Low-Calorie Cooking Tips

So you want to eat healthier, but you\'re hesitating because you\'re too attached to your favorite foods. But who says you had to give them up? There are lots of ways to eat healthier and still enjoy your meals. It\'s all just a matter of changing your habits-sometimes, just a little switch can go a long way. With a bit of planning, you can cut the calories and eat just as well or even better than you used to.

One of the easiest ways to reduce your calorie intake is using more vegetables in your diet. You don\'t have to give up meat altogether (although you can if you want to). Start by replacing one meat dish a week with a vegetarian one. Once you\'re used to it, you can work your way up until you get a good balance of both. That alone can cut at least 100 calories off every meal.

When you do use meat, opt for leaner cuts and trim any fat off before cooking. This is especially useful for beef and lamb recipes, since the cut has a lot to do with how much fat there is in each piece. For chicken, remove the skins beforehand-much of the fat is just under it, and the flavor is in the meat itself anyway. Meats absorb flavor very well, so you can just compensate by adding some seasonings.

If you\'re a big fan of grilled or deep-fried foods, you may want to switch to healthier cooking methods. Steaming and baking give much the same results without the added fat, and sometimes even turn out better since the food retains its natural juices. Sprinkling some water over a roast will give it the crisp texture you get from frying, and adding strong spices can fill out the flavor just as well as grilling.

Another good cooking method is slow cooking, or cooking food in the crock pot. Because it seals in all of the flavor, you don\'t even need to add seasonings-you just chuck the ingredients in and their juices will provide all of the taste. Slow cooking also allows you to choose leaner meats and add more vegetables, since they enhance natural flavors without needing additional fat.