You may be ready to kick your oil habit, but now, how do you cook without oil? I’ve compiled a handy list of tips for oil-free cooking in this post for your reference.
Learn why we shouldn’t be cooking with oil
Oil-free cooking is easy
It may seem like cooking without oil is the end of the world. However, I want to encourage you to take the plunge and start your oil-free lifestyle today. Once you get it though your brain that food cooked without oil is not only more delicious, but also more satisfying and healthy, it becomes very easy.
Here’s 8 tips for oil-free cooking
Instead of adding oil while cooking, here’s a few oil substitutions you can make during your weekly meal prep routine:
Throw out your bottles of oil
First, throw away all of your bottles of oil. You won’t need these any longer and if they are sitting in your cupboard you may be tempted to use them.
Use whole food fats
Use whole food fats in your recipes in place of oil. A couple examples include using whole pitted olives in pesto rather than olive oil, or cashews in a creamy sauce in place of oil.
Use nuts and seeds instead of oil in salads
Skip the oil in your salad dressing and opt for nuts or seeds as the fat in your salads. Add a small amount of chopped nuts and seeds to your salads to get fat into your dish without using oils.
Learn to “dry saute” with water
When sautéing, instead of adding oil to your pan, add 1-3 tablespoons of water and sauté your food in the water. Cover the pan with a lid if necessary to steam your food until it’s cooked through. To prevent food from sticking to the pan, add a little water when your food starts to stick. This will help the food stop sticking to the pan, and also do something called “deglazing” which gathers all the delicious flavor off the pan.
Use parchment paper when baking
To prevent baked goods from sticking to the pan, line your baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper, such as the “If You Care” brand which offers parchment paper and muffin tin liners. Avoid using bleached parchment paper.
Use stainless steel cookware
Use stainless steel cookware which is like non-stick cookware without the teflon chemicals. Heat your stainless steel pans to very hot before adding food. This will create a natural “non-stick” surface. Additionally, use wooden spoons and spatulas, or stainless steel spoons and spatulas, instead of plastic. If food starts to burn, turn heat down to medium or medium-low heat.
Don’t ask, don’t tell
Nobody needs to know that you didn’t use oil to cook the food you are serving. If you’re serving food to people who are hesitant to “oil-free cooking”, just don’t tell them it’s oil-free! Most likely they won’t be able to tell the difference. You can tell them afterwards if you want to, or keep it your secret. There’s no harm in eliminating oil, only harm in adding it.
Invest in a refillable oil spray bottle
If you decide it’s easier to use oil to grease your baking pans, invest in an inexpensive oil spray bottle that you can refill as needed. These can be found for less than $10 at most grocery stores. I encourage you to NOT use oil spray cans that are already filled with oil for two reasons: 1. They usually contain a chemical that helps propel the oil which is not healthy for our bodies. 2. They are not recyclable so every bottle you purchase will end up in the landfill. Instead, refill your own oil spray bottle and reserve this for use when you’re baking and are afraid of your baked goods will stick to the pan.
Ready to kick your oil habit?
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More information on oil-free cooking
Check out this episode of The Exam Room Podcast presented by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, “How to cook without oil” for more information on why we should cook oil-free and how lots of added oils and excessive fats harm our bodies.
