Quick Bites

Recipe Modification

Research has shown that how much and what we eat can impact our health. For instance, a diet high in fat (particularly saturated and trans fats), sugar and sodium can negatively impact weight, cholesterol and blood pressure; while increasing dietary fiber, calcium or other nutrients can have a positive effect on cholesterol, bone strength and cancer prevention.

If you're overweight, suffering from chronic conditions or just trying to avoid these health problems does the research mean you have to purge your recipe file of all your 'less than healthy' family-favorite recipes passed down from generation to generation? Before throwing away the recipes for Mom's mac & cheese or Grandpa's barbeque consider recipe modification, in other words – changes and substitutions.

Making a few changes to family-favorite recipes can make them healthier without changing the taste. Many substitutions can be made without notice. Other substitutions or changes may lead to a recipe the family likes better. Here are a few things to think about and try when your favorite recipes aren't so good for your health:

Read the recipe, look at the ingredients and decide what can be done to achieve your dietary goals

Identify ingredients to change, substitute or omit – like unhealthy fats, sugar, or sodium Identify ingredient additions that can make it more nutritious – whole wheat (fiber), yogurt (calcium, protein), fruits & vegetables (vitamins & minerals) Modify ingredients – egg substitute instead of whole eggs, olive oil instead of bacon grease, fresh herbs instead of salt Modify the cooking method – baking instead of frying Add ingredients A really important thing to remember – make changes one at a time. In addition to being healthier, the final result needs to taste good! When all attempts to modify a recipe end with an unsatisfactory dish use moderation – make the dish only occasionally and reduce the portion size.

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