The New Year is just around the corner and as we wrap up another year and season of holiday dining, focus begins to turn on January’s New Year resolutions. When it comes to resolutions, there really is none more popular than taking off the pounds put on during the holiday season (if not more). As television commercials fill the air with ads for gyms, diet programs, weight loss supplements and at home solutions to cut the fat, so will the demands of your customers for healthy low calorie fare on your menu.
Earlier this year, we discussed how several large chains offered up lighter fare on special reduced calorie menus. While there is no argument that including menu nutrition information for reduced calorie dishes is imperative, one can be left wondering, how do they make those low cal dishes anyway?
At MenuTrinfo we like to keep up to date on the latest tips and tricks to cut calories in recipes, and thought this would be a great time to share some our favorites with you. Find here our best low calorie switches and substitutions, tips and tricks:
- Sub applesauce for oil in baking recipes.
- Use less sugar. Traditional recipes often include far more sugar than is necessary to give a dish its sweetness. Experiment in reducing the amount, you may be surprised just how good it still is.
- Use just egg whites or egg substitute in lieu of eggs.
- When recipes call for buttering a dish, use fat free cooking spray instead.
- Instead of stir frying vegetables in oil or butter, try water or fat free cooking spray instead.
- Serve calorie heavy condiments and sauces on the side.
- Use reduced fat or non fat sour cream and cheese.
- Use nonfat or low fat milk in lieu of calorie heavy cream or whole milk.
- Trim skin and excess fat from meat and poultry.
- Skip the fryer all together. Instead embrace baking, steaming, broiling, and poaching.
- Replace starch heavy sides such as potatoes or rice with low calorie big flavor fresh vegetables.
- Replace white flour with whole wheat. (While this won’t necessarily cut the calories, but it will make the calories more nourishing and filling thanks to the increased fiber of whole grains).
Once you employ these calorie saving tips to create lighter menu fare options for your customers, you’ll want to be absolutely certain to offer full nutritional information on your menu for these lighter fare items. We’ll be happy to work with you to properly label and index each new item and present that information to your customers promoting your new low calorie dishes.
Don’t delay in getting started labeling your dishes, the New Year is right around the corner! Give us a call today and get started.
Photo Credit: David Bebbenick
