The Prasouda Diet Tips

The Prasouda Diet: Tips on what to Eat

Yes, you know enough to skip the doughnuts, hold the lasagna and leave the soda on the shelf. So what do you do for dinner tonight?

Worry not, help’s at hand! Here are some tips to keep in mind when you are on the Prasouda Diet.

1) Eat a variety of vegetables.

Not just lettuce, carrots and tomatoes (although those are great too), be adventurous. Try brussel sprouts, asparagus and capsicum. Add them into your soups and stews. Buy varieties of green leafy veggies you have never tried and add them to your stir fry (cooked with olive oil of course!).

Use broccoli instead of cabbage for your slaw. Put a mandolin to work on a fennel and eat it with a yogurt dip. Dice a zucchini instead of a cucumber for your salad. Grill a sliced eggplant and pineapple wedges… be creative, invent your own vegetable dish. The possibilities are endless!

2) Add vegetables and fruits whenever you can.

Have half a papaya topped with yogurt for breakfast. Decorate dinner dishes with sliced cucumber and carrot (and then eat them with your dinner!). Replace popcorn and chips with cut-up vegetables.

Shred vegetables and add them into muffins and lasagna (no one will ever know the difference)… again, be creative!

3) Buy fruits and vegetables in season.

It makes sense as vegetables sold in season are fresher, more flavourful and a lot cheaper. Then, keep the vegetables frozen in the fridge to add into dishes whenever you like.

Remember, the Prasouda Diet is about the quality of food you eat too.

4) Visual portion control

Use a smaller plate or bowl for your meat and fish dishes. You won’t need as much food to fill the small plate and when your mind sees a full plate, it automatically recognizes it as plenty. And with plenty of nuts, grains and olive oil in your dinner, you feel full easily.

5) Avoid processed food like the plague

The Prasouda Diet is all about eating fresh produce. Skip the fruits canned in syrup and the salt-preserved olives. Walk away from the salt-cured bacon and ham. Buy everything as fresh as you can get them.

6) Make Olive Oil your best friend

Research shows that oleocanthal, a compound found in olive oil, could help prevent arthritis, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, diabetes and Alzheimer’s and even cancer. Skip the butter and margarine and try olive oil instead.

7) Go lean

The Prasouda Diet allows a limited amount of red meat and poultry (once or twice a week). Instead of buying mince straight from the butcher, buy lean cuts of red meat and mince it yourself at home. Choose white meat over dark meat. Remove the skin before you eat that chicken. Grill your meat instead of deep frying.

8) Use herbs and spices instead of sauces for flavor

Mint, turmeric, chili powder, curry, rosemary, sage, thyme, cardamom seeds, caraway seeds, garlic, ginger, parsley, basil… if you have never used herbs and spices in your cooking, try it today!

9) Have fish and seafood at least two or three times a week

Eat them grilled, steamed, baked or sautéed with herbs, spices and veggies. Keep a tight reign on the salt cellar and the cream sauces. Buy fresh fish and seafood. Canned tuna in thick mayo sauce does not count as a fish dish in the Prasouda Diet!

10) Snack on nuts

Finally, a diet that allows you to snack! Use common sense. Go for fresh nuts, not the sugar-coated, salt-encrusted, honey-dipped variety. Buy several packets and create your own trail mix with whole-grain cereals and raisins. I swear you won’t ever miss the potato chips!