If fried chicken and deep dish pizza are staples for your family, cooking light may sound very hard to do. However, the key to cooking light is not to make a big deal about it. Do not tell your family that they will never have fast food again or that they can only snack on carrots while watching television; such drastic announcements will not help you in any way. The plan to start cooking light will backfire with grumbles and groans all around.

However, if you make subtle changes slowly and gradually, your family may actually enjoy the light cooking you prepare without even noticing it.

Whole Grains

If you are a big pasta fan, start mixing 100 per cent whole grain pasta such as spaghetti or other shapes into your regular meals. A few strands of browner colored spaghetti here and there will not throw your family off. Gradually increase the ratio of brown to white and mix it with a lot of veggies and they will not be able to tell the difference. If they do notice, ask them if they feel there is a drastic difference in taste. When they answer in the negative, you will have won your first battle.

Sneak in Veggies

There are lots of recipes to be found on the internet and in books on how you can make zucchini muffins and carrot pancakes and no one is the wiser. Many popular fruit juices have started including healthy servings of veggies in their fruit juices so that your children get their daily recommended amounts without it having to be a big issue.

Switch to Low Fat

In any recipe you make, whether it is for brownies, Alfredo sauce or meatloaf, you will come across the need for milk, cheese and other such products. Thankfully today, cooking light is made easier with reduced fat and fat-free versions of many of the staples. When mixing milk, cheese and butter for macaroni and cheese, use skim milk, reduced fat cheddar and vegetable spread instead of the regular ingredients and your children will barely notice the difference.

Simple Substitutes

Use no calorie sweeteners for your cookies, unsweetened apple sauce instead of butter or oil when baking and switch to canola or olive oil and cooking light will neither be a chore for you nor a big problem for your family.

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Recent studies have shown that vitamins and minerals are more significant than they were previously thought to be, and that some foods and nutrients help fight illness and diseases. Fruit, vegetables, grain and seeds are not only in rich in vitamins and minerals but consist of a compound called phytochemicals which build up our immunity system to fight diseases. This does not mean we become complete vegetarians to stay healthy, but turn to cooking light recipes when cooking non-vegetarian dishes.

Going Green and Light

Cooking light recipes are nourishing and easy on the digestive system. The less we cook our green vegetables the better it is for our health. Soups, plenty of green salad, juices and whole bread sandwiches are nutritious. Soups stimulate appetite and simultaneously nourish and fill you up. Mouth watering soups are turned out by choosing the right kind of vegetable and spice. Tomato, spinach soups are rich in minerals and vitamins.

Most spices have medicinal properties. A pinch of spices in our cooking adds flavor and taste to the food. Cooking light recipes which include spices and ginger and very minimal amount of cooking oil do immense good to the body.

Fresh salads combined with a spoon of honey and a dash of salt and pepper is heavenly. A little further experiment with slices of orange and pieces of mango and garnished with nuts added to the above makes a healthy salad in a couple of minutes.

For a filling meal, use pasta mixed with sliced and shredded vegetables which are partially boiled. Add herbs, and toss with olive oil. If it is a sandwich you are looking for, go in for whole wheat bread with plenty of fresh partially boiled vegetables stuffed in it.

For the sweet tooth, fresh fruits with fresh juice, honey and yogurt is a better alternative to ice creams or candy. Use carrots to sweeten sauces. Grate carrot, cabbage, cucumber and raw mango, top it with yogurt with a pinch of salt, and there you have the lightest of recipes. Use seasonal fruits to make dessert. Slice up apples, bananas, plums, pears into a bowl. Boil for a few minutes, custard powder added to cold milk. When this mixture thickens, pour into the bowl of fruits, and allow to cool. There you have a healthy and a light dessert.

Next time you head for the kitchen, keep in mind that basic and simple foods are hassle free. There is no mess in the kitchen and no long waiting time for the food to cook. Cooking light recipes is not at all difficult. The trick is to have a little imagination and creativity. Cooking light recipes makes you focus on one type of dish and it is up to you to find variations.

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