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, stuffing, 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)
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, stuffing, 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)