Changing the way we cook our food can have a dramatic effect on our health. If we make wiser choices with our food and the way we cook it, we can significantly reduce our risk of contracting cancer and heart disease.

Here are some top tips for healthy cooking:

1. Invest in nonstick pans - With quality nonstick pans, you can get away with not using oil at all or by using a low-fat cooking spray. You can also "fry" some foods in a little water to prevent them from sticking. If you have to use oil, use olive oil and pat food with paper towels after cooking to absorb excess oil.

2. Look through your recipe collection for diet recipes and low-fat recipes. Cook them in batches and freeze so that you always have a healthy meal option available.

3. Steam or stir-fry vegetables - Cooking them using these methods will help the vegetables to retain their nutrients, color and taste. Look for healthy recipes like Chinese stir fries and invest in a wok and steamer. You can buy Chinese bamboo steamers, which just sit on top of a pan of boiling water, or you can buy electric steamers. You can get a good electric steamer for less than the cost of one takeout meal, and the ease of use is a real time saver.