March 12, 2012

Beat those food cravings without starving yourself. Sadly we all fall in the trap of cooking our dishes in the same manner as we have been doing since ages. But the interesting fact about food is its versatility. The habit of not experimenting while preparing your meal makes all the fatty ingredients an obvious choice but if you know the right healthy options you can save yourself from this error. The food cravings that we have are so strong that we fail to even stay away from them for even a few days. The solution to reach to your goal is to control these cravings. By substituting some of the food you can ensure that your body feels full and healthy and the old family recipe also retains its flavour. Here are some of the healthy eating habits that can make your meals more nutritious and help you to reach your desired goal.

Replace refined flour with whole grain flours like corn, soy, millet, or barley

Whole grains like corn, soy millet, barley etc are rich sources of protein, dietary fibre and other essential nutrients. You can start by simply substituting your regular roti with whole grain flours. They can also be used for making pastas, cookie dough and cake batters. Whole wheat is a great thickening agent and can be used instead of refined and processed flour or cream.

Replace cashew nuts with almonds

Almonds are considered to be healthier even though cashew nuts are nutritious too. While adding cashew nuts in dishes and desserts, try to replace them with soaked almonds the next time. There are many Indian dishes that require a cashew nut paste as an ingredient, you can cut down on the quantity and try almonds instead.

Replace cream with yogurt

Cream is used to thicken and enhance the texture and flavours of majority of Indian curries. But seldom must you have thought to replace it with a whole milk yogurt or even a low fat yogurt. You can start by reducing the cream and adding the yogurt instead or better completely replace it. Yogurt based curries are as delicious as any other dish and are also a great option for a healthy dessert or a snack. It is by far the best substitute you can include in your dishes.

Replace ice cream with frozen and blended banana

For people who have sweet cravings, it is very difficult to let go of their ice cream scoop even if they have a full tummy. Substitute the ice cream with frozen fruits like banana. You can try blending the banana and add any flavour as you want. You can even add some roasted nuts and honey on top of the dessert and satisfy the sugary longing.

Replace mayonnaise with butter or mustard

We all love our grilled sandwiches and junk food which keep us hooked because of its taste. We find the mayonnaise so tempting that instead of occasional binging, we eat it every day in breakfast or in the snacks. Control this unhealthy habit by replacing it with butter or mustard sauce, both of which gel well with burger, sandwich or toasts.