In my previous post I started a list of hazards and solutions if you need to loose weight. Here is next
"dirty 6".
I do not believe that we should exclude completely and finely anything from our diet - as this just lead to cravings and binge eating. Rather we should balance out or diet and then we can have some "sinful" occasionally.
Chips
My main enemy. I love chips. But we all know chips is fat and carbohydrate. Okay, potato is a vegetable, but do not count it into your five a day as it is high in starch and low in fibre. If you want to eat potato it is better to choose boiled, steamed or mashed potato (with a little milk instead of butter). By the way the right serving size of chips is 10 sticks.
Deep fried breaded/battered food
Does not matter what is under the coating - meat or fish or vegetables - the main problem is the batter and the frying method. Fat again. The better and low-fat option is the grilled, poached, steamed, boiled food.
Cream
I nearly never use cream. In soups and sauces I use light cream cheese or natural yoghurt - it is not compromise on taste at all, you would not say the difference.
I also ditch cream as topping on puddings. I serve puddings with yoghurt or formage frais.
Cornflakes, cereals
Cereals and cornflakes are a trap. They look so healthy on the supermarket shelves, offering low calories or low fat healthy breakfast - but always check the label before buying one. They usually high in sugar and contain additives. The safe options are Shreddies or Weetabix (only the original, not the flavoured one!)
Other yummy alternatives can be:
- home made granola (with controlled sugar content),
- no added sugar muesli,
- overnight oats
Fatty meat
The most dangerous fat is what is hidden from our eyes, as you can not just cut them off and leave them on the plate uneaten. Bacon, pancetta, sausages, salami, burgers, pies are on the list. The best to choose are lean cuts and low-fat minced meat. Cooked lean ham, turkey or skinless chicken breast are also good choices. Or there are the plant based protein sources as alternative - like beans, nuts, fruit and veg.
Sugar
And finally the biggest deal breaker of every weight loss: sugar. Sugar is empty calorie which means it provides only energy but no nutritional value. Of course you can use sweetener - my favourite is stevia - but much better if you just adjust your taste buds gradually to less sweeter taste. This will help you not just cut down on calories but to discover the natural sweetness of food. For instance unflavoured yoghurt has a natural sweet taste. Strawberries and other fruits are sweet enough and their aroma is even more powerful without added sugar. In cakes you can use puréed fruit as sweetener (banana, apple sauce).
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