[acb-diabetics] from Diabetic Health

[Patricia LaFrance-Wolf]

            Tasty Tips and Tricks from Marlene

Marlene Koch, RD

Dec 31, 2009 

 

According to Marlene, finding the perfect mix of ingredients is key when
creating healthier versions of your favorite foods. From composing a
healthier

sandwich to perfecting pasta dishes and creating delightful 

desserts

, Marlene reveals some of her tastiest ingredient tips:

 

Reduced-Fat Dairy

 

Diary products have come far from the days when they were limited to either
full-fat or skim. These days, reduced fat dairy products are both healthy
and

delicious. One-percent milk is lower in fat and calories than whole milk,
yet creamier than non-fat milk, while non-fat half-and-half lends 

recipes

 the silky smooth mouth feel of light cream without any of the fat. Both are
staples in my fridge. You'll also find plenty of low-fat plain yogurt, light

sour cream, and reduced fat cheeses. Extra tip: plain Greek-style yogurt is
amazing. Drained for longer than regular yogurts, it's exceptionally thick

and creamy.

 

Better-for-You Breads

 

My better-for-you sandwiches start with better-for-you breads. A simple swap
from one large four-ounce bagel to two slices of light white or wheat bread

saves over 300 calories and 50 grams of 

carbohydrate

. Other great carb-conscious bread selections include Thomas's Light
Multigrain English Muffins (with nine grams of fiber!) and high-fiber
tortillas. Mission

Carb Balance and La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious Wraps are two
brands to look for. Last, the easiest switch of all - choose sourdough bread
over

regular white. The acid used to "sour" sourdough bread lowers its 

glycemic index

 (the rate at which it will raise 

blood sugar).

 

Perfectly Proportioned Pastas

 

The best trick for fitting pasta dishes into any healthy meal plan lies in
the proportion of pasta to the other ingredients. My favorite method of
reducing

the calories and carbohydrates in pasta dishes while increasing the flavor
and nutrients is to s-t-r-e-c-h the pasta by adding protein-packed lean
meats

and flavorful veggies.

 

For example, a two-cup portion of plain pasta equals six starch servings. In
contrast, a two-cup serving of a pasta dish made with tender white chicken

and steamed broccoli delivers three servings each of lean meat and starch
and one serving of vegetable. In addition to being lower in carbohydrates, a

combination pasta dish has a greater satiety value (it will fill you up
quicker and keep you full longer) and more nutrients. Whole grain blend
pastas

(like Barilla Plus) offer a taste and texture close to traditional semolina
pastas with slightly less carbohydrate and more protein and fiber.

 

Sweets with Less Sugar

 

When creating my sweet recipes, I reduce the sugar by swapping out sugar for
the no-calorie 

sweetener

 sucralose (found in Splenda brand products). I like Splenda for its
sugar-like taste, safety profile, and ability to withstand the heat required
for cooking

and baking.

 

The carb and calorie savings  provided by a sugar-free sweetener can really
add up. A cup of sugar contains a whopping 768 calories and 192 grams of
carbohydrate.

In comparison, Splenda granulated sweetener contains 96 calories and 24
grams of carb. For 

beverages

, other sugar-free packet options such as stevia-based sweeteners (like
Truvia), aspartame (such as Equal), or saccharin (found in Sweet 'n Low),
also work

fine.

 

It is important to note that baked goods will cook faster, rise less, and
have batters with less volume when made with a sugar substitute such as
Splenda

granulated sweetener. For specific baking tips and tricks, go to 

www.marlenekoch.com

 or 

www.splenda.com.

 

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