| It is a known fact that a low fat meal plan is not | | | | Lemon or lime juice |
| easy to follow on a long term basis and everyone | | | | Some of the ways I use these ingredients are as |
| who has ever been on a diet knows that. | | | | follows: |
| One of the main reasons, I think, is that meals | | | | Dilute store bought barbecue sauce with water |
| can become boring. After all, how many times a | | | | (my favorite is KC but any brand will do) at a 50 |
| week can you have broiled chicken and enjoy it? | | | | 50 ratio. Add it to grilled chicken or turkey |
| Soon the cravings take over, and people often go | | | | breasts. Diluting the sauce will cut the calories in |
| back to their old foods that made then | | | | half without sacrificing flavor. |
| overweight in the first place. | | | | Add onion powder, garlic powder and powdered |
| Most healthy diets call for low fat meats or fish, | | | | spices to roasts such as turkey breast |
| plus low carbohydrate vegetables prepared in a | | | | Make a dipping sauce with soy sauce, lime juice, |
| low fat way. So that leaves you with steaming or | | | | some red pepper flakes, some chopped scallions |
| broiling, both of which can get very boring. | | | | and a few drops of sesame oil. Sesame oil is very |
| Over the years I have developed some methods | | | | flavorful and a little goes a long way. |
| and combinations that can make the same old | | | | Marinate chicken tenders, chicken breasts or pork |
| diet foods taste better. | | | | tenderloin in a citrus marinade made of lemon or |
| The methods include using low fat-low calorie | | | | lime juice, orange juice and some flavoring agents |
| flavoring ingredients as well as what I call accent | | | | such as chopped up garlic and the herbs of your |
| ingredients, usually low calorie aromatic foods that | | | | choice. You can then spray some oil on a |
| give a lot of flavor without adding calories. | | | | non-stick pan and slowly cook the meat. It will |
| Some of those ingredients include: | | | | brown beautifully because of the sugars in the |
| Flavoring agents: | | | | orange juice. |
| Onion and garlic powders | | | | Flavor your fish (steamed or broiled) with fruit |
| Herbs | | | | salsas. |
| Tamari soy sauce (most flavorful) | | | | Use a good quality balsamic vinegar (preferably |
| Chili powder or flakes | | | | from Italy) to add to steamed vegetables or to a |
| Miso (Japanese soy bean paste) | | | | tomato or avocado salad. |
| Bottled barbecue sauce | | | | Dilute miso with a little rice vinegar and a fruit |
| Balsamic vinegar | | | | juice (orange, apple, etc, no sugar added) for a |
| Rice vinegar | | | | flavorful salad dressing. |
| Cumin | | | | Dieting does not have to be boring if you use |
| Low calorie "accent" ingredients: | | | | your imagination to make the meals more |
| Jalapeno peppers | | | | flavorful. Play around with the ingredients listed |
| Scallions | | | | here and you will be surprised how well food can |
| Garlic | | | | taste with very little effort. |