Cooking Healthy

Although most of us know that reducing fat and cholesterol in our diet can help put us on the path to a heart healthier life, making those changes can seem difficult. But it doesn't have to be impossible!

The Heart Center of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center has gathered tips to help you prepare healthier meals - whether you are cooking a meal at home, packing lunch for work, or preparing a picnic. We have also included a seven-day menu with recipes to help you get started.

Although change may not come easy, with a few simple revisions you can achieve a healthier diet.

Your heart will thank you for it!

Making Simple Changes

Making small changes in how you cook can result in significant changes in your diet. Try making the following changes in recipes to reduce their fat, sugar and sodium content:

• Sugar can be reduced by as much as ¼ to ½ in most recipes. It is usually safe to decease to the next measuring cup. For example, when a recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, reduce it to ¾ cup, etc.
• Fat can be reduced by ½ in many recipes, although baked goods such as cakes, quick breads and muffins may require additional liquid for a proper batter consistency. For example, when a recipe calls for ½ cup of oil and 1 cup of milk, reduce the oil to ¼ cup and increase the skim milk to 1 ¼ cups
• Fat and salt can be entirely left out of recipes for soups, stews and casseroles
• Salt can be reduced ¼ to ½ in recipes for baked goods made without yeast