Simple Substitutes that Make Healthy Eating Easy
The festive season is just around the corner and that usually means temptation to indulge in festive foods is higher! One of the solutions to that is to whip up your own feast, and by making simple substitutions using healthier ingredients! This will bump up the nutrition value and even the flavours of your favorite recipes! To do just that, check out the following tips.
1. Flour
Just by substituting half of the all-purpose flour in baked treats such as cakes with whole wheat flour, the nutrient content is increased! Flour made from whole grains provide more essential nutrients, such as dietary fiber, B vitamins, and minerals compared to refined flour1.
2. Yogurt
The best substitute if you want to make anything creamy! It can replace sour cream, whipped cream, ice cream, and even cut calories in curries without compromising on flavour. Natural set yogurt has lower calories and fat content, richer in calcium and protein compared to coconut milk or creams2 and it is guaranteed to make you feel less guilty too!
3. Seasoning Salt
When the recipe calls for seasoning salt, such as garlic salt, try using herb only seasoning, such as garlic powder, celery seed or onion flakes. According to World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines, a healthy adult should not exceed 2,000 mg of sodium intake a day; however most Malaysian adults consume more than the recommendation3.
4. Egg Yolks
Eggs are common in meals, especially Malaysian food. However, many people are not aware that egg yolks are the cholesterol storage in an egg – up to 200mg4! For cakes, cookies, and quick breads try looking for recipes using egg whites or less eggs. Egg whites contain no cholesterol, so if you wish to limit your dietary cholesterol intake, try using egg whites as much as possible.
References:
1. A Whole-Grain Diet Reduces Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Overweight and Obese Adults
2. Is Yogurt Good for You?
3. My Salt Report 2016
4. Eggs, Grade A, Large, egg yolk
