How to Modify Recipes to Make Them Diet-friendly

If you have been dieting for a while, you know how frustrating it is to give up all your favorite foods. If you like to cook, this can be especially difficult, as you may find that many recipes call for a lot of ingredients you have been told to avoid in order to lose weight. While there is no magic answer that works in every case, you can modify most recipes to make them more diet-friendly and still enjoy them, even if it is only once in a while. Read on to learn how to modify recipes to make them diet-friendly.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Replace as much as you can of the shortening, oil or butter required in the original recipe. Applesauce or mashed bananas can replace margarine (although it may not work on every case because it will affect the flavor), or you can try simply cutting down the amount and using an additional egg or water to make up for the loss of moisture.

2. Avoid frying your food. Almost any other method of cooking will produce meals that are lower in calories and fat. Baking, grilling or roasting conserve flavor and require little to no added oils. Stir-frying (using non-stick spray and just a tbsp. of oil) can also be a great alternative to frying.

3. Use skim milk or replace half of the required milk for water. In some recipes, it may be possible to use evaporated skim milk or soy milk (which may contain sugar, but it is usually much lower in fat).

4. Reduce the amount of sugar required in a recipe by up to a quarter of the total without affecting the flavor. Using Splenda or other sugar substitutes is also well, but the final result may be slightly different in flavor and consistency.

Tips & Warnings

• When buying the light or reduced fat version of a product, make sure you check labels carefully. While lower in fat, some products may be higher in sugar to make up the flavor difference.