Healthy Cooking Styles

For example, some research suggests consuming excessive amounts of meat cooked at high temperature could increase cancer risk due to the formation of the chemicals heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). “Grilling meat forms HCAs and PAHs that may cause changes to DNA in
the body that might lead to cancer, Dr Paolo Boffetta, associate director of the Tisch Cancer Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, told Health.

Similarly, deep frying or cooking meat or fish to well- done or browned can produce potential carcinogens on foods. For instance, French fries and potato chips, as well as bread roasted too dark, can carry acrylamide, a substance considered a probable contributor to cancer.

This doesn’t mean you should never enjoy some fried foods but should be mindful of the risks and avoid excessive amounts. “There’s a lot we still don’t fully understand, but we do know that some methods are better to use regularly and some are better saved for special occasions,” said Dr Hensrud.

Some alternative cooking methods that avoid the production of such cancer-linked chemicals and can then provide healthier meals include steaming and boiling, which achieve that by using lower temperatures. In addition, they lead to healthier foods by cutting out extra fat because they don’t require the use of oils or butter.

When it comes to cooking vegetables, the best approach is steaming because it keeps them as nutritious as possible. “Boiling can cause water-soluble nutrients — like vitamins B and C — to leach out into the water, but they’re retained with steaming,” Lauren Slayton, founder of the nutrition consulting centre Foodtrainers, told Health. One way to avoid losing those nutrients as much as possible is to drink the cooking liquid that contains them.