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Healthy Eating Recipes
How
To Make Your Recipes Healthier
By Trevor
John
You've probably got
hundreds of recipes in your collection but maybe not all
of them are as healthy as you'd like them to be. Which
is likely a shame as there's a good chance that some of
those recipes are amongst your favorites.
How do you go about changing your favorite recipes into ones that are
healthy for you? Even those old family favorites that
have been passed down through the generations.
1. Reduce the amount of fat, sugar and salt in your recipes.
You'll be pleasantly surprised just how much you can reduce the level of
fat, sugar and salt in your recipes without affecting
the taste. If you've cut back too much, it's always
possible to add a little bit more salt at the table. You
can reduce the amount of fat by using a non stick pan
and an oil spray rather than slurping oil into the pan.
You can also use a slotted spoon to skim off any excess
fat as the recipe cooks. Cutting down on sugar will
depend on what you're cooking, but it's generally safe
to try initially cutting sugar down by a quarter - I
doubt you'll notice the difference.
Salt is necessary in recipes for bread as otherwise the yeast won't be able
to do it's job. In other recipes, such as crock pots and
stews, you should easily be able to reduce the salt you
use by half with very little effect on the final taste.
You may even find that with an imaginative use of
sauces, you can eliminate salt from some of your recipes
entirely.
Remember that some of the ingredients you use may contain salt, sugar or
fat. Read the labels and substitute as necessary. But
don't just blindly add a low fat option without checking
that the manufacturer hasn't simply substituted sugar
for fat.
2. Make Healthy Substitutions
As well as examining labels, look for ways to increase the nutrition in the
food you eat. Whole wheat pasta, brown rice, whole grain
cereals. All of these are easy substitutes and will
likely enhance the taste of the dish you are cooking -
they have less of the original product removed in the
manufacturing process, which leaves more taste available
for you.
3. If possible, delete an unhealthy ingredient
Many recipes react well to variations (you may even find alternatives listed
at the end of the recipe). Substitute frosted
ingredients for un-frosted ones to cut down on sugar,
for instance. Be careful with adding nuts to a dish as
they are high in fat (although the fat is usually
considered "good" fat, so don't cut them out entirely).
Let your family and guests add their own toppings such a
mayonnaise and sauces. Consider substituting lower salt,
fat and sugar versions of these sauces. And don't
squeeze that maple syrup quite as hard the next time you
eat a stack of pancakes!
Once you start converting your recipes, you'll become more imaginative and
will have a good idea on what is working and what isn't
Keep a notebook handy so that you can remember the
successes and adjust the times when the changes you made
weren't as successful as you'd have liked.
About the Author: Treat your children and family to a batch of
specially designed healthy recipes that are easy to
make and have all been taste tested.
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