Healthy food can be as mouthwatering as creamy pasta or a sumptuous burrito -- yet many of my clients still think "boring" when they imagine a healthy diet. I tell them they don't have to be whizzes in the kitchen to make healthy food taste good. Just pick up a few key, flavorful items from the grocery store, such as the ones below.
Vinaigrette: Use a tablespoon of this classic -- a combo of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and mustard -- to top steamed vegetables, grilled greens, bean salads, chicken, shrimp, or tofu. Or limit yourself to up to 120 calories if you buy a store brand.
Bacon: Turkey bacon is lower in saturated fat than pork, but even pork is okay in moderation. Crumble on a salad, add to sautéed or steamed vegetables, or use it to top a turkey sandwich. Your max: 90 calories. That's about three strips of turkey bacon, three strips of Gwaltney 40% reduced-fat bacon, or 2 strips of regular bacon.
Guacamole: A bean burrito can taste a little dry — even with a dollop of salsa -- but add guacamole and you'll have a much more satisfying experience. Treat yourself to two tablespoons if there are other fats in your meal or indulge in 1/4 cup if guacamole will be the only fat you're eating.
Toasted nuts: Freshly roasted nuts add texture, taste, and richness to your meals. For instance, pine nuts (pignoli) pair beautifully with sautéed spinach, broccoli rabe, and other sautéed greens. Toasted walnuts are naturals on salad, oatmeal, rice, couscous, or bulgur wheat. Slivered almonds or pecans are wonderful on fruit salad. To toast: Heat in your toaster oven at 250° for about 4 to 6 minutes, watching carefully that they don't burn. Have 2 tablespoons (about 90 calories).
Cheese: It helps if you like stronger-tasting cheese; a little goes a long way. A tablespoon of Parmesan, for example, gives boring steamed broccoli the same lift as it does a bowl of pasta with tomato sauce. A pungent goat cheese makes any salad -- and your standard turkey sandwich — much richer. Max out at 1/2 ounce of regular or 1 ounce of reduced-fat.
Low-fat or fat-free sauces Artery-clogging Alfredo or cheese sauces aren't the only tasty types -- lighter sauces do the trick, too. Reduced-sodium soy sauce transforms a stir-fry; a side of yogurt/cucumber/mint sauce moistens a skinless chicken breast; fresh herb-infused light mayo tastes great with fish; barbecue sauce, mustard sauce, and many others perk up grilled foods. Limit yourself to 50 calories per serving.
Good Diet Foods that Taste Great
