Have an all-time favorite recipe, but feel guilty every time you cook it? That awful feeling can ruin the taste of the best of foods. GOOD NEWS: you can make many rich dishes downright healthy with just a few substitutions. We scooped a couple recipes to get you inspired, but you can use these 6 principles on your own to health-ify pretty much any recipe.
1. Applesauce for Oil/Butter or Sugar: “One of the best substitutions you can make is using applesauce instead of adding fats, oils or sugar to your baking,†said Michelle Musselwhite, RD, LDN, registered dietitian with Carolinas HealthCare System’s Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute Cardiac Rehab Program. “It not only adds sweetness to recipes, but you also get the added dietary benefits of apples’ fiber. Applesauce has significantly fewer calories than sugar, and you’re cutting the saturated-fat content of baked goods when you eliminate the butter or oil.â€
2. Low-Fat Options: If a recipe calls for mayonnaise, choose a reduced-calorie mayonnaise-type salad dressing or reduced-calorie, reduced-fat mayonnaise. Lower-fat versions of some high-fat ingredients, like cream cheese, salad dressings or creamed soups, make for healthy substitutions that still maintain the flavor of the dish. [scoop note – check the sugar grams in your lower fat versions to make sure you’re not substituting one unhealthy option for another.]
3. Whole Grains: “In recipes using flour, pastas or breads, try using whole grain versions,†said Musselwhite. “Whole grains are packed with fiber and other nutrients like protein, B vitamins and antioxidants. A diet rich in whole grains – preferably the recommended three servings a day – has been shown to lower cholesterol and blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease.â€
4. Vegetables: Instead of ordering pizza with pepperoni, try different vegetable toppings to lower the fat content and calories of each slice. Thin strips of zucchini – or “zoodles†– can replace spaghetti for a lower-carb and gluten-free meal. Portobello mushrooms are thick and meaty in texture and taste, so try one on a hamburger bun instead of a traditional burger; or substitute button mushrooms for meatballs in your favorite spaghetti sauce.
5. Nonfat Greek Yogurt for Sour Cream or Mayo: “Greek yogurt is becoming very popular in cooking and is a wonderful substitution if you want to cut the fat and calories from recipes that contain sour cream or mayonnaise,†said Musselwhite. “Nonfat Greek yogurt has far fewer calories and fat, but its consistency is similar to mayonnaise or sour cream.â€
6. Lettuce: Iceberg lettuce is a staple in salads, but it doesn’t provide as many vitamins and minerals as the darker lettuces or other options like kale, which packs 3 grams of protein, 2.5 grams of fiber and vitamins A, C and K into just one 33-calorie cup. Other choices to replace iceberg lettuce include romaine lettuce, arugula or spinach, which has nearly twice the recommended daily value of vitamin K, half the recommended value of vitamin A, and plenty of calcium and iron.
Throughout February — and the entire year — we encourage heart health and education. To receive tips like these, visit CarolinasHealthCare.org/HealthyHeart. And, join us in celebrating Heart Health Month by showing us who motivates you to maintain a healthy lifestyle. [#myheartbeats4u on Twitter and Instagram]
