How To Stock Your Kitchen For Weight Loss

Once you decide that it is time to go on diet, preparations have to be made in order to be successful. The foods that you eat will be the major determining factor in what the end result will be. It is best to eliminate all the foods that you should not eat and stock up on healthy foods that will help you to lose weight. Cooking for weight loss does not mean that your food will be bland-tasting and boring as what many persons believe. There are many low calorie alternatives to the foods we eat on a daily basis. Even eating out can be safe for dieting once you know where to eat, how much to eat and what to eat. You need to be very conscious and wise in your weight loss efforts. If you decide to prepare your meals from home, here are some types of foods to stock in your kitchen for weight loss.

These can help to make your diet a tasty one. The mere fact that you are dieting does not mean that your food should taste bland. Seasonings, herbs and spices are essential products that you should stock in your kitchen for weight loss. So, prepare your meals to lose weight in style, add spices, seasonings, herbs and condiments to your dishes, after all, you are not punishing yourself. Make sure that you shop for a variety of flavorings.

Spices and herbs:

Most natural spices, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, anise, Mrs. Dash Original Seasoning, parsley flakes, garlic, basil, rosemary, dried onions, mustard powder, crushed peppers, marjoram and celery salt.

Condiments:

Apple cider vinegar, sugar free barbeque sauce, steak sauce (one that is low in calorie), sugar free ketchup, hot sauce, salt-free tomato paste, salt-free tomato sauce, mustard and reduced fat mayonnaise.

While dieting, it is best to include sugar-free sweeteners like truvia or splendid if you need to have something sweet. These contain minute calories thus giving you the taste without adding unwanted calories to your diet. A tablespoon of sugar can amount to as much as 55 calories. Imagine what a cup would do. Alternative sweeteners are best for weight loss and diabetic problems, however, the best thing to do is to try to avoid adding any for of sweetener if possible. This is because, natural sugar packs calories and artificial sweeteners contain substances that you would probably not want to accumulate in your body.

When it comes to making your coffee or tea a bit more palatable, include fat-free or sugar free creamers like half and half, Kraft non-dairy creamer, reduced fat condensed milk or coffee-mate low fat no sugar creamers. These taste great and contain less fat and sugar.

Dairy products are good for you. They contain a substantial amount of protein, vitamins and minerals like calcium. Be sure to purchase:

- Reduced fat milk, skimmed milk, soy milk or almond milk

- Reduced fat cream cheese spread, Parmesan cheese grated, cottage cheese

- Low fat margarine (no more than 50 calories per tbsp), low fat butter

- Eggs or egg substitute

- Whipped cream (usually less than 8 calories per tbsp), no fat sour cream and fat-free sugar-free ice cream (it is 90 calories per half cup if you must have an occasional sweet and creamy treat).

Complex carbohydrates such as those found in grain foods can add a significant amount of calories to your meal. You have to be very careful, even with whole grain products.

Your shopping list for carbohydrates should include:

Standard carbohydrates:

Bulgur rice (very low in calorie amounting to about 150 calories per cup), brown rice (high calorie but rich in vitamins, about 216 calories per cup), whole wheat flour (high calorie but rich in vitamin B), oatmeal and wheat bran. Wheat bran is extremely low in calories yet rich in fiber. Add it to your flour dishes like breads, pastry and homemade pastas.

Unprocessed Low Carb Fiber Rich Foods:

As an alternative to high starch foods such as rice and flour, you can lower your calorie intake by eating these filling alternatives instead. Good selections are: Sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, plantains, chayote, pumpkin, turnips, beets, radishes, carrots, cauliflower and cabbage. Most of the foods listed contain anywhere between 20 to less than 100 calories per cup and are easily cooked and served with any choice of meat.

It is always a good idea to stock a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables to add to your meals. Vegetables and fruits add flavor to dishes but more importantly, they will help you to feel full without the excess calories. Great diet vegetables and fruits include:

• All green, leafy vegetables like kale, lettuce, spinach
• Tomatoes
• Cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts
• String beans
• Beets, radishes, turnips
• Mushrooms
• Carrots
• Asparagus
• Bananas
• Oranges, Grapefruits, lemons
• Watermelon, Cantaloupe
• Apples
• Apricots, Peaches, Plums
• Avocado
• Pumpkin
• Various berries, Raspberries
• Pineapple, kiwi fruit

Purchase an olive oil based 0 calorie cooking spray, they are great for egg dishes and sauté guaranteed to not make a lot of calories escape in your meals. If you have to do fry dishes, stick to olive oil. Olive oil can aid in the breaking down of fat in your body. There are salt-free and reduced fat butters available. If possible go for an olive oil based margarine which is contain 50 calories or less per tablespoon.

Water is critical for your life and for any successful diet so be sure to get a good water filter such as Pure water filter or Brita or purchase water so that you will always have the fresh beverage at hand. If you do not like the taste of water by itself all the time, then purchase flavor additives like Crystal Lite. Your grocery list for beverages should include:

• Water
• Green tea
• Coffee
• Diet hot chocolate
• Diet Coke or other
• Low calorie, natural fruit juices
• Light beer or low calorie wines and spirits

Carbonated beverages are not ideal when on a diet, but you can go for the diet sodas if you cannot do without a fizzy drink. Alcohol is also a bad idea, but since a diet is best followed if it will not deprive you of some of your regular pleasures, it is okay to occasionally indulge with low calorie alcoholic beverages. But again, it is always best to abstain from alcohol when on a diet as your body will be under a bit of strain adjusting itself to the new diet, let alone having to deal with filtering alcohol from your blood stream.

These are just a few examples of what to stock in your kitchen for weight loss. Since you now have a general idea of what to add to your dieting grocery list, you can make wiser decisions on purchases. Try to eliminate high sugar, high salt, high fat foods from your kitchen. These will prove bad for your weight and health in the long run. Once you decide to start a diet, make sure that you follow all the best guidelines when it comes to food and eating habits so that your efforts are not in vain.