How to Cook Healthy Meals Without All the Junk

A Real-World Guide for People Who Want to Eat Clean Without Going Crazy

Let’s be real for a sec — eating healthy doesn’t mean your food has to taste like cardboard. You don’t need fancy chef skills or a $1,000 blender to cook clean. It’s all about using smart swaps and simple methods. Here’s how you do it, Vegas-style.

🥑 1. Ditch the Regular Cooking Oil (Yep, that Cheap Vegetable Oil)

Most people use vegetable oil or canola oil without thinking twice. But these oils are highly processed, packed with omega-6 fats, and linked to inflammation.

🛑 Skip: corn oil, soybean oil, canola oil, sunflower oil
✅ Use Instead:

• Extra virgin olive oil (great for salads and low-heat cooking)
• Avocado oil (perfect for high-heat cooking)
• Ghee or grass-fed butter (delicious and packed with good fats)

🔥 My Real Talk:
Personally, I almost always cook with olive oil. Whether I’m making rice with chicken and veggies (I’ll share my recipe for that soon — it’s insanely tasty and super healthy) or just frying eggs in the morning, olive oil is my go-to. I rarely use butter, but olive oil? That’s in every single meal I cook.

🍗 2. Say No to Frying Everything

Deep-frying might make stuff taste amazing, but it also soaks your food in bad fats and extra calories.

👨‍🍳 Try these instead:

• Air fryer – crisp without the oil
• Baking – toss your veggies or chicken with some spices and bake ‘em
• Steaming – perfect for greens and fish
• Grilling – gives flavor without loading your food with oil

😅 My Truth:
Honestly, I used to fry chicken all the time. Now I just bake it with spices and olive oil, and it comes out juicy and way healthier.

🥬 3. Go Fresh or Frozen – Not Processed

If it comes in a box and has 20 ingredients you can’t pronounce… you probably don’t want it in your body.

✅ Focus on:

• Fresh or frozen veggies and fruits
• Lean proteins (chicken, turkey, eggs, fish)
• Whole grains like quinoa, oats, or brown rice
• Natural spices and herbs for flavor (skip the MSG-loaded mixes)

🔥 My Quick Tip:
When I’m low on groceries, I just check what veggies are in my freezer, boil some rice, add chicken, and boom — healthy meal without any processed junk.

⏱ 4. Prep Smart, Not Hard

Meal prepping doesn’t have to mean cooking 8 hours on Sunday.

💡 Do this instead:

• Cook a big batch of rice or quinoa for the week
• Roast a tray of mixed veggies with olive oil and garlic
• Keep boiled eggs, tuna, or grilled chicken ready to grab
• Wash and chop your greens in advance — you’ll eat more of them

🔑 My Way:
I don’t prep for the whole week, but I do cook extra rice and chicken for the next day. Makes life easier, trust me.

🍳 5. Use Non-Stick or Cast Iron Pans

Cooking with non-stick or cast iron means you can use way less oil. That saves you calories without sacrificing taste.

🌶 6. Flavor is Key – But Keep It Clean

Don’t rely on heavy sauces and sugar-loaded dressings.

🔥 Instead:

• Squeeze fresh lemon or lime juice
• Sprinkle paprika, cumin, oregano, thyme
• Add a dash of hot sauce (look for no-sugar brands)

💭 My Secret:
Sometimes I just fry an egg in olive oil, sprinkle some cumin and paprika, and eat it with fresh bread. Quick, clean, and tastes amazing.

💧 Bonus Tip: Hydrate While You Cook

Drinking water (or even green tea) while cooking helps curb mindless snacking and keeps you energized.

📝 Final Thoughts

Healthy eating ain’t about being perfect. It’s about making better choices, one step at a time. Ditch the junk oils, cook with real ingredient

🔥 Remember:
You don’t need fancy stuff. I build my meals from whatever I have — eggs, rice, veggies, chicken, lentils. Olive oil is my MVP every single day.

Stay healthy, Vegas style. 💪🌮