Boost
Nutrition and Cut Calories in the Kitchen
Choosing
healthy foods is an important part of eating right, but cooking them in a
healthful way is another huge part. For example, zucchini can take on two
completely different forms when it's quickly sautéed in olive oil versus
battered and deep fried. What we add to foods makes all the difference when it
comes to home cooking.
The
first step to healthier cooking is to take recipes as suggestions. Before you
start chopping and mixing, scan the recipe to see if there are any unnecessary
calories. Look for excess cheese, butter and oils, as well as sugars.
Here
are some tasty, healthy ideas to help you become a professional recipe
overhauler!
Sauté—the
skinny way! A couple of tablespoons of
low-sodium vegetable broth can be used instead of oil or butter in your
stir fry or as the basis for a sauce. This method will add a nice flavor to
your dish as well as a little moisture—and you'll save calories to use
elsewhere. To get a dose of unsaturated fats, serve your broth-sautéed veggies
with a side salad, and pour an olive oil-based dressing over the top.
Say no
to skin. Three ounces of chicken breast meat with skin has almost 150 calories;
three ounces of chicken without the skin has 50 fewer calories. Tasty as it
might be, the skin contains mostly heart-unhealthy saturated fat. You can cook
with the skin on to retain moisture (add
fresh herbs or citrus zest underneath it to really bake in some flavor), but be
sure to remove the skin before you enjoy your meal to save on calories and
saturated fat.
Squeeze
on the citrus. To add a powerful flavor punch with minimal added calories, use
citrus on steamed veggies instead of butter or over a salad instead of a
dressing. It’s even great on fruit salad in place of sugar and adds some zip
when squeezed onto a pasta salad. Don’t forget to use the flavorful zest of
citrus fruits as well! Wash a lemon, orange or lime, then use a zester or
grater to add the zest to dishes such as baked seafood.
Be
choosy about cheese. When using a mildly flavored cheese, such as Monterey
Jack, you need more cheese to taste it. But when you choose a cheese with
intense flavor, you can use less and still get the desired effect. Try a
reduced-sodium feta, sharp Cheddar or aged Parmesan next time. Light cheese
wedges such as The Laughing Cow brand are useful when you're watching fat and
calories, too. Try mixing one of these soft cheeses into your scrambled eggs or
noodle dishes instead of loading on the shredded mozzarella.
Go
Greek. Tangy, fat-free Greek yogurt is a healthful replacement for sour cream.
Try this switch in herbed and spiced dips, tacos, nachos, enchiladas, or throw
it in a cooked dish as a thickening agent. You’ll save 45 calories for each
2-tablespoon serving.
Puree
your produce. Add body to soups and sauces with pureed vegetables instead of
heavy cream, evaporated milk, butter or cheese. This move will also add fiber
and nutrients to your dish for very few calories. A puree of carrots will add
texture to meatless spaghetti sauce, and mixing a blend of beans into a chili
or soup will add flavor and thicken it—all with very few added calories. In
this recipe, Chef Meg thickens a taco soup with chickpeas!
Get
cozy with cottage cheese. When a recipe calls for a significant amount of a
crumbled cheese, such as feta or ricotta, substitute half the amount with
reduced-fat cottage cheese. This will retain taste, texture, protein, and
calcium while ditching some of the fat and calories. This works well for
stuffed peppers and most baked pasta dishes.
Pump up
the veggies! You can easily reach the recommended five servings of fruits and
veggies when you’re cooking at home. Veggies can compliment any dish on your
menu, adding nutrient-packed bulk to the meal for few calories. Add chopped
asparagus and mushrooms to your next omelet, red peppers (or a frozen stir fry
mix) to baked casseroles, or any kind of beans to a pasta salad. Include fresh
or frozen spinach in pasta sauces and soups, and broccoli in your casseroles.
The opportunities for adding veggies are endless for almost any dish!
Cut the
cream. When making cream-based soups, sub fat-free half-and-half for any heavy
cream. The switch gives the soups a creamy taste and velvety texture without
all the saturated fat of heavy cream. This works great in pasta sauces as well.
Make
your own marinade. Marinate lean meats in vinegar and citrus combos (with a bit
of oil added) rather than a pre-made oil-based dressing. You can also try a
fruit juice or wine. These agents will still tenderize and flavor the meat, and
a mix of herbs and spices will bring out the flavor! (You'll also save sodium
by not using the store-bought varieties!) Try cutting the meat in strips before
dousing it to really let the marinade take effect.
As you
can see, there are endless ways you can boost the nutrition and reduce the
calories of almost any recipe. Get creative and experiment in the kitchen. You
may just find that you like these new ways of cooking just as much—or even
better!
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