The successful weight loss diet is based on little, deliberate changes what you make everyday habits. I collected here some of my little short cuts, where I reduce calories and balance out my diet. We know that every little step counts and these little changes make your diet healthier in small steps - without any drastic change. I know that replacing some ingredients can result different texture or taste or both. These changes sometime mean even more interesting and exciting tastes - but yes, they are different. We need to accept some compromise and be a bit more adventurous - all for a good cause.
Mayonnaise
It really worth to find some replacement for mayonnaise as 75% of it is fat and offers very little nutrition. Of course you can choose light mayo, but even better if you use yoghurt in dressings, sauces as substitute. As dipping sauce I normally use guacamole or a mixture of herbs, onion and yoghurt.
White rice
All what is nutritious in rice- vitamins and minerals - are in the bran and germ layers of the rice seeds which are removed with the refining process producing white rice. What we know as white rice is only the starchy core. Brown rice is rich in selenium and magnesium and high in fibre which promotes weight loss. It is also release sugar slowly, which means we feel full longer. It is a bit more chewy and it needs a bit longer cooking time, but it has got a nice nutty flavour, so it worth to swap white to brown.
Crisps
I know, chips is always mentioned as main enemy of dieters. But it is so true. When you open up a bag of potato crisp, can you stop at the recommended 30-35g serving size? What are the nutritional benefits of a bag of potato crisp? Well, better to find alternatives. There oven popped crisps on the market what are a better option - much less fat then the original fried crisps. But even better to snack on something healthy - for example raw carrot sticks with six almond or walnut. More healthy snacks are listed here.
Syrupy coffee from coffee shops
I have to mention this here - as I was shocked when I saw that the calorie content of a cup of latte with whipped cream is nearly equal with the calorie content of my lunch. It is better if you make a cup of coffee yourself with semi-skimmed milk and sweetener or a little honey and take it with you. It is not just light but very eco-friendly too.
Butter
I would not exclude butter completely from my diet, but I certainly watch how much I eat -as butter is mainly saturated fat. (More about healthy fats here.)
In sandwiches I use mustard or horseradish instead of butter. In some cases I substitute it with cream cheese. At baking when a recipe calls for butter I use coconut oil but the best to choose a recipe low in fat anyway. When I make mash I use a splash of boiled and cooled milk instead of butter - this makes it fluffy, but not heavy.
Nuts and nut butters
Yes, they are in the "good fat" category, but it does not mean that we wouldn't watch how much we eat. They are really high in fat, so serving size is really important. Of course we talking about the dry roasted unsalted nuts.
Serving sizes:
14 shelled walnut halves and 24 shelled almonds, 6 cashews, 28 peanuts and 45 pistachios - roughly 1/3 cup.
Nut butters: the recommended serving size is 2 tablespoon.
Salad dressings
Well, salad sounds healthy, but we need to be careful with salad dressings. If you use ready made salad dressings always check the serving size and measure it out onto your salad.
Here are two recipes for simple, quick salad dressings:
French style salad dressing
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar or 1/2 tsp stevia sweetener
2 tsp water
seasoning
Put all the ingredients into a small jar and shake it. Pour onto your salad.
Yoghurt and dill dressing
2 tbsp yoghurt
1/2 tsp stevia sweetener
2 tbsp fresh dill
1/2 tsp white vine winegar
Mix all the ingredients in a cup and pour it over your salad.
In my next post I will continue this list.
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