Healthy Recipe Adjustments

The more I read about health and nutrition, the more contradictory information I find.  Some people recommend high carb, some low carb; some low fat; others, full-fat.  Regardless, most people tend to agree that lowering added salts and added sugars in foods is generally good. In addition, this allows the natural flavorings to shine through.  When I first started cooking low sodium (and I’ve generally been low sugar) I thought the foods tasted boring and bland.  Increasingly, as I learned about different substitutions and tricks, I found that making a meal tasty didn’t require a lot of sodium or sugar.  Here are some of the things that I try, none of which require expensive exotic ingredients or specialty foods made for dietary restrictions:

–Add a bit of lemon juice or vinegar — the acidity sparks your tastebuds the way salt does; and balsamic vinegar and other vinegars have natural sugars.  I tend to generously dress salads with vinegar and add vinegar to soups and stews.  I’ve found that tomato based stews go well with a finish of red wine vinegar; and vegetables are great finished with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime.

–Use no-salt added ingredients — I tend to use no salt canned tomatoes and low-sodium chicken stock.  The amount of sodium that they sneak into one can can be huge.  Be careful of pre-prepared soups as well and seasoning mixes like taco seasonings.

–For sweet recipes, halve the sugar and add more sweet spices — I generally start recipes with about half of the sweetener called for.  Reducing more than that will usually require an adjustment of the liquid.  To give a slight sweet taste, I will double the amount of vanilla and cinnamon called for.  See the recipe for healthy banana and oat bars where there is no added sweetener.

–Add naturally sweet vegetables, like carrots or pumpkin– in soups and stews, I will add sliced carrots, and sometimes canned pumpkin which gives a nice background sweetness.   The crockpot harvest stew is an example.

Over time your tastebuds will adjust to lower sugar and salt.

shared at Food Renegade, Works for Me Wednesday, and Frugal Friday