{"id":4926,"date":"2020-01-29T03:14:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-28T19:14:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ec2-54-254-239-209.ap-southeast-1.compute.amazonaws.com\/?p=4926"},"modified":"2026-01-28T01:55:04","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T17:55:04","slug":"8-secrets-to-help-your-domestic-helper-become-a-super-healthy-cook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/8-secrets-to-help-your-domestic-helper-become-a-super-healthy-cook\/","title":{"rendered":"8 Secrets to Help Your Domestic Helper Become a Super Healthy Cook"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Updated 25 January 2026<\/em><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/8-secrets-to-help-your-domestic-helper-become-a-super-healthy-cook\/#1_Communicate_with_your_helper_about_what_healthy_eating_means_to_you\" >1) Communicate with your helper about what healthy eating means to you<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/8-secrets-to-help-your-domestic-helper-become-a-super-healthy-cook\/#2_Stock_your_pantry\" >2) Stock your pantry<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/8-secrets-to-help-your-domestic-helper-become-a-super-healthy-cook\/#3_Learn_some_simple_ingredient_substitutions\" >3) Learn some simple ingredient substitutions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/8-secrets-to-help-your-domestic-helper-become-a-super-healthy-cook\/#4_Source_healthy_flavorful_recipes\" >4) Source healthy flavorful recipes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/8-secrets-to-help-your-domestic-helper-become-a-super-healthy-cook\/#5_Practice_makes_perfect_%E2%80%93_usually\" >5) Practice makes perfect &#8211; usually<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/8-secrets-to-help-your-domestic-helper-become-a-super-healthy-cook\/#6_Cook_with_love_%E2%80%93_read_cookbooks_like_a_novel\" >6) Cook with love &#8211; read cookbooks like a novel<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/8-secrets-to-help-your-domestic-helper-become-a-super-healthy-cook\/#7_Use_non-stick_cookware\" >7) Use non-stick cookware<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/8-secrets-to-help-your-domestic-helper-become-a-super-healthy-cook\/#8_Use_more_veggies\" >8) Use more veggies<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/8-secrets-to-help-your-domestic-helper-become-a-super-healthy-cook\/#Quick_Healthy_Food_Checklist_for_Daily_Cooking\" >Quick Healthy Food Checklist for Daily Cooking<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>One of our biggest challenges in life is trying to manage all the things we have to do. Between family, financial, and personal responsibilities, we have a lot on our plate. If you\u2019re also trying to make your plate a healthy, delicious and nutritious one, it can sometimes be even harder to find the time to do it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eating food prepared in your own kitchen is really the best way to eat healthily. &nbsp;As much as you love all the \u201cgood for you\u201d restaurants out there, you may find that even with their health claims, they use a bit too much oil, sweeteners and other hidden ingredients that we prefer not to eat and that we certainly wouldn\u2019t be eating at home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, if you are lucky enough to live somewhere where domestic help is accessible and affordable, you can ask your lovely helper to help you out with the cooking. However, outsourcing your healthy cooking to someone else is not always the easiest thing to do. We\u2019ve all had a few comical or \u201clost in translation\u201d moments in the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So how can we assist our helpers in becoming healthier cooks? Here are a few methods you can try:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/photo-1519671282429-b44660ead0a7-1024x683.jpeg\" alt=\"feast for celebration, women chatting cheerfully\" class=\"wp-image-6850\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/photo-1519671282429-b44660ead0a7-1024x683.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/photo-1519671282429-b44660ead0a7-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/photo-1519671282429-b44660ead0a7-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/photo-1519671282429-b44660ead0a7-345x230.jpeg 345w, https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/photo-1519671282429-b44660ead0a7-770x513.jpeg 770w, https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/photo-1519671282429-b44660ead0a7-370x247.jpeg 370w, https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/photo-1519671282429-b44660ead0a7-440x294.jpeg 440w, https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/photo-1519671282429-b44660ead0a7-570x380.jpeg 570w, https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/photo-1519671282429-b44660ead0a7-170x113.jpeg 170w, https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/photo-1519671282429-b44660ead0a7.jpeg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Communicate_with_your_helper_about_what_healthy_eating_means_to_you\"><\/span><strong>1) Communicate with your helper about what healthy eating means to you<br><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Healthy eating is personal and we all have different ideas about what health preferences we choose. You may follow a vegetarian, gluten-free or plant-based diet or maybe you are following general healthy eating principles. Perhaps, you don\u2019t want to use a lot of white refined sugar in your cooking or would like to avoid fried foods, whatever it is, make sure that you are communicating your nutrition preferences to your helper so she can help cook your healthy food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Stock_your_pantry\"><\/span><strong>2) Stock your pantry<br><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Stock up on basics such as a good for you oils, organic soup stock, Pink Himalayan salt, spices, seasonings, fresh and dried herbs, oats, quinoa, curry pastes, miso, dark chocolate, nuts and whole grains&nbsp;like brown rice, quinoa and oats.