Cooking Tips for Losing Weightdoesn't need to mean, "Cooking Tips that Taste Awful!" One of the first things I learned as a Chef trainee at a Downtown Des Moines Hotel many years ago was that cooking should be as enjoyable as eating. I have always found great joy in cooking for others. After all, cooking and eating are social activities. Feeling depressed? Don't take a pill- Invite some friends over for dinner, and cook up a storm. You're guaranteed to feel better! A couple of years ago, my daughter decided not to go visit her mother in Iowa for Thanksgiving. There were just the two of us but we wanted to cook, so we invited everyone we knew over for a holiday meal. We had so much fun cooking and entertaining them, and they were happy to have some great food and friendship on what might otherwise have been a lonely day. We were actually asked to do it again at Christmas. Diet cooking is not much different. First thing to remember is to Have Fun! To do that, start by cooking things you enjoy, but alter the recipes to remove some of the harmful ingredients. Come on, you know what they are- hydrogenated oils, excessive dairy (although I always use real, unsweetened, unsalted butter in my recipes- I think it tastes better than anything, and I know it's healthier than all of the substitutes!), too much salt, over use of red meat and other things that are simply harmful to your weight control efforts. Of course, the best cooking tip you'll ever get anywhere is to cut down your portion size. In fact, that is the best way to shave off pounds- eat what you love, within reason, and just eat less of it. This usually means cooking less altogether. I always want to eat whatever is on the table, so if I cook just enough for one reasonable sized serving for each person, I can't overeat. Here's another healthy living cooking tip: Trade the hamburger in your recipes for ground turkey. Make sure you select lean ground turkey, and then season it well, use a little virgin olive oil in the frying pan, and then go about the recipe as usual. I've been doing this for over 20 years, and it has become a staple in my diet. Another trick you can use is to replace cream or milk with skim, soy, or rice milk. At first, you might think this is going to drastically change the flavor of your food, but it's almost unnoticeable in most recipes. I've even traded milk for water in some recipes, and tasted only a slight difference. It should go without saying that cooking and eating at home is the most important cooking tip there is. Fast food, even most full service dining, is generally loaded with chemicals, fat, and non-nutritional calories. For more on this subject, please check out my new page,
which is all about eating healthy, and what's wrong with our food supply.
And, there is generally more food served in restaurants than a serving you'd allow yourself at home. That said, my second most important tip is to use fresh ingredients. It cannot be stressed enough that the difference in your health between eating the standard fare and the good, old fashioned fresh harvested and freshly prepared foods is monumental. Many recent studies have shown that
diabetes
in most cases could be cured by simple dietary changes, including increasing fiber and eating more raw and fresh
fruits, vegetables,
and beans, and decreasing sugary foods and sodas. These same studies have also shown that most overweight Americans are at risk for diabetes, which truly alters the quality and quantity of life. Let's change these numbers! Let's start Losing Weight through Healthy Living, Cooking, and Eating. Go from Cooking Tips
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