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Ingredient substitutions: Make the switch for healthier recipes

  • by Rebecca LeSaffre on March 26, 2009

Cook up healthier recipes by swapping one ingredient for another. These substitution tips can help.

from Mayo Clinic

You stock healthy foods in your pantry, but what do you do with them? And how do you modify favorite family recipes so that they’re more in line with your healthy-eating plan? It’s not as hard as you may think. The key is to incorporate healthier alternatives into your daily eating routine.

The following suggestions can help you lower fat, salt, sugar and calories and increase fiber in your recipes.

If your recipe calls for:

Try substituting:
All-purpose (plain) flour
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.
Bacon
Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, smoked turkey or lean prosciutto (Italian ham)
Butter, shortening or oil in baked goods
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.
Butter, margarine, shortening or oil to prevent sticking
Cooking spray or nonstick pans
Creamed soups
Fat-free milk-based soups, mashed potato flakes, or pureed carrots, potatoes or tofu for thickening agents
Dry bread crumbs
Rolled oats or crushed bran cereal
Eggs
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 juices or in water, or fresh fruit
Fruit-flavored yogurt
Plain yogurt with fresh fruit slices
Full-fat cream cheese
Fat-free or low-fat cream cheese, Neufchatel or low-fat cottage cheese pureed until smooth
Full-fat 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
Arugula, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach or watercress
Margarine in baked goods
Trans fat-free butter spreads or shortenings that are specially formulated for baking
Note: If ingredient lists include the term “partially hydrogenated,” it may have up to 0.5 grams of trans fat in one serving. To avoid dense, soggy or flat baked goods, don’t substitute diet, whipped or tub-style margarine for regular margarine.
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 or 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
Soups, sauces, dressings, crackers, or canned meat, fish or vegetables
Low-sodium/reduced-sodium versions
Soy sauce
Sweet-and-sour sauce, hot mustard sauce or low-sodium soy sauce
Syrup
Pureed fruit, such as applesauce, 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

Heart Rate Zone

  • by Rebecca LeSaffre on March 19, 2009

Do you want to get the most out of those 30 minutes on the treadmill, or any kind of cardio exercise? You maximize the benefits of cardiovascular activity when you exercise in the zone of your target heart rate (THR). In general terms, your THR is 60-80% of your maximum heart rate. There are a couple of ways to figure this out, but here is the simplest.

  1. Find your maximum heart rate. To calculate your max heart rate subtract your age from 220. For this example, we’ll say my max heart rate is 200.
  2. Multiply your maximum heart rate and your first percentage. So, if my max heart rate is 200 and my first percentage is 60%… 200 x .60 = 120.
  3. Repeat step 3 with the second percentage. So… 200 x .80 = 160.
  4. Document your zone range. Unless you want to be calculating these often, write down your findings. In our example, I’d write down “60-80% = 120-160 Heart Rate.
Key Target Training Zones (% of max HR)
60-70%: Low intensity exercise.
70-80%: Medium intensity exercise.
80% +: High intensity exercise.

Grilled Chicken with Tomato-Avocado Salsa

  • by Rebecca LeSaffre on March 11, 2009

This recipe serves: 4

20 mins
15 mins

Ingredients

salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper

For the salsa

4 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped or 12 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeño chili pepper, seeded and diced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 avocado

For the chicken

1/2 cup non-fat, plain yogurt

1/2 small red onion

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 4 to 6 ounces each

Cooking Instructions

For the salsa:
1. In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, red onion, pepper and cilantro.

2. Chop the avocado and sprinkle it with 2 tablespoons of lime juice to keep it from browning. Add the avocado and remaining lime juice to the bowl and toss to combine.
(This can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 day.)

For the chicken:
1. In a small food processor, puree the yogurt, red onion, lime juice and cilantro to make a yogurt marinade.

2. Transfer the marinade to a shallow bowl or a plastic bag. Add the chicken and coat well with the marinade. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

3. Preheat the grill to medium-high.

4. Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard the remaining marinade and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken on both sides until it is cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.

5. Serve the chicken with tomato-avocado salsa.

Nutrition Facts

1 chicken breast with salsa

Amount Per Serving

  • 283
  • 43 g
  • 16 g
  • 4 g
  • 0 g
  • 8 g
  • 6 g
  • 1 g
  • 1 g
  • 1 g
  • 0 g
  • 0 g
  • 1 g
  • 99 mg
  • 18 %
  • 60%
  • Percent Calories form Carbs  22%

from foodfit.com

Help I Hate Veggies!

  • by Rebecca LeSaffre on March 7, 2009

Eating plenty of vegetables is important to overall health, they’re loaded with nutrients and though they have few calories, they’re highly satisfying. But wait — you say you simply hate vegetables? Here are a few ideas to help you get a few more into your diet

Be sneaky. Sneaking vegetables into foods you already like is a good option. Stir some canned pumpkin into your oatmeal, add finely grated carrot to your pasta sauce, sneak peas into the macaroni and cheese, or add extra vegetables to your chicken noodle soup.

Focus on favorites. The next time you go to the store, pick up any vegetable that you even remotely like — or that you haven’t ever tried. Even the most ardent vegetable haters can find two or three vegetables they enjoy. Once you find them, make sure you always have them on hand.

Season spectacularly. Forget the bland vegetables of your childhood — be bold with your favorite seasonings and you may be surprised at how good your vegetables can taste! Try a shake of hot pepper, a splash of soy sauce, or a grating of cheese.

Try something new. Make an effort to try one new veggie each week, or a new way of cooking or preparing it. You may find that although you detest cooked spinach, you actually enjoy a spinach salad. And veggies like carrots can be prepared and eaten in many ways: raw, with a low-fat dip or dressing, cooked with a little brown sugar, or blended into soup.

Also, keep in mind that tastes can change over time — give yourself a chance to find out if yours have. For example, you may not have liked broccoli as a child, but taste it again now and you just may find that you love it.

from Ellie Krieger