5) It's How You Cook...

I LOVE the recipe calculator at sparkpeople.com.  It lets me input my recipes (new and old) and determine calorie & nutrient count for them.  I have always liked trying new recipes and worried that perhaps I would get stuck in a rut of always having to eat the same old low calorie recipes.  Happily, that has not been the case at all.

I have, however, made some changes in the way that I cook.  I am much more careful with measurements than ever before in my life.  For instance, when making homemade pizza I used to just put cheese on 'until it looked good'.  Now, I measure out a portioned amount and that is it.  Guess what?  Everything still tastes good!  I am not missing out on anything, but calories!

I also read labels more closely.  There can be a wide range in calories for very similar products from different companies.  Canned fruit comes immediately to mind.  (this goes beyond the obvious choices about choosing light or no sugar added over heavy syrup.)  Be sure to check the labels to make sure you are getting the most quantity for your calorie count.

Quick Tips
Measure everything - be precise - know how many calories are in your food.

Use low sugar or even low fat products when possible.  (Note on low fat - be sure you are not increasing your sugar too much in some low fat options.  Not all fat is bad, but sugar can cause blood sugar spikes or drops and hunger pangs.)

Switch out all your regular pasta for whole wheat or whole grain pasta.  Even my picky fellas (all 3 of them!) have not complained about Ronzoni Healthy Harvest products.  :)

Get rid of butter.  Use olive oil to saute foods at first, then switch to straight olive or canola sprays.  You won't miss it!  (Updated to state that I learned about the water sauté method.  It works well.  You can read about it here.   http://www.straightupfood.com/blog/2012/05/23/cooking-without-oil/

Season your food!  I like to use garlic or salt free blends, but there are so many lovely herbs out there that you can experiment with.  You will get flavor without fat, calories or salt.  Please don't try to survive on bland food.  :)

Splurge on a brand new cookbook or cooking magazine that emphasizes healthy cooking.  (no Paula Deen!!)   My current favorites are The Comfort Food Diet cookbook and Healthy Cooking magazine.  Although I get a TON of my recipes from the sparkpeople website or by simply making over old family favorites.

We remember this from when our kids were little, but it still applies - perhaps even moreso!  Sneak those veggies in where you can!  Shredded zucchini or yellow squash can be put in most italian sauces.  Same with mushrooms, onions and peppers.  Take family favorite casserole recipes that are primarily meat based and resolve to add at least one vegetable to it.  You'll increase your nutrient content and lower your calorie count when you replace some of the meat with veggies in any given recipe.  Soups provide a great way to add beans, vegetables and tomatoes.

Have fruit for dessert.  Fresh cut pineapple, strawberries and kiwi look lovely together and the natural juices are good without sugar or 'dressing'.  Make baked apples or peaches.  Have a cup of homemade cocoa mix to calm your sweet tooth without too much damage.

Here are some of my favorite low calorie dishes.

I mentioned Susan's Salads in the "It's What You Eat" post but I'll link it here again.

Red and Green Salad (another one of Susan's masterpieces!)

Zucchini, Squash and Mushroom Skillet

Pan Fried Brussels Sprouts - this is the basic method that I suggested in the "It's What You Eat" post using olive oil with any frozen vegetable.  Now I do this with just canola spray and it lowers the calorie count even further.

Baked Cube Steak with Onions

Mongolian Beef

Italian Pasta Casserole - sneak those veggies in!

Baked Chicken in a Sweet BBQ Sauce - (watch the amount of cumin you use...)

Chicken with Vegetables

Garlic Herb Chicken - this is how I usually cook the chicken listed above to go with the vegetables.

Chicken Parmesan - yummy!

Shredded Salsa Chicken - I like this over a baked potato or even just plain.

Italian Pork Chops - I need to update this recipe on the new blog.  For making the stewed potatoes, don't use the butter listed in the recipe.   Season them with garlic instead.  :)

Skillet Pork Chops

Black Beans and Rice

Banana Cream Supreme - this is actually a perfect dessert to 'lighten up'.  It is simple to use Light Sour Cream, Sugar Free Cool Whip, Sugar Free Instant Pudding, and Splenda instead of sugar.   This will make 8 good sized servings coming in at 300 calories per serving.  Not bad for a dessert.  It would be even less for 12 servings, which you could easily do.

Apple Salad - one of my favorite desserts, side dishes, salads... whatever you want to call it.  Quick, easy and oh so tasty!

Finally, here is a tip I really should have included in the 1st post "It's What You Eat".  It was something that the nurse said at the (failed) Lap Band seminar I attended back in early September.  "Don't drink your calories."  I hadn't really thought of it that way before, but it is a good point.  Chart everything that goes in your mouth, including coffee, creamer, wine, soda, lattes, etc.  Don't let those 'forgotten' calories go uncounted.  But, she took it a step further saying to be careful with protein shakes, smoothies, etc.  I had been a proponent of protein shakes and felt they were a good start to my day.  In some ways they were (and certainly can be!) but when I began to chart them I soon realized that I could get the same amount of protein with fewer calories by eating 'real food'.  Even the vitamin enhanced protein shakes, which were my favorite, were costing me more in calories (not to mention, money!) than if I got those same nutrients from actual food plus a good quality vitamin.  I decided that I would rather eat my calories than drink them and made some adjustments.  It is not that there is a right or wrong choice here, it was just something that I hadn't really thought about before and it had an impact on me.

I am certainly no expert.  I am just sharing what has worked for me on my journey. I hope some of it can be helpful and encouraging. Feel free to ask me any questions if you have them. And truly, if *I* can do this, ANYONE can do this!!!