1. By Heather K. Mackie, MS, RD, LD
Modifying Recipes
By Heather K. Mackie, MS, RD, LD
Everyone has their family favorite recipe.
Just because you had weight loss surgery, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on all the family favorites.
There are ways to modify recipes to make them healthier, tasty, and help you continue on your path to wellness!
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2. Tips to Modify Recipes Not an exact science Start with 1-2 changes
Basic modifications:
Substituting ingredients
Reducing ingredients
Eliminating ingredients
Start with 1-2 changes
Write down changes
Exact science – sometimes takes a couple test runs to get a product/recipe you are happy with.
Basic modifications:
Substituting ingredients: example - using low-fat (or non-fat) cheese as opposed to full-fat cheese.
Reducing ingredients: example - reducing a recipe that calls for 1 cup of cheese to half-cup of cheese.
Eliminating ingredients: example – recipe calls for 1 cup of cheese; completely not using the cheese.
Start with 1-2 changes – once you get those changes to where you are happy with the recipe, you can continue to make more changes and see how it tastes.
Make sure you write down the changes you made, so next time you will remember how to get same recipe, taste, texture, etc.

3. Cooking Techniques – Low Fat Methods
Baking – to cook in the oven with dry heat
Braising – to brown meat over high heat, then cover and cook slowly over low heat in a small amount of liquid
Broiling – to cook with intense heat either on a grill or under the broiler
Grilling – to cook on a rack over very hot coals (charcoal) or on a gas grill
Poaching – to cook food immersed in liquid which is barely simmering
One of the first things you can consider is the cooking technique used.
To make an item healthier, doesn’t always mean you have to change the ingredients – maybe you change how it is prepared.
Example: instead of fried chicken, substitute baked, grilled, or broiled chicken.

4. Cooking Techniques – Low Fat Methods
Roasting – to cook uncovered in the oven with dry heat, with the addition of a small amount of liquid
Searing – to quickly brown the surface of meat under the broiler or in a pan over high heat on top of the stove in order to seal in the juices
Steaming – to cook food, covered, over a small amount of boiling water
Stewing – to slowly cook meats and vegetables in a covered pan, either in the oven or on top of the stove

5. Healthy Sautéing Recipes typically call for 2 tbsp fat
Reduce the amount of fat
Change the type of fat
Start with a non-stick skillet
Use a pastry brush to distribute fat/oils on foods
Some people assume sautéing is not healthy b/c of the use of oil, however, it can be done healthfully.
Usually, those 2 tbsp of fat are not healthy fats.
Reduce to 1 tbsp fat.
Change to canola oil or spray canola oil.
Sprays allow you to coat the pan w/o using much fat.
Non-stick skillet:
By changing to non-stick, some foods may not require any fat at all to sauté (like scrambled eggs).
Pastry brush:
By using a pastry brush, you can reduce the amount of fat/oil you are using, which helps to control the fat you are using.

6. Healthy Sautéing
Consider using other items other than fat to sauté your food:
Broth
Table wine
Lemon juice
Water
Microwave your veggies instead of sautéing them
Onions
Mushrooms
Then add to the rest of your meal, such as omelet or pasta dish
Broth, water, and lemon juice will give you lowest calorie substitutions to sauté your food.
Microwaving your food steams them giving them a great texture without the added fat from sautéing.

7. Healthier Salad Dressings
You can make your own tasty salad dressings
Incorporate balsamic vinegar
Use minimal oil
Making your own dressing allows you to control how much fat, sugar, sodium, etc. and other ingredients are being used.
Balsamic is great b/c: low in calories, virtually no sodium or fat.
Minimal oil – helps you to control the amount of fat and calories you are using.

8. What about Nuts? Consider using sparingly
Most nuts contain heart-healthy fats and some protein
Consider using 1/3-1/4 of what recipe calls for originally
Consider roasting nuts for more intense flavor
Roast at 350o for 10 minutes
Dry roast in cast iron skillet over medium heat until browned
Should you keep nuts in a recipe?
Nuts may contribute a significant amount of fat and calories to a recipe.
Roasting allows you to use less while still getting that nutty flavor b/c the roasting makes them a more intense flavor.

9. Varying Dairy Products
Cheese
Mix non-fat cheeses with low-fat cheeses
Consider soy cheese
Use shredded cheese
Use stronger flavored cheese
Many recipes call for cheese.
Cheese can add a significant amount of fat, sodium, and calories.
You don’t have to eliminate completely when trying to slash calories.
Non-fat mixed with low-fat – helps to cut calories, w/o compromising on flavor.
Soy cheese – may not reduce calories, but will reduce saturated (bad) fats.
Shredded cheese – melts quickly, which may reduce amount you need to use.
Stronger-flavored cheese – may allow you to use less b/c of more intense flavor.

