Simple Subs
When thinking about what foods to put into your body and that of our family, it seems like there are too many options and things to think about, and to top it off, everything that actually tastes good seems to be bad for us. Eating too much sugars, fats and salts can be troubling to our health in many ways from obesity, heart disease and beyond, but you don’t have to be doomed to a bland diet to enjoy any meal of the day.
Today we’re going to look at a few tips to cut back on the fats, sugars and salts that seem to plague our health and waistlines, but it doesn’t have to be like that! These tips can help you and your family get on the right foot, and instill good eating habits in your children without too much trouble.
Fats
Creams, oils, butter, margarine enhance the flavors of food, so we do tend to use more of these inadvertently and wonder where all the extra calories came from when there wasn’t a whole lot of food that was consumed. Take some of these tips into account to cut back on some of the fats that are found in many of our foods.
- Water or juice can be substituted for oil when sautéing vegetables and other foods that you tend to use oil with when cooking. Another substitution can be to simply use vegetable/olive oil spray.
- To flavor grains, such as barley, buckwheat and rice with low-sodium, fat free beef or chicken broth instead of other fats.
- Soups can be thickened with potatoes, beans, or other hearty vegetables, and instead of cream you can use non-fat dry milk powder.
- Sauces can be made with fat free evaporated milk to get a smooth texture sans the fat.
- Creamy dressings can be made with non fat yogurt and light mayonnaise for salads or cole-slaws.
- Using apple sauce or smashed bananas is a great way to substitute some of the fat in baked goods that call for butter, margarine or oil. For most recipes you can actually exchange half of the fat with applesauce.
- Non fat yogurts is also a great replacement for sour cream, margarine or butter in baked goods such as muffins, biscuits or other baked goods
- One egg can be replaced with two egg whites or a quarter cup of egg substitute. Flaxseed is also a good replacement for eggs; each egg that you want to replace only requires 1 tablespoon of flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water.
A simple change to the type of oil you use can make a world of difference; olive and safflower are great choices.
The Sneaky Salt
It’s sometimes easy to use too much salt without realizing it. Of course a healthy diet is going to need salt, especially if that is the only source of iodine in the diet, but moderation is always the key. If you get your source of iodine from seafoods and other sources, then trading out salt for other spices is a good way to cut back on the sneaky salt. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, fresh herbs such as fresh mint; thyme; basil and oregano, and even salt-free pre-blended herbs can be used in a variety of dishes to pack tons of flavor. It’s a great idea to also use citrus juices, peppers, onion, and garlic and vinegar for a kick to your meal without all the added salt for flavor.
Processed foods are a huge source of sodium in many diets across the country that come in frozen dinners and canned soups, so choose low sodium options if you opt for those meals.
Sweets
Sugar is everywhere these days, from high fructose corn syrup; crystalline fructose, so it becomes very easy to overdose in just one day the amount of sugar that is consumed. I know I have a sweet tooth, but one solution I’ve used is making my own sweet treats, and add less sugar than is in many pre-made desserts. There are many recipes that you can actually reduce the sugar by a third and still turn out with a tasty treat. If changing a recipe is confusing, you can use these two easy to remember tips:
- Cakes and cookies: half a cup sugar for every cup of flour
- Quick breads and muffins: one tablespoons sugar for every cup of flour.
Extracts and spices can also be used to sweeten recipes such as peppermint and vanilla, or allspice and cinnamon.
Although it seems that it can be hard to find the most healthy options that actually taste good, these simple substitutions can make any meal what you love to eat.
To your health!
~HaleMom
*Disclaimer: This information is simply tips, should not be used to treat or remedy any illness or disease and should not replace seeing a doctor or nutritionist.
