Simple healthy cooking

Which cooking methods are healthiest?

Gentle, low-fat methods, especially steaming, look like a sensible general choice, but no single method is best for every food. Steaming and pressure cooking tend to keep more nutritional value in rice than boiling does¹. Steaming or air frying may keep more antioxidant capacity than boiling in vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage². Across vegetables as a whole, baking and boiling reduced antioxidant activity, while steaming and frying increased it³. Shiitake mushrooms did best with oven baking, not steaming, boiling or air frying⁴.

Most of this is laboratory measurement of single foods, not health outcomes, so treat it as a rough guide. Vary how you cook, and keep eating plenty of vegetables however you prepare them.

A few other points:

• Potatoes: boiled, baked or mashed potatoes are linked with less weight gain than french fries⁵.
• Cooking at home: cooking dinner 6–7 times a week, compared with 0–1 times, was linked with lower daily kilojoules, fat and sugar⁶. A simple home-cooked meal is a good place to start.
• Food safety: cook meat and other foods through, because outbreaks of infection have been linked to undercooked beef and hot dogs⁷. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling raw meat, poultry or fish. Keep raw and cooked foods apart, and don't use the same cutting board for both without washing it with soap⁷.

What simple food swaps make the biggest difference?

The swaps most linked with less weight gain move you towards less processed foods and away from sugary drinks. Over four years, weight gain was linked most with potato chips, potatoes, sugary drinks, and red and processed meats. It was linked least with yoghurt, nuts, fruit, whole grains and vegetables⁵. Eating more unprocessed foods, such as whole grains, fruit, nuts and vegetables, and fewer refined or processed foods and sugary drinks, went with less weight gain⁵. These are links, not proof that a particular swap will change your weight, because people who change what they eat often change other habits too.

Small, single-ingredient swaps are easier to adopt than major diet changes⁸. Using chicken instead of beef in a taco, for example, may lift diet quality⁸. Some swaps have trade-offs, such as more sodium, so don't rely on one swap alone⁸.

• Where you can, choose fruit, a small handful of nuts or yoghurt instead of potato chips.
• Swap sugary drinks for something unsweetened.

How can you eat more fruit and vegetables every day?

Any step up is worthwhile. Higher fruit and vegetable intake is linked with lower risk of cardiovascular disease and early death, and more weakly with lower cancer risk⁹. Risk kept falling up to about 800 g a day (10 servings) for cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality, and up to about 600 g a day (7.5 servings) for total cancer. That is roughly double the 400 g a day recommended in several countries⁹. These figures show where risk was lowest among people who ate the most, not a target everyone must hit, so any step up is a sensible start.

Variety helps. Apples and pears, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, salads and cruciferous vegetables (such as broccoli and cabbage) were linked with lower heart disease risk and fewer early deaths⁹.

Snack times are a handy place to add more, because the usual snacking peaks in the day are a chance to choose fruit and vegetables¹⁰. Ideas include fresh or tinned fruit, guacamole with wholegrain crackers, or a fruit and vegetable smoothie¹¹. Add vegetables to the meals you already cook too.

How can adults get past picky eating?

Widen your foods gradually, with small steps at your own pace. Some ways to do it:

• Use your senses first. Look at, touch and smell a new food before tasting it. You might start with your fingertips, then hold it, then touch it with your lips¹².
• Try food chaining. Take a food you like and slowly introduce small variations. It can take weeks to move along the chain¹².
• Blend new with familiar. Add a small portion of a new food to a safe one, such as tomato soup, and slowly increase it. A liked sauce or spice, such as cheese on broccoli, can act as training wheels¹³.
• Expect 10 or more tries. Getting comfortable with a new food can take that long, so repeated tries are not a sign of failure. Describe taste and texture in neutral words, without calling foods good or bad^12,13.
• Keep the setting familiar. Eat in the same place where you can¹².
• Build cooking skills slowly. Start with foods that are easy to prepare, and learn more from classes, videos and recipes¹².

Avoiding a food keeps the fear going, because it stops you testing it; the more you avoid, the scarier it can become¹³. Wariness of new foods is also linked with eating fewer fruit and vegetables and less variety¹⁴.

Avoiding some foods is not a problem if your nutritional needs are met. If restricted eating may be affecting your weight, energy or health, speak to your doctor.

Can cooking together be a healthy family activity?

It can be, though the strongest findings are about eating together, not cooking together. In children and teenagers, sharing 3 or more family meals a week is linked with eating more healthy foods, fewer unhealthy foods and less overweight¹⁵. Among adults, cooking dinner often at home is linked with a healthier diet⁶.

Common barriers are work schedules, planning ahead and picky eaters, so tailor the plan to your household¹⁵. Having the TV on can undo the nutritional benefits of family meals¹⁶.

• Start with a simple meal everyone can help with, built on foods that are easy to prepare.
• Plan a meal or two ahead for the week.
• Try turning the TV off at shared meals.
• Let family members offer new foods, and build cooking skills together with recipes or videos¹².

What are good snacks for active adults?

Simple, mostly whole-food snacks work well: fresh or tinned fruit, a small handful of nuts or trail mix, or guacamole with wholegrain crackers¹¹. Yoghurt with fruit salad is another¹⁷. Choosing fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy as snacks can help improve diet quality¹⁰. Higher nut intake is also linked with lower risk of heart disease, cancer and early death¹⁸. Homemade oatmeal bars or bliss balls made in a batch keep well on hand¹¹.

Timing matters for longer or harder sessions. A small snack 1–2 hours before gives food time to digest¹¹. Closer to activity (30–60 minutes), choose something easily digested, such as a banana or white bread with honey; a larger meal suits 3–4 hours before¹⁷. Digestion slows during exercise, so food can sit in the stomach and cause discomfort¹⁹. Try different foods and notice what feels comfortable for you¹⁷.

If a snack regularly leaves you with stomach discomfort during activity, try a smaller or earlier snack.

When to check with a health professional

If you're starting exercise after a long break, it's always a good idea to see your doctor first. For an injury or a health condition, see a health professional, such as your doctor or a physio. If you have a long-term condition such as diabetes, or you're pregnant, check with your doctor or a dietitian before making big changes to what you eat. For stomach symptoms after eating, see a doctor if they persist or get worse.

Call your local emergency number for chest pain or pressure (or pain spreading to the arm, neck, jaw or back, especially with sweating or feeling sick), severe breathlessness, fainting or collapse, signs of a stroke, a serious injury, or someone who isn't safe. If you feel sick, sweaty or unwell during or after activity, don't put it down to what you ate: stop; if it doesn't settle, use the emergency advice above, and if it has settled, see a doctor soon.

If you think you may have an eating disorder, see your doctor as soon as possible. You can also contact an eating disorder support service (findahelpline.com lists them by country).