The Weight Loss Coach
Example of a Dieter's Kitchen
Written by Sky Taylor, Diet Bites
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Tom & Sky show Dieter Frank how to really slice a pizza. |
What foods should be commonly kept in a dieter's humble kitchen or pantry? Let's see...
Tom and I live a good ways from a fancy market so we make heavy use of frozen foods, dried foods and canned foods. When we shop, the first foods that we prepare in the days that follow are the fresh-produce purchases.
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The foods below are the standard items that can be found in our quaint little kitchen from time-to-time. We hope this list offers a pattern to dieters seeking foods to fill up their kitchens. Vegetarians can adjust the foods that won't fit into their daily diet plan.
The Fruit Group Selections for Dieters
Fruits: fresh fruits, frozen fruits, canned fruits in natural, light or sugar free juices.
Dried fruits, which we like to store in tiny jars. Keeping dried fruits around always ensures a great loaf of low calorie, low fat fruit bread, trail mix.
Right now, we must have about 10 jars of preserves working in the fridge. They are great low calorie sauce options because a little goes a long way.
Apple butter and applesauce also have a spot in our pantry and substitute nicely for shortening and oils for baking purposes.
The Protein Group Selections for Dieters
Meats & Proteins: Peanut butter (regular), bacon (70 calories per 2 slices and it adds great flavor to dishes when used in moderation), canned tuna in water, canned chicken in water (we think Tyson's rocks!), fish, lean meats.
Ground turkey substitutes nicely for ground beef in so many recipes and often makes the recipe taste even better - such as in meatloaf.
Nuts n Seeds: Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, a variety of shelled nuts.
The Veggie Group Selections for Dieters
Vegetables: Sprouts, fresh parsley, cilantro, assorted fresh vegetables, dried mushrooms, dried peppers, sun-dried tomatoes.
Dairy: Skim milk (or 1%, sometimes 2% milk), low fat sour cream, low fat cottage cheese, skim mozzarella cheese, low fat ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese. We also keep on hand a tiny pack of regular butter or margarine for recipes where nothing else will do when creating a specific flavor. The key is moderation.
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The Grain Group Selections for Dieters
Grains: Wheat pasta, white pasta, long grain/long cooking rice (we are fond of our rice cooker), brown rice, couscous, whole grain bread, Quaker Oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, Raisin Bran, Corn Tortillas, Flour Tortillas, wheat crackers, bagels, English muffins.
Baking Food Products: Wheat flour, white flour, cornstarch, yeast, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cracked pepper, extracts, dried spices, cooking spray, olive oil, no calorie butter spray, egg substitutes, fig cookie bars, no calorie sweeteners.
Treats, Snacks, Condiments While Dieting
Treats & Snacks: Fortune cookies (or small waffle cones which taste very similar to fortune cookies), popcorn cakes, pretzels, jerky, sugar free pudding, sugar free gelatin, low calorie yogurt, 15-calorie frozen whipped topping, dark chocolate, saltine crackers, sherbet, bag of unpopped corn for the hot-air popper.
Beverages: Assorted herb teas, Orange Pekoe tea, green teas, diet sodas, sugar free juices, flavored coffees, regular coffee.
Condiments: Light Mayo, assorted mustards (French's Mustard makes a cranberry variety that has a great bite that we love), light salad dressings, duck sauce, Chinese cooking sauces (we love Tsang's!), spaghetti sauces, maple syrup, powdered low fat creamer for coffee.
Do Tom and I ever have any deadly foods in the house?
Well, when you really get down to it, many individuals might feel that the dark chocolate, fig cookies, the whipped topping and a few more items on our food list are bad. We feel that almost any food can be incorporated into a healthy diet plan - and that moderation is the key.
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