Post by Icarus on Feb 1, 2007 9:53:19 GMT -5
Originally posted by Adona Mara***
Got this off WebMD ... I found it very useful, and thought you might, too.
Smart Substitutions
Tweaking recipes to make them healthier only works if they also taste great
By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Expert Column
Reviewed By Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
Healthy food isn't going to do anyone any good if no one is eating it. That's been my motto for the 15 years or so that I've been lightening recipes. In other words, even if it's light, it's gotta taste great.
Lightening recipes for extra calories comes down to basically two things: 1) trimming extra fat and fat-containing ingredients and 2) trimming extra sugar and sugar-containing ingredients.
The keys to successful lightening are:
Find the ideal fat and sugar threshold for the recipe. How much can you cut calories, fat, and sugar without compromising flavor and texture? See the table below for more help on this.
Use the fat substitute that works best in that recipe. See the table below for more help on this.
-- Review the functions of each fatty or sweet ingredient before you make changes to your recipe. When fat or sugar serves an irreplaceable function, you'll probably need to keep some of it in, but you can usually cut fat in half and sugar by one-fourth.
-- Substitute reduced fat and reduced sugar ingredients and products when appropriate. For example, use reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese instead of regular, use a good tasting fat-free or light sour cream instead of regular, or use fat-free half and half instead of regular. You can also use reduced calorie pancake syrup, unsweetened frozen fruit, etc., instead of regular.
-- Change to a cooking method that eliminates the need for cooking fat (broiling, roasting, poaching, steaming) when possible. But when it is necessary to maintain the character of the food, do use a cooking method that involves fat -- just use less of it (oven frying, sautéing, or pan frying in less fat, browning).
Ideal Fat Thresholds and Substitution Table
Based on two decades of experimentation with the best ways to lighten recipes, I've discovered there are ideal fat thresholds that you must keep for flavor. So, if you cut back the fat in a particular recipe, you'll need a "fat replacement" -- an extra ingredient you can add to help replace the fat you have taken out.
Example #1 If you are making a brownie recipe and you cut the butter back from 8 tablespoons to 3, you can add 5 tablespoons fat free sour cream to the batter to make up the difference.
Example #2 If you are making a spice cake using a cake mix, don't add the 1/2 cup of oil the recipe requires; instead add 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce (or some other fat replacement) instead.
RECIPE: Biscuits/scones
FAT THRESHOLD: 4 Tbsp. shortneing for every 2 cups flour
FAT REPLACEMENT: Fat-free cream cheese, nonfat or light sour cream, flavored yogurt
RECIPE: Cake mixes
FAT THRESHOLD: No additional fat is needed since most mixes already contain fat in the mix.
FAT REPLACEMENT: Instead of adding the oil called for on the box, add applesauce, liqueur, fruit juice, flavored yogurt, or nonfat sour cream, depending on the cake. [Try a pulpy orange juice in a chocolate cake mix -- awesome!]
RECIPE: Brownies
FAT THRESHOLD: 2 Tbsp canola oil or butter per 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate and about 14 Tbsp flour.
FAT REPLACEMENT: Fat free sour cream works well along with espresso or strong coffee.
RECIPE: Homemade cakes and coffee cakes
FAT THRESHOLD: 1/4 to 1/3 cup fat ingredient per cake
FAT REPLACEMENT: Liqueur for some cakes, light sour cream for chocolate ones; fruit purees and juices work well with carrot, apple, and spice cakes.
RECIPE: Cheese sauce
FAT THRESHOLD: No butter is needed, so omit the butter if it is called for -- the cheese is the vital fatty ingredient; use a reduced fat cheddar
FAT REPLACEMENT: Make your thickening paste by mixing the flour with a little bit of milk, then whisk in the remaining milk called for in the recipe.
RECIPE: Cookies
FAT THRESHOLD: Generally you can only cut the fat by half. If the original recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, for example, try cutting it to 2/3 to 1/2 cup.