10. Try Making Yogurt Cheese
10 calories/tbsp (when using non-fat yogurt)
Make at home:
Strain whey out of non-fat yogurt to make “soft” cheese
Line a colander or sieve with a cheesecloth or a coffee filter and place in or over a bowl
Pour in non-fat yogurt and cover with plastic wrap
Allow to drain for 12+ hours
Transfer the new “soft cheese” to a separate container and use as a base for savory appetizers, spreads for breads, or substitute for sour cream or whipped cream desserts
Avoid using yogurts that contain thickeners like gelatin, modified food starch, or vegetable gums (usually found in light yogurts), which don’t allow the release of whey.

11. Varying Dairy Products
Sour Cream
1 cup = 490 calories and 48 g fat
Substitute with:
Fat-free sour cream
Low-fat yogurt
Non-fat yogurt
Greek yogurt (non-fat, plain)
Sour cream is a smooth, dense product.
However, it will increase calories quickly.

12. Varying Dairy Products
Milk
Use skim milk instead of whole milk
Saves 60 calories and 8 g fat
Try evaporated skim milk instead of whole milk
Saves 140 calories and 20 g fat
Try almond milk
Saves 125 calories and 5.5 g fat
To make a creamy sauce:
Mix 1-2 tbsp of corn starch or evaporated skim milk with 1 cup of heated skim milk
Season to taste with herbs or a small amount of grated cheese
Whole milk will also add quite a bit of calories and fat.
Switching to skim milk dramatically reduces the saturated fats as well (the bad fats).

13. Healthy Baking
Project: Lower the Fat, Don’t Destroy the Recipe
Reduce the amount of shortening, butter, margarine by 1/3 – 1/2
Try light butter
Try using half the amount of oil
Replace the eliminated fat with same amount of one of the below:
Applesauce
Cranberries
Crushed pineapple
Grated carrots, zucchini, apples
Mashed bananas
Mashed or cooked pumpkin, squash, or carrots
Nonfat buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt
Prune puree or prune butter
Mashed black beans
Normally baking calls for high amounts of fat, which increases the calories dramatically.
However, this does not mean you can’t enjoy some healthier versions of baked goods.
Reducing butter, margarine, shortening – most of the time you won’t even notice.
Light butter example: promise, benecol, land-o-lakes light butter.
Half the oil – often won’t even notice a difference.
When replacing fat with one of the listed ingredients, use a lower oven temperature for baking.
This helps to preserve the moisture.

14. Eggciting Eggs!
You can reduce the fat, cholesterol, and calories in a recipe by substituting the following for eggs:
Egg whites
Use 2 egg whites for the first whole egg in baking
Then 1 egg white for each additional egg
Egg substitutes
Container will provide conversion rate
You can now buy liquid egg whites as well making it easier and quicker.

15. Baking Chocolate 1 oz baking chocolate = 140 calories and 15 g fat
Consider replacing with:
3 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder + 1 tbsp cooking oil
Same calories and total fat, but less saturated fat
3 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder + 2 tsp water
Lessens calories and fat content
Works for cakes, brownies, and puddings
They now have sugar-free chocolate chips
Calories are about the same, but reduces grams of sugar

16. Sugar is not so Sweet! Reduce sugar by 1/3 – 1/2 amount
If cut sugar by ½, then decrease liquid by ¼ cup
Replace eliminated sugar with non-fat dry milk powder in cookie, bar, and cake recipes
Use fruits for natural sweetness in cookies, cakes, and quick breads
Best bets include raisins, dried apricots, dates, apples, and bananas
Using less sugar requires some experimentation since this ingredient helps retain proper texture and appealing flavor.
You may need to try the recipe several times before perfecting it.

17. Sugar is not so Sweet!
Use fruit juice instead of sugar and liquids (e.g., milk)
If it is an acidic juice, add ½ teaspoon baking soda per cup of liquid
To reduce calories significantly, consider sugar substitutes, like Splenda and stevia products
Enhance the recipe calorie-free, by spicing with:
Cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, etc.
Extracts also work well
Vanilla, lemon, almond, and chocolate

18. Decrease the Sodium/Salt
Start by using half the salt as what is called for in the recipe
Continue to reduce the amount until you find the minimal amount needed to season the recipe
Replace the salt with lemon or lime juice, flavored vinegar, fresh onion or garlic, onion or garlic powder, pepper, chili powder or ginger
Your taste for salt will diminish as you gradually decrease the amount you use
Many dishes do not require a lot of salt to make them taste good.
If your recipe calls for salt, but you are trying to keep your sodium intake low, consider making these alterations.

19. Final Tips Remember to be creative and experimental in the kitchen!
Work to strike a balance between healthy and exciting recipes!
If it doesn’t work the first time, don’t give up!
Make another modification and try again!
Have fun with it!
Final Tips

20. Questions? Celebrate Health. Celebrate Life. Celebrate Vitamins.
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