Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Diwali Dhamaka - Low Cal Festive Delights

Low Cal Festive Delights

Festive season is come, October- November is welcomed. As the festive atmosphere sets in, the days seem to be shorter. Festivals (Diwali) bring light, happiness, togetherness, warmth, noise and also calories…. lots of sweets and delicacies.

During this period we all seem to be in a holiday mood. We don’t mind feasting without thinking of rebalancing it. Festivals are often used as excuses to laze around, skip the exercise routine and just party. This happens as most of us suffer from lack of time and lack of our favorite food, in any case during these festivals if prefer to treat ourselves and binge.

Few ways to kick off those extra calories that might peep in your diet during festive parties and get-togethers.

1.Since during this festive time parties is one thing that cannot be avoided, one should plan ahead .One should partially fill his/her stomach before stepping out of the house. Now this can be done by having a bowl of soup or a bowl of mix fruits. And if you are going in a restaurant plan your menu before walking in. Always watch out for hidden fats. Creamy soups, white breads, flaky pastries and mayonnaise – based salad dressings add unnecessary fats to the food. Try consuming broths instead of creamy soups.

2.Eat healthy foods first. Eat foods that are healthy and low in calories first so that when it comes time to enjoy your favorites — sweets or junk food— you won't be so hungry. For example you can always search or ask for green salad in a party to be brought to the table before the main course. Instead of mayonnaise dressing use variety of condiments and flavoring agents such as lemon, vinegar, herbs, onion and garlic to improve the palatability of your salad. Remember, a gram of fat contains more than twice as many calories as a gram of protein or carbohydrate.

3.Look out for alternatives. Ask for grilled, baked, boiled or broiled food rather fried foods. In place of fries or fried onion rings, order corn on the cob, green beans or baked beans.

4.Pay attention to portions. Serve meals already dished onto plates. Take slightly less than what you think you'll eat. You can always have seconds, if really necessary.

5.Instead of cake or pastries, fresh fruits with yogurt and honey dressing or just a mix bowl of fresh fruits can be an ideal dessert.

6.Replenish the body with water. Drink at least 2 glasses of water before and after you start your main meal. You can also call for an unsweetened fruit juice or vegetable juice with your main meals.

7.Weigh yourself regularly. Monitoring your weight can tell you whether your efforts are working and can help you detect small weight gains before they become even larger.

I would suggest you to try some innovative ways to feast with out missing out the festive fun. Here is a low cal sweet dish recipe for you which you and your guest can enjoy without any guilt.

Low cal Indian Dessert (Festive Delight)

Fat Free Shahi Tukhda
Ingredients

Brown Bread – 2 slice
Milk – 150ml
Sugar – 1- 11/2 tp
Almond- 2 nos
Grounded Cinnamon – For garnishing

Method:
1. Cut each slice of Brown bread into 4 pieces.
2. Toast it in a toaster.
3. Dissolve sugar in the milk. Now dip each toasted piece of bread in the sweet milk and remove.
4. Garnish it with cinnamon. Place a piece of almond in the centre.
5. Keep in the refrigerator for some time. Serve it cold.

3 comments:

abhishek said...

hello deepshikha...can u write something on how to gain muscle mass...i'm a lean guy...help me out here

Dietician Deepshikha Agarwal said...

sure U will soon see a blog the requested topic .till then stay fit
Deepshikha

abhishek said...

will be looking forward to it...