Kitchen Makeover

By:
Bridget Kelly

Once you decide to change your dietary ways, making your new meal plan a way of life is the real challenge. Staying on course is easier if you give your kitchen a "healthy cooking" makeover. Believe it or not, cooking nutritious, diet-friendly meals doesn't have to mean following a recipe.

If you keep the right food staples and the right equipment on hand, you can whip up countless good-for-you, flavorful creations-without excess fat and calories. The key is in the little, seemingly unimportant ingredients that are typically added for some flavor and variety. "The better the condiment, the more often you'll avoid using fat," says Dayle Hayes, M.S., R.D., a registered dietician in Billings, Montana.

What would a registered dietician put into the perfect weight-loss promoting pantry? Just keep the following basics around the house and pair them with your favorite fruits, vegetables and low-fat meats to concoct mouth-watering meals anytime.

Cooking classics:

Olive oil: Experiment with some of the new gourmet, flavored olive oils. "These have so much flavor that you don't have to use as much oil," Hayes says. "Hot chile oil can be used to make a great spicy shrimp dish." Look for garlic-, rosemary-, and lemon-infused oils, too.

Cooking sprays: These convenient, mess-free sprays can give your dishes less fat and more zing. And now there are flavored varieties, which add the taste of olive oil, garlic and lemon to your meals.

Tomato products: Have several varieties handy, including plain tomato sauce with basil or garlic, tomato paste, and stewed tomatoes (if you like them spicy, go for Mexican-style with jalapeño peppers). These canned goods can be used to jazz up a myriad of low-fat recipes.

Easy add-ins:

Dried fruits: An energizing, simple way to get your "five-a-day." Dried cranberries are a tangy addition to oatmeal or mixed green salads. A small bag of dried fruit can travel anywhere, and you can create your own dried fruit combinations, like a tropical mishmash of mangoes, papaya, apricots.

Sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts: Toss these into pasta, rice or on top of a low-fat pizza. They also make great additions to lean ham or turkey sandwiches.

Creative condiments:

High-quality mustard: As delicious, flavor-packed substitutes for mayo, mustards are the perfect base for a tangy dipping sauce. More exotic varieties make a delightfully different sandwich spread. With so many varieties out there, you're sure to find one you love (try spicy, honey Dijon, and slightly sweet mustards).

Balsamic vinegars: You can buy scores of vinegars in your local gourmet store, and many of them contain zesty ingredients, like garlic, or even fruit juices, like raspberry. Use these to fashion fancy, but deceptively easy, salad dressings without much oil.

Jars of chopped garlic and ginger: While it's always better to use fresh ingredients, pre-chopped garlic and ginger are huge time-savers and still taste wonderful. Keep them around for moments when you're short on prep time.

Spice rack staples:

A wide variety of dried herbs and spices. Some basics to have in the kitchen: basil for anything Italian, dill to gussy-up roasted red potatoes, dried ginger for instant Asian flair, bay leaves for tasty soups and stews, and rosemary for Mediterranean flavor.

Once you've collected a few basics, Hayes recommends buying yourself one different herb or spice each month. Spend that month exploring the different uses for this spice, you can read the label if you need some ideas.

Essential equipment:

Now that you know how to stock your pantry, make sure your kitchen has the following five pieces of healthy-meal making equipment and you'll be on your way to whipping up weight loss:

• A blender Get a powerful blender that can crush ice easily, so you can create low-fat breakfast smoothies. Blenders can also be used for quick sauces and tasty pureed soups.
• A nonstick grill pan Invest in a nonstick grill pan for imparting wonderful flavor with little or no added fat. Special ridges leave the same pleasing marks as an outdoor grill, while they whisk away fat.
• A kitchen scale, measuring cups and spoons Portion control is critical when it comes to losing or maintaining weight. Measure your food and estimate how much you should be eating.
• Nonstick pots and pans Specially-coated cookware makes low-fat cooking possible, and prevents food from adhering to the pan. Remember to treat them with care: use only plastic or wooden utensils, since metals can scratch the delicate surface.
• A steamer basket Steaming is one of the best ways to retain the natural freshness of foods. Try steaming with lemon-infused water, fruit juice or broth for added flavor. Choose a special insert for your saucepan, or the bamboo or electric variety.