How to Lower the Weight Watchers Point Value of Your Recipes

Even though you are on the Weight Watchers diet plan does not mean that you can no longer make your favorite recipes. Follow these simple steps to lower the Weight Watchers point values of your favorite recipes.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Eliminate Unnecessary Fats
   
   One of the first steps to lowering the points value of your recipe is to eliminate any unnecessary fats. Oil used to sauté can easily be replaced with a few sprays of some non stick spray. If something calls for deep frying, try baking instead. Oftentimes, oil can be decreased, or even eliminated altogether, depending on the meal being created without a noticeable difference in taste.

2. Substitute What You Can
   
   Look at your recipe and find out if there are any ingredients that may have a healthier substitute that will work. Some examples of this are: replacing full fat dairy products with low or no fat; using sugar substitute instead of regular sugar; replacing sour cream with low or no fat yogurt;

3. Increase Fiber Content
   
   One of the ways Weight Watchers calculates the point value of foods is by the amount of fiber in it. Increasing the fiber content of your recipe will also decrease the points value depending on what fiber you add. Replacing white rice with brown rice and using whole wheat flour are just two examples of things you can use in your recipe to increase the fiber content.

4. Experiment With Different Meats
   
   A recipe that calls for a fattier piece of steak will have a higher point value than the same recipe using a leaner cut of meat. If your recipe calls for ground beef, opt for a 97% fat free ground beef or turkey instead. Using chicken to beef is also an option depending on what kind of recipe you have (for example, fajitas can be made with chicken or beef).

5. Add More Vegetables
   
   By replacing some of the carbohydrate components for your recipe with some vegetables, the points value will be lower. Try decreasing the rice, bread, or noodle amounts in your recipe and increasing vegetables for a tasty way to get more fiber and nutrients in your meal.

[kendra33]

on 11/12/2009 You can find the complete weight watchers points list here - www.tinyurl.com/wwpointlist

[ladylav]

on 9/30/2009 If you are cooking a lasagne or spagetti bolognese, you could use water to cook the mince instead of oil. That's what I do, I drain off any excess liquid before I add in the sauce, because there would be oil from the meat in the water.