The Heavenly Smells of the Holidays !
Posted on November 26, 2014
One of my favorite things about this fabulous time of year are the wonderful smells that waft through the house from the kitchen. I love apple cider, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie!!
Did you know you can have your apple crisp and eat it too? Yes, you can. Portion control is one way to control your calories. You can also look for healthy substitutions. Following are some healthy substitutions you can use to make your meals and desserts healthier and just as delicious, from MayoClinic.org.
| Your guide to ingredient substitutions for healthy recipes | |
| If your recipe calls for this ingredient: | Try substituting this ingredient: |
| Bacon | Canadian bacon, turkey bacon, smoked turkey or lean prosciutto (Italian ham) |
| Bread, white | Whole-grain bread |
| Bread crumbs, dry | Rolled oats or crushed bran cereal |
| Butter, margarine, shortening or oil in baked goods | Applesauce or prune puree for half of the called-for butter, shortening or oil; butter spreads or shortenings specially formulated for baking that don’t have trans fatsNote: To avoid dense, soggy or flat baked goods, don’t substitute oil for butter or shortening. Also don’t substitute diet, whipped or tub-style margarine for regular margarine. |
| Butter, margarine, shortening or oil to prevent sticking | Cooking spray or nonstick pans |
| Cream | Fat-free half-and-half, evaporated skim milk |
| Cream cheese, full fat | Fat-free or low-fat cream cheese, Neufchatel, or low-fat cottage cheese pureed until smooth |
| Eggs | Two egg whites or 1/4 cup egg substitute for each whole egg |
| Flour, all-purpose (plain) | Whole-wheat flour for half of the called-for all-purpose flour in baked goodsNote: Whole-wheat pastry flour is less dense and works well in softer products like cakes and muffins. |
| Fruit canned in heavy syrup | Fruit canned in its own juices or in water, or fresh fruit |
| Ground beef | Extra-lean or lean ground beef, ground chicken breast or turkey breast (make sure no poultry skin has been added to the product) |
| Lettuce, iceberg | Arugula, chicory, collard greens, dandelion greens, kale, mustard greens, spinach or watercress |
| Mayonnaise | Reduced-calorie mayonnaise-type salad dressing or reduced-calorie, reduced-fat mayonnaise |
| Meat as the main ingredient | Three times as many vegetables as the meat on pizzas or in casseroles, soups and stews |
| Milk, evaporated | Evaporated skim milk |
| Milk, whole | Reduced-fat or fat-free milk |
| Oil-based marinades | Wine, balsamic vinegar, fruit juice or fat-free broth |
| Pasta, enriched (white) | Whole-wheat pasta |
| Rice, white | Brown rice, wild rice, bulgur or pearl barley |
| Salad dressing | Fat-free or reduced-calorie dressing or flavored vinegars |
| Seasoning salt, such as garlic salt, celery salt or onion salt | Herb-only seasonings, such as garlic powder, celery seed or onion flakes, or use finely chopped herbs or garlic, celery or onions |
| Soups, creamed | Fat-free milk-based soups, mashed potato flakes, or pureed carrots, potatoes or tofu for thickening agents |
| Soups, sauces, dressings, crackers, or canned meat, fish or vegetables | Low-sodium or reduced-sodium versions |
| Sour cream, full fat | Fat-free or low-fat sour cream, plain fat-free or low-fat yogurt |
| Soy sauce | Sweet-and-sour sauce, hot mustard sauce or low-sodium soy sauce |
| Sugar | In most baked goods you can reduce the amount of sugar by one-half; intensify sweetness by adding vanilla, nutmeg or cinnamon |
| Syrup | Pureed fruit, such as applesauce, or low-calorie, sugar-free syrup |
| Table salt | Herbs, spices, citrus juices (lemon, lime, orange), rice vinegar, salt-free seasoning mixes or herb blends |
| Yogurt, fruit-flavored | Plain low-fat yogurt with fresh fruit slices |
Enjoy your Thanksgiving Day!!!!
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