One of the most important factors in weight loss is proper nutrition. Consuming a diet low in fat and high in nutrients is the key to having a healthy lifestyle and a fit body. While the food we eat is important, the way in which it is prepared is also critical. Improving the way in which you prepare your food and your mentality toward cooking can go a long way toward helping you to reach your weight loss goals.
Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time
Planning your meals for the week is a great way to prevent last minute fast food trips or picking up the phone to call the pizza delivery boy. Plan out at least 3 healthy, properly portioned meals for each day of the week. You can start by choosing main dishes, working with what is currently on sale or using ingredients you already have in your home.
From there plan the side dishes and make a list of things you need from the store. Having these steps taken care of ahead of time will improve the likelihood of eating well-balanced and low-fat meals.
Focus on Vegetables
Just as car enthusiasts focus on the car’s body first and the Mustang wheels second, vegetables are often a side note for meats and pastas. Despite this common perception, vegetables don’t always have to be a side dish. Rather than planning your meals around meats and other typical entrees, start with the vegetable.
Steamed broccoli, eggplant parmesan and squash are all examples of vegetables that can stand alone as filling meals and can also go great with a small side of lean meat. Not only are vegetables full of nutrients, but they also contain little fat.
Use Non-Stick Pans
A significant amount of the fat found in food often comes from the manner in which it is prepared. Cooking your food with non-stick pans will make it unnecessary to utilize butter or oils in an attempt to prevent food from sticking. This will reduce your caloric intake, cholesterol and fat intake as well.
Invest in a Kitchen Scale
Kitchen scales are a great way to measure food potions. Using the exact measurement of each ingredient is a great way to reduce the fat in your meals. Having one of these scales is also helpful for following the aforementioned tip about planning meals ahead of time.
With a scale you can weigh out portions of food ahead of time and do your cooking for the week all at once. With the meals finished you can then place them into portion-sized containers to be reheated for different meals throughout the week.
Losing weight is not all about sticking to strict diets. Making small, strategic changes to the way in which you cook your food can have a big impact on your ability to reach your weight loss goals.
Author Bio: Michelle is a blogger and freelancer. She’s written about almost every topic under the sun, and loves constantly learning about new subjects and industries while she’s writing. In her spare time she enjoys spending time outdoors with her dogs. Follow her on Google+.
