from Diabetic Health

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Tasty Tips and Tricks from

Koch, RD

Dec 31, 2009

According to , 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

, 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 '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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