Baking is one of the various cooking methods that improve the food’s flavor and shortens the cooking time. Baking is the method of cooking in which the food is dry heated in an oven in which the dry heat is modified by steam. When compared to fried food, baked foods are considered healthy. The baking area is airtight. The heat is not released outside unless the door is opened. Here are some advantages of baked foods.
Nutrient Retention:
As baking uses dry heat instead of water to cook food, some minerals and water-soluble vitamins such as vitamin-C, and vitamin-B are retained. A study in 2009 proved baking or to microwave led to a minimum loss of antioxidant activity in celery, green beans, and carrots while deep frying and boiling led to major losses.
Potentially lower in fat:
The benefit of baking is that you can use less oil than you would need for frying or for sautéing. You can even bake without oil. Oil contributes the maximum level of fat to the human body. Vegetables can be baked with their skin on, to prevent them from drying.
Advanced Glycation End (AGE) products:
AGE is the proteins formed as result of exposure to sugars. This plays a major role in the development of diabetes and aging. Mostly deep fried foods are coated in starch, such as French fries. This starch when deep fried reacts to form carcinogens.
Weight Management:
As baking requires less or no oil, the risk of deposition of fats in our body is reduced. Every table spoon of oil adds 14 grams of fat and 120 calories to your food. Cooking at high temperatures prohibits the healthy use of mono saturated fats.
Partially Hydrogenated Oil:
Some restaurants use partially hydrogenated oil to deep fry the food. These partially hydrogenated oil or trans-fats are cheaper to produce and withstand high temperatures while cooking. These characteristics make it suitable for restaurants. A study revealed that trans-fat is responsible for 1 out of 5 heart attacks, reduces the effect of the immune system, and promotes obesity.
Conclusion:
Baked foods are versatile in terms of tastes. If cooked with proper temperature, time and ingredients, baked foods are juicy and rich in flavor. Baked foods are often tastier and healthier if the cooking process is carried out deliberately. For example, if a mutton leg is to be baked, it is recommended to make holes around the leg. This ensures that the flavor and aroma are absorbed completely.