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Recipe Tweaking
RECIPE TWEAKING
One of our biggest struggles
as fitness training professionals is getting our clients to eat correctly. This, of course, is broken down into several
subjects including but not limited to the frequency and size of meals, the quality of food you are putting into your body
(i.e. wild atlantic salmon vs. farm raised hormone pellet fed), and the basic caloric breakdown of the food in question.
I am going to go back to the basics and address that last option.
I recently had a conversation with a professional
colleague who said she didn’t care what her food tasted like as long as it served the function (protein powder shaken
with water, tuna over spinach leaves dry, etc.). Well, perhaps you feel the same way when it comes to dieting, sometimes
I admit I do too. That being said, our everyday client who has spent most of their lives addicted to food, isn’t
going to feel that way. So, that leaves you with two options: introduce them to new foods, and re-program them
to cook their old favorites in a whole new way. Let’s call it “recipe tweaking.”
Being
a natural cook, this is a project I undertook with a lot of joy and it really became fun for me. When it comes to making
cooking substitutions, the two factors that come into play are taste and texture. Below is a list of examples of foods
that are commonly used in cooking, followed by healthier substitutes.
Oil
Ok, we all know this is a big one,
and takes some experimenting. In many cases you can cut the amount oil used in half, which turns out to be a really
big deal in baking because that’s where half of your fat calories come from. If baking something such as banana
bread, use a little more banana or some applesauce to make up the difference. When it comes to sautéing with
oil, use just enough to keep whatever you are cooking from sticking. If you are really being strict, use an olive oil spray.
Eggs
Usually 2 egg whites can substitute for 1 egg. I don’t recommend replacing all of them (take
it from a baker - desserts and breads turn out tough with only egg whites are used). If the recipe calls for 4 eggs, use 2
eggs and 4 egg whites instead.
Dairy
When baking, use plain low fat yogurt instead or sour cream – this
will drop about 350-400 fat calories per cup. Usually skim milk can be used to replace whole milk, and believe it or
not can even replace cream without a noticeable difference. If that’s not possible, use light cream.
Cheese
Ok, so yes, this is dairy, but I felt it deserved its own category. The reality when it comes to cheese
is that most recipes call for much more than you actually need, because they are written by cooks without regard to consequences.
In many recipes you can cut the cheese in half without sacrificing in the taste department. Another great trick is to
use part-skim mozzarella or something comparable. That will cut the fat calories down by 50%. I don’t believe
in “non-fat” cheeses for reasons I will point out in a few minutes.
Use whole grains
Ok, so I’m
the king of eating pasta and allowing my clients to do the same (with obvious portion control). It’s all in the
shopping! Use whole grain pasta. The taste and texture are great, and it adds a little color to your dish!
A favorite of mine is quinoa pasta; it does have a different flavor but talk about a great low-glycemic carbohydrate version
of pasta! The downside is that you have to search for it, as many natural food stores don’t even carry it.
The same is true for any recipe calling for all-purpose flour. Use whole wheat flour instead. If that changes
the flavor too much, go half and half.
Other examples
Cut back on salt. In many cases you can drop it or use
half the amount without sacrificing flavor. Try using herbs and spices instead. Also, switch to healthier fats.
In addition to cutting the quantity, drop the lard, butter, shortening and use things such as olive, canola or soybean oil.
Use lean cream soups to take the place of creamy sauces (such as alfredo sauce).
You may notice that with the exception
of certain dairy products where it can be achieved naturally, I did not say “use low-fat or no fat versions of….”
Many food manufacturers cut fat and even sugar from their “healthier” products by adding things which are worse,
such as the obvious great evil – high fructose corn syrup. I’m also not a big fan of sweeteners, even splenda,
especially when it comes to cooking, although by all means I’m for using all natural sugars such as stevia.
Now I would highly recommend practicing a little with your own meals before making a big dish to take to a church potluck
or handing out your recipe, but give it a try. Keep in mind that not everything is going to turn out exactly how you
expect and you may have to play with ingredient amounts, but don’t be shocked if you wind up liking the new version
better. I guarantee you will like the way you feel better!
