30 Inspirational Quotes About Dinner Hacks

Posted by Destiny on January 2nd, 2021

You're probably making a meal that will be significantly healthier than a restaurant dish if you're cooking at home. One of the easiest ways to cut down on calories is to cook at home, even if you are making a hearty meal like cheeseburgers or pasta. However, there are a few healthy cooking hacks you can keep in mind for future culinary adventures if you're looking for even more ways to make your cooking healthier and convenient. Here are some of the ones that

Roast all your dinner on a single pan of sheets.

There are a couple of ways to throw together a weeknight meal. Frying and sautéing are two of the most popular, but this method of cooking can cause you to add more oil than the dish probably needs if you're not careful. Roasting your supper on a sheet pan in the oven is an easy way to control the amount of oil you are using. Plus, you can get all of your cooking done at once with this technique and clean minimal dishes later. This is a Win-Win.

To a pasta jar, add water.

While making your own marinara sauce at home is fun, buying it in a jar is much easier for weeknight meals, and many of them are fairly low in calories and full of great, complete ingredients. But sometimes, when that jar of sauce is poured into your pot, not all of it is poured out. Adding a small splash of water, closing the lid and shaking it up is an easy way to get the rest. Pour it back in, then. It'll just add more liquid to it with a splash, but we promise, you won't even notice it.

Sauté the spinach of yours.

Spinach is known for having nutrients that are heat-sensitive, meaning that when you cook them, it will lose a lot of its health benefits. The harshest effect on the nutrients in spinach tends to be boiling. If you want to make the most of the spinach's nutrients, sauté them quickly and enjoy them while they're warm.

Open-faced tomato sandwich

We know that the most important aspect of the meal is probably the bread of the sandwich, because it holds all the fillings together. But since the bottom slice is capable of holding everything well enough, why even bother with the top half? You can cut a few calories and simply toast and top it with all your favourite sandwich fixings with one slice of bread.

Bake your fries.

Did you know one of the best appetite suppressants is potatoes? That is true! In your diet, they are a great source of satiety, not to mention the myriad of nutrients they can give you. If those fries you make, however, drip in oil (and probably a high amount of saturated fat), they're not the best overall for your body. But that doesn't mean that fries can't be enjoyed! Cut the fries and roast them in the oven with a little bit of oil, salt and pepper instead. Without all of the excess oil and calories, you'll have a crispy snack or side dish that will make you feel full.

On veggies, double-up.

It doesn't mean that eating healthy means you're only stuck with boring salads. Some of your favourite dishes, like pasta, pizza, and even burgers, can actually be enjoyed. The trick is to pair your meals to round out the meal with lots of filling vegetables. Pile up your pizza and burgers with your favourite vegetable toppings. Toss your favourite roasted vegetables together with a serving of pasta. This will not only add to your meal a tonne of nutrients and fibre, but food hack it will help you feel full.

For cream based dishes, make a roux.

Pasta dishes based on cream may sound like an unhealthy meal, but only if you drown them in butter and cream. Instead, by making a roux to lighten it up, you can create a thick, creamy sauce. You melt butter and sprinkle in some flour to make a roux, whisk until mixed, then slowly pour in regular milk (not cream!) until the sauce becomes dense. Add a little cheese to it, and voila! The perfect sauce for cream. In some of our favourite recipes, including our loaded alfredo, chicken and dumplings, and this chicken and rice soup Instant Pot, we use a roux.

Strawberry jam cooking

Who is not in love with a good PB&J? It's a classic dish, but if you're not careful, it can increase your sugar count pretty quickly. Instead, add a saucepan with 1/2 cup of berries and heat it until the berries are broken down. Add the heated berries to your peanut butter slice of toast, and there you have it! A more healthy PB&J. This trick works well with all kinds of jam dishes, such as oatmeal, pancakes, or muffins, that you like to enjoy.

Bake with flour for oatmeal.

Since oat flour is full of nutrients (including fibre) and naturally gluten-free, all of your recipes make it an easy choice for flour. All you have to do is blend rolled-cut oats to make it! You mix up 1 1/4 cup oats for 1 cup of oat flour, and simply multiply accordingly based on how many cups of flour you need. Try some of your favourite recipes, or even try our recipe for zucchini bread.

