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Many people believe that low-fat foods taste bland while the really tasty food is often greasy and unhealthy. To be honest, that is indeed the case to a certain extent despite what the health fanatics say. For most people, a cheeseburger from a fast food stand will always taste better than some healthy, low-fat dish that was whipped up at home. This is due to habit.
In this article, you will learn how to cook with less fat without sacrificing too much taste. It may take a while to get used to it, but when you do, you will be able to use less fat and still have mouth-watering dishes. Let’s look at some ways to flavor your food.
How to Add Flavor to Low-fat Foods
• Use the Right Herbs and Spices
Since you’re using less fat, you’ll need to compensate for the lack of taste by spicing up your food. Depending on the herbs and spices you use, many different tasty outcomes are possible. If you like hot food, it’s time to use spices such as cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, etc.
You could also use garlic to bring flavor to a stir-fried vegetable dish. This is a very popular Chinese method of cooking. Want a fruity, lemony touch? Use some lemon balm with your fish or poultry. If you’re making a tomato-based dish, throw in some basil, and it will also enhance the taste of the lean meats.
• Use Lemon Juice
A very popular method of flavoring dishes is to add grated lemon to the dish. You’ll need to freeze the lemon till it’s hard and grate it finely. Place your gratings in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge.
Whenever you’re making meats and vegetables, sprinkle some of these lemon gratings on your dish. It is excellent for adding flavor. You can use it for steamed vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, asparagus, etc. You can use lemon juice on salads too.
• Use Good Fats
Coconut oil is an excellent example of good fat. So is extra virgin olive oil. When preparing hot dishes, use coconut oil because it has a high smoke point. Your dishes will take on a slight “coconutty” taste, and some people might take a while to get used to it. Despite these being good fats, moderation is necessary to ensure that you are not consuming too many calories unknowingly.
• Add Gourmet Salt
The normal table salt sold in stores is not healthy. However, gourmet salts such as Himalayan Rock Salt is healthy and are perfect for adding flavor to your food without piling on the sodium. There are other salts such as flavored salt, smoked salt and kosher salt that you may wish to try too.
• Use Strong Cheeses and Plain Yogurt
Strong cheeses such as Feta and Parmesan are low in fat but high in flavor. Just grate a bit of these cheese on your dish, and you will have lots of flavor without the fat.
Yogurt is also a very healthy food that can be used to make your food tasty. It can be used as a substitute for creams and buttermilk. It’s less fattening and still rich in taste. Just make sure that your yogurt is plain and strained.
• Add a Dash of Fat-Free Evaporated Milk
This is a low-fat dairy product that can be whipped and used in recipes which require thick cream sauces that are fatty. It’s a good substitute that has flavor without the fat.
By incorporating these tips, your food will be tasty, and you will be able to endure being on a low-fat diet. Most people give up on their diets because the lure of the tasty, unhealthy food is too strong. If you’re able to make healthy food that is low in calories taste good, you will be much more likely to stick to your low-fat diet and reach your weight loss and health goals. Do give these a try.
