Are you looking for ways to make your meals healthier without sacrificing taste? Look no further! Today we'll cover healthy sugar and salt swaps. Cut back on added sugars and calories with the following tasty tips and tricks.
Baking and Cooking Using Fruit Purees:
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Determine the Ratio: The first step is to figure out how much fruit puree you need to replace the sugar. As a general rule, you can use an equal amount of fruit puree as a substitute for sugar. Purees are often not as sweet as sugar so you may need to adjust with the serving size. Due to the moisture of purees, you may need less oil too-adjust the recipe as needed to get the taste and texture you like.
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Choose the Right Fruit Puree: While applesauce is a popular choice for baking, you can also use other fruit purees such as mashed bananas, pureed prunes, or pumpkin puree. Each fruit brings its own texture and flavor. For example, pumpkin will add a hint of pumpkin flavor to foods while also making the food denser.
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Experiment! Have fun experimenting with the ratio of fruit puree to sugar and oils to determine the best outcomes. You can try infusing icings with fresh purees like strawberry, lemon, or raspberry. Also, consider using fruits to improve the aroma and color of your baked goods!
Homemade Dressings and Marinades:
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Swap Store-Bought for Homemade: Most store-bought dressings, marinades, and sauces are high in added sugars and salts. Replace the store-bought with easy homemade replacements.
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Control the Added Sugars and Salts: Making homemade dressings allows you to control the amount of sweetness added from natural ingredients such as maple syrup or honey. Typically used ingredients in dressings and marinades can often be found at home such as garlic, honey, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, oil, and balsamic vinegar. Keep ingredients in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
If you think just cutting chips, fries, and fast food will help you cut your salt intake, think again. Yes, these foods are salty, but there are also other common foods that have a high volume of salt that can be replaced to keep your sodium intake down.
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Replace Bread and Rolls: Salt is added to bread to help with strengthening the dough, so it is difficult to find low-salt bread. Instead, you can try replacing bread with oatmeal in the morning, or swap a dinner roll for whole grains such as brown rice, farro, or quinoa.
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Replace Cold Cuts and Cured Meats: Meats such as bacon, ham, salami, sausage, hot dogs, and deli meats contain a high amount of sodium. You can try replacing these foods with fresh-cooked chicken or turkey breast instead. Season the meats with salt-free herbs and spices that provide added aroma and taste such as rosemary, thyme, cumin, basil, and oregano. You can slice up these fresh-cooked meats and use them in sandwiches in place of deli meats!
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Soups and Stews: Many soups are made with canned broth or tomato sauce. Purchase low-sodium broth or make your own by adding vegetables and herbs with water in a slow cooker. Make sure if you add any canned vegetables to rinse them first to wash away the salt or purchase low-sodium canned vegetables.
Have fun in the kitchen with these ingredient swaps to help you make healthier meals that are still tasty!