In conclusion I would like to share a couple of
recipes with you that I have modified, including the nutritional information of the modified creation in comparison to the
original. I’ve included a regular “meal” dish and a baking dessert dish.
Jack's
Healthy Enchiladas
Ingredients
3 lbs chicken breast tenderloins
1 can green enchilada sauce
1 can red
enchilada sauce
½ cup shredded 2% mexican cheese
8 whole wheat tortillas
Preparation
Take
the chicken breast tenderloins and trim the skin and fat off as best as you can. I use Kroger brand boneless, skinless
tenderloins that come in a 3 lb bag in the frozen section, but any boneless, skinless chicken breast will work. Cover
with water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil for about 10 minutes. If you are using whole chicken breasts
when it will be closer to 15 minutes. Drain the chicken and let it cool. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Shred the chicken into a large pan or wok. You can use a fork for this but honestly clean hands work the best if you've
let the chicken cool a bit. After the chicken is shredded, pour about ¾ of each can of enchilada sauce into the
pan and simmer over a medium heat for about 5 minutes while stirring the sauce into the chicken. (I use Kroger brand
enchilada sauce but they’re all very similar.)
Take a large pan and spray the bottom to prevent sticking.
Line all 8 whole wheat tortillas beside each other with the ends pointed up like little taco shells. Evenly distribute
the chicken throughout the tortillas. Evenly distribute most of the shredded cheese on top of the chicken. Fold
the tortillas like little burritos. If they don't stay shut you can use toothpicks to keep them shut. Pour
the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese over the top of the dish. Bake for about 12-15 minutes.
If made
by these directions exactly each serving contains 34 g protein, 28 g mostly low-impact carbs, 7 g fat. Only 315 calories.
I think they taste pretty darn good for a healthy meal. Serve with some vegetables if you want. If you like your
enchiladas to be creamier add a can of 98% fat free cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup to the enchilada sauce mix.
It will only add about 9 calories per enchilada.
Compare that to the average “non-healthy” enchilada
version:
20-30 g protein, 35-50 g higher glycemic carbs, 20-35 g fat for a whopping 500-700 calories.
Jack’s Banana Bread
Dry Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat or whole spelt flour
½
tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
Wet Ingredients
3 large very ripe mashed
bananas
2 eggs + 1 more egg white
½ cup sucanat (or honey if you prefer, although it is higher in calories)
½ cup skim milk
2 tbsp lemon or orange juice
2 tsp vanilla
Optional (but awesome)
½
cup chopped walnuts
Preparation
Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then mix together.
Only blend until barely mixed. Pour into a greased bread pan (this is where using a light spray is a great option).
Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes – just test it with the ole toothpick trick when you think it may be close, because you
don’t want to overcook it. Let it cool about 15 minutes before removing it from the pan.
If made by
these directions and cut into a dozen slices then each slice would contain 4 g protein, 1 gram of fat, 30 g carbs (that’s
with plenty of fiber and therefore about half of these carbs are low- impact). Only 166 calories. Using walnuts (which
I definitely recommend) adds 32 calories, 3 g fat, a gram of protein and a whopping 1 good carb.
Compare that to
the average banana bread:
1-4 g protein, 32-45 g carbs (mostly sugar), 16-20 g fat and 290-350 calories.
So, go cook, and have fun! I would love for you to share any of your favorite modified versions with me!
 Jack Haynes is the owner of Next Level Fitness in Nashville,
TN. In addition to being an ISSA certified fitness trainer, he is a member of Fitness Professionals International, and
is currently working towards achieving New York Strength’s Master Trainer Certificate.
Jack’s fitness career started in the United States Navy, where he was the designated “command
fitness coordinator” in charge of fitness and testing for the crew of a fast attack nuclear submarine. Since then
he has trained in Hawaii, San Diego, Chicago and now back at his hometown of Nashville.
Whatever time he doesn’t spend working, Jack loves to travel and enjoy the great outdoors
and enjoy sports such as tennis, biking, volleyball, mountain climbing, the list goes on… Jack also volunteers as an
assistant youth pastor at Church of the Redeemer in Nashville.
Contact
Information:
Jack Haynes
(615) 329-2747 studio
(615)
330-5929 mobile
jack@nextlevelfitness.com
www.nextlevelfitness.com
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