Healthy Cooking Tips

Ways to Increase Fiber
• Choose whole grain instead of refined products. For example, use whole wheat flour, brown rice,oatmeal, whole cornmeal and barley.
• Whole-wheat flour can usually be substituted for up to ½ of the white flour in recipes. For example, if a recipe calls for 2 cups of flour, try 1 cup or white and 1 cup of wholewheat flour.
Add fruits to muffins, pancakes, salads and desserts. Add vegetables to casseroles and salads.
Add grated or mashed vegetables or fruits to sauces or baked goods. For example, you can add grated carrots to spaghetti sauce and meat loaf.

Ways to Decrease Sugar
• Try using ¼ to 1/3 less sugar in baked foods and desserts. *For example, if a fruit pie recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, use ⅔ or ¾ cup sugar. This works best with quick breads, cookies, pie fillings, custard, puddings and fruit crisps. It may not work for some cakes. Do not decrease the small amount of sugar in plain yeast breads because it provides food for the yeast and helps the bread rise.

• You do not have to add sugar when canning or freezing fruits. Or, you can buy unsweetened frozen fruit or fruit canned in its own juice or water.

• Increase the amount of cinnamon or vanilla in  a recipe to make it seem sweeter.*

*Do not do this if sugar in the recipe has already been reduced.

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