Cooking without Oil

Oil is such an important part of our health. But we have taken it to a new level - extracting oil from our foods and eating it separately. I don't think that is what God had in mind when he required us to have oil in our diets. Unfortunately we have made it such a part of our cooking that we don't know how to cook without it - at least that has been my experience.

Lately, I have made a consciences effort to not use any extracted oil in my cooking. Not so easy! In the past I would add a dollop of olive or coconut oil to the pan before I added any food. (both good healthy oils, right?) But the calories in the oil add up. There are 120 calories in 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil or Vegetable Oil. Coconut Oil does better with 39 calories per teaspoon. I have discovered that the food tastes just as good without the added oil.

So what do you saute the food in? Water or Broth! Not too much, just enough to keep it from sticking to the pan. The flavor of broth is absorbed into the food as it cooks. This way of cooking takes practice, but the results will leave your dish with even more flavor and fewer calories.

Try getting the necessary oil that your body needs from whole foods: avocados, olives, nuts, seeds.  Fats eaten in the whole food form are processed well in the body and do not cause weight gain like extracted oil. I for one am going to make more effort to cook without extracted oil. Getting back to basics feels good.