Wanting to lose weight? Then changing the way we cook is a great place to start. Most of us are guilty of getting into a rut when it comes to cooking meals. In order to change the way you cook when you want to lose weight, you would need to first analyze what you are cooking now and why? There can be different reasons for everyone. Here are some tips to help in changing the way you cook.
Change Oils: If you are using vegetable oils or shortening then you need to stock your pantry with Extra virgin olive oil (this can even be found in a light taste version), coconut oil, and/or sesame oil. What we use to prepare are food is so important, the wrong thing can add way too much fat and extra calories.
Method of cooking: If you love to fry foods, try grilling, broiling, or baking instead. There are so many wonderful foods that have great flavor when not disguised in oil or breading.
Seasoning: Try spicing it up! Use peppers (peppers come in many varieties, some mild, some warm, some quite hot, experiment with different ones),onions, garlic, and/or fresh herbs. The addition of the right spices to a dish makes such a difference. Whether it is meat, poultry, or vegetables, you will find that spices can bring such wonderful flavor to a dish. The plus is that they are good for you too. Changing the way you cook to lose weight can be quite palate pleasing when you experiment with different flavors.
Vegetables: We all know that vegetables are good for us and most of us are guilty of not eating nearly enough vegetables or when we do, we smother them in a sauce or breading bringing a multitude of extra calories. Try buying some different vegetables and experiment with cooking them. As mentioned above, seasonings can make a vegetable have so much flavor. If your buying canned vegetables, then switch to fresh or frozen. Not only is the taste better, but you get many more nutrients this way. You can chop them fine and mix, you can chunk them and add to stew, or eat them raw. Use the in a variety of ways to get more into your diet.
Breads: Use bread sparingly with your meals. When you add bread, choose wisely. Buy whole grain breads only. If you can try using sprouted grain bread, this is an excellent addition to your diet. Need something on the bread? Use low-fat cream cheese (also called Neufchatel) or a pat of real butter.
Dessert: Dessert should be fresh or frozen fruit. Most fruit is delicious without adding a thing. If you must have that addition, try serving fresh fruit on frozen yogurt or make smoothies with fresh fruit and low-fat yogurt. Use sorbet or sherbet (preferably sorbet). Still got to have that cake? Try having angel food cake topped with fresh fruit of your choice, you can even grill it till it is brown making a great warm dessert.
Changing the way you cook to lose weight doesn't have to be hard. It is just a matter of making the right choices. We get so used to doing things one way and forget to experiment with our meals using healthier alternatives. Making these changes will not only help you in losing weight, but will also help with the prevention of heart attack, diabetes, stroke, and cancer. Try it for a healthier and happier you!
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