Face it: The worst thing about being on a diet is the food.
The point of a diet, after all, is to deprive you of the wonderful sauces and rich ingredients that have made you overweight. But not every sauce is on the bad-food list. Low-calorie, non-fat sauces can spice up bland chicken and fish and still keep the meal within weight-loss guidelines.
Unfortunately, many dieters become too depressed to figure out what they can have, focusing instead on only what they cannot have.
The result? The tendency to eat the same ”safe” foods day after day, an attitude that diet professionals say is a sure diet-killer.
”People tend to get in a rut,” says Terri Boese, of Weight Watchers`
Dallas office. She says she advises dieters to use ”variety and flexibility” in their diets, together with the concept of portion control that Weight Watchers preaches.
Eduardo Perez, of Diet Center in Dallas, would agree that variety is important to a weight-reduction diet. He says he often reminds his clients,
”If you want to avoid boredom, do not sit down to pan-grilled chicken four times a week.”
Boese encourages Weight Watchers members to ”spice up their foods with chutneys, spices, flavored vinegars, fresh herbs, mustards and Worcestershire sauce.”
Perez says he points out to clients that most spices are allowed on diet plans.
Fight diet boredom with these sauces. Each recipe can be made in 15 minutes and stored in the refrigerator until needed. Use them in 1-tablespoon servings on broiled or grilled chicken and fish, on low-fat cottage cheese and as spreads on bagels, whole-wheat breads.
Both Weight Watchers and Diet Center approve these sauces for use with their diets.
APPLE ONION CHUTNEY
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Yield: About 1 1/2 cups
1 onion, peeled, halved, sliced thin
1 apple, peeled, quartered, cored, sliced thin
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1. Place onion in saucepan over medium heat; cook until soft, stirring regularly. Add apple and ginger; continue cooking, covered, until mixture is soft and apples and onions are well-cooked. Stir in vinegar and cook, uncovered, until liquid is absorbed (total cooking time about 15 minutes).
2. Remove from heat. You may either leave the chutney with chunks or break it up with a potato masher. Let cool; refrigerate until ready to use.
Nutrition information per 1-tablespoon serving: 6 calories, no protein, no fat, no cholesterol, 1 g complex carbohydrates, no sugar, no dietary fiber, 3 mg calcium, no sodium.
CRANBERRY CONSERVE
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Yield: About 2 cups
2 cups cranberries (frozen or fresh)
1/2 cup prepared Crystal Light lemonade (or water mixed with 2 teaspoons lemon juice)
1 slice peeled orange (about 1/2-inch thick)
1 stick cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
1 package artificial sweetener or to taste (substitute sugar if allowed)
1. Mix cranberries with the Crystal Light or water, orange slice, cinnamon stick and cloves. Heat mixture to medium boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring regularly, until berries are popped and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then sweeten to taste with sweetener.
Nutrition information per 1-tablespoon serving: 3 calories, no protein, no fat, no cholesterol, 1 g complex carbohydrates, no sugar, no dietary fiber, 1 mg calcium, no sodium.
CONFETTI SALSA
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Yield: About 3 cups
Use confetti salsa to marinate chicken breasts or white fish. Marinate, refrigerated, up to 24 hours, using 1/2 cup a portion. Discard marinade, then bake or microwave until cooked. You may serve it with chicken on a bed of salsa by adding into your calculations 67 calories for each cup of salsa. Even when you increase serving size and calories, note that the salsa still is fat- free.
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 onion, peeled, finely chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded, finely chopped
1/2 cup canned green chilies
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1. Mix all ingredients and store in refrigerator until ready to use.
Nutrition information per 1-tablespoon serving: 4 calories, no protein, no fat, no cholesterol, 1 g complex carbohydrates, no sugar, no dietary fiber, 1 mg calcium, no sodium.
BERRY SAUCE
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Yield: About 2 cups
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, unsweetened
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, unsweetened
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 package artificial sweetener or to taste (or sugar if allowed)
1. Puree all ingredients in blender or processor. Strain. Chill until ready to serve. Sweeten if desired.
Nutrition information per 1-tablespoon serving: 3 calories, no protein, no fat, no cholesterol, 1 g complex carbohydrates, no sugar, no dietary fiber, 2 mg calcium, no sodium.
