Grocery food preparation plays an important role in your daily weight loss or weight maintenance efforts. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of the ingredients you choose as well and your cooking methods so as not to derail a healthy meal with additional fat and calories. To keep your meal healthy, consider the following cooking tips:

• Vegetables can lose their nutrients and color if not cooked properly.  Steaming your vegetables is the best way to maximize the benefits vegetables provide.
• Gravies and sauces add flavor, but they can also add fat and calories to your meal. Consider healthier options such as herbs, vinegar, tomatoes or onions.
• Prepared seasonings can be high in sodium and increase the risk of high blood pressure.  Instead, use herbs and spices to add flavor to your meal.
• Packaged chicken and turkey often come with pieces of fat still attached to the meat.  Make sure to cut the fat and skin off the meat to reduce your calories and saturated fat.

Properly preparing and cooking your food ensures that you maintain the flavor and nutrients of your meal.  It also keeps unneeded salt, fat, and calories out of your diet.  If you have any additional healthy cooking techniques share them in the comments section below- and we all can benefit!