Lose the Flab, Keep the Flavor!

• Spice it Up – Seasoning with herbs and spices is a great way to enhance different foods without adding extra calories. We recommend: colorful Saffron or sweet Vanilla Bean (great for dishes with a Thai feel).

• Moderation – Eating healthfully does not mean you have to give up little indulgences, the operative word being ‘little’.  Remember that you can savor food without over-eating. Keep your portions down, and every once in a while treat yourself to a favorite treat. This way you’ll be able to enjoy a little bit of everything.

• Bland vs. Fab– Low quality ingredients equal low-flavor meals. No diet will succeed if your meals taste like cardboard. Use fresh, high quality ingredients, and use only a little of the higher-calorie ingredients for flavoring.

Tricks to Try:

• Grating a little Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano. Grate this fine cheese over a salad to add a piquant kick, and finish it with a rich aged Balsamic Vinegar and a drizzle of a fine – and heart-healthy - Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 
  
  
• Splashing a dash of sweet fruit vinegar into a fruit salad is great way to bring out the sweet flavors of fruit. Also, flavored vinegars work excellently to flavor otherwise bland and flavorless steamed vegetables.

GFS recommends: a lovely French Raspberry Vinegar by Delouis Fils, sultry Spanish-style Sherry Vinegar.

• Using unique butters and creams. Go for intensely flavored products to make the most of the taste while using the smallest amount.

GFS recommends: decadent French White Truffle Butter.  Sheep’s milk butter and goat’s milk butter also deliver more pungent flavor will go a long way.

• Exotic Touches – To escape dieting boredom, take a travel-free summer vacation (hey, no security lines!) by exploring exotic ingredients.

• Slice Truffles over an all egg-white omelet for burst of Italian countryside flavor.
• Sprinkle your dishes with some rare French Fleur de Sel (a very rare sea salt from France used by professional chefs in top restaurants.
• Create piquant Mediterranean-style dishes with spicy Peppercorns from Madagascar or Spain.   
• Concoct Thai-inspired plates with sweet Vanilla Beans from Indonesia.

• Take a Dip – Man cannot live on bread alone. This time, skip the butter. Studies have shown that dipping bread in olive oil, instead of lathering butter over it, will keep you about 230 calories thinner.

Browse Gourmet Food Store’s selection of fine Extra Virgin Olive Oils >

• The Skinny on Cheese – Cheese lovers rejoice! Research has found that four servings of dairy per day contribute to weight loss. But don’t celebrate just yet; the US Department of Agriculture reports that around 75% of Americans are not getting their recommended daily amount of calcium. So follow doctor’s orders and sample our wide array of gourmet cheeses, butters and creams.