The Surprising Health Benefits of Commercial Sous Vide Cooking
We know there are many benefits from using a commercial-grade sous vide machine. Some of these benefits include a 10-20% increase in product yields, reduced labor costs, and vast operational savings. However, did you know that sous vide cooking has health benefits as well? Below are some health benefits that occur when cooking products using the sous vide method
No Added Oils Needed
Traditional cooking often requires oils to coat the food product to prevent burning. While the oil is essential for protecting the food from these untasty consequences during traditional cooking – adding this extra fat can be very unhealthy. Oil has a high caloric value and can also impact a person’s cholesterol level. However, you do not need to add additional oils to products cooked using the sous vide method. Eliminating oil increases the health benefits of the finished product and still provides a delicious final product.
More Taste, Texture, and Nutrients
Healthy eating doesn’t have to mean bland, rubbery, or over-cooked food. Many cooks prepare their proteins and vegetables by boiling, steaming, or microwaving. However, cooking this way causes food to lose its nutrients. The cell walls are damaged by heat, and the water allows much of the nutrients to leach out. Changing the cooking method to the sous vide method creates a slow-cooked food that retains its flavor, taste, and texture. Both vegetables and proteins are slowly cooked within vacuum-sealed pouches, and the food is not exposed to oxygen or water. The product is locked within the vacuum-sealing cooking pouch, which stops any vitamins and minerals from leaking out into the water. This produces a product that retains both texture, taste, and nutrients.
Less Risk of Food Contamination
Cooking food sous vide will protect the food product from external contaminants and variations in cooking temperatures. When you cook with the sous vide process, the ingredients are placed directly in bags and vacuum-sealed. This step prevents external pathogens from touching the food. Also, during the cooking and cooling process, dangerous microorganisms can grow and thrive within the 140° – 41°F range. With traditional cooking, managing this heat range is challenging. With sous vide cooking, a product’s temperature and time within a “danger zone” is carefully monitored with precise temperature probes. Safe cooking times are calculated and met, creating a non-contaminated product with increased shelf-life and a lower chance of recontamination during storage.
Grab And Go Healthy Sous Vide Foods
Preparing healthy foods and sticking to a healthful diet can often take more time and effort than grabbing a quick unhealthy snack on the go. With so many convenient unhealthy foods available at our fingertips, many of us don’t choose the healthy option because it takes so much longer to make at home or there is nothing locally to grab. However, the sous vide process has opened up an entirely new movement of convenient healthful foods that can be delivered directly to your door or as a grab-and-go at the grocery. These healthy foods are cooked with the sous vide process and have become a mainstay at our local markets and at our doorstep.
Incorporates New Healthy Dishes
From home chefs using counter sous vide machines to large restaurants with commercial-grade sous vide equipment like the CT-1, you can create and incorporate new and healthy dishes with this machinery. In addition, batch cooking and freezing fully cooked meals to cook and serve at a later time is revolutionizing the commercial food industry – from restaurant service to ghost kitchens and direct-to-consumer food subscriptions. Options range from fully-cooked sous-vide steaks that only need a single sear before serving at an event or in a restaurant to batch cooking sous-vide eggs for your morning restaurant service, this cooking process will help you create new healthy dishes that are both accessible and delicious.
Our Commercial Sous Vide Cook Tank: CT-1
Model CT-1, our 50 Gallon, stainless steel, fully-automated sous vide cook tank, was designed for commercial kitchens that need reliable sous vide cooking with a smaller footprint. For food businesses who want to cook large-scale healthy products with a smaller footprint, the CT-1 is a perfect choice. Designed for healthcare, catering and foodservice, education institutions, and other commercial kitchens, the CT-1 is the go-to for introducing healthy sous vide food products to the market.