1/ STIR FRY RIGHT
Let your vegetables stir-fry in their own moisture instead of an oil bath. Add a few drops of oil to start, and then use water rather than more oil as you’re stir-frying.
2/ WARM UP YOUR OIL
Heat your skillet before adding oil, and less fat will be absorbed by the food. Warm oil cooks more efficiently; cold oil tends to soak into meats and vegetables.
3/ SLICE YOUR STEAK, EAT LESS
Slicing thinly will make your portions seem bigger and more satisfying. In a recent study at Japan’s National Food Research Institute, participants who compared equal amounts of sliced and whole vegetables rated the sliced piles up to 27 percent larger. When you believe you’re eating a larger portion of food, you may trick yourself into feeling more satisfied with fewer calories.
4/ EMBARGO THE OIL
When grilling chicken, try this oil-free marinade: Combine 3 cups apple juice and two cloves of pressed garlic with 1 cup of reduced-sodium soy sauce.
5/ STUFF YOUR BURGERS
Scoop a hole in the middle of your burger before grilling, and fill it with olives, mushrooms, or any vegetable you like. This makes the recommended serving of beef (3 ounces) look and feel like a massive hunk of burger, when it’s much leaner than that.
6/ CATCH UP ON YOUR LYCOPENE
Squirt some organic ketchup on that bun. Researchers at the Agricultural Research Service in the US found that organic ketchups have about twice as much cancer-fighting lycopene as the regular varieties. A simple visual clue you’ve got the correct ketchup? Organic ones are a slightly darker shade of red than your usual Heinz.
7/ CURRY FAVOUR WITH YOGURT
Replace the high-fat coconut milk in your curries with low-fat plain yogurt. The yogurt adds that creamy texture without the extra fat from the coconut.
8/ BUILD A BETTER PIZZA
Can’t resist pepperoni? Go for it, but help offset the damage by ordering two or more vegetable toppings for every meat topping. Since the carcinogens in processed meats such as pepperoni and sausage increase your cancer risk with every serving, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research, load on a variety of vegetables - green peppers, onions - that can help protect against cancer.
9/ BULK UP YOUR MEATBALLS
Grate carrots, squash, or courgette into any meatball mixture. They add bulk, moisture, and vitamins but don’t alter that meaty flavour you’re after.
10/ SWAP RED MEAT FOR RED LENTILS
To make a low-fat, antioxidant-packed lasagne, use half the usual amount of ground meat and make up the difference with red lentils. They’re still protein packed, but lentils are fat-free and high in fibre, making them more filling, too. And since red lentils have a neutral taste, they’ll simply soak up the flavours in your sauce. You won’t even notice them. We promise.
11/ TRADE CRACKERS FOR OATS
In any meat recipe that calls for crackers or bread crumbs, use an equal amount of rolled oats instead. This ramps up your soluble fibre intake, which can help lower your cholesterol. Use the quick-cooking variety of oatmeal, because it retains moisture well and doesn’t alter the meaty taste.
12/ GO FRY A COD
To soften some of the damage inflicted by Britain’s national treasure, try this healthier DIY version of fish-and-chips—courtesy of Mark and Pete Petrou of Petrou Brothers in Cambridgeshire, 2006’s National Fish-and-Chip Shop of the Year:
1. Buy fillets or loins of white fish such as haddock or cod, and cut into strips.
2. Make a light tempura-like batter by mixing iced sparkling water with self-rising flour.
3. Dust the fish strips with self-rising fl our and roll in the tempura batter.
4. Shallow fry the strips in hot canola oil, which is loaded with good fats: Fill one-third of your pan with oil and heat it to about 350 degrees F. (Use a thermometer!) Fry the fish until crispy.
5. For the chips: Cut potatoes into your preferred size and toss them in 1 to 2 tablespoons of canola oil with salt, herbs, garlic - anything you want, really. Then bake them at 450 degrees F for about 30 minutes.
13/ EAT THE CRUMBS
If you’re baking something with a topping of grated cheese, cut fat by halving the cheese and replacing it with whole-wheat bread crumbs. This mimics the crispy texture of baked cheese and adds fibre.
14/ KNOW YOUR DELI MEATS
Sandwiches are the architecture of the common lunch-eater, but you need to start with a solid foundation. The hierarchy of health, in descending order:
- Turkey and chicken
- Roast beef
- Ham
- Processed things like salami and olive loaf
- Turkey and chicken
- Roast beef
- Ham
- Processed things like salami and olive loaf
For example, instead of an Italian submarine sandwich with cheese and mixed cold cuts like salami and bologna, choose a roast beef hero, and you can trim your fat intake by up to 30 percent.
15/ DON'T RUIN A TUNA
Mayonnaise will turn your tuna sandwich into a fatty disaster. Instead of mixing in a lot of mayo, add pepper, hot sauce, and some fresh lemon juice to your tuna. It tastes great.