Serve your meals with greens on the side.

The key to cooking healthy meals is portion control, but we know that if you're used to feasting on your favourite dishes, it can be difficult. Filling half your plate with a simple side of greens is an easy way to portion control. This might be any vegetable, but simply toss a side of leafy greens with a small drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper for one of our favourite healthy cooking hacks. Fill your greens with half your plate and your dish with the other half, and voila! Easy control of portions that you don't have to think too hard about.

Chia seeds are added.

Were you aware that chia seeds are loaded with dietary fibre? Fiber is one of the best nutrients to have in your meals, because it helps to prevent autoimmune diseases and lose weight. Sprinkling chia seeds on some of your meals, specifically breakfast foods, is an easy way to get your fibre in. Sprinkle it with peanut butter on a slice of toast, add it to your yoghurt or overnight oats, or even make a chia seed pudding for a big fibre boost for breakfast.

Make granola of your own.

In the store, granola is not only absurdly expensive, but most bags are loaded with added sugar. By simply making your own granola at home, you can avoid both altogether. Obviously, granola is a great yoghurt topping, but it can even go well with a scoop of dessert ice cream or a simple snack on its own. Here is an easy recipe for granola that you can try.

Swap with products made from whole grain.

Swapping your typical go-to carbohydrates with whole-grain (or whole-wheat) products is another easy way to get fibre into your diet. Bread, buns, tortillas, crackers, pasta, pizza dough, and more are some of the easiest swaps.

Freeze for easy smoothies with fruit and kale.

Do you have bad fruit in the fridge? Freeze it for later before it is totally gone for good! In small freezer bags, pack 1/2 of a banana, 1/2 cup of the fruit of your choice, and 1 cup of kale. Mix that smoothie pack with 1 cup of almond milk and either 1 tablespoon peanut butter or 1 scoop of protein powder when you're reading for a smoothie.

Almonds sliced

For all kinds of dishes, particularly salads and oats, nuts are a great topping. But if you're not careful, these calories can quickly add up. Purchase a container of sliced almonds instead. Just 30 calories is one tablespoon of sliced almonds, while a mere 15 whole almonds are hit by more than 100 calories. With the sliced almonds, relative to the whole, you get more opportunities for crunch. Win-win again.

Roasted potatoes in a grilling pan

When the skin gives you a significant amount of nutrients, why peel potatoes, carrots, or even apples? Leave them on, and enjoy the health benefits that these natural vegetable skins will give you unless the recipe calls you to peel these items.

Garlic chopping

One of the most inconvenient steps when making a recipe with garlic in it is to peel garlic. While you could shake it up in a mason jar, microwaving it is an even faster way to slip those garlic cloves out of the peel. Place the garlic cloves (peels on) in a small bowl, microwave for 7 seconds, and when you grab them, the cloves will slip right from those peels.

Scrambled eggs are added with a splash of milk.

It is easier to make fluffy scrambled eggs than you think! However, in order to get there, you do not need to drown your eggs in cream and cheese. Simply add a splash of milk with two cracked eggs to a bowl instead. Whisk to combine, then cook with only a small amount of butter in the pan. Remove from the pan and stir continuously with a rubber spatula until the eggs are just about cooked.

Thicken the sauces with water for pasta.

If you have made a roux that ends up being more runny than you hoped, don't just worry or add more flour than you need. Use a bit of the pasta water that your pasta is cooking in, instead. The starch is released into the water when the pasta boils in a pot, which can easily be used while you cook. Use your sauce to splash a tablespoon (or two) into the pan and stir. It'll thicken naturally.

Shrimp cooking

Dried-out shrimp are the last thing you probably want to eat, especially after paying a good price to get them! Instead, buy shrimp with the shells that are still on them (which are typically cheaper) and cook them with those shells in whatever sauce you make. The shells help capture all that juicy flavour and make a piece of shrimp that is even softer and juicier.

Batter of pancake

Most of the pancake recipes call for you to put a leavening agent in the baking powder. The main trick for making a fluffy pancake versus a flat pancake is the baking powder. However, it doesn't give your batter enough time to soak in the baking powder and make it fluffy if you don't let your