One of the secrets of steady, natural weight loss is knowing what’s in the food you are eating. Many ready made meals promise to be “healthy” and “light” but research has shown that most of them have significant levels of fat (with high levels of saturated fat), salt and sugar.
In order to keep a close eye on what you are eating when following a weight loss plan, it is a good idea to create your own healthy meals and be in control of what you are eating.
1) Cooking oils/fats
Firstly, when creating healthy weight loss meals, it is advisable to exchange any fats or oils that you are using for lower fat/saturated fat alternatives.
These would include:
low-fat margarine and cholesterol reducing margarines which contain plant sterols.
olive oil
oil sprays.
Semi-skimmed and skimmed milk
Try to stick to vegetable oils rather than lard
Low-fat mayonnaise (try to avoid though, as even low-fat versions contain a lot of fat, salad cream is a good substitute if you like it)
Try to use vinaigrette rather than pure oil on salads
2) Cooking methods
Cooking methods greatly contribute to the overall energy content of the meal. Methods such as frying/deep frying and roasting (in oil) should be avoided during the weight loss plan.
Healthy alternative cooking methods include:
Steaming
Grilling
Baking
Dry frying
Microwave (although try to keep to a minimum as this method does not give the highest quality result).
3) Meat
Meat is a good source of protein and unless you are vegetarian, meat should not be excluded from the diet. However there are some meats that, when following a weight loss plan, should be reduced considerably or avoided such as fatty cuts of meat, too much red meat, processed meat such as sausages and reformed meat.
Meats that should feature highly in the diet include.
Poultry - chicken, turkey
Fish (oily and white fish) oily fish is good for the heart.
Pork
Lamb
Meat substitutes (Soya products) are an excellent source of protein and are very low in fat.
4) Vegetables.
Vegetables. I can’t stress enough how important vegetables are, not only for all the essential vitamins and minerals they offer but also for greatly assisting in the weight loss plan. Vegetables can create bulk to a meal without the additional calories. There are so many varieties enabling you to make many different meals.
It is a good idea to include colourful vegetables when creating a healthy weight loss meal. The appetite consists of various senses including sight. If you like the look of the meal, you will enjoy it even more.
Highly nutritious and tasty vegetables to use in cooking include:
Peppers - red, yellow, orange and green
Butternut squash
Sweet potato
Sweet corn (great as a starter, with low-fat marg and pepper)
Brassica - Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage
And the old favourite jacket potato. The humble jacket potato should be fully appreciated for it’s role in creating a meal all by itself. Great as a healthy lunch or light tea with a filling of your choice (but remember to try to stay away from that mayo).
5) Enjoy your meals
It is key to remember, when following a weight loss plan that you need to enjoy the meals that you are eating and don’t force yourself to eat low fat food that you don’t like. Once the weight is lost you are going to want to continue eating healthy meals and it should just be a way of life for you.
That doesn’t mean you can never eat mayonnaise or other high fat foods again (only reduce significantly during the weight loss period), however it is important to know what is in food and that the higher fat content in the food, the more likelihood of weight gain if eaten frequently.
There are many different sauces that you can prepare such as tomato based using herbs and spices that do not impinge on your daily energy intake. Just always be aware what you are using and try to keep to the above alternatives.
You will find, after a while of eating your tasty, healthy meals high in nutritious vegetables and low-fat meats that they will become part of your “favourites” and will have trained yourself to enjoy the healthier choices.
To find out more on weight loss please visit: http://yves.bezoogle.com/pp/weight-loss/
Y.M Kelly has a degree in Human Nutrition and Dietetics.
