Slim Down With Spa Foods

You've put on some pounds. Wouldn't it be nice to pamper yourself at a spa where a famed chef could cook you healthy but tasty meals that look like art and work like a miracle on your middle?

If a spa stay just isn't in the stars right now, then how about bringing some spa cuisine to your kitchen? Cooking "spa food" may sound intimidating or a bit chi-chi, but it doesn't have to be.

"You can create 'spa cuisine' in your own kitchen," says Melanie Polk, a registered dietitian and consultant for the American Institute for Cancer Research's Nutrition Education. "Creating a healthful, low-fat, low-calorie meal that is beautiful, full-flavored and satisfying is a matter of following a few key principles."

The secrets to becoming a spa chef in your own kitchen lie in the following, Polk says:

• Use fresh foods



• Include a variety of plant-based foods, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans



• Experiment with different cooking methods



• Make your plate appealing



• Watch the portion size

Pleasing the palate

"A meal should look as wonderful as it tastes," Polk says. "Use a combination of several vegetables, for example, that offer a variety of appealing colors, textures and flavors. That way, you also maximize the health-protective substances only plant-based foods offer, while getting that full feeling with the minimum calories."

Polk also recommends relying on small amounts of monounsaturated oils, such as canola, olive, sesame and walnut oils. These oils are flavorful but far more healthful than animal fats and are predominantly saturated fats, which have been linked with heart disease. Animal fats not only contain cholesterol, but they raise cholesterol, which can clog your arteries.

The only animal fat that is considered "healthy" are the omega fats, found in fish. These are actually helpful for heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and blood pressure. There is some evidence, for example, that monounsaturated fats may raise the body's HDL cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol that protects against heart disease. Fish, olive oil and nut and seed oils also contain omega-3 fatty acids.

Want more flavor? Then spice up your spa food. "There's a huge range of herbs, spices and seasonings that can add extra punch to the taste of any dish," Polk says.

So how does Sea Bass in Tomato, Fennel and Saffron Sauce - a flavorful favorite from The Claremont Resort - sound? Or try Grilled Rosemary and Lemon Marinated Petaluma Chicken with Penne Pasta, Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil from The Sonoma Mission Inn.

Cooking techniques make a difference

Try searing, grilling or roasting - and deep-six the deep-fry - to create a variety of flavors. While grilled fish and meats can be tasty, Polk offers a word of warning about grilling.

"Carcinogens are produced when animal meats are cooked at high temperatures, whether fried, roasted, broiled, or grilled," she says. "Vegetables, on the other hand, benefit from high-temperature cooking."

Researchers have found that grilling and broiling cause muscle meats like beef, poultry and fish to produce cancer-causing compounds - heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Plant-based foods such as vegetables, however, are essentially unaffected. In fact, vegetables and fruits, which are comparatively high in natural sugars, develop a sweeter, richer flavor when they are oven-roasted, broiled or grilled. Compared to other cooking methods like boiling, which can leach out nutrients as well as flavor, high oven and grill temperatures intensify the natural sweetness and create more complex flavors.

"For those who mistakenly think vegetables can't be rich and sweet tasting, oven-roasting and grilling will quickly change their minds," Polk says.

Think one-third, two-thirds

Whatever spa specialty you want to try, Polk urges portion control.

"The bottom line is that size matters - portion size, that is. The most healthful, low-calorie dishes won't help you get slimmer and healthier if you eat huge, super-sized portions," she says.

The AICR recommends the "one-third/two-thirds" principle when filling a plate: modest but adequate portions (one-third or less) of animal meats on the plate and generous portions (two-thirds or more) of a variety of plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans.

There are a variety of spa cookbooks if you're ready to make the switch from humdrum meat and potatoes to ultra-lean Texas barbecue and Garden-Style Stuffed Potatoes:

• Canyon Ranch Cooking: Bringing the Spa Home by Jeanne Jones. Easy to prepare recipes rely mostly on fresh produce and meats, although Jones who developed the Canyon Ranch menu offers alternatives. Her secrets: adding citrus or vinegar to lift "flat" flavors; marinating meat and vegetables; cooking at low temperatures for long periods to "marry" flavors; using dried fruit for rich and creamy fat-free sauces; and more. Try the Canyon Ranch Guacamole, Lemon Rosemary Marinated Halibut, Mahimahi with Citrus Balsamic Vinaigrette, and Indonesian Chicken with Grilled Bananas.

• The Rancho La Puerta Cookbook: 175 Bold Vegetarian Recipes by Bill Wavrin. Chef Wavrin creates simple Southwestern cuisine. Few dishes require more than a dozen ingredients. Recipes include information on calories, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, protein, carbohydrate, fiber and sodium for each dish. Included are recipes for Orange-Corn Muffins, Mango Tomatilla Salsa, Broccoli Soup, Curried Rice Salad, Enchiladas with Salsas Mexicana, Pasta with Shiitake Mushrooms and Moroccan Lemons, plus a 31-calorie nonfat chocolate sauce.

• The Shoshoni Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes from the Shoshoni Yoga Spa, by Anne Saks and Faith Stone. Favorite recipes include Ashram Lentil Soup, Butternut Squash Spread, and Garden-Style Stuffed Potatoes

• The Golden Door Cookbook: 175 Recipes from the World's Most Luxurious Spa by Michel Stroot. Recipes include light and healthful dishes for every course. Every recipe includes a complete nutritional analysis, and each one derives less than 20 percent of its calories from fat. Included are recipes for Black Bean Dip with Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips, Spicy Soba Noodles, and Shrimp and Chanterelle Salad.

• Lean Star Cuisine by Terry Conlan and Trisha Shirey. Written by the chef of the famed Lake Austin Spa and Resort, this cookbook offers more than 200 healthy and lean recipes for Southwestern foods. Included are recipes for Shrimp Quesadillas (0.75 grams fat), Black Bean Soup with Jalapeno Sherry (1.5 grams fat), Seafood Gumbo (1.5 grams fat) and ultra lean Texas barbecue.

Related Articles Controlling Your Weight Fat-free? Don't Get Sucked in No More Big Macs on New American Plate Food for the Heart

External Sources The American Institute for Cancer Research The American Heart Association

This article was reviewed and updated June 2007.

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