The Diet Logs

Chef Kathleen Daelemans is the author of “Getting Thin & Loving Food, 200 Easy Recipes to Take You Where You Want to Be” (Houghton Mifflin, 2004) and host of “Cooking Thin with Kathleen Daelemans” on the Food Network. You can talk to her live and swap recipes at chefkathleen.com. Recently a viewer asked her “I could really use some weight-loss tips. I know yours won’t include snacking on celery and carrots.”

Here’s what the chef offered to help:

1. Be a miser. Be frugal and save calories everywhere you can. If a salad dressing calls for a cup of olive oil, add it last and do so a tablespoon at a time, tasting between each addition. At 120 calories and 15 grams of fat per tablespoon, you’ll see savings add up.

2. Fool your sweet tooth. When you’re in the mood to bake, cut back on the sugar by 25 percent. It might seem drastic, but a cup of sugar contains 774 calories. Leave 1/4 cup in the sugar bowl, and you’ll save 193 calories. Decide if you can cut back the sugar even more next time and make a note of it directly on the recipe.

3. Be a protein watch dog. A 32-ounce steak for one? A 3-pound meatloaf for 6? Not if you’re trying to maintain a healthy heart! Most recipes call for more protein than you need. Four ounces is usually enough for one serving, so portion protein in advance of cooking. When you’re reading through recipes, adjust the quantity of protein accordingly.

4. Dress for success. Make salad dressings that are good for you. Whisk in equal amounts of buttermilk and very low-fat mayonnaise, add honey mustard, finely minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste for a super fast and savory, guilt-free, good-for-you dressing.

She has many more tips and suggestions for easy changes you can make to lose weight.

Georganna Hancock wrote this on July 27th, 2005 and filed it under Diet Logs, Dieting, Healthy Eating, Weight Loss |