Cooking is a separate art form. But even the most delicious and healthy dish can be spoiled if you make some mistakes in the cooking process. Novate.ru takes care of your health, and therefore tells about the frequent mistakes that Housewives make in the kitchen, in more detail.
Mistake 1: you are abusing salt
If you have already added salt to the dish, but it still seems bland to you, call on spices to help. To improve the taste with a large amount of salt means to do yourself a disservice. Sodium chloride retains fluid in the body, provokes the appearance of edema, irritates the mucous membranes of the stomach, which can lead to ulcers and gastritis. In addition, it increases the appetite, which does not play into the hands of people who lose weight or suffer from obesity.
To enhance the taste of the dish, but not harm your health, use spices and spices. Acute and burning options are natural antibiotics, as they fight viruses and harmful microorganisms, green aromatic herbs contain antioxidants necessary for the body, anise and star anise contribute to the full functioning of the intestines, turmeric reduces the risk of cancer. And with spices, unlike salt, it is difficult to overdo it.
If you want to completely avoid salt, please note that it can be replaced by lemon juice, celery, garlic, cumin, coriander, rosemary, mustard, parsley, dried tomatoes.
Mistake 2: you overheat the vegetable oil
We are used to the fact that most vegetable oils can and even need to be heated, otherwise you will not be able to properly fry meat, for example. So when we get our hands on olive or coconut oil, it doesn’t even occur to us that we need to treat them differently. And this is our main mistake. The fact is that these types of oils do not tolerate temperature increases. If the product starts to smoke in the pan, it means that within a few minutes it will lose all its useful properties.
That is why professional chefs recommend adding olive and linseed oil to ready-made dishes to enhance their flavor. But when stewing, roasting, deep-frying, it is better to use the classic sunflower oil, which is in the kitchen of any housewife.
Mistake 3: you take a long time to cook vegetables
Nutritionists say that the greatest benefit is brought by raw vegetables, which cleanse the body of harmful toxins, as well as saturate it with minerals, fiber, and vitamins. The undeniable advantage of fresh vegetables is also that they contain rutin, which strengthens the walls of blood vessels, and a set of phytonutrients that strengthen the immune system.
This opinion was proved by scientists from the University of California. They conducted an experiment in which they found that heat treatment destroys water-soluble vitamins C and B, as well as polyphenols found in vegetables. Depending on the way you cook them (stewing, frying, cooking, baking), losses can be up to 55%. So, for example, vitamins A, D, E and K, which are fat-soluble, calmly relate to the effects of high temperatures, but only if they are cooked or steamed. Deep-frying and frying in a pan are contraindicated for vegetables that contain these vitamins, as they lose their useful properties. The same can be said about products whose components are glucose and fructose (pepper, lettuce) – high temperatures are their main enemy.
Mistake 3: you clean all the fruits and vegetables
Contrary to popular belief, the main amount of vitamins and minerals is not contained in the vegetable itself, but in its skin, which in 90% of cases we cut off. For example, potato skins are half made up of dietary fiber, which improves the gastrointestinal tract and suppresses hunger. Kiwi shell is a rich source of vitamin E and flavonoids. And the” skin ” of apples contains the antioxidant quercetin, which prevents the development of cancer.
Please note: to Check whether the Apple and, accordingly, the peel are useful, you can do the following: cut the fruit in half and wait a few minutes. If the Apple turns dark, it means that there are no harmful substances in it and the peel can be eaten.
Mistake 4: you are melting honey
Unfortunately, honey cannot always remain in a liquid state. A few months after harvesting, it begins to crystallize and turns into a thick paste. When you change the consistency, it does not become less useful and can be stored for years, preserving the amazing taste and aroma.
However, thick honey is inconvenient to spread on toast, pancakes, and use in the baking process, so most Housewives melt it in a microwave oven, pan, or water bath before using it. You can not do this – if honey is heated to 40 degrees or higher, it begins to lose its useful properties. Therefore, if you do not want to get a high-calorie syrup instead of a beekeeping product, just keep a jar of honey in a warm place so that it does not harden much.
Mistake 5: You use ” raw ” salt
Today we have already talked about the dangers of salt. If you are not ready to completely eliminate it from your diet, then at least reduce the consumption of the product in “raw form”. Adding a mineral to a salad, for example, you can not reduce the negative impact on the body. But if you dissolve it in water or expose it to high temperatures, it will cause minimal damage to the cardiovascular system and kidneys.
Mistake 6: you cook potatoes without soaking them first
In 2015, the EU food safety Agency presented a list of products that contain acrylamide – a dangerous cancer-causing substance. Among these products was everyone’s favorite potatoes. The level of acrylamide in the starch-containing product increases dramatically if it is fried or baked at a high temperature.
To reduce the level of negative effects of potatoes on the body, it is necessary to soak the tubers in cold water before cooking. Two hours will be enough. In addition, this procedure allows you to remove nitrates, reduce the calorie content of the vegetable, get rid of most of the starch, which is a strong allergen and increases blood sugar levels. Also, the organoleptic characteristics of potatoes are improved: if you first soak it and then cook it, the puree will turn out to be tender and airy, and not like a paste.