&nbsp;Having a stash of healthy pantry staples will save time and money and allow her to pull together flavorful dishes when you have food in the fridge that needs to be eaten up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Learn_some_simple_ingredient_substitutions\"><\/span><strong>3) Learn some simple ingredient substitutions<br><\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Oftentimes substituting a certain ingredient that may not be the healthiest option out there with a more healthy ingredient can enable you to eat \u201cdecadent\u201d or your favourite dishes by substituting healthier ingredients. Encourage her to use coconut sugar instead of refined white sugar, brown rice instead of white rice, quinoa instead of couscous, caramelizing an onion with healthy soup stock instead of oil and the list goes on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"789\" height=\"960\" src=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Your-Outsourced-Kitchen-1.jpeg\" alt=\"Your Outsourced Kitchen\" class=\"wp-image-4932\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Your-Outsourced-Kitchen-1.jpeg 789w, https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Your-Outsourced-Kitchen-1-247x300.jpeg 247w, https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Your-Outsourced-Kitchen-1-768x934.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 789px) 100vw, 789px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_Source_healthy_flavorful_recipes\"><\/span><strong>4) Source healthy flavorful recipes<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Finding recipes that have bold flavours from healthy ingredients like fresh herbs, spices and citrus dressings is the way to go. When your food has great flavour, there\u2019s no reason to feel deprived.<br>Don\u2019t get stuck with bland broccoli and plain quinoa but rather use some great recipes from reliable healthy sources such as cookbooks and food blogs. I can recommend books such as the <em>Deliciously Ella<\/em> series or the recently launched book <em>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.eatfresh.com.hk\/products\/your-outsourced-kitchen-by-maayan-schwartz\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Your Outsourced Kitchen<\/a>\u201d.&nbsp;<\/em>The later is a collection of amazing healthy recipes that don\u2019t compromise on health or taste and are simply explained and also presented in English and Tagalog so that your helper can easily prepare you delicious and healthy meals while nothing getting lost in translation. There is also a menu planning section with suggestions for delicious meal combinations, a pantry checklist and lots of healthy salads, soups, smoothies, small plates, fish, meat and healthy sweet treats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_Practice_makes_perfect_%E2%80%93_usually\"><\/span><strong>5) Practice makes perfect &#8211; usually<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The first time your helper makes a dish for you it may not turn out exactly how you thought it would but probably after she has made it a few times, it will get there. It\u2019s a good idea for your helper and you to briefly discuss new recipes as they come up to see what she can change next time &#8211; maybe it needs to be cooked longer or the seasoning should be adjusted. Or there is a healthier way to make it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"6_Cook_with_love_%E2%80%93_read_cookbooks_like_a_novel\"><\/span><strong>6) Cook with love &#8211; read cookbooks like a novel<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the best ways to fall in love with healthy cooking is to immerse oneself in a variety of healthy cookbooks. Encourage your helper to take some time and go through your healthy cookbooks and read them with love. By looking at the recipes and pictures and imagining all the combinations of flavours and recipes she will probably get excited about making these delicious dishes for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"7_Use_non-stick_cookware\"><\/span><strong>7) Use non-stick cookware<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Non-stick cookware is great for a number of reasons. It means you can cook with much less oil, are less likely to burn or char your food and it\u2019s easy to clean. Some handy kitchen staples include a non-stick frying pan and baking dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"8_Use_more_veggies\"><\/span><strong>8) Use more veggies<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Include vegetables at every meal. Your fruit and veg are the building blocks and basics of your minerals and vitamins and serve as the foundation of our nutrition. There are so many recipes your helper can easily prepare you with vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Quick_Healthy_Food_Checklist_for_Daily_Cooking\"><\/span>Quick Healthy Food Checklist for Daily Cooking<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u2714 Clean hands and surfaces<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2714 Balanced meals with vegetables, protein, and grains<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2714 Healthier cooking methods<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2714 Less salt, sugar, and oil<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2714 Fresh ingredients whenever possible<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>\u2714 Open communication about meals<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Updated 25 January 2026 One of our biggest challenges in life is trying to manage all the things we have to do. Between family, financial, and personal responsibilities, we have a lot on our plate. If you\u2019re also trying to make your plate a healthy, delicious and nutritious one, it can sometimes be even harder [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":4933,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"description":"Practical tips to help your domestic helper cook healthy food at home. Learn about nutrition, meal planning, food safety, and everyday healthy cooking habits.","title":"8 Secrets to Help Your Domestic Helper Become a Super Healthy Cook - HelperChoice Blog"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[107],"tags":[446],"class_list":["post-4926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-training-helper","tag-home-cooking-with-helper"],"blocksy_meta":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Your-Outsourced-Kitchen-2.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4926"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15143,"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4926\/revisions\/15143"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4933"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.helperchoice.com\/c\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}