Chapter 8 Making Healthy Choices 151 Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. make a moderate portion look bigger, try slicing it thin and fanning it out on the plate. Remember to choose seafood in place of meat and poultry for a couple meals each week. When the main course does include meat and poultry, start lean. Trim all visible fat from meat. Remove the skin from poultry. These simple steps will reduce saturated fat and calories. Use low-fat cooking methods when preparing entrees to keep calories within recommended limits. Instead of frying, choose roasting, broiling, grilling, braising, stewing, stir-frying, and microwaving. Avoid dipping entrees in batters and breading, which add calories. Use a rack when roasting to allow fats to drain. Avoid using cooking sauces that are high in added sugars, fat, or sodium. Use nonstick cooking spray to reduce the need for added fat when stir- frying. Try microwaving to save time as well as fat. Add herbs to braising and stewing liquids to season them without salt. You may wish to use meat drippings and cooking liquid to make fl avorful gravies and stocks. You can use a gravy separator to make it easy to prepare gravies without the fat. You can also chill meat drippings and stocks. Then skim the fat that forms on the top before making gravies and soups. Add Healthy Side Dishes After planning the main course, concentrate on other menu items. Choose sensible portions to help balance calories. Make a point of actually measuring out servings of some favorite foods. See what a serving of cereal looks like in one of your bowls. Become familiar with the appearance of a serving of rice or pasta on one of your plates. See how 6 ounces (175 mL) of juice or 8 ounces (250 mL) of milk looks in one of your glasses. Keeping these portion sizes in mind when serving food will help you avoid exceeding calorie needs (Figure 8.13). When preparing pasta for side dishes and casse- roles, avoid adding oil or salt to the cooking water. If you are using a packaged pasta mix, cut calories by using only half the amount of butter or margarine suggested. Follow this advice when preparing pack- aged rice, stuffi ng, and sauce mixes, too. When evaluating a menu, do not forget the items served with entrees and side dishes. Toppings and spreads used at the table can affect the nutri- tional value of foods. Items like sour cream, cream cheese, salad dressings, mayonnaise, and jam add solid fat, sugars, and calories. Use these items sparingly. Try reduced fat versions, or use plain nonfat yogurt in place of other creamy toppings. Season yogurt with herbs for tasty dressings and dips. Make Sweets Satisfying People often like to end a meal with a sweet dessert. Of course, many desserts are loaded with empty calories. However, you can take steps to make desserts more sensible. Adjust dessert recipes to cut fat, sugar, and calories. One way to do this is to use fat-free or low-fat milk in place of whole milk in recipes. Use fat-free evaporated milk in place of cream, except for whipping. Reducing the number of egg yolks in recipes for baked goods will cut fat and calories. Two egg whites can be used to replace one whole egg. Reduce the amount of sugar listed in recipes for baked goods. Add vanilla or spices, such as cinnamon, ginger, and cloves, to make these recipes seem sweeter. Lightly dust cakes with powdered sugar instead of spreading them with frosting. Save rich desserts for special occasions. Choose fruit for a dessert that can be enjoyed daily. When a high-calorie dessert is on the menu, serve moderate portions. A single scoop of ice cream, a small dish of pudding, or a slim slice of pie will satisfy the desire for sweets. Mona Makela/Shutterstock.com Figure 8.13 Choose whole-grain pasta for a healthier side dish. How many 1 ounce-equivalents from the grains group are in this 1-cup measure? (Hint: see Figure 8.9)