Changing Recipes to be Healthier

Home-cooking can be good for you or it can be fattening and unhealthy. Quickly browse through your favorite recipe books and in some cases you’ll soon see how the calories and fat can mount up.

That is not to mention all the salt (sodium chloride) in some recipes, although it has a role to play, too much can be harmful.

But don’t despair, there are simple changes you can make to recipes that can help you reduce bad fats, calories and the salt. This will help you stay fit, trim and healthy. Here are a few ideas to start you off.

Apple sauce instead vegetable oil: If you are baking bread, cakes, muffins or quick bread, try swapping oil with applesauce, like for like on quantity. You can often do the same thing with butter. If you still like the taste and texture that the vegetable oil adds, you can substitute half of the applesauce for the oil. This simple change reduces bad fats and calories. Alternatively, try using olive oil instead of vegetable oil.

Egg substitutes: There are several brands of egg substitutes that you can use in place of eggs in many recipes. Some can even be scrambled – check the instructions. Egg substitute should be lower in fat and calories. If you are intolerant of eggs, check the label carefully for “allergy information”. However, do remember that eggs in moderation are good for you, being a complete protein.

Broth for flavor and moisture: Instead of adding oil to your vegetables or rice, use broth. Chicken, beef and vegetable broth will all add a great flavor to your dishes without adding calories. If you are using bouillon cubes, try adding two to the cooking water. If you are worried about your sodium intake, be sure to buy low-sodium broth and bouillon cubes instead.

Reduce the amount of salt you add to food, or “low-sodium” salt which is based on potassium instead of sodium. While many people enjoy the extra taste from added salt (sodium chloride), in excess it can raise your blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease. The Blood Pressure Association, a UK based blood pressure charity, believes that reducing salt intake to 3g a day could prevent around 20,000 stroke and heart attack deaths in the UK each year. Low sodium salts can reduce sodium intake by about 60% yet maintain all the flavour. Potassium is also essential for good fluid balance and muscle function.

Use lean ground turkey instead of ground beef: Lean minced turkey is tasty and cooks just like minced beef. Depending on the quality (some are better, and some are really bad) minced beef has a lot of fat. Although you can drain off the fat, it’s never completely removed. Minced turkey instead is leaner and has few calories and fat grams than minced or ground  beef.

Low fat cheese and dairy: A very easy switch you can make is to use low fat cheese and dairy products in your cooking such as low or no fat sour cream, cream cheese, yogurt and ricotta cheese. In recipes, you will hardly notice the different. Remember that some low fat or fat free cheese does not melt in the same way as ordinary cheese, but you can use it if you are just using a little in tacos or other recipes.

Use natural yoghurt instead of cream – reduces calories and is better for you because it helps provide healthy gut bacteria. Natural yogurt is something of an acquired taste, but if you do it gradually you’ll soon get to the stage where you don’t notice it. Honestly!

Making the switch to low fat, low calories and low sodium does not have to be hard. You can use these tips to make your recipes better for you.

Please add a comment to share your own favorite tip for changing recipes to be more healthy.

Tomatoes and Red Pepper

As I write this in the UK it’s warm and sunny – never quite sure how long that will last, but we live in hopes.

In such weather, wanting to shed any winter weight gain, our thoughts may turn to a summer detox. If this conjours up images of misery and starvation, think again. It need not be the case.

My last post about Sandy Halliday’s detox diet generated a lot of interest and I asked her to share a sample recipe with us. Try this – I’m sure you’ll love it!

It combines being tasty with being filling – always an advantage, especially when you need something that’s “family-friendly” too.

Inca Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients

100g (1 cup/4oz) quinoa, rinsed very well and drained
2 cups (500 ml) vegetable stock
½ large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
50g (½ cup/2oz) peas
½ red pepper, seeded and diced
100g (¾ cup/4oz) cooked chickpeas
¼ cup (1 oz) spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
¼ cup (1 oz) parsley finely chopped
¼ cup (1oz) fresh mint finely chopped
1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced.

Dressing

30 ml (2 tbsp) cup freshly squeezed lime juice
21 ml (1½ tbsp) vegetable stock
Freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
¼ tsp chipotle chili pepper

Method

In a medium saucepan heat the quinoa and stock until boiling.
Reduce heat and simmer until water is absorbed and quinoa fluffs up, about 15 minutes. Drain any excess water and set aside to cool.
Combine all of the vegetables in a large bowl.
Add the quinoa and mix well.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad.
Mix well and refrigerate until chilled.
Taste before serving, and add more lime juice as necessary (it should be tangy).

Click here to get more like this, for immediate download, in Sandy’s ebook.

Detox Recipes

OK – the picture’s a bit extreme, but you know what I mean.

We’ve all done it – pick up a bargain in the supermarket with no clear idea of which meal to incorporate it into, and then a week later you find it and wonder if you should eat it or not.

Check out the informative table on “How long will food last”? and read why you should probably be far more careful than you already are!

• Oat cake (NOT rice, they can raise your blood sugar too fast)
• Stick of celery or carrot
• A few sunflower seeds
• Five almonds, Brazils or walnuts (NOT peanuts)
• Piece of fruit – different each time – Sharon fruit, mangoes, kiwi, pineapple etc
• One or two dried apricots – no more.  Dried fruit raises your blood sugar too quickly

More ideas welcome – please add your favorite healthy snack idea!

People sometimes worry that “healthy eating” is expensive. This need not be the case.

Here are some quick tips to help you and your family eat well on a budget:

• Eat fresh food – and be sure to eat it before it deteriorates
• Never go shopping when you’re hungry – you’ll pile the trolley higher than usual
• Eat fibre-rich food (fruit, vegetables, grains) that will keep you full for longer and help clear toxins from your body
• Watch for special discounts in your local supermarket. Do they put out their special offers at the same time every day – and can you time your shopping to take advantage?
• Instead of drinking expensive fruit juices (many of which have had their fiber removed or reduced) eat the whole fruit for better nutrient value and filling capacity
• In most countries of the developed world you can drink the tap water! No need to buy expensive bottled water. And remember, people often mistake  thirst for hunger. If you think you’re hungry, have a long drink of water and see if you feel less hungry.
• Keep your fridge well stocked with fruit and veg for healthy snacks, instead of crisps and biscuits.
• Avoid highly processed food, much of which is expensive and delivers poor value for money with low nutrient content, often containing harmful additives, fats and excess salt (as a preservative for longer shelf-life).
• Watch your portion control – put that little bit less on your plate.

Learn more about healthy eating in “Healthy Urban Kitchen”.