Tastes Too Good to Be Healthy?

“Say it isn’t so,” you plead. Luckily, food can be a flavor bomb in your mouth and still be healthy. Here are some simple tips to keep your tasty dishes popping with flavor while taking the health factor up a notch.

High-impact, low-calorie flavor punch

Add some citrus juice, zest, or both to brighten up a dish. When cooking, add the lemon or lime at the end. Added early in cooking the dish, it may affect the coloring of some foods and when the juice is heated, the citric acid breaks down.

Using fresh herbs, ginger, and/or chilis also imparts a lot of flavor into a dish. Be careful though, as a little packs a big punch.

Balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, harissa, Dijon, and miso paste are some of the other healthy additions that delight the taste buds and give your creations a richer flavor.

No need for added fat

Hold the butter, cream, and even the flour. Make a pan sauce by adding a splash of wine or broth after cooking your main ingredients. A silicone spatula and low heat will loosen the bits of flavor left in the pan; reduce for a few minutes and you will have a tasty sauce to drizzle over your dish.

Creamy soup without the calories

If you love cream-based soups for the velvety texture and the seeming richness, invest in a chinois. It is a cone-shaped strainer with a fine metal mesh. Strain pureed soup through it and the result will be a satisfying soup without the heavy cream.

Cheese please

I’m with you if you love creamy melted cheese, and I agree that you don’t get that with non-fat cheese. But reduced-fat cheese will melt and you’ll have the creaminess you crave.

If you love the taste but find that cheese is becoming a main ingredient when it should be used as a condiment, opt for a stronger flavored cheese such as Parmesan, Romano, Asiago or blue. Sprinkled atop a salad, soup, pasta, or any dish, a little will go a long way.

Roast those veggies

Carrots, sweet potatoes, onions, corn, and beets caramelize when roasted and their natural sugars make them delicious au naturel. Even some fruits—pineapples, peaches, apples, and tomatoes (yes, tomatoes are a fruit)—are favorites for roasting or grilling. Give it a try and they just may become a barbecue staple in your house.

Creamy dips and dressings with less fat and fewer calories

Swap out that mayonnaise for low-fat Greek yogurt. My boys had an egg allergy for years and I could not use mayo. I reluctantly replaced mayo in all my recipes with Greek yogurt. Now that they have outgrown the allergy, we continue to use Greek yogurt in many recipes as the dishes are still delicious but healthier. Your dip will be just as creamy, but you will consume a fraction of the calories and fat. If the flavor is too different for your liking, you can still cut those calories and fat by mixing equal parts of low-fat plain yogurt with reduced-fat mayo. Your result will be creamy and familiar but with a healthier profile.

Moist baked goods

Pureed fruit can be used in baked goods in place of oil (fat) or often even in place of eggs. This was another swap I learned when my boys were allergic to eggs. I would use pumpkin instead of both eggs and oil. The pumpkin did not change the flavor of the dessert, and it was still moist. In some recipes, the main difference is that the end product will be more dense, as oil slows down gluten formation and eggs are not just a binding, but also a leavening ingredient. Applesauce is another simple swap for eggs and/or oil without affecting the flavor of your baked goods. Bananas will also do the job but be careful, as bananas will change the taste of your baked goods. One-quarter cup of pureed fruit is equivalent to one egg.

I hope you will try these healthy hacks and continue to enjoy lots of flavor in a variety of dishes for many years to come, just by making some tasty tweaks to your recipes.

Contributing writer Denise Lum is a Health and Fitness Coach raising her family in Alameda. Contact her via CoachDenise@alamedapost.com or FitnessByDsign.com . Her writing is collected at AlamedaPost.com/Denise-Lum .

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