Is a stir fry healthy?

1. Go for lean proteins

Beef, pork and duck are common in East Asian cooking but tend to have more saturated fat, the type of unhealthy fat that can raise cholesterol levels. You can cut off any visible fat before cooking or choose lean or extra lean minced versions.

Chicken or turkey are leaner proteins – remove the skin, which contains more fat, before cooking. And avoid recipes that add batter to your meat, as these are usually fried and will add calories to your meal.

If you want to use fish, or are pescatarian, cod and haddock are two types of fish that will provide firm chunks of lean protein. The fish mix you can buy in many supermarkets for fish pies is another good option.

The firm version of tofu which will hold its shape is a good choice for vegetarians or vegans. You can cube it and add flavour with a low-salt, low-sugar marinade before you add it to your stir fry.

Beans, such as black beans, kidney beans or lentils, will provide protein, fibre and nutrients and are a great addition to your stir fry.

2. Max out healthy fats

If you are using butter, coconut oil, ghee or lard to fry your ingredients, these will add saturated fat to your meal.

Go for heart-healthy unsaturated fats instead. Rapeseed and sunflower oils are healthy fats, and their neutral taste makes them suitable for stir fries.

You can add a drizzle of sesame oil at the end to add delicious and authentic flavour. Look for the 100 per cent pure sesame oil in the supermarket.

It is also important to think about how much oil you are using. If you’re used to pouring in oil without measuring it, it would be good to start using a measuring spoon. Using a non-stick pan or a well-seasoned wok means 2 tsps should be enough for a stir fry for 4 people.

For even more healthy fats, you can add some nuts and seeds, which will also give your stir fry extra crunch. Toasted pumpkin, sunflower or sesame seeds, crushed almonds, pistachio and pine nuts all complement stir fries beautifully.

3. Switch to healthy carbs

Stir fries are usually served with, or include, rice or noodles. Think about swapping from white rice or noodles to versions with more fibre.

Brown, red, black or wild rice are all great options, and will add a lovely nutty texture. You do not need to go to an Asian supermarket to find them, as many supermarkets stock different types of rice.

Instead of white noodles, try buckwheat soba noodles, which have more fibre and protein.

If you are trying to manage your weight, think about the amount of rice or noodles you have – if you want to reduce them in your stir fry you can always increase the veggies.

4. Go mad with veggies

There is no limit to how many vegetables you can use in your stir fry. Vegetables add fibre and vitamins, as well as crunch, vibrant colour and flavour.

Traditional veggies to add to a stir fry include beansprouts, bamboo shoots, thinly sliced carrots, baby corns, mangetout, Chinese leaf and Pak Choi. Sometimes you can find a pack in the supermarket with a variety of stir fry veg.

But do not limit yourself to these: peppers, courgettes, mushroom, cabbage, onions, broccoli, cauliflower and beetroot would all be delicious and healthy additions. You cannot have too many vegetables.

5. Go easy on the salt

Avoid going too heavy on the salt, as too much salt in your diet can lead to high blood pressure. The Government recommends that we eat no more than 6g of salt a day, which is about a tsp. It’s easy to go over this if we are adding it when cooking.

Soya, oyster or hoi sin sauces are high in salt. It is best to stick low-salt varieties, which you can find in the supermarket and as a guide use no more than 1 tbsp in a recipe for 2.

You can think about halving the amount of added sauce and amping up flavour with more garlic, ginger, spring onions and coriander. Nuts and seeds will add savoury flavour, which you may hear described as umami.

If your stir fry has an East Asian flavour you can add some extra red chilli, or wasabi, which is not just used for sushi. Add wasabi to your stir fry or have it as a side serving – it will add a kick of flavour.

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