You have adhered to your meal plans, you have consistently exercised, and you have rested adequately, yet for some reason, you are not seeing any progress. What could be the issue? Well, the answer may lie in your cooking habits.
Just because you cook at home (which is great!), doesn't always mean it's healthier for you. Sometimes, we are a bit more relaxed when cooking at home and don't necessarily make the healthiest choices. And worse yet? Sometimes we don't even realize we're doing it!
A pinch here or a couple of extra teaspoons there may not seem like a big deal, but they really can be. The small things can add up quicker than you think.
Here are six cooking habits that may secretly be derailing your diet or nutrition goals.
6 cooking habits that can sabotage your diet
#1 Unmeasured Ingredients
You've prepared the dish a thousand times, you know how much of each ingredient is in it, right? Well, maybe, but you shouldn't just rely on your eyesight. Make sure to always measure your food. If you accidentally use too many ingredients (especially oil, rice, or meat), you could be adding hundreds of calories to your meal without even realizing it.
#2 A little too much "tasting" along the way
While a cook should always taste for seasoning, the most important thing is that it remains a "taste" and not turn into four, five, or six spoonfuls that turn the taste test into an additional small meal. If you're working with ingredients like nuts or cheese, don't treat them like snacks. Don't cook when you're completely famished, either, as you're more likely to snack before the meal is even finished cooking. So make sure you have balanced meals throughout the day and don't wait until you're completely famished to start cooking.
#3 Cooking way too much
Cooking for just one or two people can be difficult, and if a recipe yields 10 servings, that's a lot of extra food. This could lead to eating larger portions than you should or being tempted to take seconds. Look for recipes online that are suitable for smaller portions. If you have to prepare a larger dish, look for recipes where you can freeze the extra servings.
#4 Being a bit heavy-handed with the oil
Here's an ingredient that is definitely a main culprit in
diet sabotage. Oil has an average of about 120 calories per tablespoon. Yikes!
So make sure to always measure your oils. If you're using a non-stick pan, you
really don't need much oil at all.
#5 Do not disregard portion sizes
. You could be consuming the healthiest meal in the world, but if you accidentally eat two servings instead of one, the calories can add up. If a recipe specifies a portion size, use a measuring cup to ensure that you are not measuring too much or too little. If you are unsure, here are some guidelines for portion sizes that you can follow.
#6 Considering the importance of measuring ingredients
"One might think that maintaining recipes 'as is' is a bit peculiar considering the importance of measuring ingredients, but sometimes, it is not the best idea to strictly adhere to recipes. A seemingly healthy recipe may contain some ingredients that could be replaced with even healthier alternatives or simply smaller portions. For example, the dish may require three tablespoons of olive oil, but would one tablespoon suffice? If the recipe calls for heavy cream, could you use unsweetened coconut cream instead? Take a quick look at your recipes beforehand to see if you can make them healthier by substituting with nutritious foods."
The bottom line:
"Do not panic if you have been guilty of one (or three)
of these cooking habits. Now that you are aware of them, you can make some
minor adjustments, and you will be back on track in no time. And even if you
implement only one or two of these tips, it will work wonders for your overall
health. Remember that a healthy diet is never all or nothing. Slow and steady
wins the race. So start with changes that you know you can implement
immediately, and gradually add the others. Before you know it, you will be a
pro at preparing healthy meals and saving tons of extra calories without having
to worry too much.
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