It’s so easy to pile on the kilos, especially when you are a food writer, so making diet food taste fabulous is my new passion.
I’m over supersizing and into mini-me these days using a combination of Lite n' Easy and home cooking. Just to be clear, this is not a sponsored post but rather the results of some hard dieting and creative thinking.
Lite n' Easy has been my food friend for about six months as I try the balance the excesses of frequent dining out and tripping around the countryside tasting wonderful food. Yes, I am extremely fortunate to have food and travel writer as my job description, but I also need to look after my health and that means keeping my weight at a reasonable level.
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| Add chopped mint to your fruit. |
I didn’t start on Lite n' Easy because I thought it would be fabulous food. Instead, I hoped it would get me on the path to a sensible eating plan, and it has. I now eat much smaller meals and actually feel overfull if I indulge in too much food. It took a while till I stopped feeling as though I wanted to gnaw my own leg off in hunger, but I’m now quite happy with small portions.
But I’m easily bored and even though we have weekends off, I’m still craving some extra flavours during the week. So here are the easy ways I amp up the flavours in my Lite & Easy meals without adding extra calories.
1. Salt and pepper.
But not any old salt and pepper. I’ve got a macrobiotic sea salt from Olssens and I put a little grind of that on my meal. You could also try their truffle salt or red gum smoked salt. I also have a grinder of mixed peppercorns that adds another flavour dimension.
2. Lime and lemon juice.
These are great companions to many meals, especially those that include salmon or salads. Just a squeeze will do it.
3. Fresh herbs.
I keep pots of herbs on the kitchen bench to add freshly chopped herbs at a moment’s notice. There’s usually parsley, coriander, mint and basil. I buy small plants from the supermarket and sometimes pot them up but usually just place the plant in a slightly larger container and it works quite well. Sometimes they graduate to the garden when I replace them with a new plant. You would be amazed how a small amount of freshly chopped herbs can boost the flavour of a meal.
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| A typical Lite & Easy breakfast pack |
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| My flavour amps included chopped mint on the peaches and a good sprinkle of cinnamon on the yoghurt. |
4. Cinnamon.
One of the power foods, there are claims that cinnamon can lower blood sugar levels, reduce heart disease risk factors, and help Alzheimers. It will even make you a cup of tea in the morning! Well, not surprisingly, the last comment is fiction and I make no claims that the others are true either, but I will tell you that it’s a great flavour boost on your cereal.
5. Salad greens and edible flowers.
These I like to add to salads to bulk it up a little and add freshness and colour. Straight from my garden to the bowl. Yes, there’s a few tiny extra calories involved.
Do you have some tips and tricks to add flavour to your food without adding extra calories? Please share them in the comments below.
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post.