Enjoy The Taste of Eating Right!

By Kristen Tice-Ziesmer,  MS, RD, CSSD, LD
March 14, 2014

If you haven’t already heard, March is National Nutrition Month and this year the theme is Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right.  This theme is geared towards highlighting delicious foods that are full of essential nutrients to create a well-balanced healthy diet.  The problem is that even though healthy foods are tasty most people tend to list calorie-dense, low-nutrient foods when asked what their favorite food or meal is.  

An example of a not so healthy meal here in the south is a traditional fried chicken country meal including biscuits, gravy, collard greens and mashed potatoes.  Here are some tips on how to transform a high fat, calorie dense meal into a healthier alternative that captures the traditional great taste as well as increasing its nutritional value.

Fried chicken:  Traditionally fried chicken can contain over 300 calories, 16 grams of fat with 5 grams of saturated fat and that’s just for one piece!  To cut down on both calories and saturated fat try baking the chicken in the oven instead of deep frying it.  Also try substituting the breaded coating on the chicken with crushed up bran flakes, toasted wheat germ or whole wheat bread to get a healthier version with the same crispy texture.

Collard greens:  Raw collard greens are a naturally healthy, low-calorie, low-fat food high in vitamin K, vitamin C and vitamin A.  When overcooked these vegetables lose their nutritional value so try to keep as much nutrients as possible in the greens by steaming instead of boiling them and season the greens with onions, garlic and pepper instead of high-fat meats and sugar.

Biscuits:  Turn biscuits from a refined, high-fat carbohydrate into a healthier whole grain by making biscuits from scratch and replacing half of the all-propose flour with whole wheat flour.  

Mashed potatoes: A plain baked potato is a healthy food choice since potatoes provide vitamin B-6, vitamin C as well as fiber and other nutrients to our diets.  So where do southern mashed potatoes go wrong? First by peeling off the skin of a potato many of these nutrients and fiber are already being stripped away so when making mashed potatoes make sure to keep the skin on! Second, mashed potatoes are typically made with heavy cream and butter so you can cut down the extra fat by making your mashed potatoes with fat-free skim milk as a healthier option.

Gravy: Delicious gravy can truly tie a perfect meal together.  Traditionally southern cooks use the left over fat from the meat pan to flavor the gravy but this adds in extra saturated fat to the meal. For a healthier option try using chicken or vegetable stock as the base for your gravy recipe and add in corn starch to thicken it.

Here are some other great tips on substitutions that you can use in cooking some of your other favorite meals:

• Substitute one cup heavy cream with one cup of evaporated skim milk.

• Use pureed potatoes or vegetables or fat-free evaporated milk instead of cream to thicken soups.

• Instead of using a stick of margarine try a small amount of olive oil or canola oil in a savory recipe. For a sweet recipe try applesauce or another fruit puree.

• Try reduced fat mayonnaise or low-fat (Greek) yogurt instead of regular mayonnaise.

• In baking try substituting 1 egg for 2 egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute.

• Instead of using a whole cup of chocolate chips in a recipe try using half a cup plus some chopped dried fruit such as cranberries, apricots, cherries and chopped nuts.

• Replace sugary frosting with sliced fresh fruit, pureed fruit or light powdered sugar dusting

Changing up recipes to make them healthier is a great way to keep eating the foods you love with more nutrients and less calories.  Go back and look at some of your own favorite recipes and use these tips to see how adjustments could be made to create a healthier more nutritious meal!

Check out this example of a traditional biscuit recipe compared to a healthier option:

Traditional Biscuit
 
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 tablespoon white sugar
 1/3 cup shortening
 1 cup milk

Nutrition Facts:
Yield: 15 servings
Serving size: 1 biscuit
Calories:  107
Fat: 5g
Sat. Fat: 1.5g
Cholesterol:  1.6mg
Sodium: 223 mg
Fiber: 0g
Protein: 2g
Carbohydrates:  15g
 
Healthier Biscuit Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup low-fat (1%) buttermilk
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Nutrition Facts:
Yield: 15 servings
Serving size: 1 biscuit
Calories:  90
Fat: 3g
Sat. Fat:  0g
Cholesterol:  0mg
Sodium:  72 mg
Fiber:  1g
Protein: 2 g
Carbohydrates:  14g
 
 
Directions:
1.    Preheat oven to 450°F.

2.    In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients.

3.    In a separate bowl, stir together the wet ingredients. Pour over the flour mixture and stir until well mixed.

4.    On a lightly floured surface, knead dough gently for 10-12 strokes. Roll or pat dough to ¾ thickness and cut with a 2 round cookie cutter, dipping in flour between cuts. Transfer biscuits to an ungreased baking sheet.

5.    Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. 

 

For more tips and help with your own personal nutrition plan, visit www.EliteNutritionandPerformance.com   

Kristen Tice, MS, RD, CSSD, LD
Registered Sports Dietitian, Certified Personal Trainer
[email protected]
803-200-2506
www.EliteNutritionandPerformance.com