Healthy and Balanced Diet: Cooking Oils

Cooking Oils For a Healthy Diet

Trying to maintain a healthy and balanced diet? Are you using oils when cooking and meal prepping?

Cooking oils are confusing. Vegetable oils are good, right? You would think so, since they do extract the oil from vegetables, but sadly they are not. Vegetable oils are linked to cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, because they use partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated oils. Avoid corn oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, palm oil, and grape seed oil.

Some healthy oils to use are coconut, almond, olive, and flaxseed. While high in fat content, there’s no reason to be afraid, as it is the healthy fats they contain. Combined with Omega 3s, these oils help support brain function. It is best to get these oils cold or expeller pressed, also known as “unrefined oils,” as they use mechanical methods to extract oil, instead of extreme heat or chemical solvents. Mechanical pressing keeps in all the nutrients and doesn’t oxidize the oil, which keeps it free of toxins and free radicals. Toxins and free radicals can cause havoc on the body, causing all sorts of health problems. Cooking with these oils will get you well on your way to eating a healthy meal, and maintaining a healthy and balanced diet.

Healthy Breakfast Meals

Healthy Eating and StrongBoard Balance Board

Sometimes being a busy professional and eating healthy are in opposition. If you are always rushing out the door, it’s hard to find time to cook. However, eating a balanced, nutritious breakfast can be vital to your fitness journey.

Here are three easy breakfast meals that take minimal prep time.

1. Chia Seed Pudding and Fruit: Involves very little preparation. All you need is your favorite nut milk, chia seeds and fruit.  The night before just throw the 1 part chia seeds to 2 parts nut milk into a tupperware, stir and refrigerate.  In the morning the chia will be pudding like and so yummy with lots of protein. Add fruit, nuts and your favorite sweetener (optional) and you have a wonderful breakfast you can eat anywhere.

2. Avocado and toast: Pop a slice of whole wheat bread in the toaster, and then slather some avocado on top. If you have time you can add tomato, sprouts, salt or pepper.  It’s delicious, fast and perfect to take on the go.

3. Oatmeal: Whether you boil water or nut milk, oatmeal is one of the easiest, healthy breakfast meals.  Add 1 part oatmeal to 2 parts BOILING liquid of your choice.  Then add fruit, nuts, cinnamon and your favorite sweetener (optional). The slow digesting carbohydrates should keep you full for hours and give you the energy you need to get through your busy morning!

 

 

Healthy Salad Options

StrongBoard Balance Board healthy salad options

Not all salads are created equal. Many people have an understanding that salads are always healthy food options. But once that salad is tossed in fat-laden dressing, sprinkled with croutons, bacon bits, cheese, and candied nuts – it turns into a calorie bomb.

Here are tasty replacements to keep your salad palatable and healthy:

Salad Dressing – Trade in the creamy, calorically heavy salad dressings for savory vinaigrettes. Making a dressing at home is a great way to control what you are putting in your body. For healthier alternatives, try combining lemon juice, olive oil, and a dash of garlic pepper or combining balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, and olive oil. Other great alternative dressings are fresh tomato salsa or hummus.

Croutons – Croutons are basically cubes of toasted white bread with little to no nutritional value. Half of a cup can be loaded with up to 100 calories. If you are looking to add a crunch in your salad, try opting for edamame, baked garlic chips (dusted in coconut oil), or nutritionally packed quinoa.

Bacon Bits – Many people enjoy the crunch factor that bacon bits add to salads. But like croutons, they don’t add any nutritional value. In fact, they are saturated with fat and sodium. Opt for slivered raw almonds, pistachios, walnuts, or crunchy veggies such as pea pods, jicama, and celery.

Candied Nuts – Sweet flavors definitely liven up a salad. However, candied nuts are usually coated in sugar and loaded with unnecessary calories. Instead, toss in a handful of cranberries, grapes, mandarin oranges, or apple slices to add a healthy dose of natural sweetness to any salad.

Cheese – The creamy milky texture of cheese is delightful to just about everyone but it packs in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and calories. Most restaurants will allow you to sub the cheese for a delicious alternative, avocado. It delivers a creamy texture with good fats, no cholesterol and no sodium.