5 Tips for Healthier and Tastier Meals

Give your favorite dishes an extra taste of health with these simple tips:

Can you include Grandma’s favorite bread in your list of healthy recipes? As delicious as it may be, with 4 cups of full-fat milk, a stick of butter, and 4 eggs, you probably wouldn’t find it on the list of healthy recipes. The good news is that you don’t have to remove it from that list; you can simply modify it!

Make a few simple changes in food preparation, and you’ll have another healthy meal to add to your collection.

Below, we give you 5 ways to prepare healthy meals. Use your imagination and experiment to find other ways to create healthy recipes.

Reduce fat, sugar, and salt content.

Reducing these ingredients can significantly contribute to healthier versions of your meals without altering the taste.

Fats: Use half butter or oil and replace the other half with unsweetened applesauce, prune puree, or mashed bananas for baking and pastries.

You can also use commercially prepared fruit-based fat substitutes.

Sugar: Reduce sugar from one-half to one-third. Instead of sugar, use spices like cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg or certain flavor extracts that contribute sweetness, such as vanilla extract or almond extract.

Salt: Cut salt in half or eliminate it altogether for most main dishes, soups, salads, and other foods. For items that don’t require yeast, you can cut salt usage in half.

Make healthy substitutions.

Choosing healthy substitutions not only reduces the fat content in prepared foods but also lowers the calorie and salt content in recipes while increasing the nutritional value of the dish.

Pasta: Use whole grain pasta instead of enriched pasta. You’ll triple the fiber and reduce the number of calories. You’ll triple the fiber and reduce the number of calories.

Milk: Use skim milk instead of whole milk for desserts, saving you 66 calories and almost 8 grams of fat per cup.

Meat: Reduce the amount of meat, poultry, or fish in your main dishes and increase the amount of vegetables. This will significantly lower calories and fat while increasing vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

Eliminate unnecessary ingredients.

For certain foods, you can reduce or eliminate specific ingredient quantities.

Toppings: Eliminate toppings you use out of habit or for visual appeal, such as glazes, coconut toppings, or whipped cream, which are high in calories and fat.

Condiments: Adjust the quantity or eliminate condiments like pickles, olives, butter, mayonnaise, syrup, mustard, and jelly that can contain large amounts of salt, sugar, fat, and calories. Instead, use low-sodium soy sauce.

Cheese: If the recipe calls for 1 cup of cheddar cheese, use half that amount.

Change cooking and preparation techniques.

Several different healthy cooking techniques can enhance the taste and nutritional content of your dishes without adding excessive amounts of fat, oil, or salt.

Cooking method: Use healthy cooking techniques like sautéing, roasting, grilling, and steaming for meal preparation.

Liquid for basting: If a recipe calls for basting meat or vegetables, use minimal amounts of wine, fruit juice, vegetable juice, or fat-free vegetable broth instead.

Nonstick cookware: Use nonstick cookware or nonstick cooking spray to further reduce the amount of fat and calories in your meals.

Slow down and downsize your portions.

Eat your meals more slowly to give your body a chance to register that you’re full. If needed, set your fork down between bites. In the long run, you’ll eat less. If needed, set your fork down between bites. In the long run, you’ll eat less.

Check portion sizes: Practice using smaller plates, bowls, spoons, and cups. Before you start cooking, analyze the recipe and consider whether you can make certain changes to create a healthier version. Write down and remember the alterations, as you may need several adjustments and variations to achieve the desired result: the desired taste, a healthier meal option, and nutritious ingredients.