Although many variables influence how much you eat, flavor matters most. When trying to lose weight, we should take advantage of what flavor has to offer and make sure it works for us, instead of against us. In earliest posts, I talked about ways in which the taste of vegetables can be improved by cooking them with canola oil or with meat. If you incorporate the following ingredients in your cooking, you can further cut down on the amount of cooking oil or meat needed to flavor up your vegetable dishes. All of these ingredients are fat-free, cholesterol-free, and rich in anti-toxicants and nutrients.
Green Scallion is a young onion with a white base (not yet a bulb) and long green leaves. Available in Asian grocery stores, it is perfect for sautes and soups. When preparing green scallions, first cut them into halves lengthwise and then chop the halves up into half-an-inch long strips. Since they overcook easily, green onions should be added last, about 1 minute away from the completion of the cooking, to preserve their green color and crispy texture.
Garlic is most suitable for salads and stir-fries. For Salads, I like to use minced garlic. For stir-fries, I like to use sliced garlic. At our house, we consume large amounts of stir-fried leafy vegetables, almost all of which are seasoned with garlic. I generally add 2 cloves worth of sliced garlic to each dish. Garlic, when picked in salt, also tastes wonderful.
Ginger is yet another spice that I use frequently in my cooking. I seldom peel it although some people do. Ginger can get rid of the fishy smell of seafood so I use it a lot when preparing seafood dishes.
The struggle for weight loss does not have to be tedious or joyless. By tapping into the flavor factor, you can make sure you stay on the right foods and at the same time keep on enjoying delicious food.