No matter how good a cook we are or how long we’ve been preparing wonderful and hearty meals for the family, we’ve all probably committed these mistakes in the kitchen at least once or twice. We all make little mistakes that compromise the nutritious value of our diets, from preparing veggies right after cutting them to simmering them for too long so read on to learn more about what we should do to prevent it.
- Wash Your Utensils & Plates Daily
This should come as a no brainer but, if you don’t clean your kitchen sink properly, you could be breeding E.Coli right in your own home! Bacteria thrive in a moist, dark environment, and germs can spread like wildfire to objects allowed to pile in your sink.
Imagine an army of nasty microbes eating on your utensils and breeding on the food waste! As a result, after each dishwashing session, remember to wipe down your sink with a clean sponge with mild soap and water as well.
- Avoid Charring Your Food
While grilling is a healthy method of cooking, charring the meat to provide a smokier flavor is not. Charring certain animal products can lead to the formation of compounds that can cause cancer. For example, cooking meats over a charcoal flame sometimes leads to fat drippings that fall into the flames below that produces smoke.
This can lead to the formation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that has been linked to cancer formation. Thus, instead of charring it, why not season it with seasonings or sauces that have a similar flavour?
- Avoid Over-Seasoning Your Food
Let’s face it, Singaporeans love seasoning, especially MSG (monosodium glutamate). However, we should be cautious about how much seasoning we use when preparing our meals. When you combine salt, chicken stock, and soy sauce in one dish, you can end up with a sodium bomb.
This is terrible news for you since too much salt causes your body to retain water, resulting in water retention. Limit the amount of salt in your diet to avoid puffy skin. Use different flavourings like cinnamon, black pepper, and turmeric that aren’t as processed and has some health benefits as well!
- Avoid Overcooking Vegetables
Vegetables are a very important part of your diet as it provides you with nutrients and antioxidants. Most of the nutrients are lost when veggies are cooked until they are soggy and limp. To get the most nutrition out of your vegetables, avoid cooking them for long periods of time because this depletes the nutrients.
Briefly stir-frying them helps to maintain their nutrition. If you’re going to have them in a soup, blanch them in hot water instead. Just make sure your vegetables are firm and faintly crisp when you’re ready to consume them.
We all make little mistakes that compromise the nutritious value of our diets, from preparing veggies right after cutting them to simmering them for too long. Most importantly, don’t forget to turn on your rice cooker after putting it in the crockery pot!
This article was brought to you by Han. I pretend to be broke in order to stay wealthy, yet I’m not wealthy.
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