Healthy Cooking With Crockpots

Crock-Pot 7-Quart Oval Manual Slow Cooker, Stainless Steel, SCV700SS
One appeal to cooking with a crockpot is that you can put your dinner into it in the morning and it’s ready when you get home from a long day at work. But, do foods lose nutrients during the long cooking process?

It’s a question that many are concerned with when cooking foods over a long period of time. Studies indicate that since slow cookers are fully covered, the percentage of nutrients isn’t lost during the prolonged cooking time.

Cooking with a crockpot is much better than frying or boiling foods and has the added advantage of offering a nutritious meal at the end of the day rather than a fast food drive-by option.

Countertop Blender Ideas for Better Health

Magic Bullet NutriBullet 12-Piece High-Speed Blender/Mixer System
It seems that we’re always searching for better ways to save time in the kitchen while still preparing nutritious meals for ourselves and family. Countertop blenders have become the newest hot item to ensure getting all of the nutrition we need from one powerful container.

Some fruits and vegetables provide better quality and quantity of nutrients when blended rather than cooked. That’s why so many have turned to smoothies and juicing for health.

Like other types of kitchen appliances, the new countertop blenders come in all sizes, shapes, prices and benefits. If your kitchen is short of counter space, check out the blenders with a smaller footprint than the older, more traditional models.

Can Using Contact Grills Shave Calorie Consumption?

George Foreman GRP1060B 4 Serving Removable Plate Grill, Black
Indoor grilling is a popular way to prepare food without the mess or calories which come from frying and baking in heavy sauces. The most popular contact grills include the George Foreman Grill and the Panini Press, but there are others available that offer the same healthy benefits.

Contact grills are great for grilling meat like steak and hamburgers, but you can also grill chicken breast, fish fillets, sausage, hotdogs and more. When grilling on a contact grill, the fatty grease runs off and into a ‘trench’ rather than being reserved in the meat and translating to unwanted calories.

Consume More Healthy Citrus with a Citrus Juicer

BLACK+DECKER CJ625 30-Watt 34-Ounce Citrus Juicer, White
People tend to realize more benefits from drinking citrus juice made with a citrus juicer than eating a piece of citrus fruit or consuming one of the many brands of commercially made citrus juice.

Citrus juice is a much healthier alternative to a soda and provides large amounts of vitamin C, which protects and strengthens your immune system. Other benefits of vitamin C are protection from premature aging and the ridding of harmful stomach bacteria.

Your body will also be able to absorb such healthy nutrients and minerals such as calcium – and vitamin C works beautifully to keep your skin healthy and glowing. The alkalizing ability of citrus juices may also help your pH balance and keep your blood pressure and cholesterol in check.

Using Steamers for Smart and Healthy Meals

Farberware Classic Stainless Steel 3-Quart Covered Stack 'n' Steam Saucepot and Steamer
Some methods of cooking can extremely negatively affect the nutrients contained in healthy foods. For example, broccoli loses almost a hundred percent of its valuable nutrients when cooked in the microwave and over 80% when boiled.

A good steamer is the best and most nutritious way to cook food from vegetables and rice to fish, chicken and other meats. And steamers don’t use as much energy and are quick to clean up.

There are several types of steamers you can choose. The Chinese have been using bamboo steamers for centuries - and besides providing healthier fare when steamed, your food retains its fresh color and flavor – and those all-important nutrients.

Centrifugal Juicers Provide Nutrition and Excellent Taste

Breville JE98XL Juice Fountain Plus 850-Watt Juice Extractor
Juicing is a great way for your body to realize the benefits of a tremendous amount of enzymes, minerals, vitamins and vital phytonutrients from your fruits and vegetables. It can help keep cancer at bay and do wonders for your immune and anti-inflammatory system.

The centrifugal juicer extracts juice from fruits or veggies by spinning its flat blade at a very high speed that separates the juice from the pulp. The centrifugal action works much like your clothes washing machine that spins to rid the clothing from excess water.

Centrifugal juicers have a strainer basket in which the juice passes through, leaving the pulp behind, so you have pure juice in the bottom of the juicer container. A good feature to look for in a juicer is a pulp ejector, which automatically expels the pulp when full.