Comfort Food Makeover

You vowed to eat healthier this year, but with the chill of winter may bring cravings for foods that are warm and filling. Believe it or not, healthy eating doesn’t mean you have to give up the good, old-fashioned comfort foods. Small changes in one or two ingredients can make a big difference. Check out these smart strategies for slimming down favorite family recipes.

Meatloaf
Choose extra lean ground meats such as ground beef (90 percent lean or more),ground turkey breast or ground chicken breast. If you choose 95 percent lean ground meat instead of 80 percent, you’ll cut about 100 calories and 13 grams of fat per serving. If desired, use ¼ cup of egg substitute or two egg whites in place of each egg called for in the recipe. And to boost the nutritional value, use whole-grain breadcrumbs or crushed whole-grain cereal flakes instead of traditional breadcrumbs. Then, mix in shredded or finely chopped vegetables such as carrots, green bell peppers or drained, canned mixed vegetables.

Casseroles
For creamy casseroles, cut the fat by using reduced-fat mayonnaise, sour cream or cheese. Lower the sodium content by choosing reduced-sodium cream soups and broths. Many regular condensed cream soups have 800 to 900 milligrams of sodium per ½ cup serving. So, choosing options such as the 25 percent reduced-sodium varieties can make a significant difference. Make your casserole nutrient-rich by stirring in lean cooked meats, skinless poultry, tuna packed in water, or frozen, drained or canned vegetables.

Mashed potatoes
Instead of adding ¼ cup butter and ¼ cup whole milk to mashed potatoes, go with equal parts fat-free milk and reduced-fat sour cream (or try non-fat Greek yogurt). The sour cream gives a rich, creamy consistency — and you’ll cut about 80 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving. For greater nutritional value, leave the potato skins on. And, try mashed sweet potatoes, too. They’re a great source of vitamin A.

Macaroni and cheese
Try using fat-free and reduced-fat dairy products. If you use skim milk instead of 2 percent and reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese instead of regular, you’ll cut approximately 90 calories and 12 grams of fat per serving. To add even greater nutritional value, use whole-grain elbow macaroni.

Sweets
Want to decrease the fat and sugar in Grandma’s brownie recipe? Use only half of the butter or oil called for in the recipe and substitute unsweetened applesauce or other fruit-based fat replacement for the other half. Cut the sugar by one-quarter to one-third and add spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and allspice to add sweetness to recipes. Reduce the baking time by up to 25 percent, if needed.