Modify Recipes for a Heart-Healthy Diet

Topic Overview

You don't have to abandon all your favorite recipes to eat healthier. Several small changes to your current recipes can often greatly lower the saturated fat and sodium in your diet.

These small changes can make a big difference in the amount of fat and calories in your diet. But they won't make much difference in how your meals taste or how much you enjoy them. Here are some ideas for making heart-healthy changes in your recipes.

To eat less fat and salt, try these tips while you cook.

More tips for reducing fat in recipes

• Reduce the amount of fat in the recipe by half. (This can often be done without having a major effect on the final product.)
• Use nonstick pans and nonstick cooking sprays to cut down on the amount of fat used in cooking.
• When you stir-fry, use a small amount of oil. If foods start to stick, use water, wine, broth, or tomato juice to add moisture. Don't add more oil or other fat.
• When making pies, omit the high-fat pastry crusts.
• Experiment with herbs, spices, or even lemon to add flavor to low-fat foods.