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When it comes to preparing healthy food, little things make a big difference. For instance, you may be doing your body a favor by cutting back on fried foods and dessert. But if you indiscriminately splash olive oil into the skillet every time you saute vegetables, you’re still getting a whole lot of fat with dinner — 14 grams per tablespoon of oil used.
Fats and carbohydrates are the main reasons the average American consumes too many calories overall, while taking in too little fiber, fruit, vegetables and dairy products. Here are a dozen ideas for reversing that trend in your kitchen and daily life without sacrificing taste:
1. Keep a good basting or pastry brush handy when sauteing foods. Sounds simplistic, but a brush spreads cooking fat around a pan or skillet more evenly and efficiently than swirling, reducing the amount you need in the first place. In the recipe for enchiladas on the next page, for example, a brush allows you to soften each tortilla in just a half teaspoon of hot oil. Using a full teaspoon per tortilla would add another 4.5 grams of fat and 40 calories to each two-enchilada serving. The brushes with silicone bristles clean and keep their shape better. A nonstick skillet is also helpful.
2. Don’t sabotage otherwise healthy dishes with one fat- or calorie-laden addition. A green salad might as well be an order of fries if you drench it with an oil- or mayonnaise-based dressing. The same goes with regular mayo in tuna fish salad, cream cheese on a bagel, sour cream on potatoes, cream in coffee, etc. However, in many recipes, the lower-fat versions of these products can be used successfully.
3. In other recipes, replace traditional ingredients with completely different ones that contain far less fat and calories. For instance, you might think of corned beef and a slathering of Thousand Island dressing as essential for a Reuben, but are they really? After a little experimenting, I found that what really makes a Reuben a Reuben is sauerkraut, thinly sliced meat (low-fat smoked turkey from the supermarket deli works fine), nicely toasted bread, and a creamy mouth feel that can be achieved with no-fat honey mustard as easily as with Thousand Island dressing.
4. Try new whole-grain products. In response to consumer demand, manufacturers are introducing more of them all the time. Some are great, some not so good, but in general they seem to be becoming more palatable. The wholewheat bread, tortillas and lasagna noodles in the accompanying recipes will not leave you wistful for their regular versions.
5. The same goes for low-fat products. Remember those potato chips made with olestra that were giving people stomach cramps a few years ago? Try some of the baked chips out now. You’ll be amazed how tasty they are.
6. Use cooking methods that don’t require fat, such as grilling, boiling or poaching. The accompany recipe for asparagus provides a good example.
7. Incorporate calorie- and fat-free flavor boosters. These include things like salsa, hot sauce, vinegars, chiles, fresh herbs and dried spices (including the two most common, salt and pepper). Ethnic markets and the ethnic aisle of the supermarket are good places to look for new flavors.
8. Reduce your oil intake by gradually increasing the amount of acid (generally vinegar or lemon juice) in vinaigrette recipes. Instead of the traditional 3-to-1 oil-to-acid ratio, you’ll find yourself making your vinaigrette with a 2-to-1 or even 1-1 ratio and liking it better.
9. Measure your food — once. It’s important to know how much is in a portion of something, but most of us don’t want to get out a measuring cup each time we cook or eat. Instead, measure once and make a mental note of how full the cereal bowl, plate, wine glass or whatever vessel you’re using becomes. That becomes your guide in the future.
10. For one day, plan your meals and snacks according to recommendations in the “food pyramid” familiar to most of us from school (and last revised in 2005). If you think eating healthy means feeling hungry all the time, try eating 2½ cups of vegetables, 2 cups of fruit, 6 ounces of grains (at least half of them whole grain), 3 cups of dairy products and 6 ounces of meat and see how satisfied you feel.
11 Read food package labels carefully so you know exactly what you’re eating. And to see how that fits into what experts say your diet should look like, visit mypyramid.gov.
12. Nearly everyone has to grab a snack on the go from time to time, and convenience stores have some great healthy snacks, from yogurt to fresh fruit. Next time you’re on the road and suffering those hunger pains, turn into one of them instead of the fast-food drive-through lane.
100 ISLAND DRESSING
This title seemed appropriate for a slimmed-down version of Thousand Island Dressing.
1 tablespoon lite mayonnaise
1 tablespoon ketchup
½ teaspoon sweet pickle relish
Dash hot sauce
Combine all ingredients and serve as salad dressing or sandwich spread.
