Secret Weapon #7 (I know its been a while)
Secret weapon #7= Seasoning mixes and prep techniques!
If food is properly seasoned it suddenly goes from "diet food" to "gourmet decadence".
And altering your food prep can take a food you eat everyday from "ho-hum" to "wow!"
Lettuce, for instance, is mostly water, so if you eat a lettuce heavy salad you will be unsatisfied and definitely unfulfilled meal-wise.
So here's what you do: Start with a nutrient rich base of romaine lettuce and spinach. Add 1/4 cup each of the following as you like cherry tomatoes, cucumber, roasted almonds, chickpeas (or dollops of hummus or baked hummus for protein!), red bell pepper, avocado, red onion. 1 T nutritional yeast (nutty cheesy flavor with loads of vitamins including b-complex) Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on black pepper and sea salt.
Some more Examples:
Cream cheese= blah bagel topping
Cream cheese + seasoning = cheesecake
baguette= yawn crusty bread
(okay maybe not totally, but just go with me here)
baguette + olive oil + sea salt = *sigh* I'm in love!
baguette + olive oil + cinnamon + agave + soy milk = bread pudding delight!
pasta= ho hum
pasta+ olive oil+ oregano+ basil+ sun dried tomatoes = i need a moment alone with this
Carrots, for instance, are okay, but lets kick it up a notch. Instead of just chopping them why not shave them into ribbons?
You get the idea? Go crazy with it!
Experiment and turn bland foods into delicious treats without all the calories from added oils, frying, butter and other foods and techniques that don't work with your body.
These principles also apply to trying new foods. If the food seems strange or you've had it before, but didn't really like it, try preparing the food in a way you really enjoy. For instance:
Think tofu is icky? Scramble it like eggs and add in your favorite add ins (scrambled tofu with mushrooms onions and cheese sub).
Don't like wheat bread? Try a "white" whole wheat bread. Or make it into french toast. Probably not a good idea to only eat french toast for breakfast, but it will help you get used to the taste. Use it for grilled cheese, pb and jelly sandwiches or any other recipe that infuses the bread with a flavor you are familiar with and enjoy regularly.
Tired of fruit? Try a smoothie. Or a fruit crisp (who said fruit crisp had to be made with apples only?).
Wary of eggplant? Try Eggplant Parmesan. Its prepared the same way except with breaded eggplant instead of chicken.
If food is properly seasoned it suddenly goes from "diet food" to "gourmet decadence".
And altering your food prep can take a food you eat everyday from "ho-hum" to "wow!"
Seasoning
Lettuce, for instance, is mostly water, so if you eat a lettuce heavy salad you will be unsatisfied and definitely unfulfilled meal-wise.
So here's what you do: Start with a nutrient rich base of romaine lettuce and spinach. Add 1/4 cup each of the following as you like cherry tomatoes, cucumber, roasted almonds, chickpeas (or dollops of hummus or baked hummus for protein!), red bell pepper, avocado, red onion. 1 T nutritional yeast (nutty cheesy flavor with loads of vitamins including b-complex) Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle on black pepper and sea salt.
Some more Examples:
Cream cheese= blah bagel topping
Cream cheese + seasoning = cheesecake
baguette= yawn crusty bread
(okay maybe not totally, but just go with me here)
baguette + olive oil + sea salt = *sigh* I'm in love!
baguette + olive oil + cinnamon + agave + soy milk = bread pudding delight!
pasta= ho hum
pasta+ olive oil+ oregano+ basil+ sun dried tomatoes = i need a moment alone with this
Food Preparation
Carrots, for instance, are okay, but lets kick it up a notch. Instead of just chopping them why not shave them into ribbons?
You get the idea? Go crazy with it!
Experiment and turn bland foods into delicious treats without all the calories from added oils, frying, butter and other foods and techniques that don't work with your body.
These principles also apply to trying new foods. If the food seems strange or you've had it before, but didn't really like it, try preparing the food in a way you really enjoy. For instance:
Think tofu is icky? Scramble it like eggs and add in your favorite add ins (scrambled tofu with mushrooms onions and cheese sub).
Don't like wheat bread? Try a "white" whole wheat bread. Or make it into french toast. Probably not a good idea to only eat french toast for breakfast, but it will help you get used to the taste. Use it for grilled cheese, pb and jelly sandwiches or any other recipe that infuses the bread with a flavor you are familiar with and enjoy regularly.
Tired of fruit? Try a smoothie. Or a fruit crisp (who said fruit crisp had to be made with apples only?).
Wary of eggplant? Try Eggplant Parmesan. Its prepared the same way except with breaded eggplant instead of chicken.
SOYou don't have to "love" every food, but with a few tricks and techniques you might learn that the food you "hated" isn't that bad. And the food you thought was "boring" is quite fun.
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