You have made the decision to eat healthier in your bid to lose weight. Great! Healthy weight loss is the way to go. But with our busy lifestyles, sometimes that is easier said than done. Convenience is a big part of what got us overweight in the first place, and sometimes that aspect of eating is hard to give up. But healthy eating does not have be an inconvenience or time-consuming. One healthy weight loss essential that will save you both time and money is the vegetable steamer.

One of the healthiest ways to cook, if not the heathiest, is steaming. Steaming produces meals that are very high in nutritional content and low in fat. It is also one of the easiest ways to cook, almost as easy as a crock pot. Many steamers come with multiple layers, allowing you to cook several things at once. And despite the name “vegetable steamer,” you can cook nearly anything you like in one. This versatility means that you will never run out of ideas for healthy weight loss meals.

Boiling and microwaving, among other methods of cooking, can cause a substantial loss of nutritional value in raw foods. By cooking with steam, you’re able to not only retain these essential nutrients, but also able to keep the original texture of the food. Ever had soggy microwaved vegetables? Not too good. Next time, try steaming them instead. Not only will you keep the flavor and texture, you will also enjoy the appearance of the food better as well. Steaming keeps the natural color within the food. In terms of time, steaming is really not much slower than microwaving, in many cases, but produces much better results. 

Steamers come is all shapes and sizes; from small, single layer “rice” steamers, to larger, more elaborate multi-level units. These provide much more versatility to healthy weight loss meals, as you can not only cook several items at once, but they can be totally different types of food in the same unit! Imagine the ease of having chicken breasts, brown rice, and fresh vegetables all cooking in the same unit at the same time! What a time saver, and you’ll have a lot less to clean up. You can also save money, as you are able to only cook as much as you need, reducing waste.

Choose the steamer that is best for you, and you will soon understand why it is a healthy weight loss essential.

—Coach Darlene