by Nevaeh Cohen

Created on: July 01, 2007

In theory, most people want to be healthy, right? I mean who says, " I want to eat a dozen donuts each morning until I double my weight." Correct me if I'm wrong, but you weren't the first one in the class to raise your hand for that one. Cooking and sticking to a low fat diet can be so hard. I know. My weight has yo-yo'd from 135 to 210 and everywhere in between over the last five years. (That does include 3 pregnancies). However, I have found a solution. Eating right just has to taste good! If you like it, what's the difference if it has half the calories and fat you are used to.

Eating healthfully has been particularly hard for me because I am what some people like to call a "foodie". I have been since I was very young. I have been told that my family members could not open any kind of package containing food without hearing little footsteps running across the house. I love my food. So, I want to share with you some tips for low fat (and tasty) cooking:
1. Use non-stick pans. If you are like me and just HAVE to have a lubricant in your pan or you are just worried about the chemicals that may be in non-stick surfaces use a cooking spray. I particularly like the olive oil spray, but they also make butter flavored spray which I like to use for pancakes and similar items. Most of these sprays list zero everything (i.e. fat, calories) for one quick spray.
2. Spices. Lots of spices. I have a cabinet full of every dried spice you can think of for adding flavors to food. Fresh are great as well, but don't keep very long. One of my favorites to add a little kick is Mrs. Dash original seasoning. It contains no salt and is especially good on roasted potatoes or stir fried zucchini and summer squash slices (sauteed in only a quick sprits of olive oil spray, of course)
3. Applesauce. Sounds strange, I know. But in a lot of baked goods, mostly cakes, and even pancakes you can substitute applesauce for the cooking oil!
4. Fresh, not processed. Of course fresh foods are healthier than processed all around, but usually also contain lower fat and calories too.
5. Low fat foods....I know, I know. As a foodie it was very hard for me to accept the notion of trying of all things something labeled low fat. BUT, when using ingredients for cooking, some are not so bad. For instance: low fat cheese. I refuse to eat a slice of it, but melted over roasted peppers stuffed with lean meat, whole grain rice, and tomato sauce you would never know the difference! I've also found with low-fat items sticking with a well-known brand name usually helps.
6. Choose lean meats such as boneless skinless chicken breasts. If you like dark meet, I have found boneless skinless thighs before. Also buy super lean ground beef or substitute with ground turkey. Also, for recipes where you drain ground meat, rinse it while it's in the strainer. It literally rinses the fatty grease down the drain.
7. Lastly, portion control. Even when you are eating healthy, low fat foods, you still have to watch your portion sizes. I have learned this from experience. No matter how healthy it is, too much is not good for you. I, myself, never stick to the recommended servings of most foods, however, I only eat until I'm just satisfied. Fifteen minutes later, my body catches up and I feel full.

Although sticking to a low fat diet can be difficult, these remedies really work. You can be healthy and not feel like you are eating cardboard. Maintaining a healthy diet does not only effect your appearance. It is necessary to keep your heart healthy and avoid illnesses such as diabetes. It also boosts your immune system! So just remember with a few tweaks, you can easily enjoy a low fat diet.

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