Clever Dieting - Remastering Grandma's Recipes

Traditional recipes are a big part of Family Heritage but many of our old-fashioned favorites contain too much fat and too many calories. But don't toss out Grandma's family favorites just yet! The following tips will help subtract fat and calories without subtracting too much tasty goodness. Keep in mind that the bulk of calories in a recipe stem from the fat and sugar added to the recipe.

Substitutes Suggestions:

Substitute unsweetened applesauce, fresh pureed fruit, baby food or dried fruit for oil, butter, shortening and lard.

Substitute no calorie sugar, less sugar or honey (use 1/2 what recipe states) for sugar.

Substitute Grape Nuts cereal for nuts

Substitute skimmed dairy products for whole-milk products. Although fat-reduced cream cheese might taste yucky by itself, it's quite divine when baked in recipes.

Substitute lower calorie breads for those exceeding 60 calories per slice.

Substitute white bread, pasta and rice with wheat bread, wheat pasta and brown rice.

Although mashed potatoes taste heavenly when packed with real cream cheese, real butter and real cream - they are real dangerous to the old arteries. Mashed potatoes prepared with skimmed milk, a tab of butter, salt and pepper can be just as tasty, leaving us around to enjoy them just a little bit longer.

Feature Articles