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Turning Winter Warmers into Summer Slimmers
When its a cold and rainy winter’s day, the last thing you feel like eating is a cold chicken salad! Winter is the season for warm comfort foods, like hearty casseroles, scrumptious slow cooked meals and the old favourite, Sunday roast. With comfort food that keeps you warm, often also comes some comfort kilos to keep you warm too.
But winter has come to an end, and its time to get those arms and legs some sunshine, and maybe even that belly too if you’re the bikini wearing type! So its time to swap your winter comforts for some summer slimmers, and we have all the tips you need to do just that. Here we have taken a winter favourite and converted it to more waistline friendly summer version. Use the example on the next page to make some lighter summer versions of your own winter recipes.
Sunday Roast to Sunday Wok and Grill
The traditional Sunday roast consists of roast meat, baked potatoes, pumpkin and carrot (baked with oil) , boiled or steamed broccoli, cauliflower, peas and corn, accompanied by gravy or white sauce (and sometimes both!) Not only is this a lot of food, it can add up to a lot of kilojoules and fat. Yes, a Sunday roast is great occasionally, but who wants to slave over a hot oven when the sun is shining, and who needs those extra kilojoules when its swimsuit season.
It is very simple to turn the above ingredients into something quick and tasty, and shed a heap of those added kilojoules and fats as well. First of all, choose your meat. Whether its a beef steak, chicken breast or piece of pork, make it lean. Choose lean steaks and remove the visible fat, and choose skinless chicken breasts. Use a non stick pan to grill them on the stove, or make the most of the sunshine and grill them outside on the BBQ. Wrap some small potatoes in alfoil and bake them in the oven, or even place them on the BBQ for some healthy potatoes in their jackets. Meanwhile, throw the carrot, broccoli, cauliflower, peas and corn (snow peas and baby corn are great summer alternatives) in a wok with a small amount of water. Add a tablespoon of honey, and a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce and stir fry until the vegetables are cooked to your liking. Serve the potatoes up with a dollop of low fat natural yoghurt, alongside the wok vegetables and grilled meat.
Nutritional Saving: per average plate serve
Sunday Roast - 4010kj, 43.5g fat
Sunday Wok and Grill - 1808kj, 8.3g fat
Nutritional Saving = 2202kj, 35.2g fat
Pace Down the Pasta
Spaghetti Bolognese is a winter family favourite, but it can be a bit heavy, and a bit hot for a nice summer evening. Why not make it into a healthy pasta salad? Cook some penne or spiral pasta according to packet instructions. Add your desired vegetables (eg peas, corn, capsicum, carrot, mushroom, shallots) to a wok with a little water and cook until just softened. Toss the vegetables through the pasta and add a low fat dressing such as balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, low fat mayonnaise or reduced fat natural yoghurt.
More Ways with Potato
Forget slaving over the hot oven to roast potatoes on a hot summer night. There are plenty of easier options to make potatoes tasty, without the added oil. Boil or steam potatoes in their jackets or bake them in the oven or on the BBQ and serve with low fat yoghurt, low fat mayonnaise or just good old tomato sauce. Make a healthy potato salad using low fat mayonnaise or a mixture of grain mustard and lemon juice.
Fruity Desserts
Apple pie and ice cream, bread and butter pudding and apple crumbles have no place in the summer heat, and no place in your bathing suit, so switch them for lighter fruit dessert options this summer. Fresh fruit salad is always great on a hot summer night. Jazz it up with some low fat yoghurt and a drizzle of honey. For sweet tooth occasions, use single serve pavlova shells topped with low fat yoghurt and fresh or frozen berries, banana slices or crushed tin fruit. Fruit kebabs and low fat yoghurt dip are a more fun way to enjoy fruit. Prepare enough for a few days so they are always in the fridge if you feel peckish on a hot day.
Added to site on : Monday, 31 October 2011