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Get Ready For Swimsuit Season

Tips on how to loose weight and get ready for swimsuit weather.

Nashville, Ark. – Swimsuit weather is here. If you are still trying to lose weight and fit into that swimsuit but you have hit a plateau there are some ways you can cut the fat in your favorite foods and get back on track to losing weight.

Eating low-fat foods is not only heart smart but it will help you in overall weight loss; thereby helping you to look great this summer! How do you eat low-fat without losing the flavor of your favorite foods? With a little fat savvy and “food prep” know-how, you can keep the flavor in foods you’re trying to cut the fat out of. Here’s how you do it.

  1. “Lean” your cooking style. Broil, grill, or roast meats on a rack, so natural fat from meat and poultry drips away. When purchasing meats, choose those with “loin” or “round” in the name. Choose lower fat options. 93% lean ground beef is lower in fat than the typical 80/20 option.
  2. Cook thin cuts of meat quickly – with little or no fat. Pan broil or “dry sauté” thin cuts of meat in a nonstick skillet with just a little juice or broth. You can actually use a non-stick cooking spray that doesn’t add calories and helps to keep the meat from sticking. Or consider stir-frying the meat in a small amount of olive oil. Stir to cook evenly, but don’t overcook. Stir-frying is a great way to incorporate more fresh vegetables into your diet.
  3. Give it a rub. Rub herbs and spices onto lean meats before grilling, broiling or roasting. You’ll get plenty of flavor without adding fat or calories.
  4. Marinate for flavor and juiciness. Use juice, wine flavored vinegar, fat-free dressing, or another flavored liquid instead of oil-based marinades. Almost all marinades have an acid in them that helps to break down the connective tissue in meats, thereby making meats more tender.
  5. Skim to trim. Skim fat from pan juices after pan-broiling. For a flavor boost, add stock, wine, or fruit juice to the skillet after the meat is removed. Heat and stir the liquid, then use as a low-fat sauce or glaze.
  6. Trim to slim. Trim away any visible fat from meat and poultry – preferably before cooking. That way, fat along the edge won’t be absorbed by meat during cooking. Remember to remove skin from poultry before cooking. If roasting, remove skin after cooking.
  7. S-T-R-E-T-C-H flavorful, higher – fat, ingredients. Use less of a regular salad dressing – or dress your salad with a fat-free variety or herb-flavored oils to flavor your dish. Cut the amount in half – a little goes a long way. Use low-fat cheese or whipped or reduced – fat butter to save on fat and calories.
  8. Lighten-up on the ladle. Limit your intake of cream-based sauces and gravies too.

For more information on eating nutritious, contact the Howard County Extension Office at 870-845-7517 or visit our office located on the second floor of the courthouse. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

 

Recipe of the Week

Here’s an easy-to-prepare recipe for Spicy-Sweet Pork Chops. It has only 189 calories, 1.6 grams of carbohydrates, 8.3 grams of fat, and 71 mg of cholesterol per serving. Plus, as an added bonus, you will receive 15 mg of calcium.

  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin

  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon allspice

  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper

  • 4 (4 oz.) lean boneless pork loin chops (about one-half inch thick)

  • Non-stick cooking spray

  • 2 tablespoons low-sugar orange marmalade

  • 2 tablespoons unsweetened orange juice

  1. Combine first 5 ingredients; rub over both sides of pork.
  2. Coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray, and place over medium-high heat until hot.
  3. Add pork; cook 3 minutes on each side.
  4. Add marmalade and juice; simmer, uncovered, 4 minutes or until pork is browned and sauce is thickened, turning once.
  5. Yield: 4 servings.

 

 

By Jean Ince
County Extension Agent - Staff Chair
The Cooperative Extension Service
U of A System Division of Agriculture

Media Contact: Jean Ince
County Extension Agent - Staff Chair
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
421 N. Main St, Nashville AR 71852
(870) 845-7517
jince@uada.edu

 

The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact your County Extension office (or other appropriate office) as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

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