48
MY
ROUSES
EVERYDAY
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2013
I
t’s easy to lose track of what and how much you’re eating over the
holidays, so plan time for exercise; it will burn calories and relieve
stress. Don’t skip meals; it will make you more likely to overindulge
later. And make healthier substitutions where you can. Here are a few
ways to make your favorite holiday cookies, cakes and pies healthier
without sacrificing taste and texture.
Use less sugar.
Cut calories simply by using less sugar, or by replacing a natural,
plant-based sweetener like Swerve. Swerve Sweetener measures
cup-for-cup like sugar, with zero calories and zero sugar. For each
cup that’s a savings of 775 calories and 200 grams of sugar. Use fat-
free evaporated milk in a one-to-one ratio to replace heavy cream
for 80 percent fewer calories, plus save six grams of saturated fat for
every two tablespoons.
Use plain low-fat Greek yogurt in place of half of the heavy cream
the recipe calls for and save 650 calories and 52 grams of saturated
fat per cup. To avoid curdling, stir in the yogurt once the dish has
been taken off the heat, and gradually reheat if needed.
You can also simply decrease the amount of sugar you use in a recipe.
Sugar can often be reduced by a quarter to a half in baked goods
and desserts, without adversely affecting sweetness or texture. Just
don’t eliminate sugar entirely from yeast-containing baked goods,
however, as sugar serves as the food source for the yeast.
Use less fat.
There are approximately 13 grams of fat in one tablespoon of oil or
butter. You can maintain texture and flavor and still replace up to
half of the fat in a recipe.
Use mashed avocado in place of half the amount of butter and save
six grams of saturated fat for every tablespoon. Plain low-fat Greek
yogurt can also replace half the amount of butter. If a recipe calls
for one cup of butter, use half a cup of butter and half a cup of
Greek yogurt, and save 725 calories and 60 grams of saturated fat.
You can also substitute beans for fats in a one-to-one ratio, using
whole, cooked beans in place of butter and pureed, cooked beans in
place of oil.
Pumpkin puree (or canned pumpkin) is a great, seasonal substitute
for eggs. A quarter-cup replaces one egg and has half the calories
and just one gram of (naturally-occurring) sugar. Ground flaxseed
and chia are also good replacements.
Use More Fiber
Fiber helps you feel fuller longer so you eat less. Pumpkin puree,
chia seeds, and ground flaxseeds all add fiber. And cup-for-cup,
beans have half the calories and carbs of white flour, and four times
the fiber. Coconut flour has 25% fewer carbs and just over three
times as much fiber as whole-wheat flour, with a rich texture and
natural sweetness. Coconut flour can be used to replace up to 20%
of the flour called for in a recipe, adding an equivalent amount of
additional liquid to the recipe. For example, replacing wheat flour
with half a cup of coconut flour requires an additional half-cup of
liquid to the recipe.
In the Kitchen
with
Molly
Holiday Turkey Tip
ROASTING
Line the bottom of your roasting pan with
chopped carrot, onion, and celery. It will add
flavor to the turkey and gravy and act as a
roasting rack. Tuck the wing tips under the body
of the bird, and place turkey breast-side-up.
by
Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD
