Here are some handy cooking tips to help you with perfect diet planning Always keep plenty of low fat items available. Use butter-flavored low-fat vegetable cooking sprays. Try apple sauce instead of some oil in recipes. Also keep lemons, limes, evaporated skim milk and your favorite fresh herbs and spices on hand. Cornstarch, plain non-fat yogurt, flavored vinegar, and onions are great to use in many dishes.

Replace - Where applicable, cut fat and calories in recipes by using -Fat-free or reduced-calorie versions, For instance, using skim milk, 1 percent or 2 percent milk for whole milk.

Cooking Techniques - Learn how to - Saut, vegetables in water or broths instead of butter or oil, Use cooking sprays or nonstick cookware in place of oils, Instead of baking, cook in foil or parchment paper to seal in juicy flavors, Meats should have excess fats trimmed, Try microwaving, steaming, or broiling, Try new seasonings (herbs, spices).

Tips Regarding Snacks, Fast Food and Prepared Dishes

Making all our own snacks and meals would be nice, but mostof us don't have time to do that. Thus we must use convenience foods to meet our needs. Working the right convenience foods into our diet can easily be done.

Shop Smart - Never shop on an empty stomach. This will only make it harder for you to make choices that are in your best interests. Always be prepared with a thorough shopping list and do not divert from it. If an aisle is full of tempting goodies but has nothing on your list, simply walk right by it, instead of down it. If you see something healthy that you would like, but it's not on your list, jot it down and add it to the list next time. This will provide you with something to look forward to.

Reach for the smaller bags and boxes of what you need when possible. The less food you have leftover in your kitchen translates into less temptation.

Observe Labels - Many convenience foods are quite different. Some will fit your diet much better than others. Be an informed shopper and never place anything in your shopping cart without reading the label and deciding if it's in your best interests to use it.

Many snack foods come in different versions-low fat, reduced fat, low calorie, low carbohydrate, low salt, etc. Choose the variety that best fits your dieting needs.

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