Discover Cooking

Cooking light is one of the biggest trends today especially when new years resolutions are still fresh or a wedding or special occasion is on the horizon. Unfortunately, the associations people have with cooking light are bland, tasteless and horrible food. However, this not need be true at all. You can try any of your family’s favorite recipes and make it a healthier alternative by just substituting a few things and having a more open mind.

Cooking lighter is easier today as many of our staple foods now have a light version. For example, cheese is now being made with alternative milk such as goats milk, skimmed milk is also used now too and these alternatives do not affect the flavor at all. Butter can be eliminated by substituting with low fat spread to reduce calorie intake significantly. It is important to make sure that you are eating the right fats and avoiding trans fats where possible.

Lowering your calorie intake is important for a healthier life therefore you should concentrate on low fat dressings in sandwiches, for example, and tinned foods in water rather than oil. Fat free ranch is good for dips and low fat mayonnaise is a better alternative for sandwiches.

If you eat a lot of refined white bread then you will not be getting the fiber you need and your fat intake will be high. When choosing bread go for the oat-based alternative or the 100% whole grain variety. Just because bread is brown does not mean it is healthier for you. By taking a true whole grain alternative your body will get an increased intake of fiber and lower amounts of fat.

Switch the oil you use when you begin to cook light. Even if olive oil is more expensive, try using a little of it and use no-fat cooking spray instead. If you must use more oil and olive oil is burning a hole in your pocket, try canola instead. It is very price competitive and has lots of health benefits as opposed to corn or vegetable oils.

When baking use a low calorie sweetener in place of sugar. Line your baking tins with a no fat cooking spray and use dark chocolate instead of milk. All of these are good alternatives for cooking light.