I seem to always talk about lightening-up your favorite recipes. With two major holidays still ahead, let’s review what this means. To lighten-up means you prepare the recipe to cut down on calories, fat, sugar and/or salt. Which ingredients you focus on will depend upon your health needs. For example, if you have diabetes, you might try to lower the sugar content or if you have high blood pressure, you will want to reduce the salty ingredients.
Lower the Salt/Sodium:
- Eliminate salt & salt seasonings, bouillon cubes & salty broth
- YES: herbs & spices, flavorful vinegars, onions & garlic
Lower the Fat:
- Reduced-fat dairy products
- Use PAM spray instead of shortening and grease
- Use pureed fruit to replace butter/oil
Lower the Sugar:
- Cut by 1/3
- Replace with calorie-free sugar substitute: Splenda, Stevia, etc.
Many of your favorite recipes can have small ingredient adjustments but with a big health pay-off. Before you automatically make your holiday favorites the same ole way, glance over the ingredient listing to see where you can lighten-up.
- In mashed potatoes can you use fat-free ½&½ cream rather than whole milk?
- Can you use the 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup and skim milk when you make green bean casserole?
- Can you have a one-crust pie rather than the higher calorie two-crust pie?
So many possible changes.
