When Butter is Better
If you have dutifully avoided butter all day, don't deprive yourself at dinner. Just be stingier with the spread. A teaspoon of butter or margarine contains 4.1 grams of fat and 35 calories compared with a tablespoon, which contains 12.3 grams of fat and 108 calories.
Pick Poaching
Poaching--simmering your chicken or fish in wine, orange juice, or another flavorful liquid--is a delicious way to cut fat from the evening meal. You can poach in the oven or on the stove.
Go Grilling
Grilling is another low-fat cooking method because the fat is allowed to drip away as the meat cooks. Spice rubs and low-fat or fat-free marinades greatly enhance the flavor of grilled food. Be sure to use a meat thermometer so you don't undercook or overcook. Grilling is traditionally a summertime activity. However, unless it is snowing or raining, there is no reason you can't use your barbecue year round. Indoor grills offer even more flexibility.
Proper Portions
Think of your dinner plate as a pie. Allocate no more than 1/4 of your plate for the meat portion of your meal, 1/4 for grains, such as pasta, rice, whole-wheat cousous, or bulgar wheat; and 1/4 for your vegetable. If you missed having vegetables earlier in the day, you can make up for it by having 1 1/2 cups of chopped fresh or cooked vegetables or three cups of raw, leafy greens at dinnertime.
Fruity Dinners
Include fruit at dinner by marinating your meat in a fresh fruit sauce, adding chopped fruit as a salsa on top of meat, fish, or chicken; or having a piece of fruit or fruit salad for dessert.
Concerning Condiments
If all you have is salt, pepper, and garlic powder in your kitchen, buy one new herb or spice every week for a few months and experiment with the new flavors. A drawback of a low-fat diet is that it often sacrifices flavor. You can replace that lost flavor with spices and herbs, which add no fat or calories to your dish.
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