Looking good and being fit is such a common thing nowadays. It is not longer restricted to the celebrities only who make a living by fitting into size zero jeans. Today, every person is on a personal quest to look good. Somewhere along the way, to look good and for fitter bodies, we have to compromise on a few finer things that life has to offer. However, we should never compromise on good tasting food. There is a big misconception that good tasting food is equals to lots of calories. There are specific ingredients that you can be healthy cooking substitutions in your favorite recipes, which will give you the same great taste but won’t increase your bulge.

The bakery goods like cakes and pastries, needs egg to taste as delicious as they can be. Instead of using egg, you can use apple juice or prune puree to get the same result. If you really want to use an egg as ingredient, then use the white instead of the yolk. Two egg whites are equals to one entire egg.

If you do not want to use oil but don’t want to risk the food sticking on the pan, then invest in a good non stick pan or skillet. With a nonstick pan you can sauté or stir fry without the need of oil. Even a great vegetable like okra, which is rich in lots of nutrients, when deep fried in heavy batter will lose its nutritional value. Instead of deep frying vegetables, opt to steam, grill or stir fry with light oil.

Cheese is something that most people love to eat, whether it is out of the package or in your food. With so many kinds of cheeses, there is always bound to be a less fatty cheese. If you are cooking a dish which requires a cheese base, opt for a skimmed cheese like parmesan, feta or gorgonzola, since their more pungent flavors will make you want to use less. Don’t douse your salads with creamy dressings and expect to lose weight. Instead, be healthy and use vinegar based dressings.

For most of the non vegetarians out there, the idea of giving up meat for the sake of their health seems absurd. Instead of giving up meat all together, use healthier meats in your daily diet. Choose lean meats like turkey and chicken. Even with these meats, go for the turkey breast or the chicken breast. There are the leaner parts of the white meat animals and still taste great. If you insist on indulging on red meat, make sure you trim the fat on the meat before cooking it.

It is not always about looking good only; it’s also about being healthy in the long run. Salt is one of the biggest culprits. Though it makes your food taste better and you need it to survive, too much of it may lead to high blood pressure, osteoporosis, asthma or other health problems.

So, the next time you think you need to compromise on the good food and decide to eat bad tasting food just because you think it is healthier, think again. Use healthy cooking substitutions that taste just as good as the real thing and this could also save you from constant visits to the doctor.

Mark Perry

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