Look on the Bright Side of Dieting
A change in eating habits doesn't have to be a bad-tasting thing
If you're trying to lose weight you're probably checking out various popular diets.
Depending on what you read, you're advised to trim carbohydrates, eliminate fat or base your food choices on how the ingredients may affect your blood sugar (where the food ranks on the glycemic index).
Unfortunately, restrictive diets don't work long term, says registered dietitian, Connie Guttersen, Ph.D.
Instead of restricting your food choices, change your approach to food. As you become more conscious of healthful cooking techniques and proper portion sizes, you will discover you can have lower-calorie meals you enjoy, Guttersen says.
"Make the commitment to be more mindful of the quality and quantity of your diet," says Guttersen, author of "The Sonoma Diet" (Meredith Books, 2005).
Start with your cooking habits.
For example, don't cook on automatic pilot. If you mindlessly pour oil into a skillet get into the habit of using a measuring spoon.
"I find myself getting a little lazy and not measuring. Before I know it I've added a quarter-cup of olive oil to the pan when I just need a tablespoon," says Guttersen, who lives in Northern California wine country.
Next, reverse proportions in your recipes and menus.
For entrees, let vegetables and whole grains dominate.
The dietitian recommends that only 20 to 30 percent of your plate be lean meat. Whole grains can take up 30 percent of the plate with vegetables (and some fruit if you like) filling the rest of the space.
"This is easier than calorie control. You'll be eating the most healthful balance of nutritious food," Guttersen says.
To make a modest, four-ounce serving of meat look more generous, thinly slice it on the bias (the cross-grain) and fan it out on the plate.
Select dishes such as stir-fries or risotto, in which the eye doesn't go to the meat as the focal point, Guttersen says.
Create desserts, such as cobblers and pies, with more fruit than high-fat crust.
Explore cuisines known for healthful cooking.
Take inspiration from Mediterranean cooks who poach fish in herbs and broth, or from Asian cooks who steam vegetables. Create Mediterranean herb pastes to coat fish and chicken. Infuse rice with the juice of freshly grated ginger root.
"Come up with your own pantry of wonderful ingredients," she says.
You may have a culinary agenda to help you lose weight and eat more healthfully. But you're more likely to fail if you don't get cooperation from family members, according to nutrition research.
It's hard to stick with carrots and fat-free yogurt when your spouse is diving into a platter of fried chicken.
However, you should discuss and negotiate intended changes with family members. Making a unilateral switch can lead to a mutiny.
"I've heard stories from people who switch from white bread to whole wheat and get flak from their families," says J. Lynne Brown, PhD., professor of food science at Penn State University, University Park.
Expect a transition period in which the family experiments with healthier food options, Brown says.
For example, you may have to try several brands of whole-wheat bread before you find one that everyone likes. If your family prefers sweetened breakfast cereal, you may have to sample several brands before settling on one.
Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"
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