As I was the one coming up with all the recipes for the diet, I thought it might be worthwhile me putting up some of the hints and tips I learnt throughout the diet to make meals that are not only healthy and low in calories, but also delicious and filling. As I have always been a cook that loves food, I've always been one to veer away from the "low-fat" "low sugar" "low calorie" versions of food, considering them to be less tasty. Providing the technical support for this diet however, has shown me the error of my ways! These tips are in no particular order, and you don't need to take note of all of them in order to have a healthier diet, maybe try just one or two at a time.

It is surprising just how many calories there are in cheese; in some cases I was adding almost 300 calories per person just in cheese. I was always a great one for adding cheese to recipes, I love the flavour of cheese and was convinced that low fat cheese couldn't be half as tasty as the real thing, so what was the point? Well from now on for sauces I shall only use low fat cheese. The flavour works just as well and you can't tell the difference! On the other hand, for cheese that is to be melted on top of something you really do have to go with the full fat version, low calorie cheeses tend to be rubbery and aren't half so pleasant as the full fat versions when melted. 

When it comes to frying it is much better to dry-fry, or water-fry food. It may not seem like you're adding much in the way of oil to that pan, but it is incredible just how many calories there are in oil (let's not forget it is pure fat)! Just by dry-frying (just using heat, and stirring frequently to prevent burning) or water-frying (slightly more fiddly) you can cut out a significant number of calories from your daily diet, with no effect on flavour. To water-fry, you need to keep a kettle of recently boiled water close to the pan. Just add a splash of water to the pan when things start to stick - the hot water will rapidly evaporate, and the food will float on a bed of steam; preventing it from sticking and burning and also keeping the food moist. You do, however, need to be careful to add only a splash of water every so often, it is no good trying to add 5 minutes worth of water in one go, as this will make the food soggy, and not evaporate quickly, hence you will boil the food rather than fry it.

I love having a crispy crumb on steaks and chicken breasts etc. Unfortunately though the number of calories in breadcrumbs is quite extortionate. I found that by crushing low calorie crackers you can get the same effect for a much lower calorie count. If you are careful you can also use flavoured low calorie crackers, which add a little extra flavour to the crumb.

Butter and margarine - mmm, I get hungry just at the thought of a slice of fresh bread and butter! I used to buy the buttery margarines (as expected the full fat versions) and never even looked at the low calorie versions. I have learnt though that there is absolutely no difference in taste between the low calorie style and the full calorie style, so therefore I tend now to use low calorie margarine wherever possible. The times I won't use it are when I want the golden appearance of melting butter, such as on baked potatoes, crumpets and popcorn.

Gravy, well where do I start? I use gravy granules - lots of them! A lot of the recipes you will see on this site have gravy granules in them, they add a delicious meaty flavour, without the need for much meat! However, what I hadn't realised was the sheer number of calories in gravy granules. I have now replaced gravy granules with gravy powder and a little flour for thickening. Although flour is highly calorific, this method cuts out many calories from fat found in gravy granules. 

When marinading food it is important to remember that extra marinading time significantly enhances the flavour. one of the complaints I have heard from people on a diet is that all the food is flavourless, so I now try to marinade for longer to avoid the need for fat and sugar as flavour enhancers. It is also important when on a diet to recognise the importance of lemon juice, garlic, herbs and spices. These are natural flavours that have been forgotten in recent times, and replaced with salt, sugar and fat. By going back to these traditional flavourings food can be made to be delicious and healthy! I found this tip particularly useful when it came to preparing salads; so many commercial salad dressings are very high in fat and sugar, but by using a little lemon juice and black pepper any salad can be transformed into a feast. 

This last tip is common sense, but I hadn't realised just how effective it was for those on a diet. The number of calories found in meat is very high, whereas the number of calories found in fresh vegetables is remarkably low. As such, with many of the diet meals I reduced the portion size of the meat and added an extra vegetable side dish (don't just have more of the same side dish - you are trying to make it interesting!).  

I hope these tips help you to loose weight, and not necessarily go on a diet, but move gently towards a healthier lifestyle!