If you are on a low-fat diet or have health concerns that require low-fat foods, make your own meals to give you control and make you the main guardian of your health. You can effectively cut back on fats, sugar, unnecessary food preservatives and empty nutrient-depleted calories. However, creating dinners can be a chore if you are tired from a day's work and other obligations. But dinner preparation can be fast and healthy if you know a few tricks.
Salads
Vegetables are low in fats and calories. Colorful vegetables are loaded with anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants that appear as bright pigments. Examples abound: spinach, eggplants, cabbages, carrots, bok choy and tomatoes. They add bulk, making you full with fewer calories.
To transform your vegetables into a salad, cut them and combine them in a bowl. Make your own dressing with healthy oils such as olive, safflower, oil and grape seed. Even though these healthy oils are considered high in fat content, they are actually high in monounsaturated oils, which are heart-friendly fats that lower bad cholesterol. Combine one portion of vinegar (cider, balsamic, red wine vinegar) to two portions of healthy oils, add salt and pepper to taste and whisk them together. Add the dressing to vegetables and toss.
If you add lean grilled or baked meat like chicken or turkey or a vegetable-protein like tofu and tempeh (fermented tofu), that becomes a complete meal in itself.
One-Dish Meal
A one-dish meal is easy to assemble and healthy when you include the three main categories of food groups: carbohydrates, protein, and vitamins and minerals. The trick is to pick low-fat options such as lean meat, fish, beans (lots of fiber and nutrients and low in fats), whole grains (induce satiety and help to reduce unnecessary calories intake), low-fat dairy products and fruits and vegetables. Here is one simple pasta dish you can assemble in less than 30 minutes.
Cook whole-grain pasta according to instructions. Dice lean chicken, chop garlic and dice red peppers (or any vegetables you choose). Coat your skillet with extra virgin olive oil and sauté garlic until slightly toasted. Add chicken and sauté until cooked through. Add one can of stewed tomatoes and let it simmer until it thickens. Add pasta, red peppers, one can of drained garbanzo beans and toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with basil.
Stir Fry
Stir Fry is quick to make and gives you the flexibility to incorporate low-fat ingredients. Heat a wok with 1 tbsp. of oil (sesame oil works well for an Asian stir fry) and add your ingredients. Saute chopped garlic and onion--they not only add flavor but help to burn fat). Next, add meat and cooked through, then add your vegetables. Low-fat tofu adds variety and canned fruits such as pineapple, lychee and longans give exotic appeal. Season with vegetarian oyster sauce and salt and pepper. You can eat your stir fry by itself or with brown rice or whole-grain pasta.
Tags: healthy oils, salt pepper, cooked through, pepper taste, salt pepper taste, Season with
