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Keep It Real

Your focus should be on health before weight. To accomplish this goal, stock your fridge with real ingredients – that means whole, unprocessed foods. A little real and flavourful food goes a long way, so I keep it in moderation.

Be Choosy with Cheese

Cheese is a stellar source of calcium and protein. For certain varieties – like mozzarella, Swiss or cheddar – I don’t mind opting for reduced-fat. But for stronger flavoured cheeses, such as mature cheddar or Gorgonzola, I stick with the real thing because I can use smaller quantities to get the same flavour hit. And I always have naturally lower-in-fat cheeses, such as Pecorino Romano or Parmesan, in my fridge to boost the flavour in a variety of dishes.

Lose Light Butters and Vegetable Spreads

You’re better off going for a dab of real butter instead of those highly processed spreads. I usually cook with healthy oils, but once in a while, butter is necessary. Cookies, pastry and scones, for instance, often require butter; and for those occasions, I go for the real thing and simply use smaller amounts.

Replace Artificially Sweetened Yoghurt

Stock up instead on plain, fat-free or low-fat yoghurt or Greek yoghurt. You’d be surprised by how many low-calorie yoghurts use artificial sweeteners to keep the calories down. Plain Greek yoghurt doesn’t have any added sweeteners and it’s higher in protein. Sweeten it yourself with fresh fruit or a drizzle of honey.

Dispose of Shop-Bought Salad Dressings

Lose those bottled salad dressings (yes, even the low-fat ones) and make your own from scratch. It’s easy, tastes better, will save you money and will put you in control over what you add to your recipe. (See Fabulous Main-Dish Salads on here for dressing recipes.)

Ditch the Fizzy Drinks

Don’t drink your calories away! You can save hundreds of calories by simply swapping fizzy drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages for still or sparkling water. Need a little flavour? Toss in some fruit, such as watermelon slices, berries or lemon, lime or orange wedges; or add some slices of cucumbers or fresh mint.