16/ GET GRATER TASTE FROM LESS CHEESE
Buy yourself a good grater. Use it to grate a piece of Parmesan or other hard cheese on your sandwich, and you'll save a lot of calories of fat compared with standard sliced fare, as long as you add a sprinkling for flavour rather than an avalanche of grated cheese.
17/ MAKE IT MEATLESS
Next time you're hankering for a veal Parmesan sandwich, try this vegetarian hot Italian sub. Brown some cubed aubergine pieces under a broiler with a little olive oil. Then mix with tomato sauce and capers. Place in a roll. Top with grated Parmesan. Fat savings: 18 grams.
18/ SQUASH THE FAT
Replace half of the Cheddar in quesadillas, mac 'n' cheese, or grilled cheese sandwiches with pureed butternut squash. This significantly lowers the fat and calorie counts, won't compromise the taste, and gives you a slew of added vitamins and heart-healthy potassium.
19/ PACK A PITTA
Add extra vegetables to your next sandwich by packing them in a whole-wheat pita pocket rather than between conventional slices of bread. Pitas simply hold more.
20/ WRAP MEATS IN GREENS
To cut carbs, ditch the sandwich bread and do as the Koreans do: Wrap spicy cooked beef or chicken with leafy greens. Try Chinese cabbage, bok choy, or romaine lettuce. Replacing two slices of bread with one large lettuce leaf saves you about 30 grams of carbohydrate.
21/ BE SLICK WITH YOUR OIL
"Avoid splashing 'light' olive oils over your salads," says Elena Paravantes, registered dietitian for the Hellenic Dietetic Association in Greece—light varieties have fewer cancer-fighting antioxidants than the extra-virgin kind, plus they have a less intense flavor. Not sure if your oil's up to snuff? "Good-quality extra-virgin olive oil should have a fruity, peppery, slightly bitter taste and leave a faint burning sensation on the throat," she says.
22/ TURN YOUR SANDWICHES GREEN
Replace mayo with a spread of ripe avocado to moisten a dry sandwich. Avocados are packed with monounsaturated (good) fat to help lower your cholesterol. Plus, researchers at Ohio State University found that phytochemicals in avocados may help prevent mouth cancer.
23/ TRY THIS SPIN ON A GYRO
For a low-fat gyro, mix some fat-free yogurt with chopped or sliced cucumbers, add a squeeze of lemon juice, and pour over a pita stuffed with grilled chicken or beef strips.
24/ REVISE YOUR REUBEN
Simulate a cheese Reuben by replacing fatty corned beef with turkey ham and topping it with low-fat mozzarella, mustard, spicy shredded cabbage, and pickles. Slap all that on traditional rye bread and broil until the cheese melts. Fat savings: 10 grams.
25/ SLIM YOUR CHICKEN SALAD
Use thick, Greek-style plain yogurt to cut down on the amount of mayo you need to make chicken, tuna, or egg salad sandwiches.
26/ ADD CHEESE TO BREAKFAST
Grate hard, flavourful cheese, such as Parmesan, on hot cereals and oatmeal for added protein and flavor. "The key is to add protein to all meals, as it fills you up faster and may help you burn more calories," says Milton Stokes of the American Dietetic Association.
27/ GIVE YOUR PANCAKES A NUTRITIONAL BOOST
Next time you make pancakes, replace some of your flour with cornmeal. It'll give your pancakes great texture, and the cornmeal will add extra fiber and magnesium to an otherwise rather nutritionally vacant breakfast.
28/ LEAVE NO CHEERIO BEHIND
To get all the vitamins out of your cereal, drink the milk left in the bowl. You've admirably resisted the Frosties in favour of a less sugary breakfast cereal that's fortified with vitamins, but that doesn't mean you're actually getting all the nutrients listed on the side of the box. Up to 40 percent of the vitamins in your cereal dissolve into that orphaned puddle of milk. Drink up.
29/ FREEZE YOUR BANANAS
That way they will always be on hand for use in a smoothie. And because they are naturally sweet, you won't need any sugar.
30/ MAKE LEANER BUFFALO WINGS
Cook up some spicy low-fat buffalo wings. Instead of using chicken wings, make them with skinless chicken-breast tenders. Marinate them overnight in a mixture of hot sauce, olive oil, lots of garlic powder, and red wine vinegar. (Experiment with the amounts to suit your taste.) Then roast the chicken "wings" at 400°F for 15 minutes.
31/ GIVE IN TO CHOCOLATE CRAVINGS
You don't have to deprive yourself of the sweet stuff. Shave dark chocolate into savory dishes like chili and barbecue sauces—you'll add a rich flavor along with flavonoids. They can lower your risk of heart disease and keep your cholesterol in check. And shaving ensures you don't go overboard on the dark. Or try this for a nighttime snack: Melt 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips in the microwave and swirl that into 4 ounces of vanilla yogurt. Top with a tablespoon of slivered almonds.
32/ DO YOUR OWN DIPS
Make dips healthier by using fat-free sour cream or yogurt. Mix in an equal part of salsa, the hotter the better. Jazz it up with lemon, dried herbs, whatever.
