Changing the way that you prepare foods can have a huge impact on your ability not only to lose weight, but to keep the weight off long term. Creating your own home-cooked meals from scratch every night of the week can put you in control of your eating habits, giving you the chance to make healthy substitutions as needed so that you can continue enjoying the flavors that you love while losing weight. Studies regularly show that those who cook at home most nights of the week are not only more successful at losing weight, but they are more likely to maintain their weight loss long term.
When you take your food choices into your own hands you can start making real changes in the way that you eat. Making healthy food substitutions to keep foods more in line with the dietary guideline recommended by your weight loss surgeon gives you an added level of control over your dietary choices.
Here are a few creative ways that you can start making healthy changes to your diet without giving up on any of the flavors that you love:
- Switch to lettuce wraps. There are all sorts of meals that can be improved with a lettuce wrap, including some of the American staples, like burgers and tacos. Opt for something sturdy like iceberg lettuce if you are looking to enclose a burger or a sub in lettuce instead of bread, but when making the change with tacos you want something a bit more flexible, like kale.
- Use vegetables for pasta and pizza crust. Italian night doesn’t need to be a thing of the past. Change out your carb heavy components with healthy vegetable alternatives, like cauliflower crust for your pizza or zucchini noodles for your pasta.
- Greek yogurt for sour cream or cream cheese. Greek yogurt may be one of the most versatile foods that you can keep in your refrigerator. You can use it in pasta sauces, soups, on tacos, and even in some desserts.
If you are unsure as to how to get started with making healthy food swaps, start small and research a few recipes. There are plenty of ways that you can make small changes to your diet and see real lasting change as a result. Of course, before you start making any real changes to your dietary plan make sure that you consult with your weight loss surgeon so that you can double check that you are making the best choices for your medical weight loss program.