Weight Loss Seasoning: Low-Salt Cooking Techniques and Low-Fat Culinary Pitfall Avoidance Guide

From a health and weight management perspective, what are the preferable cooking methods?

For staple foods, the most beneficial approach is to steam or boil them in their natural state. Avoid deep-frying, pan-frying, or baking with added oil and sugar.

For vegetables, the first method is the common stir-fry with cold oil in a hot wok: first heat the wok, add oil, immediately reduce to low heat, then add some spring onions, ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, and small chillies to release their aromas. Next, add the vegetables, increase the heat to high, and stir-fry for one to two minutes before seasoning with salt and serving. The second method is blanching: add a pinch of salt and oil to boiling water, cook the vegetables until tender, then drain and drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce. The third method is broth-poaching: pour a bowl of chicken stock into a pan, bring to the boil, add the vegetables, simmer for two minutes, season lightly with salt. This yields vegetables bursting with flavour without excessive oil. The fourth method is water-oil braising. For vegetables requiring substantial oil when stir-fried, such as aubergine or carrots, lightly stir-fry them in a small amount of oil first. Then add half a bowl of water, reduce to low heat, cover, and braise for one minute. Uncover, season, and reduce the liquid until absorbed.

For meat, clear braising or soup-making is undoubtedly best, though it can become cloying over time. Instead, lightly grease a non-stick pan with oil, sear the meat over low heat, season with black pepper and salt, then discard the excess oil. Similarly, you can prepare oil-free roasted meat in the oven, sprinkled with cumin.

Fruit and Vegetables:
When it comes to weight loss, never confuse fruit with vegetables!

Many trainees ask me: ‘Burning, I dislike vegetables – can I substitute fruit instead?’
Indeed, many perceive vegetables and fruit as nutritionally similar, creating the illusion they are interchangeable.

All plants consumed by humans belong to flowering plants or angiosperms. From a genetic evolutionary perspective, many fruits share close relatives among vegetables, and many vegetables share close relatives among fruits.

However, from a dietary standpoint, vegetables are vegetables, and fruits are fruits. They are distinct and cannot be substituted for one another. Let me elaborate from both nutritional and weight loss perspectives.

First, regarding nutritional value: in terms of variety, vegetables far outnumber fruits. Compared to fruits, vegetables contain richer levels of vitamins, minerals, and insoluble dietary fibre. For individuals with diabetes, vegetables are lower in fructose content. Therefore, based solely on these nutritional merits, fruits cannot replace vegetables.

Compared to vegetables, fruit does possess certain advantages. Fruit contains various organic acids and aromatic compounds absent in vegetables, which can stimulate appetite, aid digestion, provide antioxidant benefits, and enhance the body's absorption of multiple nutrients. Furthermore, fruit is typically washed and eaten raw, making it convenient to consume. This method results in less nutrient loss and requires no added seasonings, particularly as you scarcely need to add oil or salt when preparing fruit.

Most vegetables, however, are unsuitable for prolonged, excessive raw consumption, as their insoluble dietary fibre can impair the body's absorption of other nutrients. Moreover, I believe most would agree that, in terms of palatability, fruit genuinely tastes better than vegetables.

Therefore, vegetables cannot replace fruit either.

From the perspective of weight loss, which concerns many, the greatest challenge lies in dietary management. The core of dietary management is achieving an energy deficit while still feeling full. Thus, feeling full is paramount; any weight-loss diet that fails to satisfy hunger is unsustainable and fundamentally flawed.

Given vegetables' lower sugar content and significantly lower overall energy density compared to fruit—particularly leafy greens—opting for more vegetables is clearly the wiser choice for maximising vitamin intake while achieving satiety and creating an energy deficit. Naturally, cooking should avoid excessive oil and seasoning.