During the holiday season, cooking ranks as one of the most stressful activities because not only do you have to try and exceed your perceived expectations of your guests but also cook food that may not be beneficial to your dietary goals. Do you know what you can do to avoid eating an entire day’s worth of calories with one holiday meal? The clue to slashing calories without sacrificing taste lies in swapping fattening ingredients with more healthy choices.
If you do not tell anyone you are substituting fattening ingredients with healthier ones, most of your guests will likely not be able to tell, unless of course, they are helping you in the kitchen! There are a number of substitutions you can do without compromising flavor. Here are some great swapping tips to consider for your meals:
Eggs
You have two options for recipes that call for eggs, especially if they are for sweets like cakes and pies. You can swap eggs for healthier egg substitutes. Or, you can double the egg amount, only using the egg whites instead of the yolks too. Using egg substitutions or egg whites mean less cholesterol and fat intake without sacrificing taste.
Lighter Cream Options
Whipped cream simply sets off the taste of puddings, pies, cakes and more. However, whipped cream made with regular heavy whipping cream is very fattening. You can still enjoy the light fluffiness and taste of whipped cream for a fraction of the calories if you use low fat evaporated milk and beating it on high speed with a mixer.
Fat-Free vs. Low Fat
With recipes that call for dairy products like butter or sour cream, you can substitute the full-fat versions with low fat options. For instance, most people would not be likely to detect that their creamy soup is actually a reduced fat version. Even mashed potatoes can be made in a low-fat way. Just substitute regular milk or half and half for low fat milk or even fat free chicken broth.
Cooking Oil
When you sauté or fry holiday dishes, bypass vegetables oils that are full of saturated fats and trans fats. These oils can cause artery blockage and pack on the pounds, leading eventually to heart disease and hypertension. Choose monounsaturated fats such as canola or olive oil in your recipes that call for vegetable oil. Monounsaturated fats do not clog the arteries and they can also be substituted for many recipes that call for margarine or butter.
Sugar Substitutes
Many desserts made with artificial sugars taste the same as those made with regular sugar. You can replace half the sugar in a recipe with “fake” stuff, but often times even more, depending on the substitute. Artificial sweeteners with sucralose and saccharine are two popular choices although products made with the stevia plant are an option as well. You can save up to 50% of the calories through a sugar substitution.
There are a number of substitutions in you can incorporate in the kitchen with a little experimentation and ingenuity. If you plan your dinner in advance, you can jot down your favorite recipes, only substituting healthy substitutions for some of the ingredients. Translating your recipe in advance will help you when shopping for ingredients. Plus, it will help you stick to your diet to you do not gain extra weight during the holiday season.
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