Diet & Fitness Blog

Ask Pam: Healthy Recipe Tweaks

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

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Can I use any items in recipes to reduce calories while keeping it healthy and saving some money?

I learned early on in my family that when I tweak a recipe, I never tell! There are many recipes and meals that I switch out this for that or simply don’t add as much of one ingredient or another.

If done right, they don’t even notice the difference. It's my little secret that I made the recipe healthier or added some extra nutrients that might have been missing. Otherwise, if I tell them what I did (I usually tell my husband), I get the following comment "Oh, I thought something was different" -- just on principle!

Depending on the recipe or meal, substituting items out can make it healthier and often cost-effective. Many recipes that call for a certain vegetable or protein can be substituted using similar sources.

Take broccoli, for instance. It can often be substituted for another fresh veggie like green beans or even canned or frozen veggies. Pasta dishes that call for shrimp can be substituted for chicken and vice versa, depending on the dish; also, baked items can replace breaded, fried items (chicken parmigiana).

Check out what’s on sale and see how you can substitute items without altering the scope of the recipe. Casseroles and soups can easily be added to -- load them up with more vegetables and less pasta or potatoes; this keeps the nutrients in check while keeping calories down.

When a recipe or packaged product calls for oil or butter, use less. Check out those labels; they give tips to decrease the fat and calories. And when it comes to baking, take those traditional ingredients and substitute them for healthier, low-calorie alternatives.

Here is a quick list for some easy substitutions:

- Instead of butter, use canola, mild olive oil, prune purée or applesauce.
- Instead of chocolate, use cocoa.
- Instead of eggs, use egg whites or egg substitute.
- Instead of cream and whole milk, use skim or low-fat (1%) milk.
- Instead of cream cheese, use low-fat ricotta + yogurt; light cream cheese.
- Instead of sour cream, use plain yogurt.

Don’t hesitate to be creative. Many new recipes or meals come from putting your own twist in to it. Of course, there are a few recipes you should stick to when it comes to directions, but there is usually room for change!

Have a diet question for Pam? Email askpam@ediets.com and check back to see if your question is picked! And if you missed a previous column, click here to see the archive.

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Labels: ask pam, cheap recipes, dieting, nutrition, recipes