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Nutritious Recipe Guide |
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A healthy, flavorful meal is not an oxymoron. There are plenty of things you can do to cut down on fat, salt and calories while keeping the flavor intact. The following tips feature ingredients that you’re likely to have on hand or are readily available at grocery stores. Use this as a guide and, once you learn the basics, feel free to experiment!
 Cut the fat – or at least some of it…
- Cut some fat and add some flavor! When reducing the fat content in a recipe, add more flavor boosters like herbs, mustards or extracts.
- Take a cue from fruits - Substitute applesauce, pureed fruit like dried plums, bananas or canned pumpkin for half of the required oil, butter or margarine. Using fruit will also boost your recipe’s nutritional value.
- Reducing the fat in baked goods can be tricky because too little fat may result in a less tender product. When reducing fat in baked goods, start slow until you reach a desired consistency. For instance, instead of a cup of oil, cut back to 3/4 to 2/3 cup and replace the remaining amount with fruit puree.
- Cooking/baking spray goes a long way. Coat your bakeware with a light spray instead of butter or olive oil.
- All fats are NOT created equal. Healthy fats like those found in olive, canola, soybean, sunflower and safflower oil are best. Your heart will thank you.
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Be picky with your protein…
- Make it lean – Switch from ground beef to lean ground turkey or sirloin to cut back on the total calories and fat.
- Get rid of the skin - Remove the skin from poultry before cooking or after cooking depending on the method. If you’re roasting, remove the skin after it’s cooked to preserve moisture; if you’re braising, skinless chicken will retain its juiciness.
- Egg it on – Egg substitutes have come a long way; use 1/4 cup egg substitute to one egg for most recipes. You can also replace one whole egg with two large egg whites. Note that desserts and breads made only with egg whites might be tough in texture.
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Reduce your dairy…
- Skim it - Use skim or 1% milk in place of whole milk.
- Evaporate it – Skip the heavy cream and opt for evaporated skim milk.
- Concentrate the cheese - Instead of adding a cup of regular cheddar, use 3/4 cup of extra sharp cheddar. Similarly, use 3/4 cup of freshly shredded Parmesan versus 1 cup of the grated stuff from the shaker. For non-cooked dishes, swap regular cheese with low-fat cheese.
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 Some additional food for thought…
- Less is more with toasted nuts – Toasting nuts brings out the flavor and enables you to reduce the total amount in your recipe providing fewer calories.
- Half from whole – In recipes that require all-purpose flour, use half all-purpose flour and half whole-wheat flour. You will add whole grains and fiber and your kids won’t even notice!
- Relinquish the salt - Reduce the salt in recipes by adding herbs and spices. You won’t miss the salt when your palate is being distracted.
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Taking control of portions…
Most people don’t know how much food to serve once they’ve created their delicious home-cooked meal. Learning to identify the correct portion sizes for different foods takes time. Measuring cups and spoons and kitchen scales can help you along the way. Just like anything else, practice makes perfect.
Below are some common objects that represent correct portion sizes and can help you to become a better portion judge.
- A rounded handful – 1/2 cup cooked or raw veggies or cut fruit, a piece of fruit, or 1/2 cup cooked rice, pasta or snacks like pretzels
- Deck of cards or the palm of your hand - a serving of meat, fish or poultry, for example, 1 chicken breast, 1/4 pound hamburger patty or a medium pork chop
- Golf ball or egg – 1/4 cup dried fruit or nuts
- Tennis ball – 1/2 cup of ice cream
- Computer mouse – 1 small baked potato
- CD - one pancake or small waffle
- Thumb tip - 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
- Six die – 6 ounces of cheese
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