When going on a diet, preparing your own foods is one of the best ways to guarantee that the food is going to be healthy for you, since you control what you put in it. However, home-cooked food can quickly become just as unhealthy as eating out if it's not cooked in the right way. You can use many tricks to cut the calories, fat, cholesterol and other unhealthy ingredients that should be avoided while on a diet.
Step 1
Cut out the salt by using more fresh or dry crushed herbs to season your food. Many supermarkets now carry no-salt herb mixtures for any application from fish to steak. Although salt is important for bodily functions such as your nerve impulses and muscle action, too much salt can cause sodium to start to build up in your blood. Sodium attracts and holds water in your bloodstream, which bulks up your total blood volume. The greater your blood volume, the higher your blood pressure will climb, states the Mayo Clinic, which can leave you at risk for heart disease, kidney problems or stroke.
Step 2
Replace frying foods with healthier cooking techniques such as baking or steaming. Frying food requires oils that are typically high in cholesterol and calories. Using healthier cooking methods removes the need for oil, helping keep your heart healthy and aiding in overall weight loss.
Step 3
Use cooking spray or olive oil instead of butter. Butter contains high levels of bad dietary cholesterol, triglycerides and calories, which can contribute to the formation of cholesterol plaque on your arteries. Cooking sprays have less calories, and olive oils contain high-density lipoproteins, or HDL cholesterol, which is a good form of cholesterol that can help increase your heart health. Use olive oil lightly as it still contains calories.
Step 4
Substitute lower fat ingredients in your cooking when possible. For example use lowfat cheeses, milk and Greek yogurt to substitute for full-fat cheese, cream and sour cream respectively. Lowfat products not only have less fat, but often have less calories as well, which can help contribute to weight loss.
Step 5
Switch all-purpose flour with part whole-wheat flour. All-purpose flour has been processed, removing some of its nutritional content, especially fiber. Whole-wheat flour is less processed, which leave more fiber, vitamins and minerals intact. Replace all-purpose flour in a recipe by substituting 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for 1 cup all-purpose flour to avoid the dense and coarse texture that can come from completely substituting whole-wheat flour for all-purpose.
Step 6
Replace part of the meat in recipes with meat substitutes such as mushrooms, tofu or eggplant. Mushrooms, tofu and eggplant have similar textures to meat and absorb the flavors of the other ingredients and spices you place in the same dish. This can be a quick and easy way to bulk up your meal without adding the extra calories and cholesterol that can be found in many cuts of meat.
Step 7
Choose lean cuts of meat when cooking such as chicken, turkey or seafood. Lean cuts of beef, such as round, chuck, sirloin or loin cuts, as well as lean cuts of pork, such as the tenderloin or loin chop also are recommended by the American Heart Association.
Tips and Warnings
- Add more vegetables to any recipe you are cooking. Vegetables help bulk up the satiation of your meal without adding too many extra calories.
Things You'll Need
- Salt-free seasoning shakers
- Cooking spray
- Olive oil
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