Would you like to make your favourite dishes a little healthier? Here are a few tips you can use on lots of recipes without compromising on taste and flavour. They will reduce the fat, sugar, salt, calories and increase fibre, making them much better for you and your family.
- Cut down on fats: If you are frying food use a non-stick pan and fry without using oil. By leaving out the oil, especially with food like mince meet, you could cut up to 45 calories per teaspoon. If the food seems a little dry without the oil, just add some water. If you must use oil, try using poly- and mono unsaturated fats like olive oil.
- Cut down on salt: Many recipes will say to add salt. Why not try and replace salt with other seasonings like pepper, spices, lemon juice, herbs, vinegar or mustard. Allow people to add their own salt after tasting their food – you will probably find that they add less, if any.
- Cut down on sugar: Experiment with different recipes by cutting down on the amount of sugar you use. Some recipes that have fruit in them such as scones and fruit cakes may not even need sugar as the fruit will provide the sweetness.
- Increase fibre: Instead of using white pasta, rice and bread, opt for the brown alternative. This will increase your fibre intake and will also leave you feeling fuller for longer. If you have recipes that require to be topped with pastry, such as a chicken pie, try it with mashed potato instead.
- Soups and stews: When making soups, broths or stews allow it to cool so that the fat will gather at the top. You will then be able to skim it right off. Also try replacing fatty meats that are used in stews with pulses, peas, lentils and beans. You will save calories and fat while also adding fibre.
- Sauces: When making sauces replace cream and milk with semi-skimmed and skimmed milk, or low fat yogurt. Instead of adding cream or ice-cream to your dessert, try some fromage frais. This is a skimmed cow’s milk cheese that is very similar to natural yogurt.
- Cheese: When adding cheese to dishes try strong flavoured cheese like mature cheddar or blue cheese as the strong flavour means you will use less. If you do not wish to use these cheeses then pick your favourite cheese but use a low-fat alternative. Rather than slicing cheese, grate it as you can spread it around more easily and you will use less.
- Mayonnaise: Instead of using mayonnaise in salads, replace it with natural yoghurt or low fat fromage frais. Or instead of using mayonnaise in your salad, try vinaigrette dressings and serve it on the side. When making a sandwich, choose between mayonnaise and butter – don’t use both. And opt for low fat mayonnaise.
- Vegetables: When flavouring cooked vegetables, use herbs rather than oil or butter. Try replacing meat in some dishes with vegetables. Instead of making chicken curry, try vegetable curry or make a vegetable lasagna with pulses such as peas, beans and lentils along with your favourite veg.
- Meat: Cut away the fat from meat and remove the skin from poultry before cooking. Instead of frying the meat, try grilling, baking, roasting or poaching. If roasting meat, place it on a grill rack so that the fat will drip away. When cooking minced meat, brown it first and then drain away the fat before you add the other ingredients.
