4 Cooking Mistakes That Can Lead To Weight Gain
By Orla, September 27, 2014
Everyone has their own quirks and habits in the kitchen, but unfortunately some of those habits can lead to weight gain. All of the little things can really add up, so here’s what you need to avoid when you’re cooking up a storm:
1. Using too much oil
While olive oil is relatively healthy and definitely a better choice than butter, it still contains plenty of those pesky calories. Generally speaking 1 tablespoon has about 125 calories which may not seem like much, but it’s so easy to go a bit overboard with the oil that the calories all add up.
Veggies are the biggest offender here because they tend to absorb a lot of oil, causing you to add more to the pan. Instead try steaming your vegetables to cook them through and give them a quick toss in the pan for added flavour.
2. Snacking while cooking
This is such an easy habit to slip into but it will be destructive to your weight loss plans in the long run. Instead of nibbling along while you prepare your ingredients and cook your meal, try chewing some gum to curb your appetite or even sip a glass of water as you go.
3. Sticking too close to the recipe
Having a recipe to follow makes life so much easier for those who are less culinarily gifted, but if you stick to the recipe religiously you might miss out on the chance to slip in a few healthy substitutions.
For example. if a recipe calls for cream you could switch it up for pureéd avocado or some greek yoghurt. A swap as simple as that cuts down on calories but doesn’t compromise the taste. Keep an eye out for the healthy option when cooking!
4. Overestimating the serving size
While sticking to the recipe too much can hinder your chances to cut down on calories, disregarding the serving sizes is a definite mistake. If there’s one section of a recipe you should pay attention to it’s the serving measurements.
Make sure to measure out your quantities properly to avoid overestimating the portion size, which in turn leads to overeating.
