Do you love to bake, but hate the calories that come along with holiday goodies? I would encourage you to branch out when you grocery shop and find some healthy substitutions that will cut some of the calories, fat and sugar from your recipes. Now, it is important to note that you should not substitute EVERY single ingredient, but make some substitutions will improve the healthfulness of your baked goodie.
There are a couple of things you can do to reduce total fat in recipes. One option is to replace half the butter or shortening in a recipe with applesauce or prune puree. You can also use cooking spray or non-stick pans instead of butter or margarine to grease your pans. Next, two egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute can take the place of one whole egg. The yolk is where the fat and cholesterol is so removing the yolk takes that out. Finally, other ways to reduce fat are to use low-fat milk instead of whole milk, evaporated skim milk instead of evaporated milk, low-fat sour cream or cream cheese instead of their full-fat alternatives and even using fat-free creamy soups or half broth/half creamy soups will help reduce calories.
Many baked goods are loaded with sugar! To reduce the sugar content of your recipe you can substitute half the sugar for baking Splenda® or Equal®, two artificial sweeteners that are calorie-free. You can even add fiber to recipes! Try using whole wheat flour for ½ the All-Purpose flour or substitute rolled oats/crushed bran cereal for bread crumbs.
Top your desserts off with a bang! Try using low-fat whipped topping instead of cream cheese icing or add fresh fruit instead of a high-sugar fruit drizzle. You will get the same great taste for a lot fewer calories!
If you have a question for the dietitian, visit www.texashealth.org/askamy
Amy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD
Registered Dietitian
Ben Hogan Sports Therapy Institute
Executive Health Program
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment