Health Benefits of Sous Vide Cooking with Anova

Updated August 9, 2023 Chef Nicole

"Without health there is no happiness. An attention to health, then, should take the place of every other object." - Thomas Jefferson

Is sous vide healthy? Sure! There are so many reasons to cook with an Anova immersion circulator, but today I want to take a moment to focus on the health benefits of sous vide cooking. So often we spotlight the other perks of sous vide - consistent and beautiful results; ease of use; longer storage periods for prepared foods; more aesthetically pleasing food; better flavors. We want you to know how using your Anova not only enhances the quality of your meal, but can also elevate the quality of your health.

“Health isn’t everything, but without it, everything else is nothing.” - Schoepenhauer

Good health is a topic that we as a society are obsessed with, and for good reason. It affects our entire life experience. Aches, pains, and illnesses do not only affect the part of the body to which they are localized; all of the complementary systems of the body work together to heal. What we experience as a toothache triggers the circulatory system to send more blood to the area, the lymphatic system to bolster the immune system, the nervous system to tell us we’re feeling the pain, AND the adrenal system to affect how we “feel” about the pain with hormone release! Most recently, it has been recognized that t he gut (and therefore our digestive system) is the seat of the immune system. And this is where we can start to see the health benefits of sous vide come into play.

"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food." - Hippocrates

There has long been a recognized connection between the food we consume and our health. This is enforced every day almost everywhere we look. We have a multi-billion dollar thriving diet industry, with books about the latest trends in food and health consistently making bestseller lists. There are endless television shows and documentaries about healthy eating and getting healthier in general. Every magazine in the checkout aisle at the grocery store features at least one health-related article.

Home Cooking is Healthier…

Multiple studies like this one by Johns Hopkins University show that home cooking in general is healthier.

People who cook at home tend to consume less calories overall than those who eat out consistently. Fewer grams of carbohydrates, fat, and salt are used in the majority of home cooking, even when the cooks aren’t trying to lose weight! And those who cook at home more often tend to naturally consume fewer calories when they do go out to eat.

Home cooks have complete control over what is cooked and consumed. This means that any food allergies and/or sensitivities can be attended for stress-free meals. Even healthier, happier relationships are shown to be a result of frequent home-cooking!

sous vide healthy ingredients

...But Sous Vide Has Even MORE Health Benefits!

Sous vide retains more nutrients and vitamins than other methods of cooking

Exposure to heat, water, and oxygen are the things that typically destabilize all of those wonderful nutrients when we’re cooking, whether by charring meat to over-carbonization or leaching vitamins into water while boiling. Because your food is encapsulated in a neat little package, all of those goodies are sealed in.

Sous vide makes it easier to digest most foods.

Many vegetables require at least light cooking to make their nutrients most bioavailable, or easy for our body to access through digestion. Cooking animal proteins, and in particular land-based ones (though fish contain collagen, as well), breaks down collagen into gelatin, which is easier for our body to absorb.

Sous vide encourages a more youthful appearance, happier gut, and strong joints

The aforementioned collagen plays a huge role in good health. It nourishes not only all of our connective tissue (ligaments, tendons, fascia), but is what gives us glowing skin, hair, and nails. Additionally, it's proven to help normalize gut hormones and reverse intestinal permeability. Too little collagen can lead to afflictions like osteoporosis and wrinkly skin.

Cooking with additional fat is not required

That's because you don't have to prevent food from sticking to a cooking surface for extended periods of time. Don’t get us wrong, we LOVE good fats. We also often lubricate our pans to sear a perfectly cooked steak post-sous vide! However, the *required* amount is much less. It is also not entirely necessary depending on what kind of pan or searing tool you use.

Proper sous vide techniques increase at-home food safety

This is an important topic to many of our customers. As long as you meet minimum cook times and cook above 131ºF/55ºC for red meat and 140ºF/60ºC for poultry, you are effectively *pasteurizing* your meat and killing off any potentially harmful bacteria.

You can *sterilize* the surface of your food with a 30 second dip in boiling water or a quick pre-sear to further ensure food safety! The final sear doesn't just bring your food that beautiful color and texture. It also deals with any bacteria that may have developed during cooking.

Sous vide makes it easy to prepare larger quantities of healthy meals in advance

Recently, I wrote a post about batch cooking. I will reference this article for a myriad of reasons going forward. Here, I want to reiterate the health benefits again. Having healthy options readily available in bulk is a surefire way to encourage healthier food choices.

I’m sure you can see there are a multitude of health benefits to cooking with Anova! And that is just what we want you to be: your healthiest, best selves.

Cook like a pro. Eat like a king. Feel better than you ever have before.

As my personal chef motto states, “healthy and delicious are not mutually
exclusive.”

Do you have a story about how Anova changed your health or the health of your family for the better? Let's hear it! We do what we do for you, #anovafoodnerd family. Knowing that our device helped change your life or your perspective around food means the world to us.

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1 comment

With new concern about plastics – is souvide cooking at elevated temps in plastic healthy?

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