A smart way to significantly cut down on your calorie consumption in order to lose weight is by cutting out fried foods, which are typically very high in calories. If you don't want to cut them out completely, you should reduce the amount of fried foods you eat as much as you can. Eliminating anything you enjoy eating from your diet is more a matter of willpower than technique, but knowing alternative cooking methods for your favorite fried dishes, as well as some smart substitutions for fried foods, will make it easier to achieve.
Use Alternative Cooking Methods
Step 1
Use your oven instead of a frying pan. Many foods that are traditionally deep fried, such as french fries and fried chicken, can be baked in the oven instead. Done properly, this will result in a similar taste and texture with considerably less fat.
Step 2
Wrap pieces of fish and poultry loosely in foil and bake them in the oven. The food will steam gently in its own juices, keeping the flavor in without adding any fat. Add thinly sliced vegetables and flavorings such as garlic, lemon juice or a dash of white wine for extra flavor.
Step 3
Barbecue, grill or broil steaks and burgers instead of pan-frying them. Broil sausages and bacon for breakfast, and scramble or poach eggs instead of frying. You may discover that these methods result in a superior flavor and texture as well as being healthier cooking methods.
Step 4
Find new recipes that don't call for frying. A tendency to prepare fried foods may be just a habit: We all tend to make the same dishes over and over again because it's easy and risk-free. Search for recipes that call for baking, poaching, broiling and grilling. For main dishes, the USDA suggests stir fries, kabobs or pasta with a tomato sauce. You may discover new, healthier favorites that are just as satisfying, if not more so, than fried foods.
Step 5
Get the family on board. When you are cooking for others, your plans to cut out fried foods can easily be derailed, especially when there are fussy eaters in the family. Explain that you want to loose weight for health reasons, and that it is important for the whole family to eat healthful meals. Involve other family members in finding new recipes, for example, by letting everyone choose one non-fried meal every week.
Find Substitutes for Fried Foods
Step 1
Substitute fried snack foods with baked ones. One ounce of fried tortilla chips contains 7.4 g of fat, while the same amount of baked tortilla chips has only1.5 g of fat -- a significant difference (see refs 3 and 4). The American Heart Association recommends substituting choose baked chips, pretzels or crackers for potato chips, and a bagel or toast for doughnuts. Prepare crudites -- sliced carrots, bell peppers, cucumber and celery -- to eat with dips instead of chips.
Step 2
Avoid fast food restaurants. You may think drive-through fast food is the only option when you're in a rush, but darting into a supermarket to grab a sandwich from the deli and a piece of fruit does not take much longer. On a road trip, look out for roadside supermarkets instead of fast food restaurants, or bring a cooler stocked with sandwiches, non-fried snacks and drinks.
Step 3
Order non-fried side dishes when you do go to a fast food restaurant; most offer fruit, salad or baked potatoes. Alternatively, skip the side dish completely -- you don't have to order the whole meal.
Tips and Warnings
- Make your own baked chips by brushing tortillas or pita bread with a little olive oil, slicing them into wedge shapes and baking them for few minutes only per side. To bake your own "french fries" in the oven, slice raw potatoes as thickly or thinly as you like, toss them with a drizzle of vegetable oil, spread them on a cookie sheet and bake in a hot oven. About 30 to 45 minutes at around 350 degrees F should be sufficient to achieve a crispy texture. Snack on air-popped, non-buttery popcorn. Because it is available in different flavors, popcorn is a good substitute when you crave both sweet and salty snacks. Simulate the crispy texture of battered and breaded fried foods with coatings that crisp up in the oven. Dust chicken or fish pieces with flour, dip them in beaten egg, then a light coating of breadcrumbs, crushed corn flakes or rolled oats. Bake them in the oven on a lightly greased cookie sheet, turning once or twice until the coating is crisp and the meat or fish is cooked through.
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