonstick spray first. Some worry about the fat in those sprays. Don’t! There are olive and coconut oil options that will keep your dish healthy.
If you cover the pan with a lid, the moisture will stay inside and cook it up from the inside out. It is a similar idea to the foil packets I told you about putting on the grill.
Just Use Water
If you do not have a nonstick skillet and do like the option of frying your food on the stovetop, throw a few tablespoons of water in with the food before you start cooking. That will provide a protective barrier between your food and the pan, so it doesn’t stick, and it won’t affect the taste of your food. You can add in water throughout the cooking process as you see fit.
Wrapping It Up
There you have it. Five simple ways to cook without oil aren’t going to cause you to change your cooking habits entirely. Try them all or try one. The beautiful thing about these options is that there is something for everyone!
Read Also:
The Best Pre-holiday Vacations You Should Take This Year
4 Budget-Friendly Date Ideas for Summer
How to Use a Turkey Baster and 3 Most Common Mistakes People Make with It
