Preparing and Storing Food

These surprising kitchen ideas can take your healthy cooking to the next level.

Learn to Love Your Cast-Iron Pan

Next time you heat up some spaghetti sauce, consider doing it in a cast-iron pan. The acid from the tomatoes will leach iron from the pan and fortify the sauce. Even eggs can benefit from being scrambled in iron, which increases their iron content fivefold.

To avoid pitting or damaging an iron pan, remove acidic foods (tomatoes, fruits, and anything containing vinegar) immediately after cooking. And before you toss your Teflon, one caveat: Iron leached from pans can impart a metallic taste to food, so try cooking something simple first (like a fried egg) to ensure that your taste buds approve.