If you're looking to cook your way skinny, look no further and just grab a pot and pan! Cooking yourself skinny is as easy as knowing what to prepare and how to prepare it. There's no need to fear the stove, fork, or heaven forbid- delicious foods! If you're watching your weight you can still enjoy plenty of delicious meals, all in the comfort of your home and no, they don't have to be flavorless or take lots of time to prepare. While it's easy to just eat processed diet foods and skip meals, you'll never stay skinny that way. One of the best ways to get skinny is to actually eat, and eat healthy foods at that. As a girl who likes to eat I can promise, you really can cook your way skinny and forget all those other diet tips you've heard telling you to count calories or carbs. Ready? Let's eat!
Snapshot Survey
Snapshot Survey
1. Use a Lot of Color
First, when learning to cook your way skinny, remember, the more color from vegetables, the better. Focus on green foods such as broccoli, zucchini, kale, spinach, celery, arugula, and cabbage. Then go for some red, yellow, and orange, such as peppers, carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, and even organic corn. Make half your meal come from vegetables and you'll automatically reduce the calories but increase the nutrition.
2. Get Tangy with It
Instead of reaching for that oil to douse your veggies, reach for some balsamic or coconut vinegar (a super delicious and nutritious choice). Both are calorie-free but filled with flavor. Balsamic vinegar comes from fermented grapes and coconut vinegar comes from raw coconut sap. Both can be used directly in the pan you're cooking with instead of using oil. You may want to add a touch of water to prevent them from sticking though.
3. Choose a Light Protein
Protein is the most glorified nutrient in the weight loss department but it's important to choose a light protein your body can digest easily. Heavy proteins like meat, dairy, and eggs might keep you full but they'll also make you feel heavy and sluggish if eaten too often. Go with a lighter choice, such as quinoa, tempeh, lentils, oatmeal, tofu, or chickpeas.
4. Use Herbs to Flavor
To cook your way skinny, be sure you nix all the added sodium and go for herbs to flavor your meals instead. Some that I've found to add the best flavor are Herbs de Provence, Italian seasoning, Mrs. Dash, and even plain oregano. You can also use cayenne, black pepper, ginger, curry, or garam masala.
5. Eat Your Beets
I know beets don't sound that appealing but they're an awesome food for weight loss. First, they're very sweet and fiber-rich so they'll satisfy your taste buds and keep your belly full. Next, they're filled with detoxifying benefits that the liver can use to shuttle out fats and harmful toxins. I like roasting beets on a baking pan with some pepper and lemon juice. They get extra sweet in flavor and really hit the spot when you're craving something hearty.
6. Use Lemon
Speaking of lemon, this fruit is an awesome way to cook your way skinny. Lemon contains Vitamin C and bioflavonoids that help burn fat and detoxify the liver as well. The liver is your prime fat-burning organ, so it's vital that you care for it as best as possible. Squeeze the juice of a real lemon (not the bottled stuff) over your next dish of veggies, grains, or even a salad.
7. Add Tomatoes
Tomatoes are an excellent way to flavor your meals without very many calories. They're naturally sweet, filled with water, and they contain lots of potassium to beat belly bloat. Use them roasted, raw, or sauteed and experiment with different types, such as heirloom, grape, cherry, and roma varieties.
8. Be Carb Smart
Carbs are not evil like you might believe, but you do need to be cautious about what types of carbs you choose. The best carbs for weight loss include fruit, sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, squash, oats, wild rice, quinoa, rye flakes, sprouted grains, beans, and legumes. Avoid highly processed wheat bread, white rice, crackers, granola bars, white potatoes, and refined sugar when it comes to losing weight.
9. Add Mushrooms
Mushrooms are the perfect replacement to beef in your recipes. They're hearty, ridiculously low in calories, and they're cholesterol-free, unlike all animal products. My favorite types are shitake mushrooms and I like to use them with garlic, onion, and saute in just a little vinegar and pepper to flavor.
Cooking your way skinny isn't about deprivation or lack of flavor. You can still eat and be satisfied without taking in excess calories from unnecessary ingredients. How do you cook your way skinny?
Sources: coconutsecret.com, whfoods.com, care2.com
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