1. Stuff your recipes with vegetables. This trick powers up the nutrition and satisfaction without adding many calories. Vegetables are used to replace fat in cakes, stretch starchy dishes, and add volume to entrees.
2. Read labels. Understanding food labels [and] normal portion sizes, and some low-fat, low- calorie cooking skills is all you need to slim down.
3. Stock up on healthy ingredients. Most people say they are too busy to cook, but if you plan ahead, make grocery-shopping lists, stock the kitchen with good ingredients and cookware, cooking can be faster than going to pick up take-out.
4. Roast vegetables to bring out their flavor. Whenever you can, roast or caramelize your veggies before adding to recipes for a delicious, naturally sweet flavor.
5. Replace fat in baked goods. Replace part of the fat in baked goods with shredded zucchini, carrots, and applesauce -- no one can tell the difference.
6. Use a pastry brush to dab oil on food instead of pouring it into the pan.
7. Use egg-white meringue for icing. This trick slashes the fat but still tastes indulgent.
8. Use healthier substitutes in recipes. Reduced-fat peanut butter, mayonnaise, and coconut milk; fat-free Greek yogurt; low-fat buttermilk; skim milk; low-fat cheeses and skim evaporated milk can stand in for higher-fat counterparts in recipes.
9. Enhance foods with richly flavored rubs and marinades. Instead of barbecue sauces, use herbs to flavor meats, fish and chicken
10. Decrease your reliance on meat. Buy family-style cuts of meat like flank or London broil and slice them thin. Butterfly boneless chicken breasts to make the portion look larger.
11. Stock your kitchen with measuring spoons and jugs in differing sizes for portion control.
12. Lightly dress salads with vinaigrettes before serving to avoid over-dressing at the table.
