15 Healthy Kitchen Tips

Here are 15 healthy kitchen tips inspired by Dr. and Mrs. Balch, the authors of Dietary Wellness.

  1. Use vegetable broth or bouillon for sautéing in place of oil.

  2. Thicken soups, gravies and stews with potato slices or add cubed, fresh potatoes to the pot as it cooks. The starch from the potato will thicken the liquid.

  3. Do not use aluminum and non-stick cookware if possible, as they can leach hormone-disrupting chemicals and toxins in food. Additionally, some studies have linked Alzheimer’s disease to the accumulation of aluminum in the brain. The safest cookware to use are ceramic, cast iron, stoneware, glass and corningware.

  4. Dark-coloured glass containers work best for storing herbs. Some of the chemicals in plastic containers leach out into herbs and spices. The same applies to storing leftovers, use only glass containers.

  5. Never keep spices close to the stove top, as they lose their flavor and colour from the heat.

  6. Parsley, onions, celery and garlic go with just about everything, so keep them on hand.

  7. Lime or lemon effectively removes garlic and onion odours from the hands.

  8. Remember to wash dirt and dust from the lids of cans and your can opener before you open them to avoid food contamination.

  9. Buy the freshest food your market has, or better yet, make or grow your own.

  10. Choose cooking methods carefully. Select cooking methods that will minimize vitamin and mineral loss. Avoid frying, steam instead.

  11. Undercook, rather than overcook vegetables, except dried peas and beans, as this saves nutrients. Vegetables also taste better and keep their colour when not overcooked.

  12. Wash all melons before cutting, as they may contain dangerous bacteria and mould.

  13. Cured, smoked and pickled foods are high in nitrites and nitrates, which react to produce nitrosamines during digestion. Consumption of these foods may increase the risk of liver, stomach and other forms of cancer.

  14. To regenerate your body or if your body is producing too much mucus, avoid sugar, salt, milk and other dairy products, red meat, white flour products, caffeine drinks and eggs.

  15. Poached fish will be firmer and whiter if you add a bit of lemon juice to the cooking liquid.