Lazy cooks are in luck; laborious cooking is entirely unnecessary to weight-loss efforts. Giving your pots and pans a holiday can actually improve your health if you substitute cooked dishes with a mix of salads, fresh fruit, nuts, seeds and some low-fat dairy. The other element for a successful weight-loss program also takes you out of the kitchen: exercise. Remember the basic rule of thumb for losing weight; you need to burn more calories than you consume.
Salads
If you're looking to lose weight and cut back on cooking, salads are likely the first dish that springs to mind. Instead of restricting your diet to a narrow routine of green salads, create variation by trying various leafy greens. Opt for darker greens, such as spinach or romaine lettuce over whiter lettuces such as iceberg; you'll get far more nutrients for each calorie. Aim for a broad rainbow of colors in mixed salads to get the most vitamins and minerals, including tomatoes, bell peppers, sprouts, corn, radishes, carrots and avocado. Avoid boredom by using greens with varied flavors, such as peppery arugula or even parsley and basil. When you feel like a little cooking, top your salads with roasted vegetables, steamed fish or sauteed strips of lean beef or chicken.
Soups and Spreads
Making soup needn't involve long hours over a steaming stockpot. For fresh, no-cook soup, make gazpacho, a cold traditional Spanish dish that contains a blend of vegetables, including tomato, onion and green pepper. Many chilled soups use cream; if you make these more decadent varieties, use low-fat cream and eat them less frequently than vegetable-rich varieties. Your blender also is an excellent tool for making spreads. Blend garbanzos or white beans with aromatics, such as garlic or onion, for a healthy protein source you can use on sandwiches instead of mayonnaise or fatty spreads.
Nuts and Seeds
When focusing your diet around raw foods, it can be more challenging to get adequate servings of protein, which Western diets usually derive from cooked meat, poultry, fish and legumes. Instead, add nuts and seeds to your meals or eat them as a snack with dried fruits. Nuts and seeds also contribute more fat to your diet than vegetables or fruits. In general, Mayo Clinic advises that no more than 25 to 35 percent of your total calories come from fat and 10 to 35 percent of your daily calories come from protein. For more specific guidelines, consult with a dietitian about the best balance of foods for your personal health profile.
Minimal Cooking
When you feel like eating a hot meal, focus on low-fat preparation methods, such as steaming, baking or roasting. Lightly steaming vegetables retains more of their nutrients than more thorough cooking methods. When preparing meat, fish or poultry, avoid fatty sauces and balance your portions with plentiful sides of vegetables and fruits. When cooking carbohydrates, such as rice or pasta, opt for whole-grain varieties for the most nutrient value per calorie.
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