Foods that are healthier and lower in fat can still have rich, bold flavor. The key to having lower fat yet appetizing recipes is by using flavorful alternatives to the typical standbys. With some imagination, many of your favorite recipes can be turned into a healthy culinary dish that everyone will enjoy.
Substitutes
Some of the most high-fat ingredients in recipes have low-fat alternatives. Mayonnaise is one of the most highly used items that most people can do without. There are low-fat and even fat-free varieties of mayonnaise on the market but they have no flavor. The next time you are making your famous potato salad, substitute the mayo for fat-free sour cream and/or yogurt.
Butter and oil are heart-clogging ingredients in many recipes. Cakes can go low-fat simply by replacing some of the oil with applesauce. And Paul Deen is quite correct when she says food is always better with butter but having the extra pounds around the waist caused by that extra butter is not a healthy way to live. Rather than slather your homemade bread with rich butter, opt for a low-fat jam or a teaspoon of honey.
Recipes that call for cream are diet killers. Cream can easily be replaced with low-fat buttermilk or yogurt especially in sauces. To thicken up sauces, try using potatoes or a fat-free cream soup like the Campbell’s fat-free cream of celery. Not only are you adding thickness, you are skipping the fat and adding extra flavor. And whenever possible, substitute regular cooking oil for olive oil.
Toppings
People are notorious at topping their foods – ice cream, salads, baked potatoes – these foods are all more attractive to the eye and better tasting when piled with a variety of toppings. You don’t have to forego the toppings, you simply need to find an alternative to the unhealthy toppers. Skip the chocolate on ice cream and go with fresh fruit and for baked potatoes, use fat-free sour cream and skip the butter.
A salad is supposed to be a healthy dish but it can be ruined with heavy salad dressings. The possibilities for a fat-free or low-fat dressing are endless. Olive oil, red wine vinegar, and citrus add enough flavor that you can skip the ranch dressing. But if you prefer a creamy dressing, there are alternatives to the fat-free varieties in the supermarket – make your own. Simply purchase the Hidden Valley brand ranch dressing mix in the package and mix with fat-free sour cream and/or yogurt. The recipe calls for mayo which makes a heavy version but by simply exchanging the fat for yogurt which has flavor, you have created your own ranch dressing with little to no fat.
Herbs and Spices
Herbs and spices should be a cook’s go-to source for adding flavor to any recipe. The spice isle at your supermarket is inundated with spices for every palate. Stock up on different spices and use these instead of topping your foods with butter and cream. Fresh herbs like cilantro add a freshness to spicy recipes that can replace the cheese that many people typically add to Mexican dishes.
Even when you are creating lower fat versions of your recipes, the key to staying healthy is moderation. Just because something is fat-free doesn’t mean it is all-you-can-eat. The next time you are making your favorite recipe, look at the ingredients and experiment with alternatives to the high-fat ingredients. Making the decision to start cooking healthier is one of the best decisions you can make.