It's that time of year again. Cookies and cakes, casseroles, and buffets filled with wonderful treats are everywhere you turn. Facing these rich, heavy foods day in and day out can put a hamper on any attempts you may make to maintain a healthy lifestyle during the winter months. The good news is with a few healthy-cooking tips, you can enjoy all your favorite treats and comfort foods and still keep those winter pounds at bay. Use these strategies to lighten up your recipes and you’ll be able to have your cakes and casseroles – and eat them, too.
Revamp Your Baked Goods
- To lighten up your cookies, decrease the amount of butter or oil by half. (Before doing this, make sure you're starting from an original full-fat recipe. Otherwise, your cookies will be too dry.)
- For most cake recipes you can replace half the oil with an equal amount of applesauce.
- To decrease the sugar content of most baked goods, try a baking-friendly artificial sweetener like Splenda in place of some or all of the sugar.
- Replace whole milk with skim or 1% milk or fat-free buttermilk.
- For any treats that include additions like nuts, chocolate chips or other high-calorie fillers or toppings, try halving the amount or eliminating them completely.
*Note: You'll want to experiment with these baking tips, as different recipes respond differently to substitutions and eliminations.
Healthify Your Main Dishes
- To increase the fiber content and lower the calories and fat in almost any casserole or pasta dish, double the vegetable content and halve the amount of meat.
- Use a non-stick pan and non-stick cooking spray instead of oil when sautéing. If you need to use oil, use half of what’s called for and add more only if it’s needed.
- Play around with spices, seasonings, and fresh herbs to give dishes more flavor without adding fat or calories.
- Cut fat by using low-fat or fat-free versions of any dairy product. (Hint: For melting, stick to low-fat cheeses because fat-free cheese doesn't melt as well.)
- Experiment with a lighter cooking methods. Instead of frying, bake, poach or broil your meat or fish.
Use these strategies to renovate your favorite recipes and you should be able to your favorite winter meals and holiday treats without expanding your waistline. If you have other ideas for lightening up those comfort food recipes, share them at Blissfully Domestic's Healthy Living Group or in the comments below.
(Bread photo by rexipe; Chicken photo by thebittenword.com)
Ami writes about her attempts to stay healthy, live a local and green life and write that Great American Novel (or something like it) at Writing: My Life.
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