Healthier Ways To Cook Your Favorite Foods

Most delivery pizza is made with a white flour crust, loads of greasy cheese and processed meats, and scant amounts of vegetables. The refined carbs in the crust will do a number on your blood sugar and the saturated fat in all that cheese is a recipe for a coronary disaster. But that doesn't mean you have to call off pizza night. You just need to do a little home prep with the right ingredients and be open-minded about trying something new. 

Whole grains haven't been stripped of all their fiber and nutrients like refined flour has (via the American Heart Association). All that fiber is good for your heart, and it helps your food digest more slowly to sustain your blood sugar levels. Look for whole-wheat or spelt flour crust, or make your own personal pizza on a whole-grain pita or tortilla (via the Cleveland Clinic). You can also try a cauliflower crust, which you can often find in the frozen foods section or in a health foods store (or make yourself). 

Cheese is high in saturated fat (the kind that clogs your arteries) and sodium, too much of which can raise your blood pressure. Use less cheese overall, and choose part-skim, fresh mozzarella, and low-fat shredded cheeses. As for sauce, avoid cream sauces and choose healthier options like fresh tomato, olive oil, or pesto. Avoid processed meats like pepperoni, because they can cause cancer; instead, opt for lean meat like grilled chicken and lots of fresh veggies (via the Cancer Council). 

If you dream of eating a stack of fluffy pancakes slathered with butter and thick oozing syrup every morning and staying healthy, you'll have to keep dreaming. All that refined flour, saturated fat, and sugar will wreak havoc on your waistline and your heart health if you make it a regular indulgence. However, with a few tweaks, you can make your dream of pancakes-every-darned-day a reality. 

First off all, get rid of the white flour, which has been stripped of nutrients and fiber during processing (via Joy Bauer). Your body quickly metabolizes it into simple sugars, sending your blood sugar (and energy level and moods) on a roller coaster — and not the fun the kind. Instead, opt for whole-grain flours like whole wheat, buckwheat, or quinoa flour (via Everyday Health). 

Next, ditch the sugar and replace it with fruit, like mashed banana, or even sweet vegetables, like sweet potatoes. This will naturally sweeten your cakes and add moisture, fiber, and nutrients. Increase the HQ (health quotient) of your stack even more by adding protein via Greek yogurt or a high-quality protein powder. A high-protein breakfast may promote weight loss, according to a 2014 study. Lastly, skip the syrup in favor of healthier toppings like warm berries, fresh fruit, nut butters, and sweet spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. 

First, the good news: It's OK to enjoy chewy, fudgy, gooey brownies every once in a while. Now, the bad news: They really do have to be an every-once-in-a-while treat if you want to stay healthy. Most brownies, especially store-bought mixes, are loaded with unhealthy ingredients like sugar and refined flour, both of which wreak havoc on your blood sugar (via Betty Crocker and Healthline). Eating a lot of refined grains and sugars can lead to obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, with a few tweaks and substitutions, you can make healthier brownies that you can enjoy more than once in a while (everything in moderation, of course). 

One big tweak is to reduce or replace the sugar with non-caloric sweeteners that don't affect your blood sugar. A few of our favorites to look for are erythritol, stevia, and monkfruit. These are all-natural plant-based alternatives to non-caloric sweeteners like sucralose, the safety of which is still under investigation. You can find tons of recipes online for sugar-free brownies using these sugar stand-ins. You can also use fruit to sweeten your brownies. Bananas, pineapple, and mango all work well in baking. They will add not only sweetness, but a little extra nutrition, too. 

Another healthy strategy is to swap the refined flour for whole-grain flour. Whole-grain flour doesn't work as well in light, fluffy cakes because it's denser (via King Arthur Baking). But that makes it perfect if you like your brownies fudgy and chewy.

No burger is complete without a side of crispy, salty french fries. Unfortunately, deep fried foods can't be on the menu when you're trying to live a healthier lifestyle. French fries are loaded with saturated and trans fats, both of which raise your cholesterol levels and can cause heart disease (via the Mayo Clinic). Salt, or sodium, is another killer — literally. Too much sodium in your diet can contribute to kidney stones and kidney disease, cancer, osteoporosis, stroke, and heart failure. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends adults keep their sodium intake below 1,500 milligrams a day. One large serving of a popular fast food brand's french fries contains almost 450 milligrams of sodium — nearly one-third of the AHA's daily recommended limit (via MyFoodData). 

Your best option is to have a nice fresh salad with your homemade healthy burger, but we get it — sometimes, you gotta have fries! Here are a few tips for keeping your health in check and your arteries clear: Bake, don't fry. You need far less oil, and can save yourself a ton of calories and fat. You can also use olive oil, which contains healthy monounsaturated fats and has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease (via Healthline). Go light on the salt and use herbs and spices, such as garlic, paprika, cumin, cilantro, and parsley, to add heart-healthy flavor. 

Easy-to-make, rich and delicious, chocolate mousse isn't the worse dessert you can indulge in. But it's still a dessert high in fat and sugar. It can be made healthier, though — and the healthier you can make your favorite foods, the more often you can indulge in them. 

What's the secret to healthy chocolate mousse? Dark chocolate and avocado, both of which are considered superfoods due to their nutrient density (via The Guardian and the Mayo Clinic). Dark chocolate is lower in fat and calories than milk chocolate and higher in nutrients, including iron, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorous. It's also a rich source of antioxidant nutrients called flavanols that may boost heart health (via Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health). 

Meanwhile, avocado is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, and 50% of its fat content comes from heart-healthy monounsaturated fat (via the Mayo Clinic). Avocado's richness and creaminess make it the perfect sub for heavy cream in your favorite chocolate mousse recipe. Heavy cream is a source of saturated fat, which isn't good for your heart (via Healthline). 

America loves bacon. According to a Statista survey, over 16 million Americans consumed 5 pounds or more in 2020. Hey, that was a pretty rough year, so it's understandable that you'd want to escape your worries in the comforting crackle of several pounds of crispy pork. But let's not make that a habit. As a processed meat, bacon is usually treated with chemicals — nitrates or nitrites — used as preservatives to prolong shelf life and enhance the color (via TIME Magazine). Eating a lot of processed meat containing these chemicals increases the risk of cancer. 

Not to mention that bacon is full of saturated fat, with one serving of three slices providing 22% of the DV (via MyFoodData). It also contains upwards of 600 milligrams of sodium, or more than a third of what the AHA recommends as the limit for adults each day. 

So what's a bacon-loving American to do? Eat less of it and find healthier ways to cook it. The healthiest way to cook bacon is one in which the fat is allowed to drain away from the meat instead of pooling around it. Baking your bacon on a wire rack in the oven will do the trick. Before eating it, blot it with a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. You can also try grilling it, or microwaving it on a stack of paper towels (which will absorb a lot of the grease).