FAT REPLACEMENT: Fat-free cream cheese for rich cookies; some fruit purees may work in fruit/drop cookies.
RECIPE: Marinades
FAT THRESHOLD: 1 Tbsp oil per cup of marinade (or none at all)
FAT REPLACEMENT: I like to use fruit juices or beer to help balance the sharpness of the more acid ingredients in a marinade such as vinegar or tomato juice.
RECIPE: Muffins and nut breads
FAT THRESHOLD: 2 Tbsp oil for a 12-muffin recipe.
FAT REPLACEMENT: Fat-free sour cream, low-fat flavored yogurts, fruit juice, and fruit purees.
RECIPE: Vinaigrette dressings
FAT THRESHOLD: 1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil per 1/2 cup dressing
FAT REPLACEMENT: Wine or champaigne, fruit juice, fruit purees (raspberry or pear work well)
RECIPE: Wjote saices amd gravoes
FAT THRESHOLD: 1 tsp butter per serving of sauce
FAT REPLACEMENT: I just add a little more milk; I like to use whole milk or fat free half and half for a rich white sauce.
Bonus Tips:
Here are four more substitution or fat-reduction tips to use when cooking various dishes:
-- In mostly egg dishes, you can cut the eggs in half and replace the lost eggs with Egg Beaters egg substitute (1/4 cup substitute per egg).
-- Many recipes call for using a lot more oil or butter in pan frying or sautéing than is really necessary. Using a teaspoon of olive or canola oil, at the most, usually does the trick.
-- Canola or olive oil cooking sprays help lubricate bakeware, cookware, and food surfaces with a minimal amount of fat.
-- If you can switch to canola or olive oil instead of using fat or shortening in a recipe, do it! These oils contain better fats (Omega-3's) than the saturated fats in shortening, butter, and stick margarines.
Originally published April 9, 2003.
Medically updated Sept. 1, 2004.
©1996-2005 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved
Got this off WebMD ... I found it very useful, and thought you might, too.
Smart Substitutions
Tweaking recipes to make them healthier only works if they also taste great
By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
WebMD Weight Loss Clinic - Expert Column
Reviewed By Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD
Healthy food isn't going to do anyone any good if no one is eating it. That's been my motto for the 15 years or so that I've been lightening recipes. In other words, even if it's light, it's gotta taste great.
Lightening recipes for extra calories comes down to basically two things: 1) trimming extra fat and fat-containing ingredients and 2) trimming extra sugar and sugar-containing ingredients.
The keys to successful lightening are:
Find the ideal fat and sugar threshold for the recipe. How much can you cut calories, fat, and sugar without compromising flavor and texture? See the table below for more help on this.
Use the fat substitute that works best in that recipe. See the table below for more help on this.
-- Review the functions of each fatty or sweet ingredient before you make changes to your recipe. When fat or sugar serves an irreplaceable function, you'll probably need to keep some of it in, but you can usually cut fat in half and sugar by one-fourth.
-- Substitute reduced fat and reduced sugar ingredients and products when appropriate. For example, use reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese instead of regular, use a good tasting fat-free or light sour cream instead of regular, or use fat-free half and half instead of regular. You can also use reduced calorie pancake syrup, unsweetened frozen fruit, etc., instead of regular.
-- Change to a cooking method that eliminates the need for cooking fat (broiling, roasting, poaching, steaming) when possible. But when it is necessary to maintain the character of the food, do use a cooking method that involves fat -- just use less of it (oven frying, sautéing, or pan frying in less fat, browning).
Ideal Fat Thresholds and Substitution Table
Based on two decades of experimentation with the best ways to lighten recipes, I've discovered there are ideal fat thresholds that you must keep for flavor. So, if you cut back the fat in a particular recipe, you'll need a "fat replacement" -- an extra ingredient you can add to help replace the fat you have taken out.
