Lighten Up Dinner with Veggie-Centric Entrees
Eating lighter and healthier can taste great and doesn’t need to be an unpleasant sacrifice. As we all work to shed lockdown and quarantine pounds and be healthier again, much depends on the recipes we choose and what we cook. If you’ve been eating too indulgently at home, consider changing things up with the entrees you prepare. One easy way to do it is to search for Asian main course recipes that are heavier on vegetables than meat. Once you find some you want to try, plan a trip to a Japanese, Thai, Chinese, or Korean market or shop for oriental groceries online. Find one that delivers in your area, and you’re on the way to stocking up.Â
We all know about stir fry recipes and the vegetables they include. You have a wide range of options, and quite a few of the recipes can be steamed instead of fried if you want to reduce your fat intake even more. The key to great taste is having the right flavorings, and they’re the things you’ll find in abundance at Asian supermarkets. For example, Korean and Thai cooking are known for their flavored spicy Thai pastes, which allow you to add authentic flavor with a single item in your recipe. They’re time-savers compared to adding multiple seasonings and ingredients and are known for outstanding flavor and uniqueness.
Cook with a 3-to-1 Ratio of Vegetables to Meat
One of the reasons to think of stocking up on a variety of Thai, Korean, Japanese, or, Chinese groceries when you’re thinking about eating lighter and healthier is the vegetables-to-meat ratio of many recipes. Keep an eye out for combination main course dishes with a 3-to-1 ratio as a rule of thumb. You’ll be lightening up what you eat immediately and reducing not only calories but also fat and cholesterol. At the same time, vegetables bring a wealth of vitamins and minerals and higher amounts of dietary fiber. There are no sacrifices in flavor when you have the right ingredients on hand and can add them to suit your personal tastes.
It’s a no-brainer to replace the meat in your cooking with healthy fish options such as wild-caught salmon. It’s high in alpha three omega fatty acids, which are beneficial to heart health. When you cook a combination main course dish that’s fish and vegetables, it doesn’t get much healthier than that. If you have spicy Asian food lovers at your house, shopping for online Asian groceries will also help you please them. Many food critics and chefs will tell you that Asian food gets it right with hot and spicy dishes. More complex and richer flavor profiles mean Asian seasonings and spices that pack heat but aren’t overwhelming or overpowering.
Plant-Based Proteins Can Substitute for Meat
Tofu is another alternative to consider when cooking lighter. You’ll find a wider variety of choices at Asian grocery markets, and it’s something to try. Cooking techniques are essential for the right texture, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be on the way to protein-rich, lighter eating. With the increasing number of options in food products today, it’s easier than ever before to make healthier choices. Many are also available in organic versions if you want to avoid items treated with pesticides and fertilizers. No two people or families are alike, and the key is to find what’s most enjoyable and healthy for you.