Apr 10 2008
Practical Tips For Cooking Light
Cooking light refers to making food that’s healthier for you, lower in fat, salt and calories. It does not refer to the electrical needs of your kitchen lighting. Cooking light is simple, affordable and delicious. You could study a lot of cooking books and websites, but it’s not necessary. Cooking light is mostly based on common sense.
Less Is More
Does a recipe call for four tablespoons of butter? That’s a lot of butter. Try three tablespoons and see if that makes any difference. You can also try substituting low cholesterol spreads instead. If a recipe calls for lard or shortening, try butter. All of these substitutions reduce fat, calories and cholesterol. They usually do not change the taste at all.
And that’s the basic principle of cooking light – less is more. Substitute lower fat ingredients for high fat ones, serve less meat and more fruit and vegetables. Trim the fat off of the meat and avoid deep frying. Instead of drowning your salads with creamy dressings, just use extra virgin olive oil. You will really taste the great flavor combinations of the salad this way and cut back on calories and fat.
Only Eat Until Full
We were all trained as kids to clean our plates. However, this is not the healthiest thing to do as adults, because we have a tendency to overfill our plates and thus overeat. Even if your meal is low fat and low calorie, you won’t be doing yourself any good by eating twice as much of it as you should. Part of cooking light is only eating sensible food portions.
It takes a while to retrain yourself to only eat until you are full – even if there is food left on the plate. Be patient with yourself. At first, use smaller plates and bowls in order to try and trick your mind into thinking you are having the same sized meal. Overeating meat has the worst health consequences. A serving of meat should never be larger than a deck of playing cards.
A Word About Artificial Sweeteners
Cooking light does not mean you have to use artificial sweeteners, which advertise themselves as low calorie. If you enjoy artificial sweeteners and they do not give you any adverse health affects, keep on using them. But artificial sweeteners can often trigger migraines, cramping or diarrhea in some people. Sometimes, sugar (brown or white or powdered) is still the best bet in cooking light.
Holiday Menus
(NC)—Try making this delicious Homegrown Ontario Pulled Pork simple slow cooker recipe this holiday season and see the difference a little planning makes. Great as an appetizer served on a crostini, this savoury morsel will save you time in the kitchen while impressing your guests. More delicious appetizer recipes can be found online at [...]
(NC)—Adding new flavour to traditional foods can be fun and be a great way to get family members to try new foods. Indian flavoured products are becoming widely available and provide a great opportunity to create mouthwatering recipes for the whole family. This shrimp korma recipe is a quick and easy one for the entire [...]
(NC)—Mulligatawny soup originally became popular with the British stationed in India (employees of the East India Company) during Colonial Times. When they returned home, they brought the recipe back with them to England, and to other members of the Commonwealth. In fact Mulligatawny is the Anglicized name of two words for “pepper water,” molegoo (pepper) [...]
(NC)—Here are two easy ways to bring some excitement to your next children’s party – Wacky Waikiki or Purple Razzle Dazzle Shakes. For dozens more delicious treats to thrill your child, visit www.homebasics.ca.
Wacky Waikiki Shake
2 large ripe bananas, peeled and quartered
1 can frozen pineapple or pineapple-orange juice concentrate, thawed (6 oz)
1/2 cup milk
4 scoops Breyers [...]
Savor the Flavor Every Day, Every Way
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(ARA) – Long overlooked, mushrooms are nature’s hidden treasure for helping those focusing on living a healthful life. To promote the nutritional benefits of fresh produce this back-to-school season, Weight Watchers continues Pick of the Season, a public health initiative spotlighting seasonal fruit and vegetables, with recipes this quarter [...]
Skyrocketing gas prices and escalating grocery costs have put getting more for a dollar top-of-mind for many consumers. Many Americans are tailoring their grocery shopping lists to ensure they get more bang for their buck. That means purchasing items that provide the best nutritional punch for their value.
Luxury items like prepackaged or single serve meals [...]
Blueberries are most abundant and least expensive in the summer, making it an ideal time to get your fill of these little blue gems. Stock the fridge and freezer with blueberries to make meals, snacks and desserts that are easy on the cook. Blueberries never need to be peeled, pitted, stemmed or chopped –just a [...]