Smart Ways To Keep Your Diet Working
If you have finally got a diet working the way you want it to, but you are always looking for more ways to make sure it keeps working, join the club. I am always looking for little things that can put a fresh spin on my menu, lopping off calories and adding tasty new ways to diet.
Sometimes I will find a better way to shop, other times it might be a great way to slim down a favorite comfort food with some easy substitutions, like mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. Here are a few that might work for you.
Add a dash of chili peppers every day
People may eat as much as 30 percent less when they put chili peppers in their food. That’s easy for me because I always seem to have peppers on the menu. The theory here is people tend to slow down and savor the flavor when they are eating spicy foods.
Use cinnamon to help lower blood sugar
Cinnamon has been endorsed by researchers for fighting heart disease and lowering blood pressure. So that’s reason enough for me to keep cinnamon on hand topping cereal, mixing with fruit dishes and adding to yogurt and baking recipes.
Load up main dishes with veggies
Meatloaf, chili, bean soups and pasta dishes will all work harder for your health if you mix in chopped onions, peppers and vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, carrots and celery.
Get the full story on avocadoes
Too many people love guacamole, but eat fewer avocadoes because of the calories. Nutritionists are now saying this healthy fat vegetable can be an important component in a healthy diet. You can hold the calories down by just using slices on a sandwich or tossing a few chunks into salads.
Make it a point to read labels more
Time always seems to be a problem and we may be tempted to skip comparing food labels as we shop. But I am often surprised at the big differences in saturated fats, trans fats, and sugar content between one tortilla and another. That holds true throughout the market, on labels for sauces, soups, chips and cheese. Take a minute and make sure you are making the best choice.
Start with low fat, high flavor recipes when you shop
There are a lot of shopping strategies that help, but skipping the pastry aisle, and arming yourself with some low calories recipes that you really want to try can really pay off. Now you have things that you want to cook, and you have probably skipped a few higher fat, heavier calorie temptations.
Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Gabriel Porras
