Adapting Recipes
You don't have to miss out on your favourite recipes. When you make them, just follow the cooking techniques below.
Choose low fat cooking techniques - poach, braise, steam, roast, grill or stir-fry.
Invest in a good heavy based non-stick pan, and remember that oil expands once it gets hot so when you're softening onions or vegetables you don't need to add as much as you might think.
Use a vegetable or olive oil non-stick cooking spray for dishes that require light frying.
You don't need fat to add flavour - use plenty of fresh herbs and spices in your cooking. Marinades are a good way of adding extra flavour without fat.
For dishes like Spaghetti Bolognese and chilli use extra lean mince and add plenty of vegetables to bulk out the meat.
Use reduced and low fat alternatives such as reduced fat cheese, skimmed milk, and low fat yoghurts where available.
To make gravies and sauces creamy add 0% fat yoghurt or fromage frais rather than cream. Stir in at the end of cooking to prevent curdling.
Healthy Shopping
Try to find some time to sit down over the weekend and think about what you're going to eat over the next week. A little time and energy invested at the start of the week will pay dividends later in the week when your energy levels and good intentions may be flagging...
Before you go shopping write a list, and stick to it.
Have a small healthy snack before you head out to the shops. If you go shopping when you're hungry you're more likely to make unwise choices.
If you know you're going to be tempted to buy stuff you shouldn't really eat, write a list and ask someone to do the shopping for you, or order online.
Focus on Fat
Weight for weight, fat provides twice as many calories as protein or carbohydrate, so foods that contain lots of fat inevitably contain lots of calories - but this doesn't mean you have to cut all fat out of your diet.
Studies show that diets that contain moderate amounts of fat are much more successful in the long term than very low fat diets. Aim to eat between 30-33% of your total daily calories as fat - on a 1,500 calorie diet this is between 50-55g fat a day.
Making sense of Labelling Lingo
Looking at the labels on the food you buy can provide all sorts of helpful information that will help you manage your weight. Of course, if you had to scrutinise the small print on every little thing you popped in your shopping trolley, you'd never have time to do anything else, so here's a quick guide to reading the labels.
Look at the amount of a particular nutrient per serving or per 100g for snacks or cooking ingredients - check out the table below to find out if it's high or low in that nutrient.
Now you can choose the right foods more easily with GDA labelling, check out their website at www.whatsinsideguide.co.uk
Understanding Claims
Low fat - contains less than 3% fat.
Reduced fat - must contain at least 30% less fat than the standard equivalent product. Remember reduced fat doesn't necessarily mean the item in question is low in fat or indeed low in calories.
Reduced calorie - must contain at least 30% less calories than the standard.
Alcohol
There is no reason why you shouldn't enjoy a drink with your meal, but be careful - alcohol doesn't just contain calories, it can increase your appetite and reduces your willpower.
Count your glass of wine as one of your snacks, make it into a spritzer with sparkling water, choose low calorie mixers with spirits, and avoid pints!
