Not all recipes for your favorite meals need to be tossed in the trash now that you are living a healthy lifestyle and making healthy eating a daily habit.  You can tweak your favorite recipes and turn those unhealthy meals into low-fat, tasty cuisine.  Let’s take a look at how you can save all those family recipes handed down from grandma, to mom, to you and your family.

Without looking at specific ingredient changes, let us take a quick overview of some things you can do to easily make your meals healthier.  One of the easiest things you can do is to decrease portions.  Another healthy change is to change your cooking methods.  You might have to bake that chicken instead of deep-frying it.  Next, you can make healthy substitutions for unhealthy ones.  Try canola oil instead of lard.  Use honey instead of refined sugar.  Try herbs and spices or sea salt instead of table salt.

Now that we have looked at three, big-picture changes; let us look at some other changes you can make on a case-by-case basis for making all recipes in your recipe book healthier.  When something calls for using a whole egg, try using two egg whites.  If you see whole milk or cheese on the list, change that to skim milk or low-fat cheese.  Change all refined flour ingredients to whole-grain or whole-wheat instead.

Speaking of whole grains, you could switch out all your unhealthy carbohydrates (white flours, refined sugars, white potatoes, white rice, etc) for good carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta.  And when possible, also substitute fattier, marbled cuts of meat for lean ones.

The easy, minor changes and substitutions above can change all recipes in your favorite cookbook or recipe file from unhealthy to healthier versions.  Enjoy your healthy meals!