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Recipe makeovers: 5 ways to create healthy recipes
5. Downsize the portion size
Content
1. Reduce the amount of fat, sugar and salt
2. Make a healthy substitution
3. Eliminate or cut back on some ingredients
4. Change cooking and prep techniques
5. Downsize portion size
Putting it all together to create healthy recipes
Take morning glory muffins from unhealthy to healthy
1. Reduce the amount of fat, sugar and salt
You often can reduce the amount of fat, sugar and salt without sacrificing flavor in healthy recipes. Use these general guidelines:
- Fat. For baked goods, use half the butter, shortening or oil and replace the other half with unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana or prune puree. You can also use commercially prepared fruit-based fat replacers found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
- Sugar. Reduce the amount of sugar by one-third to one-half. Instead, add spices such as cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg, or flavorings such as vanilla or almond extract to boost sweetness.
- Salt. For most main dishes, salads, soups and other foods, you can reduce the salt by half or even eliminate it. You can reduce salt by half in baked goods that don't require yeast too. For foods that require yeast, you may need to experiment. Some salt may be necessary for leavening to keep baked goods from being too dense or flat.
