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Home Knowledge Center Wellness Library Modify Recipes for a Heart-Healthy Diet

Modify Recipes for a Heart-Healthy Diet

Overview

You don't have to abandon all your favorite recipes to eat healthier. Several small changes to your current recipes can often greatly lower the saturated fat and sodium in your diet.

These small changes can make a big difference in the amount of fat and calories in your diet. But they won't make much difference in how your meals taste or how much you enjoy them. Here are some ideas for making heart-healthy changes in your recipes.

Recipe modifications

Instead of:

Choose:

1 cup shortening or lard

¾ cup canola or olive oil

1 cup whole milk

1 cup fat-free milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup evaporated skim milk

1 cup sour cream

1 cup low-fat or fat-free yogurt or sour cream

1 cup cheddar cheese

1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese

8 oz cream cheese

8 oz light cream cheese or 4 oz skim ricotta and 4 oz tofu blended

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can low-fat cream soup

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground turkey or 1 lb extra-lean ground beef (97% lean)

6 oz tuna in oil

6 oz tuna in water

1 cup chocolate chips

½ cup chocolate chips

To eat less fat and salt, try these tips while you cook.

Heart-healthy cooking tips

Instead of:

Try:

Frying your food

Baking, broiling, steaming, poaching, or grilling your food.

Eating convenience foods (canned soups, TV dinners, frozen pizza)

Eating fresh fish, meats, fruits, and vegetables. Or look for low-salt convenience foods. Then make a balanced meal by adding a fruit, a vegetable, and low-fat or fat-free milk.

Using butter or other fats high in saturated fat

Using products low in saturated fat. Try olive oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, or low-sodium chicken broth.

Using salt, soy sauce, or barbecue sauce

Using herbs, spices, or lemon

Eating all of the meat product

Eating a 2 oz to 3 oz serving of meat. (This is about the size of a deck of cards.) Trim fat from meat. Remove skin from chicken.

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. Learn how we develop our content.

To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise.org.

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Related Links

Healthy Eating: Eating Heart-Healthy Foods Heart-Healthy Eating American Heart Association Healthy Diet Guidelines

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