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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

Take morning glory muffins from unhealthy to healthy

This muffin recipe shows a before-and-after ingredient list. As you can see, making a few small changes can make a big difference in the amount of fat, calories and salt in a serving.

By making the following changes to the recipe, you save about 120 calories, 9 grams of fat, 31 milligrams of cholesterol, 63 milligrams of sodium and 8 grams of added sugar in each muffin.

Recipe makeover: Morning glory muffins
Original ingredients Healthier options Comments
2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole-wheat flour To increase fiber, replace half of the all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour.
1 1/2 cups sugar 3/4 cup sugar To reduce calories and sugar, cut the sugar in half.
2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons baking soda Don't reduce the baking soda or the muffins may be too flat or dense.
1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons cinnamon To enhance perception of sweetness, double the cinnamon.
1/2 teaspoon salt Omit Salt isn't needed. Baking soda contains sodium and provides leavening.
3 large eggs 3/4 cup egg substitute To reduce saturated fat and cholesterol, replace each egg with 1/4 cup egg substitute.
1 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce To reduce fat, cut the oil in half and make up the difference with unsweetened applesauce to help retain moisture.
1/2 cup sweetened coconut Omit To reduce saturated fat, sugar and calories, leave out the coconut.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons vanilla extract To enhance perception of sweetness, double the vanilla.
2 cups peeled and chopped apple 2 cups chopped apple (unpeeled) To increase fiber, leave the skin on the apple.
1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup raisins Don't increase the amount of raisins. Raisins have a lot of calories in just a small portion.
1/2 cup grated carrots 3/4 cup grated carrots To increase vitamin A and fiber, add another 1/4 cup of grated carrots. Also helps replace volume lost by omitting the coconut.
1/2 cup chopped pecans 2 tablespoons chopped pecans To reduce fat and calories, cut back on the pecans.

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