Calories are the body’s fuel, supplying the energy needed to live and thrive. Your body uses this energy immediately or stores it for later use, depending on its needs. Managing calorie consumption is essential for weight management and overall health.
Consuming more calories than necessary can lead to excess weight, increasing the likelihood of diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even cancer.
One effective way to manage calorie intake is by reducing calories when cooking at home.
Air frying is a great way to reduce calories, especially if you usually deep-fry foods. Air fryers use fans to circulate hot air around the food at high speeds, creating a crispy texture with little to no oil. Instead of frying foods in cups of oil, you only need a light spray or coating, reducing many calories.
Air fryers work for many foods, whether homemade potato wedges and eggrolls or vegetables and meat proteins. Air frying is also one of the fastest cooking methods; food heats faster in an air fryer than in an oven. Air fryers are also much easier to clean than a traditional fryer, oven, or barbeque grill, making them a convenient choice for everyday use.
To use an air fryer, place your food in the basket, set the temperature and timer, and let the hot air do the work. Some models recommend preheating for a few minutes to get the best results. Always follow the instructions, which usually include a guide on temperature and cooking time for specific foods.
Here are some additional healthy, low-calorie ways you can cook food:
- Bake: This process uses an oven to cook food slowly in dry heat at medium temperature. Dishes that are ideal for baking include casseroles, chicken, fish, meatloaf, and stuffed bell peppers.
- Blanch: Blanching involves boiling food for about 30 seconds and then plunging it into ice water to stop the cooking process. This method is great for keeping vegetables crisp or nearly raw.
- Broil: Broiling uses direct heat from above to cook food at a high temperature. This method works best for thin cuts of protein, like chicken, fish fillet, pork, and steak, as well as vegetables that need a quick sear and crisp texture, such as asparagus and eggplant.
- Grill: Grilling cooks food directly over a heat source, adding a smoky flavor. It’s perfect for firm foods like beef steaks, burgers, chicken, shrimp, and extra-firm tofu. Fruits and vegetables such as pineapple, watermelon, corn, and zucchini also grill well.
- Poach: This method involves gently cooking food by immersing it in a simmering liquid, such as water, low-sodium broth, or wine. It works well for delicate foods like eggs, fish, and fruit.
- Roast: Roasting cooks food at high oven temperatures, typically above 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius). It’s ideal for proteins like chicken, turkey, and pork, root vegetables like potatoes and parsnips, and non-starchy vegetables like Brussels sprouts and broccoli.
- Sauté: Sautéing involves cooking food in a pan over direct heat, typically on a stovetop burner. A small amount of liquid, such as oil, stock, or wine, prevents sticking. Vegetables, chicken, shrimp, firm or extra-firm tofu, and eggs are all excellent choices for sautéing.
- Steam: This technique involves cooking food in a steamer basket by placing it over boiling water, allowing the steam to cook it gently. The best foods for steaming include vegetables like broccoli and carrots, leafy greens, edamame, fish, and dumplings.
- Stir-fry: Stir-frying cooks food quickly over high heat in a wok or large pan, using a small amount of oil and frequent stirring to prevent sticking and burning. It’s perfect for vegetables, thinly sliced beef, chicken, shrimp, firm or extra-firm tofu, and precooked rice or noodles.
How you prepare your food plays a big role in cooking healthfully.
While salt is often used to enhance flavor, it’s important to watch your intake, as excess sodium (a component of salt) can raise blood pressure and risk for heart disease and stroke.
Although you likely use less salt at home than restaurants do, reducing salt opens up the opportunity to explore other flavorful options, like herbs and spices.
Herbs and spices are low-calorie alternatives that add depth and complexity to your dishes. Try using dried spices during the cooking process and fresh herbs as a finishing touch. Adding acidity, like citrus juice or vinegar, is another low-calorie way to boost flavor.
For even more flavor, consider adding low-calorie aromatic vegetables like onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, peppers, ginger, chilis, or celery to soups, stews, sauces, and stir-fries.
Most cooking oils are roughly the same in calories, around 120 calories per tablespoon. One main difference among oils is their fat composition. Tropical oils (e.g., coconut and palm oils), butter, and lard are solid at room temperature and high in saturated fat. Saturated fats can raise low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.
For healthier options, choose oils with less saturated fat, such as avocado, olive, and canola oils. These particular oils also contain high levels of monounsaturated fats, which can help lower cholesterol.
Here are more tips for reducing calories when cooking or meal-prepping:
- Use less oil or get in the habit of measuring it out
- Swap full-fat dairy for skim or low-fat milk to cut calories and fat
- Choose lean cuts of meat, like fish, pork, and skinless poultry
- Trim visible fat from meats
- Avoid breading and frying foods to eliminate extra calories from flour, breadcrumbs, and oil
- Add more vegetables to your meals, which are low in calories but high in nutrients like vitamins and minerals
When trying to reduce calories, be mindful of cooking methods and ingredients that can quickly add extra calories to meals. Avoid deep-frying, which uses large amounts of oil that significantly increases calorie content. Fried foods often require batter or breading, which also adds extra calories.
Fried foods are a major risk factor for developing chronic diseases, including becoming overweight, obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. They are also linked to a higher risk of anxiety and depression.
Creamy sauces and dressings can contain a lot of calories. Opt for lighter alternatives, like vinaigrettes or dressings made with low-fat dairy. Use calorie-dense condiments like mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, and ketchup sparingly, or choose lighter versions. Try nutritious and low-calorie condiments like salsa with your meals.
Cooking at home allows you to control the ingredients in your meals and manage your calorie intake, which is especially important for maintaining or losing weight. You can also limit your sodium intake, opting for spices and herbs.
Air frying is a healthy cooking choice that delivers a crispy texture similar to fried foods but with much less oil. Using healthier cooking methods enables you to cook a variety of dishes while staying in control of your calorie count.