The Wichita Eagle—11/09/10
CREAMY CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Mexican food isn’t usually associated with low-fat eating. In this recipe, no-fat refried beans give the enchiladas a deliciously creamy texture without the high fat content of regular refried beans; the beans and whole-wheat tortillas provide fiber; and a minimum of oil is used to soften the tortillas.
1 cup salsa
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
8 whole-wheat tortillas (6- to 7-inch size)
2 cups no-fat refried beans
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
Chopped lettuce and onion
1 cup salsa
½ cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
Place salsa in a bowl. Heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ½ teaspoon oil and brush it around the skillet. Place the tortilla in the oil and cook about 30 seconds per side, or until the tortilla puffs up slightly. Remove the tortilla from the skillet and dredge both sides through the salsa until lightly moistened. Set tortilla aside and repeat with remaining oil, tortilla and salsa.
When the tortillas are ready, fill each one with ¼ cup no-fat refried beans, ¼ cup chicken, lettuce and onion and roll up. Place in a 13x9-inch baking pan. Spoon remaining salsa over enchiladas, sprinkle with cheese and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 4 servings.
The Wichita Eagle—11/09/10
OPEN SESAME VEGGIE CHILI
There aren’t many easier or tastier ways to get your recommended daily allotment of vegetables than this vegetarian chili, for which your most important kitchen utensil is a can opener. Note: Do not drain liquid from cans before adding to chili. That’s your broth, and it should provide plenty of seasoning for most tastes.
1 teaspoon oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans
1 can Ranch beans with jalapenos
1 can Mexican chili beans in gravy
1 can Mexicorn
1 can mild tomatoes with chiles, such as Rotel
1 can fire-roasted salsa-style tomatoes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Cumin and chili powder, optional
Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute about 3 minutes or until soft. Add beans and vegetables with their liquid to pan. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and spices, if desired.
The Wichita Eagle—11/09/10
LOTSA LAYERED LASAGNA
This lasagna delivers a big dose of comfort that won’t have you feeling guilty afterward. It calls for roasted vegetables instead of meat in the sauce, and much less cheese than many recipes.
1 onion
1 container (8 oz.) mushrooms
1 green bell pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon oil
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and pepper
1 carton (16 oz.) low-fat cottage cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 whole-wheat no-boil lasagna noodles
½ cup shredded Italian-blend cheese
Chop onion, mushrooms, bell pepper and garlic. Toss in a bowl with 1 teaspoon oil. Place on a cookie sheet and roast in a 450-degree oven about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine roasted vegetables, crushed tomatoes and basil in a pan or bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In another bowl, combine cottage cheese, egg and oregano. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place 1/3 cup of the tomato-veggie sauce in the bottom of a small loaf pan. Top with a lasagna noodle. Top noodle with 1/3 cup sauce and ¼ cup cottage cheese mixture. Repeat with remaining noodles, sauce and cottage cheese mixture. Pour any remaining sauce over the top and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake 20 minutes more.
The Wichita Eagle—11/09/10
AD ASPERA ASPARAGUS
So good we named it for our state slogan. The cooking method keeps it perfectly al dente and requires no added fat.
1 bunch asparagus
Boiling water
Ice water
Seasonings: Salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, sesame seeds
Bring a large pot of water to boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Cut or break off the tough bottoms of the asparagus. Remove the rubber band around the asparagus (if present) and drop the asparagus into the boiling water. Using a clock or timer, cook the asparagus 45 seconds (for thin stalks) to 1½ minutes (for thick stalks), then remove from boiling water and immediately immerse in ice water. When cool, sprinkle with salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar, or soy sauce and sesame seeds.
The Wichita Eagle—11/09/10
Really Good Reuben
2 slices whole wheat bread
Honey mustard
1/4 lb. thinly sliced deli turkey, roasted or smoked
1/3 cup sauerkraut
1 slice Swiss cheese
Toast bread. Spread one slice with honey mustard. Place turkey in a hot skillet and cook several minutes, until edges are just starting to brown. Push to one side of skillet and add sauerkraut, cooking about 30 seconds or until heated through. Place sauerkraut on top of turkey, and cheese on top of sauerkraut. Cover skillet, turn off the heat and wait about 1 minute or until the cheese melts. With a spatula, place turkey, sauerkraut and cheese between bread slices. Makes 1 sandwich.
-- The Wichita Eagle—11/09/10