33/ CHOOSE THE BLUES
Use blue corn tortillas in your next batch of nachos, fajitas, or quesadillas for more effective weight loss. A team of Mexican and Venezuelan researchers found that tortillas made from blue corn have a lower glycemic load than white corn tortillas do, so they won't raise your blood sugar as quickly. The blue variety also has more protein and less starch.
34/ SHELL YOUR NUTS
Buy nuts in their shells. More time shelling equals less time shoveling handfuls into your mouth.
35/ ...BUT BOIL THEM FIRST
Boil your peanuts (in their shells) for about 3 hours. Researchers at Alabama A&M University found that boiled peanuts have up to four times more antioxidants than raw, dry, or roasted peanuts.
36/ TOP A TATER
If you love baked potatoes, you don't have to give them up just because of their high glycemic load rating. Keep your blood sugar levels balanced by adding a topping, such as Cheddar cheese, mushrooms, broccoli, or spinach.
27/ RINSE YOUR BEANS
Canned beans—kidney, cannellini, chickpeas—are a quick and easy way to add protein and fibre to your meals. But they can also spike your daily sodium intake, increasing your risk of stomach cancer and high blood pressure. Simply rinsing them, however, will shed one-third of their sodium.
38/ CREATE THE BEST STEAM ROOM FOR YOUR BROCCOLI
For perfectly cooked and nutrient-rich vegetables, rinse, throw them in a sealed container, and microwave for 3 or 4 minutes. Boiling, blanching, or oversteaming zaps vegetables of their nutrients—the only water you need is the drops that cling after rinsing.
39/ REPRISE BLAZING SADDLES
If all you have is instant white rice, just add a can of beans. The beans lessen the effect that the starchy white rice will have on your blood sugar.
40/ THICKEN YOUR SIDE DISHES
Replace the whole milk in your mashed potatoes with evaporated fat-free milk. It's lower in fat and higher in calcium per cup, and still manages to add richness to your mash. You'll find it in a can—usually near baking products
41/ START A MEAL WITH A WATER APPETIZER
Drink two glasses of water before every meal. This will keep you hydrated and make you feel less hungry, possibly reducing your food intake and aiding weight loss.
42/ ALWAYS SAY "ICED TEA"
Get into the healthy habit. When the waitress asks what you want to drink, always say "iced tea— unsweetened." You'll cut calories and earn a dose of antioxidants, which are crucial to your body's defense against heart disease, cancer, even wrinkles. A U.S. Department of Agriculture study found that a serving of black tea had more flavonoids than a serving of broccoli or carrots.
43/ GO HALFSIES
Here's a simple rule for buffet eating at a party that'll help you keep your meal balanced for weight loss: Fill half of your plate with vegetables and fruit. Fill the rest of your plate with equal amounts of whole grains and other high-fiber carbs, and lean protein.
44/ SHAKE ON OREGANO
One tablespoon of fresh oregano has the same antioxidant power as an entire apple, according to researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Mexican oregano has the highest count, but Italian oregano and Greek mountain oregano trail closely behind. One of the most versatile herbs, oregano can be added to anything from noodles to meats to salad dressings.
45/ BRING THE HEAT
Scientists at the University of Tasmania in Australia found that overweight people are more likely to slim down after consuming a meal that contains chile peppers than after one that isn't on fire. Capsaicin, the chemical that makes chiles hot, may help the liver clear insulin—the hormone that tells your body to store fat—from the bloodstream after a meal.
46/ KEEP YOUR ABS HARD WITH SOFT CHEESE
Use softer cheeses like goat, feta, and ricotta on pizzas and sandwiches because they're naturally about a third lower in fat and calories than harder cheeses. And when you need the full-fat cheeses, go for strong flavors like Parmesan, blue, and extra-sharp Cheddar—you'll get the same great taste with less cheese.
47/ PREVENT BLOOD SUGAR SPIKES WITH VINEGAR
Start a meal with a salad or vegetables drizzled with a vinaigrette dressing. Arizona State University nutritionists believe that the acetic acid in vinegar interferes with enzymes that break down carbohydrates. A few teaspoons of vinegar per meal can keep blood sugar levels from rising quickly.
48/ KEEP A LITTLE SHRIMP ON HAND
For an easy way to add lean protein to your meals, stock up on frozen shrimp. It defrosts in just 15 minutes under cold running water. And with the cooked variety, you have an instant healthy snack. If uncooked, throw it into your pasta sauces, stir-fries, or noodle soups in the last 5 minutes.
49/ POUR A SECOND ROUND
The typical bottled soft drink contains 2 to 2.5 servings, but of course, it's common to drink the whole bottle in a sitting. Cut your calories in half by pouring half the bottle into a glass to drink now and putting the rest of the bottle in the fridge.
Read more: http://www.womenshealthmag.co.uk/weight-loss/fat-burners/92/49-best-ways-to-lose-belly-fat#ixzz3EEmbuB2ghttp://www.womenshealthmag.co.uk/weight-loss/fat-burners/92/49-best-ways-to-lose-belly-fat/
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