Cutting Calories While Still Enjoying Dinner with Your Family

• When preparing chicken, remove the fat and bake instead of fry.
• Eat fish at least three times a week. The omega-3 oils are a healthy alternative to meat.
• Instead of using regular dressing for salads, prepare lemon vinaigrette. You can also add strips of chicken or turkey to the salad as well.
• Substitute a turkey burger for a beef burger.
• Add three or four vegetables to your dinner instead of potatoes and other carbohydrates.
• Use cooking spray instead of regular oil.
• Whole wheat bread is lower in fat than white bread.

Trying to come up with a healthy meal every night can be difficult, but there are ways in which you can cut calories and still enjoy a delicious dinner. For example, make a vegetable soup that includes: chicken broth, tomato sauce, peas, carrots, mushrooms, onions, broccoli, zucchini, or any other vegetable you have on hand. Not only is this a healthy and filling meal, but there will be more than enough left over for another dinner.

Another dish that is low in calories can be made with chicken legs. Bake them in the oven first, then remove the skin and then add them to a pot of chicken broth, tomato sauce, peas, carrots, and any other vegetable you choose. This dinner is low in fat and is delicious as well.

Portion control can also cut the amount of caloric intake. Utilize smaller dishes or plates for dinner, and instead of diet sodas or other drinks place a pitcher of water on the table.

As stated earlier, there are more vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in vegetables than any other food group. Serve vegetables every night with the main meal. If you do elect to make a meat dish, select the leanest beef you can find. Meat provides protein, and one meat dish a week would be suitable in cutting down overall calories. If your family enjoys pasta, you can substitute broccoli or spinach instead of sauce. While pasta is a carbohydrate, having two pasta meals a week is sufficient. However, omit the bread.

Cutting calories while still enjoying dinner with your family takes a bit of planning, but it can be accomplished by utilizing more vegetables, fish, chicken, and lean meat. There are many different ways you can improvise so that each meal is unique and delicious as well.