Healthy eating: How to cut calories while cooking?

The calorie is the currency of the body. A half-hour walk – 150 calories burnt; a burger – 255 calories ingested. But rather than playing on additions and subtractions, why not just cut out some pound-trapping habits entirely? In Brides-les-Bains, a weight loss centre based in France, Nathalie Negro, banishes the calculator and plunges her “patients” into real life situations at the supermarket and in the kitchen. The challenge? Preparing your favourite dishes with half to a third the number of calories.

Here is the secret of her recipes for light meals and a “light attitude.”

Do not fall into the trap of fruits and vegetables packed with water. Okay, cucumber and zucchini (97% water for just 10 calories per 100g) contain even less calories than carrots (30 calories) and peas (67 calories). You have been taught that “fewer calories” equals “less pounds to store”. However, when talking about fruits and vegetables, the mathematical point of view has no dramatic hold on the waistline. The “eating water” method has never brought about any particular levels of success according to nutritionists, but it may even be an altogether bad idea… And for good reason: “having low calorie vegetables in large volumes will fill the stomach and appease hunger with a vague feeling of satiety. Two hours later, the brain will start a new hunger SOS, which will be appeased with anything,” warns French nutritionist Nathalie Negro. In other words, do not swear by the cucumber or zucchini. It is the same for fruit, alternate watermelon and strawberries with grapes and cherries, which provide more energy. One reference point to prevent light meals from turning “against you” – assemble your plate half with vegetables, a quarter protein (meat, fish) and a quarter starches or legumes.

Choose the right meat or fish. The choice of each mouthful is critical in order to halve the calories. Opt for pork tenderloin (3% fat​​) rather than the side or pork loin (15% fat), filet mignon or steak (4% fat) instead of beef ribs (12% fat). At the supermarket, choose meats containing 5% fat instead of those with 15%! In your stir-fry, exchange the lard for bacon or ham (3-4% fat).

On the topic of fish, watch out – 100g of salmon is 180-200 calories, more than ground beef containing 5% fat (130 cal) and even turkey (150 cal)! If you want to tighten up your belt again, avoid eating it more than once a week, and replace it with other types of fish like tuna instead.

Boiled, steamed, grilled, fried, baked, stewed

just jump to the non-stick skillet that does not require grease. For reference, a seared steak or sautéed fish with a knob of butter (10 g) is at least 80 more calories, the equivalent of a small apple. If you fear the meat getting too dry (because you are not using oil or because the meat is lean), do as the master chefs – marinades. Chicken breast or lean fish can soak in fresh chilli, onion, garlic, lime, chives and a little salt. Return it then to the hot pan with no oil or butter, and serve with a sauce on the side. Beef can be soaked in soy sauce, a little oil, cilantro, fresh ginger, onion and garlic. It is similar for vegetables, bake potatoes in the oven (cut in half and baked at 180 degrees and serve with cheese and chive sauce) instead of frying, you can save one to two tablespoons of oil each time, totalling 90 to 180 calories.

Cut down the oil and coconut milk and up the water, milk, lemon juice

When choosing oil, opt for vegetable oil even if it is more fatty and contains more calories than butter (80% fat) or cream (30-40% fat). Vegetable fats are essential for the brain, so that means you can have 2 teaspoons per meal. In contrast, trade it out completely when you can. For soups and gravies, use skimmed milk ½ (1.7% fat) or broth instead of coconut milk. Lighten your sauces by replacing some of the oil with water or any oil with yoghurt, stock or lemon juice, as desired. It may seem surprising, but try them out! Ditto if you have a juicer, throw in some veggies (tomatoes, mushrooms…) button to create your own soups and seasoning.

Beans twice a week

Lentils, chickpeas, green beans, red beans, peas fill up the stomach faster, and more importantly, slow down digestion and energy release. This means it takes longer to get hungry again, without even needing to lay your hands on snacks. As for fibre, you take in your daily quota through cereals, fruits and vegetables. Studies have shown that the fibres allow a decrease in the intake of calories from 5 to 10%, thanks to their mechanical action in the intestine where they retard absorption. By simple mathematical deduction, then – eating more fibre during meals leaves you with less room for other foods.

The star food of the moment, konjaku, is also a very interesting source of fibre. Extremely low in calories, this root native to the region comes in the form of beads or spaghetti to replace rice or pasta.

Cut down the sugar by half

Whatever the dessert recipe, you can halve the amount of sugar without actually affecting the taste! For those with a sweet tooth, add a bit of sweetener if you wish. Please do not stress yourself out if you have a mad desire for chocolate mousse and instead choose fruit salad because it is “the healthier choice”, there is every chance that you will crack later, and in a way you will probably wish you just went for the mousse from the beginning.  “Better allow yourself your little coveted pleasures one to two times a week and balance it out on the same or following meals in the week,” advises Nathalie Negro. Moreover, one can easily enjoy homemade chocolate mousse tot just 167 calories per person with plain melted chocolate and white whipped egg (possibly with a dash of orange blossom or coffee essence), while conventional mousses reach 250 to 350 calories.

4 pinches of salt and no more

We eat more when it’s salty! With 4 pinches per person per meal, you are not deprived of it, but at the same time it allows you to have your meal calmly, without a sharpened appetite that might make you eat more than you should. Less salt does not mean more bland – on the contrary, all the vegetables pick up the flavours of spices and herbs better with less salt.

The check list

– Choose meat and fish that are less fatty (chicken breast, pork tenderloin, pork roast , steak or lean beef, sole or cod)

– Opt for methods of cooking that do not require grease (eg : steaming, grilling, boiling)

– Measure out approximately two teaspoons (10 g) of fat for a woman per meal, one tablespoon for a man, equivalent to 12.5 g of butter or margarine or cream, 60g of fresh cream, or 30g of dressings and sauces.

– No more than 3 to 4 tablespoons of coffee or sugar cubes per day, spread across all hot drinks and yoghurts. A cube of sugar : 20 calories.

– Season dishes with herbs and spices to reduce the salt and replace the fat. 4 pinches maximum per meal.

– Avoid the dash of oil or pat of butter thrown over your dishes at the last minute. A knob of butter: 25 calories. A tablespoon of oil: 90 calories .

– If you drink frequently at dinner, alternate water and wine during the meal. 2 glasses of red wine is at least 200 calories gained in one fell swoop.

Rica Etienne