Whether you cook at home or regularly indulge in outside meals, most cooked dishes incorporate the use of oil, ghee, or butter in the cooking process. It is crucial to monitor your oil consumption, as excessive intake can lead to weight gain, digestive problems, and serious health issues. The first thing you need to do is switch to home-cooked food as much as possible. That way, you can control the amount of oil that goes into your meals. Secondly, many households have a habit of using too much ghee or butter to enhance the taste of the food. This can also have detrimental effects on your health in the long run. The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recently shared a video on Instagram that discusses some easy-to-follow tips to cut down on your oil intake.
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“Many of our meals incorporate the use of oil, ghee, butter, etc. While fats are essential for our body, excessive consumption of oil and fat can lead to obesity and related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart diseases,” explains the video.
Here Are 5 Easy Ways Shared By The Food Authority To Reduce Oil In Your Diet:
1. Plan Your Calorie Consumption
“To follow a healthy, balanced diet, the calories you consume from sources of fat should only be up to 20-25% of your daily calorie intake,” the video explains. It is important not to completely cut off fat from your diet, as a minimum of 20% is necessary to ensure adequate consumption of total energy, essential fatty acids, and fat-soluble vitamins, among other things.
2. Track Oil, Ghee, Butter Intake
“Buy only a fixed quantity of oil, ghee, and butter every month,” FSSAI shares. This tip can be helpful to restrict your overall fat consumption and manage cooking throughout the month within the purchased quantity. FSSAI further advises to “monitor the quantity of oil and fat used at home.”
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3. Reduce Oil Usage
The next tip is to consciously and gradually “reduce the use of oil in your daily cooking.” If you are using three tablespoons for cooking a particular dish, switch to two tablespoons and then see if you can reduce it further. Look for alternative recipes for making the same dish with less oil, butter, or ghee.
4. Use a Small Spoon to Pour Oil
If you directly pour oil from the bottle while cooking, you are likely to pour too much of it. Furthermore, you will have no clear idea of how much oil you have used. FSSAI suggests that “while cooking, use a small spoon instead of freely pouring from the bottle.” This will help reduce oil consumption.
5. Limit Fried Food
If you consume a lot of fried food, even if it is home-cooked, you may be ingesting too much oil. “Limit the intake of fried food. Instead, eat food that is boiled, steamed, roasted, or grilled,” says FSSAI.
Reduce the consumption of oil and fat for a healthy and happy family.