Healthy living is something that everyone craves for and the only solution to it is following a healthy diet. To achieve a healthy diet, it is not only about the food you consume but also the cooking methods that matter.

A healthy and beneficial diet include having more of fruits and vegetables, switching from carbohydrates and fats to whole grains, lowering salt intake and much more. One of the best ways to accomplish this diet is to forget deep fried foods and start consuming baked foods. Fried food is harmful to the health for long-term and provides your body with unnecessary fats, so AVOID. Whereas, baked foods help to control the level of fat in your body and help to maintain a healthy diet.

Here are some reasons why you should opt for baked foods rather than fried foods.

1. Deep-Fried can lead to Heart Diseases and Cancer

We know that eating fried food is dangerous for our health, yet we find ourselves lusting over those samosas, onion rings and French fries. These foods provide your body with little or no nutrition and lead your body towards higher risk of health conditions. These foods when deep-fried in oil at high temperature converts the starch present in the food to carcinogens. Exposure to high levels of carcinogens results in cancer and heart diseases. While baking doesn’t require any oil, thus, there are no chances of any reaction in the foods and makes baked food healthier.

2. Can cause damage to Heart, Kidneys and Lungs

When you deep fry starchy foods in oil at high temperature, it leads to oxidation of the oil. There is a great possibility that the oxidized oils can cause potential health problems such as damage to the heart, lungs and kidney. Not just this but oxidized oils are quite capable of increasing risk of atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. Well, on the other side you don’t have to add any oil while baking, thus, it doesn’t cause any oxidation.

3. Promotes Obesity, Stroke and Diabetes

Who doesn’t want a fit and fab body but this fried food somehow always wins over our control? You must be surprised to know that some deep-fried foods you get from restaurants or the packed ones are cooked in hydrogenated oils to a certain extent to increase the shelf life of the foods. Having these oils in your diet probably weaken your immune system and increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and stroke.

4. Calories

Calories, one of the biggest enemy of your health and when you consume these deep-dried foods cooked in oil at a high temperature, it adds to the calorie count of your food. Despite that, baking needs no oil, thus, no extra calories or fats are added to your food. This is the reason why baking is recommended instead of frying.

5. How to Bake

• Whenever you start baking, make sure you marinade with herbs or spices.
• Keep the food in a pan or dish and see it should be surrounded by the hot and dry air of your oven.
• It’s your choice if you want to cook the food covered or uncovered.
• Try to bake the food with no or little oil.

6. Tips to Ponder while Learning the Art of Baking

• What type of oil you are using while baking, makes a difference. Always try you go for healthy oils like olive oil, ghee or coconut oil, which helps to enhance your intake of vitamin E and healthy fats.
• When you add marinades and herbs to your food, you are actually giving a healthier twist to the food with an amazing flavor and tenderness.
• While baking, don’t forget to add some water at the bottom of the pan. This prevents smoke being created at high temperatures.
• If you really want to maintain the nutritional value of the food, bake your food at a lower temperature but this might increase your cooking time.
• If you still can’t get over from fried-foods, try to consume them in small amounts and make sure you have them with some healthy foods like fruits and vegetables that are low in calories.

If you don’t have anyone around you who could teach you baking, try out some baking classes near you and thanks us later because it is definitely going to help you in the long run.