Who says being on a diet means depriving yourself of all the nice things that were ever made in the kitchen? After having done dieting for quite some time, you get to see other people dig into that creamy cheesecake while you are still trying to get through your steamed vegetables. There is always the fight with yourself every time you go to a restaurant; whether to skip the starters or dessert, what to choose between the buffalo wings or the chef’s salad and so on. Ultimately your heart wins over and you end up digging into that mud cake only to feel guilty later. Now there is no reason to feel guilty. All you need to do is prepare your favorite food with a little twist and there!! You will have the perfect low fat cheesecake tasting as good as the normal one. Take a look at some of the dishes that you can make tasty dishes just as good as the normal ones but only with a few trimmed edges. Check out some of these delicious diet foods.
1. Chicken
Move over fried chicken because a better and healthy option is here. The second best way to enjoy chicken is to try the ‘Tandoori Chicken’. The chicken is baked in a clay oven and not fried but tastes just as good. Marinated in a yogurt base mix, the chicken is kept overnight till the spices seep into it and then baked. The blend of spices and the tender chicken makes it a winning combination. Plus, it is not even high on calories. On the other hand, if you can’t go beyond breaded chicken, then all you need to do is give the good old fried chicken a little twist. Put that oven to good use and roast the chicken instead of frying it. Use the three bowl method to bread your chicken – first the flour, then the egg and lastly the breadcrumbs mixed with some herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage work best). Lay the chicken on a baking tray and cook both sides till crisp. Make it a healthy meal by adding a side of coleslaw, corn on the cob and barbecue sauce for some zing. Also try a low fat chicken burger by simply replacing the beef patty with a roasted
crumbed chicken breast.
crumbed chicken breast.
2. Pasta
Pasta is the easiest to make when it comes to making it low fat. You can replace almost all the ingredients with low fat alternatives. Right from the pasta to the sauce, all you need to do is just find the right alternative. Go in for whole wheat pasta instead of the normal one. They are easily available at your local grocery, easy to store and easy to cook too. Also these are high in carbohydrates, proteins and minerals making it a healthy option. You can add many vegetables to your pasta to make it healthier. Choose from mushrooms, tomatoes, corn, bell peppers, broccoli, asparagus, beans etc. For the sauces, tomato sauce is a good option. Also you can make the alfredo sauce by replacing milk with skimmed milk and low fat cheese. Pastas are good for salads, bakes and sometimes even desserts.
3. Snacks
The one time everyone feels hungry is evening – right between lunch and dinner. People usually end up eating a burger or a pizza or anything that is greasy, fried and obviously not too healthy. It is during this time that you can experiment with easy and tasty recipes to whet your appetite. Popcorn are an all time favorite but stay away from flavoured ones like butter, caramel, cheese etc. Instead go in for plain popcorn. Toss it with some salt and chilli powder and there you have a tasty snack ready in 2 minutes flat! The next thing you can make is wraps and spring rolls. Use a tortilla or readymade pastry sheet and fill it with seasoned and sauteed vegetables and chicken. Serve with some sweet and spicy chilli sauce. Bruschettas are light and easy to make. All you need is some toasted French loaf or even whole wheat bread and innovative toppings. Variate the toppings using various vegetables like bell peppers, asparagus, beans, tomato, spinach and also add some low fat cheese if you desire. If you don’t like veggies, then there is one way you can have them that too without cringing – crudites! Cut a selection of asparagus, carrots, beans, peppers, radish, sweet corn, baby corn into finger sized bites; blanch the asparagus and beans beforehand. Serve with different dips like hummus, bean dip, and tomato salsa. Also this can replace that bowl of chips on your table during parties.
4. Desserts
The course that can make anyone go weak in the knees is dessert. There are so many options that a lifetime is not enough to try out what is available across the world. But desserts need not necessarily be loaded with calories. Just replace the ingredients with low fat options and the dish still taste as good. From cheesecakes to muffins, everything on earth has a low fat alternative. If you are using milk in your recipe, then replace it with skimmed milk. Instead of Philadelphia cream cheese, go in for low fat cream cheese. If you are a big chocolate fan, then try the sugar free chocolate available easily; else you can stick to dark chocolate. Mousses are very good for someone who is watching their weight. Just use low fat instead of full fat whipping cream.
التصنيف:
Diet