Happy, Healthier Holidays by Mindy Hermann, R.D. (NAPSA)—It’s time to think of ways to make ourfavorite holiday dishes a bit healthier. The test kitchen experts in the Betty Crocker Kitchens offer these help- place of fried onions or buttered bread crumbs. A touch of onion or garlic powder adds a savory flavor. Trim the fat in muffins and quick breads by using oil instead To cut down on salt in vegetable dishes, sprinkle on lemon juice, vinegar, fresh or dried herbs or sauted onions. Drain and rinse canned vegetables and beans before addingto a recipe. Cholesterol watchers can use a quarter cup of egg Mindy Hermann substitute or two egg whites in place of each whole egg in baked goods. Avoid the holiday-dip fat trap by using pured or mashed beans as the base of your dip rather than sour cream or mayonnaise. They have no fat, are lower in calories, and add fiber and greatflavor. Love guacamole but hate the calories? Make a tasty “mock-amole” by draining and rinsing a can of asparagus cuts, blending or food processing until smooth, then mixing with your favorite guacamole ingredients—limejuice, cilantro, tomatoes and onion. Add a bit of fat-free mayo for extra creaminess. Cut fat and add whole grain by topping your green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, and other baked dishes with crushed Whole Grain Total in use up to one-third less sugar. * Boost muffins and quick breads with whole grain by using whole wheat flour for up to half the all-purpose flour in the recipe. To add texture and flavor, stir a crushed cup of Total breakfast cereal into the batter. Switch to mini chocolate chips when baking. You can use half the usual amount in your cookie recipes and still get plenty of chips and great chocolate taste in every cookie. Switch to reduced-fat or lowfat cheese in baked dishes such as lasagna and tuna noodle casserole. Make sauces with skim or low-fat milk instead of whole milk or cream. Whip up a batch of creamy salad dressing by combining equal amounts of plain low-fat yogurt and reduced-fat or fat-free mayonnaise. Jump on thelatest trend and indulge your sweet tooth at the same time by making bite-size desserts. ful tips: of butter. To decrease sweetness, Mindy Hermann, MBA, RD, is a nutrition writer for women’s, health andfitness magazines. She is the co-author of “Change One” and the American Medical Association’s “Family Health Cookbook.” enn - eee eee eeeQWee ee ee eee Note to Editors: Healthier Holidays is Series VI—26 of 26.
