Creamy sauces, cookies, casseroles and cakes – when the temperature drops it is natural to crave your favourite comfort foods. However, it’s simple to indulge in extravagant dishes and decadent desserts, particularly if you are hosting a gathering of family and friends. How can you enjoy great food while increasing your health quotient?
“Remember, when you cook or bake, you are in control. With some clever ingredient substitutions and food swaps, you and your guests can enjoy your favorite dishes and get more vitamins and nutrients,” says Lyssie Lakatos.
Lyssie Lakatos and Tammy Lakatos Shames, both registered dietitians, are known as the “Nutrition Twins.” Together, they share their favourite strategies for healthier cooking, including clever ingredient swaps you will not even find in ready-made dishes.
Egg:
When baking, eggs are a common ingredient, but not all eggs are created equal. Opt for Eggland’s Best eggs, locally sourced eggs that come from hens fed a vegetarian diet consisting of wholesome grains, canola oil, and supplements like alfalfa and vitamin E. As a result, they’ve 10 times the vitamin E, five times more vitamin D, three times more vitamin B12, twice as much omega-3, 38 percent more lutein, and 25 percent less saturated fat compared to a regular egg.
Sour Cream:
Swap full-fat sour cream for plain Greek yogurt in recipes, dips, dressings, and garnishes. Plain Greek yogurt tastes a lot like sour cream but offers a higher protein level.
Butter in cooking:
Cooking smart means choosing healthier fats and using them moderately. Instead of butter, try olive oil. While 1 tablespoon of butter contains about 7 grams of saturated fat, olive oil contains only 2 grams of saturated fat.
Butter in baking:
Oil can cause baked goods to get soggy, so a better alternative to butter is applesauce or pumpkin puree at half the amount called for. Adding applesauce or pumpkin puree reduces the fat content while keeping baked goods moist and delicious.
Smoked Pork:
Bacon adds flavor to any dish, but is high in fat. For a bacon flavor boost without the surplus fat, try using Canadian bacon, lean prosciutto, or turkey bacon. Whether it is scrambled eggs for breakfast or crumbled into casseroles, these delicious alternatives will satisfy.
Salt:
Use less salt and add herbs to recipes for a delicious taste. Whether fresh or dried, herbs delight the taste buds and add beauty to any dish. Have fun mixing and matching ingredients to adapt the recipe to your taste.
Sugar:
All those incredible glazes and desserts call for sugar, but you do not need to rely solely on refined white sugar. For baked goods, reduce the sugar and add vanilla or cinnamon for added sweetness. For glazes, try alternatives like maple syrup or fruit puree.
Breeding:
Classic homemade meals often require breeding. For a healthy alternative to traditional white bread crumbs, try whole wheat bread crumbs, rolled oats or crushed bran cereal (or a mix of these.)
Flour:
Instead of using pure all-purpose white flour for a recipe, try swapping half of it for whole wheat flour. You’ll still get the desired consistency from your baked goods, but you will be eating more whole grains.
Lettuce:
Iceberg lettuce is a popular choice for salads and recipes, but for more important vitamins (and more flavor), use arugula, collard greens, spinach, kale, or watercress instead. Insider tip: try buying a bag of leafy greens to enjoy a number of nutrient-dense alternatives.
Want to start your day with an indulgent and satisfying breakfast featuring some of these clever cooking ideas? This recipe makes an awesome breakfast and contains Eggland’s Best Eggs, sweet potatoes, and vitamin-packed turkey bacon. For more recipes, visit www.egglandsbest.com.
Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients:
Eggland’s 2 Best Eggs (large)
2 sweet potatoes
2 turkey meat strips
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Direction:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
Wash and scrub your sweet potato. Place on a baking sheet, prick each potato a few times with a fork, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
When the sweet potato is finished, cut it in half lengthwise and let it cool.
Slightly remove the ‘meat’ from the sweet potato to make room for the filling.
In a small nonstick skillet over medium heat, place two pieces of turkey meat. Cook until the bacon begins to brown and crisp.
Place the napkin over the small plate. When the bacon is finished, place it on a napkin to let the oil soak.
Rinse the skillet and place it back on the stove over medium heat.
Place the eggs in the skillet and cook over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes; ~3 minutes. Make sure not to overcook these eggs as they will continue to cook once they’re removed from the heat, and will then end up in the oven.
Break the egg into four equal pieces. Place each into the hollow of the sweet potato. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper.
Break the bacon with your hands into small pieces. Sprinkle over the eggs.
Sprinkle cheese on top. Set your oven to bake on high. Place the potatoes in the oven and bake for three minutes or until the cheese is melted.
Article provided by BPT
