Make the Switch for Healthier Recipes

How do you modify favorite family recipes so they're more in line with your healthy-eating plan? It's not as hard as you might think. The key is to incorporate healthier alternatives into your daily eating routine. And here's a tip: don't announce that you've made a change in what you're serving your family. As the well-known slogan goes -- just do it. Odds are they won't even notice. They may even like it better than the old way! 

The following suggestions will help you lower fat, salt, sugar and calories, as well as increase the fiber in your diet:

If your recipe calls for: all-purpose flour

Try substituting: whole-wheat flour for half of the called-for all-purpose flour in baked goods. Note: whole-wheat pastry flour is less dense and works well in softer products like cakes and muffins.

- Instead of bacon, substitute Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, smoked turkey or lean prosciutto (Italian ham).

- Instead of butter, shortening or oil in baked goods, substitute applesauce or prune puree for half of the called-for butter, shortening or oil. Note: To avoid dense, soggy or flat baked goods, don't substitute oil for butter or shortening.

- Instead of butter, margarine, shortening or oil to prevent sticking, substitute cooking spray.

- Instead of creamed soups, substitute fate-free milk-based soups, mashed potato flakes, or pureed carrots, potatoes or tofu for thickening agents.

- Dry bread crumbs? Try rolled oats or crushed bran cereal. 

- Eggs? Try two egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute for each whole egg. 

- Enriched pasta? Whole wheat pasta.

- Evaporated milk? Evaporated skim milk.

- Fruit canned in heavy syrup? Fruit canned in its own juice or in water. Or, better yet, fresh or frozen fruit. 

- Fruit-flavored or fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt? Plain low- or non-fat yogurt with fresh (or frozen, thawed) fruit. Need a little sweetening? Add a touch of natural calorie free sweetener and a couple drops of vanilla.

- Cream cheese? Fat-free or low-fat cream cheese, Neufchatel or low-fat cottage cheese pureed until smooth. Note: I find the fat-free cream cheese rather tasteless, and much prefer the Neufchatel cheese (sold in the dairy case right there with the cream cheese). 

- Sour cream? Fat-free or low-fat sour cream, plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt. 

- Ground beef? Extra-lean or lean ground beef, chicken or turkey breast (make sure no poultry skin has been added to the product).

- Iceberg lettuce? Mixed spring greens, arugula, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach or watercress. Note: iceberg lettuce has virtually no nutritional value.

- Mayonnaise? Reduced-calorie mayonnaise-type salad dressing or reduced-calorie, reduced-fat mayonnaise. 

- Meat as the main ingredient? Three times as many vegetables as the meat on pizzas on in casseroles, soups and stews.

- Oil-based marinades? Wine, balsamic vinegar, fruit juice or fat-free broth.

- Salad dressing? Fat-free or reduced-calorie dressing or flavored vinegars.

- Seasoning salt, such as garlic salt, celery salt or onion salt? Herb-only seasonings, such as garlic powder, celery seed or onion flakes, or use finely chopped herbs or garlic, celery or onions. 

- Soy sauce? Sweet-and-sour sauce (but this can be high in sugar), hot mustard sauce, or low-sodium soy sauce. 

- Syrup? Pureed fruit, such as applesauce, berries, or low-calorie, sugar-free syrup.

- Table salt? Herbs, spices, fruit juices or salt-free seasoning mixes or herb blends.

- White bread? Whole-wheat bread.

- White rice? Brown rice, wild rice, bulgur or pearl barley.

- Whole milk? Reduced-fat or fat-free milk.

Information found at www.mayoclinic.com