Many people these days want to control their diets so they are eating low calorie foods, but low calorie foods that still taste great. The way to get low calorie foods that taste great is through light calorie cooking. There are a few tips to consider when embarking on light calorie cooking adventures where the calories are low but the taste is high.

Margarine As Opposed to Butter

When following recipes when preparing a meal, there are many recipes that now list a choice between using butter as an ingredient or margarine. By using margarine in the recipe instead of butter the cook cuts the caloric content significantly yet still keeps a good taste overall. It is very hard to tell the difference between margarine and butter that is used in cooked foods and since margarine is lower in calories it is a great substitute. So, the next time you are cooking and run across a choice between butter or margarine as an ingredient make the healthy and low calorie choice by using margarine. The taste will remain great and it won’t affect your waistline!

Splenda as Opposed to Sugar

Another great way in which to save on the caloric intake is to use Splenda in one’s recipes as opposed to sugar. Splenda consists of sucralose, which was approved for sale on the market in the late 1990s. Not only is this ingredient low in calories but it is great tasting as well. Splenda is also a wonderful ingredient to use in baked foods as it is heat stable and there is no real loss of the substance during cooking. For these reasons, Splenda is a great ingredient to use when cooking using those recipes which call for sugar. You won’t notice a difference, but you will enjoy great foods and beverages with considerably less calories!

These are two ways in which a calorie-conscious individual can make fantastic light calorie meals that are abundant in the taste department and easy on the waistline as well.

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Vegetables are strongly recommended because they offer a wide category of health benefits. Veggies are leading sources for many essential nutrients, such as vitamins A and C and folate. In addition, vegetable diets may prevent risk of several chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some of the major cancers of the Western world such as cancer of the stomach , lung, mouth, esophagus , colon and rectum.

By nature most vegetables are low in calories. They are great in salads because people can eat them in their natural low-fat, low-calorie form.

Cooking vegetables properly is very important. Their weight control value depend on how they are prepared. If you want to loose weight you must avoid fried potatoes. The best for a healthy life style is to lightly steam vegetables in the microwave on the top of the stove. It is important to use as little water as possible to preserve their maximum nutrition power.

In order to rise the vegetable consumption, here are some ways you may follow:

1. Keep your meat on your dinner plate no more than 3-ounces (about the size of a woman’s palm) and make the vegetable portions at least twice the size of your meat portion.
2. To avoid a grain calorie overload, eat equal portions of vegetables and grains at dinner. A cup of cooked rice or pasta has about 200 calories, whereas a cup of cooked veggies doles out a mere 50 calories.
3. If you use a sandwich for your lunch, make it half as usual and add a veggie salad to create a more satisfying, higher volume mid-day meal.
4. If you need a fast snack, build a sandwich that has more lettuce and tomato than meat. Be creative and try to eliminate meat and bred from your snacks.
5. If you are a pre-dinner muncher, try a plate of veggies before dinner to help curb your appetite.

Valerian D is a freelance writer specialized in health issues like obesity. This condition may shorten life expectancy