Cooking is at the heart of every home, especially in India where food is more than just fuel—it’s culture, connection, and comfort. But some of our everyday cooking practices, passed down through habit or convenience, may actually be doing more harm than good.
Here are five common cooking habits that silently affect our health, and what you can do instead.
1. Overheating Oils
When oil starts smoking in the pan, it’s already breaking down. Overheating oils releases harmful free radicals that stress your body, damage cells, and increase the risk of chronic illnesses.
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Oils like sunflower or soybean have a low smoke point, making them unsuitable for high-heat frying.
Healthy switch: Use mustard, groundnut, or rice bran oil for Indian cooking. Keep olive oil for drizzling or light sautéing. And never let the oil smoke!
2. Reusing Fried Oil
That leftover oil from pakoras or samosas may look harmless, but reheating it creates toxic compounds and trans fats. Over time, this habit damages heart health and may even raise cancer risk.
Healthy switch: Use oil just once for frying. If you have leftover, don’t put it back into food—light a diya instead.
3. Overcooking Vegetables
Cooking vegetables for too long destroys vitamins like C, B-complex, and folate. What’s left behind is mainly starch and fiber, which means you lose out on natural antioxidants and immune-boosting power.
Healthy switch: Steam, stir-fry, or lightly sauté vegetables to preserve nutrients, color, and crunch.
4. Unsafe Cookware Choices
Cooking in aluminium vessels, especially with acidic foods like tomatoes or tamarind, can cause aluminium to leach into food. Excess aluminium has been linked to bone and brain health issues. Similarly, old scratched non-stick pans may release toxic Teflon particles into your meals.
Healthy switch: Invest in stainless steel, iron, or clay pots. Iron cookware even boosts iron content in your food naturally.
5. Too Much Salt, Sugar, and Packaged Masalas
That extra pinch of salt, spoon of sugar, or ready-made masala packet may be convenient, but they come at a cost:
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Excess salt → high blood pressure, kidney strain
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Excess sugar → diabetes, obesity, fatty liver
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Packaged masalas → preservatives, MSG, excess sodium
Healthy switch: Flavor your meals naturally with fresh herbs, spices, lemon, and moderate salt.
Final Takeaway
Cooking should nourish, not harm. By making small adjustments—choosing the right oils, cookware, and cooking methods—you can protect your family’s health while keeping meals delicious. After all, healthy cooking isn’t about big changes, but mindful habits.
