Thanks for the replies! Is there anyone that have low sodium, low/no fat, low/no sugar recipes out there? Soups? Entrees? Desserts? Maybe a website that could help? Any ideas and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Wow - that's a tall order to fill and I could flood you with different recipes. Let's start out with - what kinds of foods do you like and then I can take it from there. Also - do you use Splenda or any artificial sweeteners and would you like any recipes using those? We've never had a problem with cholesterol, diabetes, etc. because of the way we've eaten for years and how we prepare our foods. And we do use salt and sugar, whole milk, whole milk cheeses, dairy products, butter, etc.
HOW TO TURN A REGULAR RECIPE INTO A LOW-FAT RECIPE
1. Flag all high-fat ingredients in the original recipe.
2. Make a list of low-fat products that can be substituted for
all of the flagged ingredients.
3. Replace whole eggs with egg substitute products. One
egg is equivalent to 1/4 cup of egg substitute.
4. In sweet baked goods, substitute applesauce or pureed
fruit for oils, butter or margarine. As a general rule, you can
use a cup of applesauce or fruit for every cup of oil or butter.
5. Use skim or 2 percent milk in place of whole milk.
6. Replace regular sour cream or mayonnaise with fat-free
or low-fat versions, or use yogurt.
7. Use ground turkey instead of ground beef, or try extra-lean
ground beef.
8. Remove the skin from poultry, either before cooking or
after cooking, depending on the method (a chicken
roasted without its skin, for example, would dry out, but
skinless chicken can be braised to no ill effect).
9. Use cooking spray to coat pans instead of butter or olive
oil. Add a little water if foods start to stick.
10. Learn where added fat is important and where it's not
so important. For example, there's seldom a difference in
onions sautéed in one tablespoon of oil or onions sautéed
in two or three tablespoons of oil.
Tips
When replacing fatty ingredients in recipes, start slowly.
Replace a portion of the products at first to determine if the
flavor and consistency remain intact. In baked goods,
especially, a small amount of fat is necessary for texture.
Non-fat muffins, for example, tend to be gummy, but muffins
with a small amount of fat (perhaps two tablespoons), have
a much better texture.
Simply reducing fatty ingredients can have a wonderful
effect, especially when combined with some zesty
seasonings. Instead of two cups of mild Cheddar in a
cheese sauce, for example, try one cup of sharp Cheddar
plus some dry or prepared mustard for kick. Or take out a
third of the cheese in your next lasagna and see what
happens.
Remember that eating too little fat is as unhealthy as eating
too much. On average, you should be getting 20 to
30 percent of your calories from fat.
Layered Low-Fat Banana Pudding
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Dash of salt
2 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
2 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups sliced ripe (but firm) banana, divided
45 reduced-fat vanilla wafers, divided
4 large egg whites (at room temperature)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Combine flour and salt in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milks and yolks; stir well. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract.
Arrange 1 cup banana slices in bottom of a 2-quart baking dish. Spoon one-third of pudding mixture over banana. Arrange 15 wafers on top of pudding. Repeat layers twice, arranging the last 15 wafers around edge of dish. Push cookies into pudding.
Beat egg whites at high speed of a mixer until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue evenly over pudding, sealing to edge of dish. Bake at 325 degrees F for 25 minutes or until golden. (NOTE: Banana Pudding may be a bit soupy when you first remove it from the oven. Let it cool at least 30 minutes before serving.)
No Salt Seasoned Mix Recipe
if you like it - increase the measurements for a bigger batch
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (for heat)
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried course ground lemon peel
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender. Store in a covered container or a sealed shaker bottle.
This recipe for No Salt Seasoned Mix serves/makes 2 tbsp
NO-SALT SEASONING MIX
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. dried lemon peel
Crush and mix all the ingredients together in a small mixing bowl.
Store in an airtight container. Yield 1/2 cup.
Sprinkle on your favorite vegetables and meats to taste prior to
cooking.
Herb Salt Substitute Recipe
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried savory
1 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon ground dried grated lemon peel
Combine dried herbs and spices and mix well. Place in a glass airtight container and store in a cool, dark place up to four months. Use on all types of savory foods.
This recipe for Herb Salt Substitute serves/makes .33 cup
Herb Seasoning
2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
2 Tsp Dry Basil
2 Tsp Dry Marjoram
2 Tsp Dry Thyme
2 Tsp Dry Parsley
2 Tsp Dry Savory
2 Tsp Mace
2 Tsp Onion Powder
2 Tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2 Tsp Powdered Sage
1 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
Combine All Ingredients & Store In Airtight Container, In A Cool Dry Place.
Keeps Up To 6 - 8 Months.
Good Substitute For Salt.
Makes 2/3 Cup