Example #1 If you are making a brownie recipe and you cut the butter back from 8 tablespoons to 3, you can add 5 tablespoons fat free sour cream to the batter to make up the difference.
Example #2 If you are making a spice cake using a cake mix, don't add the 1/2 cup of oil the recipe requires; instead add 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce (or some other fat replacement) instead.
RECIPE: Biscuits/scones
FAT THRESHOLD: 4 Tbsp. shortneing for every 2 cups flour
FAT REPLACEMENT: Fat-free cream cheese, nonfat or light sour cream, flavored yogurt
RECIPE: Cake mixes
FAT THRESHOLD: No additional fat is needed since most mixes already contain fat in the mix.
FAT REPLACEMENT: Instead of adding the oil called for on the box, add applesauce, liqueur, fruit juice, flavored yogurt, or nonfat sour cream, depending on the cake. [Try a pulpy orange juice in a chocolate cake mix -- awesome!]
RECIPE: Brownies
FAT THRESHOLD: 2 Tbsp canola oil or butter per 4 oz. unsweetened chocolate and about 14 Tbsp flour.
FAT REPLACEMENT: Fat free sour cream works well along with espresso or strong coffee.
RECIPE: Homemade cakes and coffee cakes
FAT THRESHOLD: 1/4 to 1/3 cup fat ingredient per cake
FAT REPLACEMENT: Liqueur for some cakes, light sour cream for chocolate ones; fruit purees and juices work well with carrot, apple, and spice cakes.
RECIPE: Cheese sauce
FAT THRESHOLD: No butter is needed, so omit the butter if it is called for -- the cheese is the vital fatty ingredient; use a reduced fat cheddar
FAT REPLACEMENT: Make your thickening paste by mixing the flour with a little bit of milk, then whisk in the remaining milk called for in the recipe.
RECIPE: Cookies
FAT THRESHOLD: Generally you can only cut the fat by half. If the original recipe calls for 1 cup of butter, for example, try cutting it to 2/3 to 1/2 cup.
FAT REPLACEMENT: Fat-free cream cheese for rich cookies; some fruit purees may work in fruit/drop cookies.
RECIPE: Marinades
FAT THRESHOLD: 1 Tbsp oil per cup of marinade (or none at all)
FAT REPLACEMENT: I like to use fruit juices or beer to help balance the sharpness of the more acid ingredients in a marinade such as vinegar or tomato juice.
RECIPE: Muffins and nut breads
FAT THRESHOLD: 2 Tbsp oil for a 12-muffin recipe.
FAT REPLACEMENT: Fat-free sour cream, low-fat flavored yogurts, fruit juice, and fruit purees.
RECIPE: Vinaigrette dressings
FAT THRESHOLD: 1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil per 1/2 cup dressing
FAT REPLACEMENT: Wine or champaigne, fruit juice, fruit purees (raspberry or pear work well)
RECIPE: Wjote saices amd gravoes
FAT THRESHOLD: 1 tsp butter per serving of sauce
FAT REPLACEMENT: I just add a little more milk; I like to use whole milk or fat free half and half for a rich white sauce.
Bonus Tips:
Here are four more substitution or fat-reduction tips to use when cooking various dishes:
-- In mostly egg dishes, you can cut the eggs in half and replace the lost eggs with Egg Beaters egg substitute (1/4 cup substitute per egg).
-- Many recipes call for using a lot more oil or butter in pan frying or sautéing than is really necessary. Using a teaspoon of olive or canola oil, at the most, usually does the trick.
-- Canola or olive oil cooking sprays help lubricate bakeware, cookware, and food surfaces with a minimal amount of fat.
-- If you can switch to canola or olive oil instead of using fat or shortening in a recipe, do it! These oils contain better fats (Omega-3's) than the saturated fats in shortening, butter, and stick margarines.
Originally published April 9, 2003.
Medically updated Sept. 1, 2004.
©1996-2005 WebMD Inc. All rights reserved