Happy holidays from The Kitchen at Second Harvest! ‘Tis the season for doing what we love best — cooking for loved ones. Here are a few tips, tricks and recipe ideas to give your holiday dishes a deliciously healthy twist. See if you can make over some family favorites by trying out the following:
- Don’t be so sweet. For most baking recipes, you can reduce the sugar by 25% without noticing a difference. In some cases, like marinades, you can replace the sugar entirely with juice.
Try it: Spiced Apples
- Make half your grains whole. Try substituting up to half of the all-purpose flour in your baking recipes with whole-grain flour. By replacing only half of the flour with whole-grain flour, you won’t need to make adjustments to the recipe. Using whole-grain flour adds extra fiber which keeps you fuller longer and may just help you resist that second or third cookie.
Try it: Apple Crisp
- Cut back on the butter. Make up the difference with heart-healthy oils like olive oil or canola oil. Olive oil, which has a low smoke point, is most appropriate for baked goods and sauteed dishes. Canola oil, with a high smoke point, is more appropriate for roasting and frying than olive oil.
Try it: Roasted Vegetable Mac and Cheese
- Lighten up! Use low or no-fat dairy products in your baking. You won’t taste the difference.
Try it: Mixed Berry Banana Baked Oatmeal
- Add protein! Incorporating low-fat Greek yogurt into your holiday recipes is a great way to increase protein consumption during the holidays and balance out the sugariness of the season.
Try it: Autumn Squash Bisque
- Don’t forget to add produce. Look for opportunities to substitute or add fruits and vegetables in every dish. Apples, carrots, bananas and squashes (shredded or pureed) can be easily added to many baked goods for added nutrients and can replace some of the oil or butter.
Try it: Sweet Potato Brownies
Ready for more great recipe inspiration? Visit our website: https://secondharvestkitchen.org/recipes/.
For in-person learning, check out upcoming classes: https://secondharvestkitchen.org/classes-events/.
