You've probably got hundreds of recipes in your collection but maybe not all of them are as healthy as you'd like them to be. Which is probably a shame as there's a good chance that some of those recipes are among your favorites.
How do you go about changing your favorite recipes into ones that are healthy for you? Even those old family favorites that have been passed down through the generations.
1. Reduce the amount of fat, sugar and salt in your recipes.
You'll be pleasantly surprised just how much you can reduce the level of fat, sugar and salt in your recipes without affecting the taste. If you've cut back too much, it's always possible to add a little bit more salt at the table. You can reduce the amount of fat by using a non stick pan and an oil spray rather than slurping oil into the pan. You can also use a slotted spoon to skim off any excess fat as the recipe cooks. Cutting down on sugar will depend on what you're cooking, but it's generally safe to try initially cutting sugar down by a quarter – I doubt you'll notice the difference.
Salt is necessary in recipes for bread as otherwise the yeast will not be able to do it's job. In other recipes, such as crock pots and stews, you should easily be able to reduce the salt you use by half with very little effect on the final taste. You may even find that with an imaginative use of sauces, you can eliminate salt from some of your recipes entirely.
Remember that some of the ingredients you use may contain salt, sugar or fat. Read the labels and substitute as necessary. But do not just blindly add a low fat option without checking that the manufacturer has not simply substituted sugar for fat.
2. Make Healthy Substitutions
As well as examining labels, look for ways to increase the nutrition in the food you eat. Whole wheat pasta, brown rice, whole grain cereals. All of these are easy substitutes and will significantly enhance the taste of the dish you are cooking – they have less of the original product removed in the manufacturing process, which leaves more taste available for you.
3. If possible, delete an unhealthy ingredient
Many recipes react well to variations (you may even find alternatives listed at the end of the recipe). Substitute frosted ingredients for un-frosted ones to cut down on sugar, for instance. Be careful with adding nuts to a dish as they are high in fat (although the fat is usually considered "good" fat, so do not cut them out entirely). Let your family and guests add their own toppings such a mayonnaise and sauces. Consider substituting lower salt, fat and sugar versions of these sauces. And do not squeeze that maple syrup quite as hard the next time you eat a stack of pancakes!
Once you start converting your recipes, you'll become more imaginative and will have a good idea on what is working and what is not Keep a notebook handy so that you can remember the successes and adjust the times when the changes you made were not ' t as successful as you'd have liked.