If you want to lose weight, cooking at home more is a first step. Processed, prepared and restaurant meals contain more fat, sodium and calories on average than home-cooked meals, so you're likely to move toward gradual weight loss simply by spending more time in your kitchen. However, you also can cut calories and regulate portions to take off pounds.
Step 1
Use herbs and spices to boost the flavor of meals instead of using calorie-dense sauces.
Step 2
Cut meat consumption and eat more vegetables and fruits, making a concerted effort to reduce or eliminate processed meats, which tend to contain a lot of saturated fat and cholesterol.
Step 3
Avoid cooking with oil, lard or butter, instead choosing to steam, bake, roast, broil, grill or poach foods.
Step 4
Cook a variety of foods such as whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean proteins, vegetables and fruit. This will allow you to get the vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs and reduce cravings for sugar-rich, high-fat, high-calorie foods.
Step 5
Serve meals on smaller plates to make your portions appear larger and help you avoid overeating.
Tips and Warnings
- You also can eliminate meat from your diet. According to Katherine Zeratsky, registered dietitian for MayoClinic.com, vegetarians and vegans have lower body weights on average than meat eaters and consume fewer calories and less fat.
References
- HelpGuide.org: Healthy Weight Loss and Dieting - How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off; Maya W. Paul and Suzanne Barston; November 2010
- MayoClinic.com: Vegetarian Diet - Will It Help Me Lose Weight?; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.; April 9, 2011
- MayoClinic.com: Healthy Cooking Techniques; April 18, 2009
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