You Are Cooking It Wrong!

December 4, 2020

After writing an article about You Are Eating It Wrong, it received different reactions from different readers. So I decided to make this article as many of us also unaware of the unhealthy way of cooking our food.

Healthy foods if not prepared well can be toxic and are not good for our health. Instead of getting the nutritious value of the food, it puts our health at stake. If not toxic, it turns the food into a plain one which makes it useless as it doesn't contain its nutritious value anymore.

In every food we cook, we should take considerations of how we should cook it to retain its nutrients and not to become a toxic food.

Here are some common foods that are cooked in the wrong way:

VEGGIES

Most people thought that boiling vegetables is a nutritious way to cook them. However, vegetables lose their nutritious value when boled in the water. Therefore, we are only eating plain boiled vegetables. The best and healthy way to cook vegetables is to steam them as they retain their maximum nutritious value.


MEATS

Meat shouldn't be cooked at a very high temperature as the protein in the meat becomes hazardous to health and spoils the goodness of the meat. Thus, cooking at low temperature is the best way to cook meats even poultry and other seafood.

WHOLEGRAINS

Wholegrains if not soaked before cooking are unhealthy in our body. They are riched with antioxidants called phytates which restrain the absorption of vitamins and minerals in our body. They should be soaked overnight before cooking to get better absorption of nutrients and to have a healthy digestive system.

RICE

Many love eating rice especially the Asian people including myself. I'm satisfied with my meal without it on my plate. Usually, we set it aside after cooking to eat it later on. But don't you know that cold rice is prone to develop bacteria on it? Yes, that is TRUE. If you eat cold rice, you may suffer from digestive problems. So next time, make sure to eat hot rice and save the leftover rice inside the fridge. And of course, reheat it the next time you eat a leftover rice.

POTATOES

The same with rice, you should not keep aside the cooked or boiled potatoes. It is a starchy food so it easily invites bacteria once it cools down especially if you set aside for a longer time. So do not ever dare to eat cold potatoes. Make sure it is hot to avoid digestive problems.

Now you know that starchy foods are prone to develop bacteria once it gets cold. Aside from rice and potatoes, there are other starchy foods like cassava, sweet potatoes, corn, taro, and others. So next time you cook them, make sure to consume them while they are hot.

MICROWAVE POPCORN

Many love cooking popcorn using a microwave, but that is a WRONG way. The popcorns when cooked in the microwave become toxic. It contains Perfluorooctanoic acid which is extremely harmful to your health. It can damage your digestive system badly.

BURNT TOAST

Another thing that many people like is eating burnt toast. Burnt toast releases acrylamide that may make you suffer from constipation, flatulence, and other digestive issues. So next time you toast your bread, make sure not to burn it.

CHICKEN

Cooking chicken is healthy, but when it cools due to refrigeration, it becomes unhealthful. It is affecting the composition of proteins present in chicken. Therefore, cooking frozen chicken and other frozen meats are actually unhealthy. To get the nutritious value of the chicken, better get a fresh one and cook it right away after buying. Do not stock it too long inside your fridge.

SAFETY COOKING AND PREPARATION TIPS

Food Safety with Raw Eggs

When preparing foods that contain raw eggs such as homemade mayonnaise, tiramisu, and cakes, make sure to take extra care because bacteria present on eggshells and inside the egg can contaminate these foods and may cause food poisoning.

Moreover, avoid giving raw eggs containing foods to the elderly, pregnant women, young children, and anyone with a constrained immune system.


Cooling and Storing Food

• If you want to save food for later use, let the steam stops rising before covering and putting them in the fridge. This will keep the food out of the temperature danger zone quickly.

• If you want to keep it warm, keep it hotter than 60 °C and out of the temperature danger zone.

• Store foods inside the fridge for 3-4 days only. Discard the stored foods once they lasted more than 4 days as it may cause food poisoning.

• Separately store cooked food from raw food, especially raw meats, poultry, and fish. Place raw meats and poultry at the bottom of the fridge so the raw juices won't drip onto other food. Always make sure that all food is sealed and covered well.

• Foods such as meat, poultry, fish, and eggs, should be cooked completely to kill most types of food poisoning bacteria.

To sum up, food should be cooked to a temperature of at least 75 °C or hotter. It should be eaten promptly when cooked and keep it hotter than 60 °C. Once it cools down, cover and store in the fridge or freezer.

Food preparation is as important as storing food. An improper way of cooking is sometimes the cause of food poisoning. To keep your food healthy and safe to eat, always make sure that you prepare and store them properly and retain their nutritious value, and not to turn it into a toxic one!

Thanks for reading @Jane

Since my article about Bityard (entry on Publishox writing contest) was unpublished by the system, I decided to post this drafted article instead .

Lead image from healthline.com