10 Tips for Fixing Heart Healthy Recipes

Do you remember Grandma's apple cobbler? Is spaghetti one of your favorite meals? You can still eat these things, but new versions of them, if you know how to swap ingredients. Here are 10 tips for fixing heart healthy recipes.

1. Replace eggs wih a cholesterol-free egg substitute. If you don't have a substitute on hand, you may use egg whites. According to the American Heart Association, two egg whites may be substituted for a whole egg in baking recipes.

2. Use fat free (skim) milk. This one change saves you calories and lowers your cholesterol level.

3. Choose non-fat cheese. For better melting Dr. Richard Collins, author of The Cooking Cardiologist, recommends soaking the cheese in milk for a few minutes before adding it to recipes.

4. Add fiber -- fresh fruit, dried fruit, vegetables, and grains -- whenever possible. Fiber is good for you and fills you up.

5. Cook with plant oils, such as olive, corn, and canola. If you're sauteing food, add a teaspoon of butter to the oil for flavor. Use as little oil as possible.

6. Swap unsweetened applesauce for shortening in baking recipes. But cooking is chemistry and, for best results, you may have to add a teaspoon of oil.

7. Hold the salt. Excess salt raises your blood pressure. Insstead of salt Mayo Clinic recommends citrus zest, fresh and dried herbs. To bring out the flavor of dried herbs rub them with your fingers before adding them to the recipe.

8. Cut back on sugar. Recipes made with half the sugar may taste just as sweet. Instead of sugar you may use Splenda, a no-calorie sweetener made from sugar, or half Splenda and half sugar.

9. Go lean on protein. Buy lean cuts of beef, skinless chicken, extra lean chops and fish. Some recipes, like spaghetti sauce with mushrooms, may not need protein at all.

10. Eat normal (not supersized) servings. According to the Univesity of Missouri Extension Service, large servings add up to 200-500 calories a day, which can add up to 20-50 extra pounds a year.

A few ingredient changes can have a huge impact on your heart health. Before you know it these swaps will be automatic. The heart is your body's main pump so take care of it.

Copyright 2005 by Harriet Hodgson.

Harriet Hodgson has been a nonfiction writer for 26 years and is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists. Her latest book, Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief, written with Lois Krahn, MD, is availble on http://www.amazon.com. Go to http://www.harriethodgson.com for more information on her work. Hodgson is hard at work on her next book, Doctor in the House: An Inside Look at Medical Marriage.

---

All About Strawberry Shortcakes

Strawberry shortcake may be a 200 year-old American invention. With... Read More

Chocolate Velvet Cheesecake

Cheesecake is one of the most popular desserts around today.... Read More

How to Bake: Easy Sourdough Bread

A customer emailed us and said that her mother loved... Read More

Fresh Fruit: The Sweet, Healthy Dessert

Americans love dessert so much that some of us eat... Read More

Noodles

Different cultures have their own way of taking some water... Read More

The Official Parenting Cheesecake Recipe

Whoever writes all those fancy cookbooks has never been a... Read More

The World According To Penne

Penne pasta is a product of Naples, Italy. The pasta... Read More

Texas Pecan Treats

Come August, there is nowhere I'd rather NOT be than... Read More

A Scone Recipe for Dinner or Lunch

There are two ways to pronounce scone. "Skon" in England... Read More

Swiss Chard - What Do I Do With That?

Originally, all foods were "organic" ? grown and prepared without... Read More

How to Prepare the Perfect Garlic Lemon Chicken

If you want to prepare the perfect garlic lemon chicken... Read More

Main Dish Zucchini Recipes

With summer coming to an end, you probably have an... Read More

Shake Things Up With Fun Milkshakes

Milkshakes have been around since the old days of drugstore... Read More

Cookbook Publishing - The Basic Ingredients and the Secrets to Success

You are about to embark on the most exciting enterprise... Read More

Seafood Fettuccine Alfredo

Seafood Fettuccine is always a top seller in our restaurants.... Read More

Cooking Instructions For Prime Rib Roast

Have you been searching for cooking instructions for prime rib... Read More

5-Minute Strawberry Jam

Nothing tastes better than fresh picked strawberries. For many people,... Read More

Ma Po Tou Tu (Bean Curd with Chili Sauce)

Ma Po Tou Fu is Sichuan's well known characteristic dish.... Read More

Burmese Shrimp Cake Recipe

Little pounded shrimp balls seasoned and fried till lightly brown.... Read More

Sweet & Sour Pork (Gu Lao Rou)

Sweet & Sour Pork is the most well known Chinese... Read More

Easy Insalata Caprese

It's tomato time! If you're a gardener, you might be... Read More

How to Bake Quick Bread: Apricot-Orange Nut

We love moist, fruity quick breads--and this is one of... Read More

Canarian Recipes for Shrove Tuesday

For the British at least, Shrove Tuesday is probably better... Read More

Ground Turkey Recipes

Our family has recently made the switch from ground beef... Read More

Vegetarian Gourmet----Meatless Makeovers

Three years ago I decided to go "meatless." It wasn't... Read More

Tayberry Jam

The taste of Summer, bursting with flavour and anti-oxidant effects.... Read More

Do I Really Need to Follow a Recipe?

These days, its seems like everyone is looking for different... Read More

All-Wheat Superb Rolls

Note: The stone ground whole-wheat flour adds only 1.3 Teasps... Read More

Straight Talk from a Comfort Foodie - Fast Food

My parents lived for convenience when it came to feeding... Read More

Grilled Scallops with Ginger-Lime Sauce

Summer time is great for barbequing, but aren't you tired... Read More

Vegetarian Diet Tips: Make Your Vegetarian Diet A Balanced Diet!

The world has opened eyes to the harmful side-effects of... Read More

Spinach Salad with Mango and Papaya

This is a great summer salad, leaving you refreshed even... Read More

Frugal and Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

Here it is - that time of year when everyone's... Read More