Doctor Up your Recipes and Improve your Health
By: Emily Hoffman, MS, RD, LD/N
This time of year there is always a reason to cook up something delicious! Whether it is a birthday, holiday party, sorority celebration or house warming party, even the students will find themselves in the kitchen trying their hand at some traditional (and many times high calorie) recipes. If you are trying to lose weight, it can be these traditional or party foods that can get you off track. Most recipes can be made healthier just by simple substitutions.
Here are a few simple ways you can make your favorite recipes healthier:
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If your recipe calls for this....
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Try using this instead.
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Bacon
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Canadian bacon or smoked turkey
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Bread crumbs
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Rolled oats, crushed bran flakes
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Butter, margarine, shortening for baked goods
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Applesauce or prune puree for ½ of the butter the recipe calls for and the other ½ use low-fat buttermilk.
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Butter & sugar in frosting
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Marshmallow fluff
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Heavy Cream
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Fat free evaporated milk or coconut milk for soups and stew recipes
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Cream cheese
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Neufchatel, fat free or low fat cream cheese
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Sour cream
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Plain fat free yogurt or fat free plain Greek yogurt
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Eggs
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2 egg whites, ¼ cup egg substitute
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Flour, white or all purpose
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Wheat flour
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Canned fruit
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Fresh or frozen fruit
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Ground beef
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Ground turkey breast, lean ground beef,
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Iceberg lettuce
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Spinach, field greens, arugula, collard greens or kale
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Mayonnaise
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Low fat or fat free mayonnaise, or fat free creamy salad dressing or avocado mash
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Pasta, white
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Whole wheat pasta, zucchini strings or spaghetti squash
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Peanut butter
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Natural peanut butter
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Rice. white
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Brown rice
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Sugar
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Stevia or splenda
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Seasoning salt, celery salt, garlic salt or onion salt
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Herb blends like Mrs. Dash, garlic powder, fresh onions and garlic, fresh herbs
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Flour tortillas
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Corn tortillas
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Syrup
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Pureed fruit or applesauce
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This information has been provided by Emily Hoffman, MS, RD, LD/N at Memorial Hospital.