Healthy Substitute Recipes

Cook in liquids instead of oil.

Mmm we all like to have veggies cooked in butter, particularly during the colder months but is it good for us...well the answer of course is no! But here are some tips that will help you when preparing that next meal.

If you absolutely believe that you have to cook in oil (but please try not to, I know it's hard but remember "every little bit counts"), try cooking with sprays or use a pastry brush to lightly brush your food, pan or baking dish. By doing this you won't go overboard with the amount used and use too many calories.

• Cook in liquids (such as stock, wine, lemon juice, fruit juice, vinegar or water) instead of oil.
• If your recipe says to use cream for thickening, opt for low fat yoghurt, low fat soymilk, evaporated skim milk or cornstarch instead.
• And if you are braising or sautéing try a water based mixture of tomatoes and some herbs and spices....mmm now that's yummy!
• And when microwaving veggies use a microwave oven dish with a lid, and only use a small amount of water in the bottom of the dish.
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  The steam from the veggies will be enough to cook them - and not for too long either!!
• Even use water as a base for your favourite soup recipe.

Bottom line is you will be better off and saving heaps in the calorie bank!

Substitute full-fat ingredients with low-fat whenever possible.

As part of an overall healthy eating plan it is a very wise choice to opt for one that eliminates the 'hidden fats'. The main culprits for this are foods that are highly processed. Good fats are those that have not been refined or processed in anyway and are found in foods such as fish which has Omega 3 essential fatty acids, olives, avocado, nuts, seeds and soy.

Try to choose low fat versions i.e. full cream milk for light or skim milk varieties. Weight Watchers have lots to choose from and are half the calories of the full fat versions.

Always opt for lean meat marked with the Heart Foundation tick of approval and if it does have any fat then simply cut it off and always remove the skin off the chicken.