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.