When you think about losing weight, many people instantly think about restricting certain foods, depriving one’s self of specific “bad” foods, and living a diet-based lifestyle. Well, Eating Free breaks these myths. Eating Free focuses on eating the foods you love in the right portions for you.
One of my all time favorite foods is Pizza. I love gooey cheese and sausage. Now typical pizza would never find its way into a dieter’s kitchen. However, Eating Free teaches you how to eat those foods you love. For example, when I want to go out for pizza, I’ll pre-plan and use my freebies to see how much pizza I can eat at the restaurant before I go. When I get to the restaurant, I’m ready to eat the love free of guilt.
Other times, when I want pizza at home, I can make a modified Freecipe. I’m not a top chef, so I buy the pre-made pizza dough from the store (I like Trader Joe’s pizza dough best). I make a fabulous pizza sauce by mixing low-sodium canned tomato sauce + tomato paste + basil + oregano + grilled garlic & onions. Next, I throw on some type of cheese. I switch it up weekly depending on the mood I’m in. The other night I used 75% reduced fat Cabot Cheddar Cheese which I grated and sprinkled all over the sauce. Last of all, I’ll throw on different toppings. With the cheddar cheese, I added 4 oz of cooked Jenny-O Hot Italian Turkey Sausage (spread over the entire pizza) and chopped green onions.
The pizza was fabulous and low in fat and calories. I also made sure to mind my portions. Using my freebie allocation, I had 2 delicious slices and complemented it with a salad and side of vegetables. I ate the food with love and free from guilt. Yuuuuummmmm…..
The moral of this story? Remember to eat the foods you love. When we make those foods from scratch, they taste so much better. We can truly savor the flavors and enjoy eating the food in moderation with our friends and families. What foods do you Eat Free?
Sarah Koszyk, MA, RD, is a nutrition coach at Eating Free who cooks with love and loves to eat.
